It is time for the next blog in the ‘operation gtfo’ series. When you are nearing the end of your thesis you need to start writing those pesky introduction chapters. We often put these off for as long as we can because a) we have lots of other things that need to be done and b) we don’t want the […]
While many PhD theses are different, depending on location and area of research, most require at least one introductory chapter. This introductory chapter sets the scene for the thesis by introducing the thesis area and discussing relevant previous research. My thesis is going to have two introduction chapters, the first providing background information about sharks, the conservation challenges shark species […]
I have always been a believer in appreciating the small things this wonderful world has to offer, and since everything that happened last year I have started to take time to reflect, a lot and often. Lately one of the things I have reflected on is that I have made some really small changes that have really helped increase my happiness (if only slightly some days). So this is my little list: Showering at night– Having a shower when I get home from work is one of the best stress releases. Not watching the news– I very rarely watch the news now. I was finding it really draining, and since doing research on the media, I was also finding it frustrating. I get the news I need to through my phone, I don’t need to watch it before and/or after work. Dancing while cooking- Instead of watching TV while I cook, I listen to music and dance around. Take Frog for a walk– As Frog’s training is paying off, I am now able to easily take him for a walk, so I do that most days when I get home (unless I work late). My Nespresso machine- I finally purchased a Nespresso machine, and I must say it has changed my mornings. Waking up and getting to have a delicious coffee in my own home is the best way to entice me out of bed.
My good friend and fellow PhD student requested a blog post about how to start writing, as she is currently stuck. I have been struggling for blog post inspiration so I was happy for the suggestion. The hardest part of writing is probably starting to write. I feel like as PhD students we do everything else possible before we will […]
6:36am– Lately most of my week days have been starting around 6:20am- mainly because the undergraduates are back at uni and they take all the car parks unless you arrive on campus early. 8:49am– I have arrived at uni and have already walked over to my favourite cafe for my caffeine hit. I’m now going to draft a friend’s job […]
Doing a PhD, or working in other academia/science jobs, means lots and lots of writing, including writing scientific articles. I am currently in the process of writing up my first study, and I have been struggling with writer’s block. So these are my tips to overcome it: Do the small stuff first- Make sure you have finished the ‘small stuff’ […]
When I first starting blogging I wrote a post about why I choose to start a PhD (https://drofwhat.com/2016/06/01/why-a-phd/?iframe=true&theme_preview=true). I wrote this post when I was 6 months into my PhD and in the proposal stage of my research, so everything was still quite new. Now that I am (almost ‘half way’) I thought it was time that I reflected on […]
