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Getting Started
Support networks One thing I would definitely advise new postgraduate students, especially those in a new town or city, is to get involved as early as possible with any Postgraduate clubs, reading groups, journals and other organisations of that ilk that are hosted or run by their institution. A PhD can be a long lonely process otherwise, especially in smaller departments where numbers of students are low. There comes a point in every postgraduate’s academic career when things don’t quite go according to plan and without the appropriate support network students can quickly feel isolated. Joining groups provides contact with other students, who, other than the immediate social benefits, can offer a shoulder to cry on and advice with how to tackle the various difficulties commonly experienced by students during the PhD process. Similarly, joining an association such as a Postgraduate Journal offers numerous benefits, not simply from an academic perspective. Such experience provides students with transferable skills that increase employability both within and outwith academia. Julie Barr, third year PhD, University of Glasgow, Emblem studies.
I wish that I’d started the process of writing a bit earlier than I did. Although my supervisor gave me ‘essays’ to write, summarising some of my early reading, once I got on to researching my first chapter I concentrated on reading everything I could find. I was worried that I didn’t have anything to say, but in the end it delayed the first draft of the chapter, which took much longer than it should have. There are books out there which say that you should write every day, perhaps 500 words. I’ve never been able to do that but I do try to write more frequently now. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect because it’s easier to edit a draft once it’s on paper. Fiona Barclay, third year PhD, University of Glasgow, French
postcolonial literature. Once upon a time, a slightly bored housewife and mother of three children was given the opportunity, quite out of the blue, to go back to university to carry out PhD research. She grabbed the chance, took a deep breath and, twenty years after completing her first degree, set forth on the long and arduous journey to scholarship… That was three years ago and I am now nearing the end of my period of supervised study. For me personally, the hardest thing throughout has been juggling home and university responsibilities, especially as the former has a strong tendency to encroach on the latter. I have to grab any moment I can to study and often that is over the weekend, late in the evening and during the holidays. The whole process is incredibly labour-intensive and at times I find it frustrating that it seems to take so long to make so little progress. I am strongly motivated and determined to achieve my goal, but there are moments when I seriously wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew – fortunately those moments soon pass! One thing I learnt from early on was that even the smallest task will generally prove far more time-consuming than you first think it will be, so be realistic when planning to meet deadlines. Try to be methodical and thorough about filing and referencing material from the outset; it is so frustrating when you know that you have read something somewhere, but cannot lay your hands on it. Even when I am not at my desk, my research is always in my thoughts, so I always carry a notebook with me, as ideas have an uncanny habit of coming to me at the most inconvenient moments and if I don’t write them down immediately I will undoubtedly forget them. And talking about writing – I find it very difficult indeed and am grateful that my supervisor set me writing ‘tasks’ from an early stage. My essential writing aid is my trusty thesaurus and even with it at my side, there are times when I just can’t write; when that happens I try to put it aside for a couple of days and do something completely different. Embarking on PhD research was one of the best decisions of my life and has brought me so much fulfilment, not just through study, but through the other opportunities that have come my way as a result, such as writing papers, going to conferences and extensive teaching within my Department. My journey is not over yet - I shall be writing up next year, then I have to submit and get through the viva before searching for a job that will allow me to develop my scholarship further. So many challenges lie ahead and so much uncertainty, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world! Monique Galloway, 3rd year PhD, University of Aberdeen, contemporary French literature.
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