At the beginning of the month, my 60-day suspension of studies ended. There were a number of factors leading to my decision to take a break, and ultimately while I was nervous to truly step away from my PhD for any period of time, it was exactly what I needed...but there are some words of … Continue reading Taking a Break
Written by Mairi Hamilton, a second-year AHRC-funded doctoral researcher in the Centre for Gender History at the University of Glasgow. Mairi is exploring women’s experiences of abuse in the home in nineteenth-century Scotland. Find her on twitter at @MairiAntoinette The Dreaded Training Needs Analysis For a long time ‘training needs analysis’ (TNA) was a phrase … Continue reading Why Training Needs Analysis Is A Friend, Not A Foe
Every PhD student has their health struggles. Be it a short-term illness, stress, anxiety, or just needing someone to remind you how to function normally (cue Birdie, the adorable PhD assistant) we've been there. There's an immediate connection that forms when you join up with a group of PhD students and someone throws out 'and … Continue reading Invisible Illness and the PhD
Katey Warran is the recipient of an AHRC Creative Economy Studentship led by The University of Edinburgh in partnership with Queen Margaret University, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. She is interested in bringing together the arts and sciences, with experience across a range of disciplines including arts and health, cultural sociology, philosophy and music. … Continue reading Finding peace in a frantic PhD
We often think about intelligence, talent, or maybe even a bit of luck as the keys to academic success. But recently a presenter’s words at the SGSAH summer school struck and stuck with me. The workshop she was running was on prioritizing after the PhD. The workshop was honest and yet optimistic, filled with … Continue reading Resilience and Perseverance: The arch virtue of academia
I entered my PhD full of determination and expecting to hit the ground running. I knew what I wanted, and I was determined to make the most out of this opportunity. It felt like the clock started ticking the moment I stepped off the train in Dumfries. I was ready to get box ticking out … Continue reading Starting a PhD: 8 Things I wish I had known and Done
I’ve often found myself in the library late at night, feeling unproductive and guilty about leaving. I often will have gotten a late start and done a fair bit of procrastinating. Even if I’ve gotten quite a bit done, it never feels quite like enough. It leaves me feeling like the day has been wasted … Continue reading When Enough Is Enough: Meeting goals and staying motivated in your PhD
As I walk through Kelvingrove Park in this beautiful weather I find myself smiling. It could be at a dog passing, a baby in a pram smiling at me, the sun, the trees, the weather. It could be a memory from walking down other paths, in other places, with other people, whether it be an … Continue reading Walking and Smiling: Dealing with Stress and Anxiety
What I felt characterised the SGSAH summer school was a sense of genuine care and desire to support PhD candidates. From the catering to the choices of workshops on offer and topic for the panel discussion this feeling seemed to run through all three days. I think the feeling of care and support is expressed … Continue reading Reflecting on The SGSAH Summer School
If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice at the outset of my PhD, I’d tell myself to plan a trip, to plan lots of trips. I’ve known this from the start, but it’s only my recent trip to Oban and my upcoming trip to the Isle of Mull that has … Continue reading Plan a Trip: Destress, Recharge, and be more Productive
