This last week I had my first year review. Every university does these differently. Some have your supervisors there, others have one of your supervisors and an external, and others have two members of your faculty there, with your supervisors observing (like mine). I was very nervous about it due to missing the deadline for … Continue reading The First Year Review
Tag: PhD
Changing Direction
This guest post is by Perin Westerhof Nyman. Perin is entering the fourth year of her PhD in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. Her research considers the use of dress as a political tool in the Scottish royal household, particularly during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. She also works … Continue reading Changing Direction
The First Deadline.
This week has been quite intense. It's been a Deadline Week. This is the face of a man who's just submitted a chapter draft. And seen a fly in his tea. Those of you currently researching for a PhD will know what that means. It means stress, it means sending work to colleagues for proofing … Continue reading The First Deadline.
Technophobia (an apology)
So this post is a little late, and I must apologise for that. My internet went down, which was annoying, because I'm doing a PhD and working. But I live in Edinburgh, which is full of libraries, coffee shops, pubs, and even buses that have free internet. It's almost Nikola Tesla's dream come true (it's … Continue reading Technophobia (an apology)
Reflecting on blogging
I can’t believe my time as SGSAH blogger has come to an end! Tomorrow I’m passing the torch into the capable hands of Jimmy Johnson, and I’m really excited to see where he goes with the blog! I’ve spent a lot of time reading posts written by my predecessors, and it’s incredible how diverse a … Continue reading Reflecting on blogging
Coming towards the end of the PhD
As I come towards the end of my time blogging (I can’t believe I’m almost finished – the time has flown!), I’m also nearing the end of my PhD, which I’m hoping to finish at the end of this year. Coming to the end of my doctoral study is …. I’m struggling for words. It’s … Continue reading Coming towards the end of the PhD
Top 4 tips for surviving the first year of your PhD
Every year of the PhD is hard. Year 2 is host to the dreaded ‘second year slump’, when you still have a long way to go, but the novelty and newness of doing your PhD is wearing off. Year 3 is full of the pressure of writing and editing, picking examiners and choosing when you … Continue reading Top 4 tips for surviving the first year of your PhD
How many hours should you spend on the clock, and when should you spend them?
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?
Should you live in halls during your PhD?
I’m in the slightly unique position of having lived in catered university halls throughout my entire academic career, from the very beginning of my BA to the (almost) end of my PhD. Since I’ve now got 7 (seriously, 7?! I just did a double-take) years of experience of halls, from both an undergrad and postgrad … Continue reading Should you live in halls during your PhD?
Perfectionism and the PhD: the dread of completion
I don’t know if it’s just my intense perfectionism, but I have a real fear of finishing things, signing off, and saying I’m done. I’ve always been terrible at doing so, handing in essays right on the deadline during my undergrad. Once or twice, I even edited an essay within an inch of its life … Continue reading Perfectionism and the PhD: the dread of completion
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