Laura Sellers

This week I’ve been referred to as the “matriarch of the department” on more than one occasion and jokingly asked what advice I’d offer on doing a PhD given that I’ve “been around for so long” (I’m actually at the beginning of my fourth year so I haven’t stretched the PhD beyond any normal limits yet) but it got me thinking. I do play mum in the department quite a lot, you’d be amazed how many times I’ve reminded people that they do need to eat and that meals are necessary for survival! Similarly it is OK to take a toilet break, the journal article you’re reading is not going anywhere! Most importantly the PhD is not the be end and end all of life. It isn’t even the be end of doing a PhD! The written document is just one of many things you need, and should want, to do during a PhD program. Seeing as its a long running joke that I mother and dish out advise I’m going to go right ahead and do just that! So some tips for PhD students

• remember to eat! and preferably eat relatively healthily (I do of course acknowledge and actively encourage the consumption of cake, chocolate and coffee for survival purposes)
• On a similar note you’d be amazed how much free food/wine is available in universities if you keep an eye out
• It is OK to go to the pub, out for dinner, to the cinema, sit home and watch crap TV etc
• Don’t feel guilty for reading novels!
• Make time for your hobbies
• Make time for your friends in and out of academia. You need them and they need you. Without them you have no hope of surviving the PhD
• Remember there are other people outside academia. This is important generally but particularly relevant in relation to politics at the moment, Brexit and the last Tory win were massive surprises to me as I’m surrounded by other like minded liberal-lefties most of the time lulling me into a false sense of hope
• Get to know PhD students who are familiar with your university they can save you a lot of time (for example the first time I tried to do online marking I struggled to use the program for well over an hour, I then plucked up the courage to ask and got a crash tutorial in 15 minutes which I now give to other people)
• Befriend the admin staff!
• Also befriend anyone who bakes/cooks well. Cake is crucial
• Go to seminars, lectures, workshops, reading groups etc around your department. They might not seem obviously relevant or directly applicable but you’ll meet people and learn loads about how to do your subject and present (or not present) your own work (one of my pet hates is people reading conference papers with no interaction with the audience and no pictures – its dull and unnecessary)
• Learn to present your work in interesting ways – anything from presentations to public engagement,. Even being able to talk about it in the pub without everyone around you dozing off is an achievement. It also gives personal gratification if other people are interested in what you do
• Engage in non work related conversation regularly. If you have nothing to say you need to make time to do non PhD things immediately
• If you ever organise a conference/workshop etc make sure to provide biscuits
• Get involved in departmental projects. Be a volunteer but don’t let yourself become free labour (the difference being you choose to volunteer or can choose not too vs you’re told to do certain tasks and not paid/appropriately compensated and get nothing from it)
• Teaching is a really rewarding job but remember your students are new to university writing/thinking. Don’t patronise them but don’t be disappointed when they don’t get it
• Get involved with the PG Rep system in your university. If not you can’t complain when the university inevitably does something you think is ridiculous. Sometimes it can be a massive fight to get yourself heard but its worth it when you do
• Make it a policy not to reply to emails at evenings, weekends, over breakfast etc. If you are reaffirming the idea that students and staff should never stop working and be available at all times. This should not be the case
• Weekends not work-ends should be the norm. This applies to more senior academics as well

The PhD is just a document at the end of the day. You won’t get a job or any pleasure out of your PhD years without having done other things, academic and non academic, as well. Ie stop sleeping in the office and skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner!