How to stay productive and motivated during your PhD

 

In these resources, we discuss the emotional challenges of doing a PhD, and offer tips to help you stay engaged and motivated.

Leaving Academia After A PhD

Leaving Academia After A PhD

Congratulations, Doctor; academic work is NOT your only option. If you’ve just completed your PhD, the grass may be greener outside the university gates. In this post, we offer advice and guidance for those thinking of leaving academic after a PhD.  The Dream of a...

How to deal with unexpected PhD supervisor feedback

How to deal with unexpected PhD supervisor feedback

Devastated by unexpected constructive feedback? Take time to rage against the feedback then look after yourself and start again. Supervisors only give you feedback to help you pass your PhD, hard though it is to hear.

80 things I wish I knew when I was doing my PhD

80 things I wish I knew when I was doing my PhD

Often, the difference between unnecessary worry and successfully muddling through is having someone on your side who can tell you that what you’re feeling is normal and reassure you with good, practical advice that speaks to the core of you. That is the goal of this article.

What to do if you lack motivation in your PhD

What to do if you lack motivation in your PhD

Motivation is elusive. Some days you have it and others you don’t. Well, having fluctuations in your motivation is normal and to be expected. If you took ten PhD students, how many do you think would say they’re highly motivated all the time? Not many, I imagine.

What you should know if you are self-isolating during your PhD

What you should know if you are self-isolating during your PhD

This post has been published in direct response to recent calls by governments around the world to encourage more people to work from home. We wanted to create a resource that talked specifically to PhD students in order to advise them on steps they could take to ease the transition to home-working. Towards the end of these guidelines are specifically tips for those who currently teach as part of their PhD workload.

5 Things New PhD Students Should Know

5 Things New PhD Students Should Know

Noting can ever fully prepare you for the intellectual, physical and emotional assault that comes with doing a PhD. Everyone does a PhD for very personal reasons, and everyone finds them challenging in unique and varied ways. What for one person may seem like a death-blow may to others be nothing more than a minor inconvenience. However, in this post I want to discuss the six things that every new PhD student should know. They’re things that I learnt the hard way during my PhD, and which I’ve seen time and time again in my career as an academic, PhD thesis proofreader and PhD coach.

Five tips to improve your PhD thesis

Five tips to improve your PhD thesis

Regardless of what stage of the writing process you are at, there are five overarching tips you need to keep in mind if you want to improve your PhD thesis.

How to deal with post-viva PhD thesis corrections

How to deal with post-viva PhD thesis corrections

We like to think that the viva is the end of the doctoral process; the final step in the long journey to a PhD. But, for most, it isn’t the final hurdle. The outcome of the viva in most cases is another three to sixth months work to deal with corrections.

7 Ways To Beat PhD Writer’s Block

7 Ways To Beat PhD Writer’s Block

Then the deadline grows shorter. You start to worry, “I’m so far behind. Can I ever catch up? I’m a good student. So why haven’t I been more productive?”

A Handy PhD Submission Checklist

A Handy PhD Submission Checklist

Your work isn’t finished when you’ve written your thesis and had it proofread. There is still a surprising amount of administrative work to do before you are ready to submit. Don’t underestimate the amount of time it will take to turn your finished text into a final, bound copy.

Explore Other PhD Knowledge Base Collections

Eight collections of free resources to help you along the PhD journey
literature review theory framework PhD

Mastering your theory and literature review chapters

In this collection of resources, we’ll explain all you need to know about planning and writing an effective literature review.
plan PhD chapters

How to structure and write every chapter of the PhD

In this collection, we’ll walk you through each chapter of your thesis. You’ll learn what goes where and how it fits together.
PhD motivation

How to stay motivated and productive

In these resources, we discuss the emotional challenges of doing a PhD, and offer tips to help you stay engaged and motivated.
PhD writing fluency

Techniques to improve your writing and fluency

Writing’s not that easy. Here you’ll learn simple techniques to write more effectively and convincingly.
PhD mental health

Advice on maintaining good mental health

PhDs can be lonely, isolated places. These resources will be useful if your PhD impacts upon your overall wellbeing.
ESL PhD students

Resources designed for non-native English speakers

Writing a PhD when English isn’t your first language can throw up unique challenges. Here you’ll learn how to overcome them.
How to write a literature review

Explore our back-catalogue of motivational advice

Each week we send out a short, motivational email to over 4,000 students. Here you can sign up and access the archive.

PhD writing template

A free one-page PhD structure template

Using this free PhD writing template, you can quickly visualise every element of your thesis.