Assalam o Alaikum
Dear scholars today I am going to share with you the experience of an expert regarding ''how to proceed with your PhD''.
Every time I post about my Research progress, I receive many messages (mainly from PhD students) asking for some tips and how can they do the same.
I will explain my PhD journey but it can be applied to any research situation. To start with my PhD, I used to spend about 40 to 60 hours a week on my research. Sometimes, I was in the library and syndicate rooms from 8 AM to 8 PM. Major deadlines always tend to fall around the same time. Other times, I left the library at 2 PM and spent the entire evening relaxing. Some people say a PhD costs you everything in your life, others think it's just like a 9-to-5 job. I say, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and you have the freedom to determine how much time you really want to pour into your work. It's not a linear process, at all - and it's different for every student.
Remember that PhD studies are the highest level of education, and the road can be frustrating and exhausting at times, but the final result is at the same time a major achievement in life, and a very rewarding event. With these comments, I'd like to share with you my best tips for making it through the PhD, in a time-efficient and sane way;
1. Get your finances sorted out: Avoid financial stress during your studies.
2. Make friends in your department: If you're a foreigner, befriend with locals. Make friends with your fellow PhD students, and have fun together. I contribute the "success" of my PhD by and large to being in a great research group in my university and on Facebook – DSG.
3. Find a routine that works for you: Nobody ever told me to come to campus early, but I've always started sometime between 8am - 9am at the latest. Having a routine can greatly help you at achieving your goals.
4. Take enough breaks during the days: Don't skip your lunch break. Browsing the internet/Facebook does not count as a break. Get some fresh air, talk to a colleague or go and grab a coffee with a friend. Talk something other than your studies/research.
5. Don't work too hard: It's a PhD, not a Nobel prize - Your sole purpose should be finding a way to answer your research question, in a novel way, showing that you are an independent researcher.
6. Know when you need to do some extra effort: When major deadlines come altogether, go into bunker-mode. Be in this mode for a short time.
7. Lead your own research: Take leadership of your project, and come up with ideas. Don't depend too much on your supervisors, make sure you know what to do when they are unavailable for a month or longer.
8. Write, write and write some more: Write as often as you can, as much as you can, so that by the time you write your dissertation, you will have become a fluent academic writer. Writing is your single most important task, so make time for it.
9. Present wherever you can: Practice presenting your work as often as you can, and for as many audiences as possible. Try giving a talk at an industry event and present at as many conferences as possible.
10. Go to conferences: If you can find funding, get out of your institution and learn from the rest of the world. Conferences have been my eye-openers, my trial-stages and the place where I made friends within the research community on my topic.
11. Read outside of the borders of your research topic: Read as widely around your topic as possible. Having broad peripheral knowledge has helped me in two ways: 1) by teaching me how to think out-of-the-box, and 2) by having a basic understanding of a broader field so that I can more easily follow conference presentations and have chitchat with other researchers.
12. Make time for your friends and family: There will be times when you bunker down and don't call anybody. But make sure you find the time to catch up with your friends and family every now and then. They are what truly matters in the end.
13. Work up a sweat: After sitting all day behind my computer screen, you need to get your body tired too to be able to get a good rest at night. Try to move your body for at least 15 - 20 minutes a day; and try to find time for 3 to 4 longer workouts per week.
14. Pick up a hobby: Get a hobby that absorbs your mindfully, so that you can concentrate on something completely different than your research.
15. Remember why you started this PhD journey in the first place: I have my own reasons why I decided to pursue a PhD, and yours may be very different - but remind yourself from time to time why you started this in the first place. Remember the greater goals you have in mind, and know that it was your personal choice to start.
I truly wish all of you the best in your careers. Please do remember your fellows and try to share your knowledge and skills with others around you.
Dear scholars today I am going to share with you the experience of an expert regarding ''how to proceed with your PhD''.
By Prof.Dr.Faizan Ali copied from Facebook scholarship network timeline.
