This is a topic that I am particularly passionate about being a PhD candidate, like many others, who went into the industry. I am part of what is called a ‘Transformed PhD’ at my university which intends to provide PhD candidates with a broad skill set to be able to go into a range of industries. Unfortunately, I was the […]
Something I don’t think is talked about enough is adjusting to life after thesis. People had off-handily mentioned that it can be hard to know what to do once your thesis is complete because a PhD takes so much time and energy. However, no one said that it would be this hard to adjust. A PhD becomes a part of […]
I am a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. I’m in my 6th year and wrapping up at the end of this year! It’s a bittersweet time for me because my graduate experience has been incredible, challenging, but incredible. I’ve been given the opportunity to teach field courses both locally […]
Many PhD students would agree that they could do with a little extra pocket money. Here is a list of ways to earn a little extra money that you may not have thought of. 1) Online Surveys- A new fad is to complete online surveys for cash (generally paid through paypal) or vouchers. There are many, many sites which offer […]
There is so much more than academia for PhD graduates and many of us are looking for these other options so I wanted to provide a list of some of the types of positions and industries to look for as a PhD candidate / graduate. This is by know means an exhaustive list but somewhere to get you started. Market […]
So…. I did it. I passed my Viva and was called Dr. for the first time. It feels surreal and amazing. I wanted to share my Viva experience, as I know that not everyone’s Viva is the same. I was absolutely terrified the night before and morning of, although I felt like I had prepared a lot, I was sh&5ing […]
Throughout high school and undergraduate university courses, we get told about the importance of planning before we start to write essays or reports. I used to think that we were just told this for the fun of it, kind of in the same way that you are told to read ALL the instructions before using new technology… but for the […]
I am in the midst of preparing for my Viva (verbal defence)! For some context; as I have written in previous blog posts, my University is one of the first in Australia to have a compulsory Viva for all PhD students. I think our process is slightly different to that of other countries, as we get feedback from the reviewers […]
So it is the first day of your PhD. Maybe you are going into an office filled with other academics and students, an office filled with just fellow PhD students, out into fieldwork, a lab, or a workspace at home. Perhaps you are in the area of physical sciences, social sciences, history, arts, design, education, literature, mathematics, engineering, or medicine. […]
I was warned by my supervisors that submitting a PhD is a big life adjustment… in a positive way, but nonetheless still an adjustment. You go from spending a ridiculous amount of time thinking about your PhD or feeling guilty for not thinking about your PhD, to not having to think about your PhD at all. I had two weeks of marking left when I submitted my PhD (on top of my full time job) so I think that was a good way to wean myself off of the 16+ hour work days. However, my supervisors were definitely right, it is a big adjustment. I have never been particularly good at being bored, my partner actually said “I think the one thing you are terrible at is being bored” and it has been a really long time since I have experienced guilt free boredom. It is an odd and confusing feeling between submission and defense because you cannot fully relax (as there is still lots of PhD to do) but you are also free to relax. I am still working through these feelings and have so far realised a few key points; Be kind to yourself- you have just submitted a PhD- be kind to your mind and body. Sit with your boredom-I have found that it is important to just sit with your boredom and get yourself used to the feeling of not having anything. You will be exhausted- […]