Kieron (he/him) is a first year PhD student at the Distributed Algorithms CDT, part of the University of Liverpool. In this article he reflects on his own journey prior to joining the CDT, and gives his advice to others searching for the right PhD project. During the thesis writing stage of my Master’s in Physics, I began exploring what lay beyond undergraduate degrees, both in academia and in the world of employment. I decided on a PhD as I had been considering a move to Computer Science for some time, and this was a good opportunity to hone my skillset instead of trying to dive in without a good background in the area. I still benefit from my Physics background, and have found that having experience in both is opening a lot of doors for the future. Currently I am working on using machine learning techniques to improve the functionality of augmented reality displays in cars. I am lucky to have a group that is placed on the boundary of academia and industry, since it provides opportunities for placements, collaborations, and other projects in the future. One thing that can sometimes go unmentioned with PhDs is how rewarding it can be to see something you have worked on or helped with come to fruition

Preparing For Your PhD Interview

Ready to take the next step in your academic career with a PhD? Don’t miss out on these top tips for acing your PhD interview, from finding the right project to researching your supervisors and preparing for presentations.

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Death by a Thousand Semesters: Are Academic Careers as All-Consuming as People Say?

The stress and all-consuming nature of pursuing an academic career is often detailed in social media posts and anecdotal tales. Whilst it is useful for PhD students to understand the perils of careers in academia, this article provides further context for some of the issues surrounding progression in the academic profession. It runs through five factors that impact on how all-consuming academic careers can be, ultimately advising you to progress in academia at your own pace.

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Building a Rainbow: Ideas and Coalition Building on the American Left, c. 1973-88

To some observers, the emergence of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other parts of the American left can appear to have come from nothing. Yet by looking at the intellectual and political changes of the 1970s and 1980s, we can see that they in fact have clear historical origins. The idea of a ‘rainbow coalition’ in particular reveals how they owe much to concepts developed in this foundational period.

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