Director of Research Methods and Statistics at Association of North America Higher Education International
The original post can be found Here
Every time I post about my Research progress, I receive many messages (mainly from PhD students) asking for some tips and how can they do the same.
I will explain my PhD journey but it can be applied to any research situation. To start with my PhD, I used to spend about 40 to 60 hours a week on my research. Sometimes, I was in the library and syndicate rooms from 8 AM to 8 PM. Major deadlines always tend to fall around the same time. Other times, I left the library at 2 PM and spent the entire evening relaxing. Some people say a PhD costs you everything in your life, others think it's just like a 9-to-5 job. I say, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and you have the freedom to determine how much time you really want to pour into your work. It's not a linear process, at all - and it's different for every student.
Remember that PhD studies are the highest level of education, and the road can be frustrating and exhausting at times, but the final result is at the same time a major achievement in life, and a very rewarding event. With these comments, I'd like to share with you my best tips for making it through the PhD, in a time-efficient and sane way;
1. Get your finances sorted out: Avoid financial stress during your studies.
2. Make friends in your department: If you're a foreigner, befriend with locals. Make friends with your fellow PhD students, and have fun together. I contribute the "success" of my PhD by and large to being in a great research group in my university and on Facebook – DSG.
3. Find a routine that works for you: Nobody ever told me to come to campus early, but I've always started sometime between 8am - 9am at the latest. Having a routine can greatly help you at achieving your goals.
4. Take enough breaks during the days: Don't skip your lunch break. Browsing the internet/Facebook does not count as a break. Get some fresh air, talk to a colleague or go and grab a coffee with a friend. Talk something other than your studies/research.
5. Don't work too hard: It's a PhD, not a Nobel prize - Your sole purpose should be finding a way to answer your research question, in a novel way, showing that you are an independent researcher.
6. Know when you need to do some extra effort: When major deadlines come altogether, go into bunker-mode. Be in this mode for a short time.
7. Lead your own research: Take leadership of your project, and come up with ideas. Don't depend too much on your supervisors, make sure you know what to do when they are unavailable for a month or longer.
8. Write, write and write some more: Write as often as you can, as much as you can, so that by the time you write your dissertation, you will have become a fluent academic writer. Writing is your single most important task, so make time for it.
9. Present wherever you can: Practice presenting your work as often as you can, and for as many audiences as possible. Try giving a talk at an industry event and present at as many conferences as possible.
10. Go to conferences: If you can find funding, get out of your institution and learn from the rest of the world. Conferences have been my eye-openers, my trial-stages and the place where I made friends within the research community on my topic.
11. Read outside of the borders of your research topic: Read as widely around your topic as possible. Having broad peripheral knowledge has helped me in two ways: 1) by teaching me how to think out-of-the-box, and 2) by having a basic understanding of a broader field so that I can more easily follow conference presentations and have chitchat with other researchers.
12. Make time for your friends and family: There will be times when you bunker down and don't call anybody. But make sure you find the time to catch up with your friends and family every now and then. They are what truly matters in the end.
13. Work up a sweat: After sitting all day behind my computer screen, you need to get your body tired too to be able to get a good rest at night. Try to move your body for at least 15 - 20 minutes a day; and try to find time for 3 to 4 longer workouts per week.
14. Pick up a hobby: Get a hobby that absorbs your mindfully, so that you can concentrate on something completely different than your research.
15. Remember why you started this PhD journey in the first place: I have my own reasons why I decided to pursue a PhD, and yours may be very different - but remind yourself from time to time why you started this in the first place. Remember the greater goals you have in mind, and know that it was your personal choice to start.
I truly wish all of you the best in your careers. Please do remember your fellows and try to share your knowledge and skills with others around you.
2 comments:
Really insightful! Thanks for breaking this down.
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Very well-written reference content with excellent details and clarity. This post can help many readers searching for reliable information online. Great contribution! Kalyan Matka
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