Phd What Do You Do Again?

By: Selena Yuan, independent researcher

Before 2011, I had never thought that one solar day I would choose to do a PhD.

But I did it! I have non suffered from 'Permanent Head Impairment', though it is true that I find it a 'Probably Difficult to Describe' feel. What I promise to share with yous are some of my thoughts when I wait back on my journey ii years later my PhD viva.

I am not going to talk about the sacrifices that one has to make or the hardship that one has to endure (C'est la vie! Life is like a box of chocolate, and you know some of them are more than biting than others).

Merely I have drawn a list of:

1) things that I am glad that I accept washed;

ii) things that I wish I had done

If I were to exercise my PhD again, this listing tin can serve as a sweet reminder, and I promise you may also find something that resonates with you. Please experience free to annotate your thoughts.

What I have washed and would notwithstanding practice if I were to do my PhD over again:

• I would still start a PhD as a happily married couple

You would sympathise what I am talking almost if yous are doing a PhD and already have a lovely family. Of grade, you tin can't fully programme out your wedlock or relationship status. But a romantic relationship and family back up can often aid yous get through difficulties.

I know quite a few tough, highly resilient PhD students who have managed both their academic and personal life well. Still, I know more PhDs who would find information technology impossible to make it on their own, and some fifty-fifty discover inspiration while spending time with their children.

What I am trying to say is that having a family unit or a partner will not influence your PhD study in negative ways. On the contrary, you will enjoy being with your love ones while working on your beloved project.

• I would still host/organise an bookish briefing and set upward a reading group

Cambridge is total of wonderful resources and opportunities, not only in a pure bookish sense. My feel of organising the annual Kaleidoscope Conference was actually rewarding in that I had the opportunity to practice my advice and event organisation skills. It was indeed a challenging task, every bit I needed to conform peer review of submitted abstracts, blueprint the briefing affiche and programme, invite keynote speakers, coordinate a team of volunteers, contact catering staff, and non to mention the logistic on the twenty-four hours. But I received the support and help of other FERSA members besides equally the Faculty of Education. It was i of those exhausting yet exhilarating periods.

Similarly, I organised a reading group on Dewey's Art as Experience. Though information technology was a small-scale group of only 3-4 regular members, nosotros were all glad to have the chance to push ourselves to finish the book on schedule and to exchange ideas and hash out our views on the details and theoretical implications of such a hard-to-chew-yet-archetype slice. I started it merely by pasting a small affiche on the faculty board. FERSA is e'er there to offer help, and the faculty and colleges have plenty of rooms that tin be booked for meetings. If existing academic events do not fully match your demands, why not set up something new yourself?

• I would still stick to something that can take my heed off serious work

I started to cook during my master'southward study in the Britain. At first, I cooked my own meals for 2 unproblematic and straightforward reasons: 1) to save money; two) to reward myself 18-carat home style food that I could not perchance find in higher cafeterias and restaurants. Just later, I discovered that it was as well a soothing and relaxing experience, every bit playing around with ingredients and kitchen wares helped to take my mind off bookish work from time to time and forced me to go out my desk and engage myself in a different kind of 'creative' task.

• I would still write and publish periodical articles

I did not plan to write and publish periodical papers at beginning, as I had not thought well-nigh finding a job in academia and it was not part of the requirements for the degree. My supervisor had encouraged me to do so in a subtle style, and once showed me a 'call for paper' notice of a special issue whose topic had some relevance to my inquiry. I talked to another enquiry staff in our faculty and co-wrote the newspaper with him and my supervisor. The paper was accepted and I got some very useful feedback from the editor and so revised it for last submission.

It tin can be  adept to push yourself to write something other than the thesis. It also helps you to proceeds a sense of accomplishment, as the turnaround time is much shorter (than a thesis). And you can always kickoff practising past submitting to a student-run periodical and gradually build you way to high-contour journals.

• I would nevertheless read books and get to academic events outside my item expanse

It is always helpful to go on a 'wild safari' and go to know current enquiry in unlike areas. Who knows? Mayhap one seminar about studies in some other subject tin stimulate your ideas and offer unanticipated inspiration, which yous might never go by just reading books on your own topic.  Visiting a new and unfamiliar environment is itself a gesture of 'stepping out of your comfort zone' and tin can often bring surprises.

• I would mark and follow a few bookish-related blogs

Y'all won't feel that 'alone' when getting to know that others have been in the aforementioned situation as you. Some scholars also offering very applied communication as well equally insights on their blogs.Patter is my favourite 1. Why non find the ones you similar and proceed a bookmark binder for these blogs and so that you visit them regularly?

