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
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
A one-year master’s dissertation usually means three or four months of real work, a handful of supervisor meetings and a hard word limit. The best topic is the
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 three-page report from an examiner usually triggers defensiveness first. How to read feedback, sort it, write a response table, handle two members who want op
Graduate School
Many candidates spend weeks polishing slides, then stumble on the examiners’ second question. Defences and vivas are decided mostly in the questioning. How to r
