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Category: Your Academic Journey

Explore the world of doctoral research and academia with insights, tips, and guidance for prospective and current PhD students. Navigate the challenges and rewards of the doctoral journey.
Experiences
Adriana Cantón

It’s Your PhD: How to Deal With Unhelpful Advice

This article explores how advice, whether solicited or unsolicited, can damage the morale and hope of those doing a PhD. The purpose of this article is to comment on the boundaries that researchers must put in place to avoid being negatively affected: we must be discerning as to whether advice is useful and pertinent, or whether it is not applicable to us. The main message is: don’t listen to everyone, and trust your own judgement!

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Featured Academic

Picture of Nathan H. Clarke

Nathan H. Clarke

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Bereavement
Kathryn Zacharek

Coping with Bereavement During a PhD: Grow Around the Grief

Grief is a lesser-discussed topic in academia, but processing grief due to the loss of a loved one compounds the challenges of doing a PhD. In this thought-provoking article, Kathryn Zacharek shares her experience of navigating a PhD during bereavement, where she took time out, leaned on her support networks, and researched ways to let her life ‘grow around the grief’.

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Experiences
Alyssa Miville

Tips and Tales from a First-Generation Student

The barriers faced by first-generation students can be altogether challenging when navigating graduate school. In this article, a fellow first-generation student shares what it has been like being in a PhD program and offers pieces of encouragement and advice for getting through.

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Academic Careers
Suzanne O'Regan

15 Years in Academia: 10 Things I’d Do Differently If Starting My PhD Again

This article reflects on the author’s 15-year academic journey, detailing the lessons learned from disorganised PhD student to effective work habits as a postdoc and assistant professor, and applying these lessons to their current role at Paperpile. Suzanne offers practical advice on academic writing, productivity, and professional development, emphasizing the importance of daily writing practice, systematic note-taking, reflection, goal setting, and the use of digital tools like reference managers. She shares these insights to help current PhD students avoid similar pitfalls and develop productive habits early in their academic careers.

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