• I would however keep a weblog

On my PhD-related weblog, I wrote random thoughts, little poems, and reflections on life. The weblog helped to convalesce pressure and to certificate instant ideas. And what was best about writing such a blog, was that it helped me to gratuitous myself from academic-style writing for a while. It was liberating and empowering, and information technology offered me time and space to listen to myself and to limited myself in a freer way.

• I would however make a disquisitional friend

A disquisitional friend is someone who can switch between writing with you and offering you critical, constructive and detailed feedback that yous don't ordinarily get (even from your supervisor). Who can offer you advice when you are frustrated? Who can mark out grammatical problems in details for you lot? Who tin can requite you critical comments in a not-too-polite way? And who expects yous to merely 'pay' him/her back with some of your comments on his/her piece of work?

A critical friend can exist someone whose enquiry is in a like just unlike area, and it works best when you lot can meet regularly to read each other's piece of work and talk confront to confront (ideally once in a month or every two months).

• I would grasp opportunities to gain educational activity and outreach experience

Whether y'all decide to stay in academia or work in other industries, it is essential to cultivate the ability of transforming your ain expertise into more engaging and understandable language and formats. The kinesthesia offers opportunities for PhD students to supervise undergraduates; the university recruits volunteer and workshop leaders for two festivals (Festival of Ideas and Festival of Science); some colleges likewise need people to work on access programmes. And try to explore other things that you are interested in besides!

• I would nevertheless attend workshops and events offered by the Careers Service

The Careers Service offers a wide range of workshops, talks and activities. They are extremely patient and professional person and can offer you insights into improving your chore application contour and planning your career.

Selena Yuan

What I take not washed and would encourage you lot to do:

• I would keep a more detailed log during my PhD

I did have a weblog. I did finish the PhD log every bit required by the faculty.

But beyond that, I really wish that I had kept a 'muse' diary where I could have fabricated 'mind maps' at different stages of my PhD research. Information technology would probably have contained some handwritten notes, illustrations, collages, etc. It would definitely have facilitated my own thinking procedure and would as well have served equally a precious 'souvenir'.

• I would join a student society and go to events more than regularly

Well, you know how all these societies audio really astonishing, and I filled out a few forms and signed up to a few newsletters. And and then I got drowned in all the academic piece of work and never fabricated information technology to the events …

But I know if I had truly committed myself to just 1 or two of the societies, I would have learned something and met some new friends with similar interests, and non to say the pure fun of it! Many of the activities are free and low-cost compared to what you tin can find outside of campus.

• I would learn more about the history of my higher and of Cambridge

Information technology is truthful that I went to some walks arranged by my college. I likewise did some bones inquiry in order to introduce Cambridge and its colleges to overseas groups when I was working equally a part-fourth dimension tutor in summer and winter schools. But I truly wish that I had gotten to know the history and interesting facts about Cambridge and particularly my ain higher. After all, it was expected from my friends and family, who would beloved to hear those stories from me, someone who lived in this lovely town for 4 years! I was later able to go first-hand resources and link that to my own experience. I should accept kept a database on this, ideally during my PhD.

• I would endeavor more formal dinners

'Formal dinners' can seem posh, but they actually are a unique experience that you will never get outside of Oxbridge. They are so 'surreal' too.

If I had gone to more than formal dinners, I would accept had the chance to endeavor dissimilar kinds of food, and visit different formal halls built in unlike times and in different styles (for example, the formal at Queens' College's old hall was really a treat! The nutrient was ok, just I got to see the interior design by William Morris).

• I would indulge myself to more work-free days

Sometimes, you feel stressed and can even suffer from feet. We all know that! And we can push ourselves besides hard. My supervisor occasionally encouraged to me talk a stroll and just get out work aside for a whole mean solar day. That was good advice! I but wish I had spent more than work-free days enjoying what nature offers, or going on more short trips. After all, life is not just about doing fieldwork and writing the thesis, right?

Selena Yuan completed her PhD at the Kinesthesia of Teaching in 2015. She worked as an Banana Professor at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in 2022 and is at present a freelance educator and independent researcher based in Shanghai. If yous want to find out more about Selena or her research, which touches upon museum education and arts-based methodology, delight contact her at dreamingselena@icloud.com or visit her contour on Research Gate .

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Source: https://fersacambridge.com/2017/05/19/if-i-were-to-do-my-phd-again/

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