GOGSoc Episode VIII: I'm a surviva!

Officially starting my PhD tomorrow. Meeting my supervisors on Wednesday.
Cannot wait. I've started some reading around my topic (well.. I also did some reading for my research proposal several months ago) and have got some ideas for my thesis that I'm excited to discuss with my supervisors and how to get started.

Still can't believe I'm about to start a PhD.

Officially starting my PhD tomorrow. Meeting my supervisors on Wednesday.
Cannot wait. I've started some reading around my topic (well.. I also did some reading for my research proposal several months ago) and have got some ideas for my thesis that I'm excited to discuss with my supervisors and how to get started.

Still can't believe I'm about to start a PhD.

Officially starting my PhD tomorrow. Meeting my supervisors on Wednesday.
Cannot wait. I've started some reading around my topic (well.. I also did some reading for my research proposal several months ago) and have got some ideas for my thesis that I'm excited to discuss with my supervisors and how to get started.

Still can't believe I'm about to start a PhD.

Ahhh awesome! Welcome to the club! What field are you in?

Thanks all!

I'm doing my PhD in Law, specifically looking at Mental Health Law and International Human Rights.

Had my first meeting with my supervisors and have managed to narrow my scope (slightly). Got lots of reading to do and can't wait.

I know this enthusiasm won't last long and as I'm part-time I've got seven years to go, but for now I'm excited.

Thanks all!

I'm doing my PhD in Law, specifically looking at Mental Health Law and International Human Rights.

Had my first meeting with my supervisors and have managed to narrow my scope (slightly). Got lots of reading to do and can't wait.

I know this enthusiasm won't last long and as I'm part-time I've got seven years to go, but for now I'm excited.

Woop woop for part-time! I'm in year 7/8.5 of my own part-time PhD! Wishing you the very best of luck - we're all cheering you on in GOGSoc!

That sounds like such a fascinating, pertinent, and potentially world-changing topic to be doing

Only took me 10 months to notice there’s a new thread

Oh wow - how have you found working on the project for seven years? Has it been difficult to sustain that engagement on one project for so long?

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing well and keeping safe. Myself and some of my PhD peers were discussing an issue the other day, and I thought it might be something interesting to discuss here too.

We were talking about the competitive element of PhD study, and how some students might purposefully withhold information about new conferences, grants, teaching/work opportunities they've heard about so that their peers can't also apply. Some of my cohort were absolutely appalled at any suggestion of such behaviour, and if someone finds out about an opportunity they should share it with everyone. Others thought it was completely acceptable, and that if someone put in the effort to find such an opportunity, it's not up to them to hand to someone else on a platter.

I wondered what everyone's thoughts about this was, and whether anyone has any experiences of this happening or doing this themselves.

Tiz an interesting one, isn't it?! I can't think of an occasion where I've withheld information about an opportunity that other students might benefit. Equally, I don't think anyone's ever done that with me either! The closest example I can think of is that both myself and one of my supervisor's other students applied for a travel bursary to the biggest UK conference in our field, and I got it and she didn't. She then mentioned in passing how it was weird she hadn't got it, given she'd received it the year before (when I didn't go/apply), and I just kept quiet about having applied and got it

I can kinda see it from both sides. Academia is a dog-eat-dog world and I guess if you want a long-term career, one has to be rather cut-throat and bloody-minded So I think it can kinda be justified, even if it's not nice/always fair? Personally, I'd rather share opportunities with anyone eligible, but then I've no intention of going into academia...

Feeling quite frustrated with myself. I struggle with all aspects of the PhD but have hit a brand new roadblock that seems to be more difficult to overcome than the others: I freak out/get mindblock when I have to write up the ethnographic side of my research (i.e. the part that is my own new research/contribution to the field, as opposed to theoretical/lit review stuff) It's slowing everything down and I don't know why I'm like this, because this is surely the bit I know best and should feel more confident about.

Anyone got any wise words for me? My supervisors are being so supportive about it but I'm tired of being so slow

If I get stuck, I jot down bullet points rather than forcing myself to write continuous prose. Even key words are good, as they are trigger ideas. Would it help to record yourself talking out loud to yourself about it, and then transcribing as a starting point?

Hang in there TLG, it happens to all of us

Bullet points is a good idea, that's probs the best way forward for me atm My supervisor did suggest recording myself but the problem is I'm not very good at stringing sentences together verbally - I write better than I talk/think aloud. I guess it'll be worth a try if I get really stuck though

Thanks for the encouragement, very much needed atm. So frustrated

Recording could be like a long-hand version of bullet points though

And also, remember that you can always edit the hell out of whatever you write

I need some advice everyone. My cohort has noticed that certain people are getting all of the TA opportunities within our school, none of which were advertised (which they are supposed to be). Most of the time, the TA role is in a module which one of their supervisors leads on. When I asked my supervisor if she could prioritise us (her lab group) for teaching roles in her modules, she said that any roles would need to be advertised to everyone. This has caused quite a bit of resentment within the department towards certain PhD students who seem to be offered the roles without applying (even if they haven't taught that module before - so that isn't necessarily the issue), and there is no transparency in their allocation.

I don't know who to speak to about this, or even if I should, as I don't want to mark myself as 'trouble' or 'rocking the boat'. I just want to look out for myself and my peers who should have equal opportunity to get all the experiences they need/want, as well as make the social environment more friendly!

Hmmm, tricky one. It definitely needs to be brought to the attention of, say, whoever is in charge of allocating the teaching (so I'm guessing the Head of Dept., or the Director of Graduate Studies within the Dept.?), but I'm not too sure how one goes about that without rocking the boat. (Me being a gobby cow and a controversial person in my Dept., I just go and rock the boat ) Do you have a graduate forum where these issues could be aired to staff in person (well, via a Zoom/Teams call)? Like at my uni, each Dept. has two Student-Staff Committees: one for undergrads, and one for postgrads. That could be a good place to air concerns anonymously via a graduate rep within your Dept. (assuming you aren't a/the rep!)? I'm a rep in my Dept. and people can bring concerns to me but I don't have to disclose who said what when I feed back to the Dept.