Graduate School
“So what’s your PhD about?” is the question many doctoral students dread at family dinners. Answering it in three minutes for a non-specialist is a learnable sk
Graduate School
Fieldwork rarely fails because of methods. It fails because an introduction letter never arrived, a festival season nobody planned for, a single hard drive got
Graduate School
When a thesis has stalled for months, many doctoral students see only two options: push on or quit. There are at least four paths, each with its own procedures
Graduate School
Changing supervisor or direction mid-PhD is not failure, but doing it hastily or in the wrong order can cost you data, relationships and a year. A ladder of opt
Graduate School
Three months in a lab abroad can give your thesis a new method and a co-author, or just a nice set of photos. The difference lies in the goal, the timing and th
Graduate School
In year one, thirty PDFs in a folder work fine. By year three, four hundred badly named files and scattered notes can cost you an afternoon to find one quotatio
Graduate School
The contract says ten hours a week, but marking season can take double. How to understand what you signed up for, mark quickly and fairly, set boundaries with s
Graduate School
Whether it is called confirmation, upgrade or qualifying exam, the mid-candidature review is when a panel decides whether your project can go the distance. Pane
Graduate School
Part-time doctoral students rarely lack ability; they lose to the gaps, spending half a session each week remembering where they left off. How to choose a topic
Graduate School
A thirty-minute supervision meeting can be the most valuable half hour of your week or thirty minutes of drifting. How to set agendas, send drafts, get feedback
Graduate School
A PhD bundles many pressures: a long project, uncertain results, sparse feedback, limited income, often distance from home. How to notice warning signs early, b
Graduate School
Your supervisor shapes your PhD more than your university’s name does. A famous professor with no time can be a worse fit than a less known one who meets you ev
