One of the aspects of the covid lockdown is the sudden rise in virtual teaching, conferences and talks. This comes with its own set of challenges and positives. In this post I will share some of my own experiences over the last few months of virtual presenting and attendance and discuss some of the lessons … Continue reading Beyond attending from bed: virtual presenting
To end the week, I wanted to take a moment to consider those who help many of us get through the day, keep us grounded and keep things in perspective. I am, of course, talking about pets. I put out a call for the pets of PhD students who are based at Scottish universities and … Continue reading The importance of research assistants
I am excited to present the first of our guest bloggers since I took over the blog. Fleur is based on Orkney and PhD looks at connectivity in rural life. COVID-19 lockdowns meant Fleur's research and personal life became further entangled, as she discusses below. To undertake my PhD research, I moved halfway around the … Continue reading An international state of affairs
Guest Blogger Charlotte Lauder writes about her decision not to pursue a career in academia after her PhD. Being accepted onto a PhD programme feels like an extraordinary moment. Not everyone gets to do a PhD, or gets funding, or is even allowed access to the world of academia. Right now, it feels as if … Continue reading Accepting You’re Ordinary and Saying Goodbye to the Academic Career
Although at times it feels like I’ve been doing my PhD for years (usually in the days just before a deadline…) I recently realised it hasn’t even been six months! The first few months of a PhD have been a whirlwind of new experiences, so I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned … Continue reading Reflections On PhD Life So Far
When it all becomes a bit much and the thought of reading or writing another word becomes nauseating, there’s a whole host of ways in which PhD researchers unwind… It’s 11am. The morning has crawled by in a series of difficult contract law terms I need to get my head around. An imposing Word … Continue reading Running from the PhD (Literally!)
It’s all getting a little bit fraught in the UK at the minute. There’s a general election happening in three weeks. The media and government are at each other’s throats. Fake news abounds. There are strikers outside nearly every HEI in Scotland right now. And I’ve run out of milk. If you're doing a PhD, … Continue reading Politics.
This week's guest blog is on a subject I've wanted to see more of on the SGSAH blog. It's from Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart, a first year PhD student at the University of St. Andrews. They are autistic, chronically ill, have anxiety, ADD, OCD, etc. Their research focus is the role of neurodiverse and bodilydiverse disabled entertainers … Continue reading PhDs with a Disability
I recently read a comment about the stress of a PhD, which personally hit me to the core: “If you’re emotionally unstable or vulnerable, it’s not a good idea.” This was me, 3 years ago. Or in fact, 5, 8, or 10 years ago. I’ve lived with depression, anxiety, and OCD for a decade of … Continue reading Starting a PhD with existing mental health problems
When you start a PhD, you’ll often hear that your research should be treated like a 9 to 5 job. If you’re like me, this will probably cause you to panic and question what on earth you’re doing – don’t a lot of us start PhDs because we secretly didn’t want a 9-5 job?! I … Continue reading How many hours should you spend on the clock, and when should you spend them?
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