Category: Getting things done

While many people will suffer ‘the blues’ during the PhD, in some cases the problem is more serious and can lead to or trigger clinical depression. In those cases, all the practical advice in the world won’t help and you need to seek medical attention. If you are worried about how you feel, and nothing …continue reading.

At a dinner party some time ago, an academic’s husband pointed out that there are many similarities between being an academic and running a small, not very profitable business. I laughed, but since I briefly ran a small business the comment struck a chord with me. After much thought, I think small business owners and …continue reading.

All over Australia, new PhD candidates are starting their degree. Welcome! You might value this advice from Katy Williams who passed her PhD in Biological Anthropology at the University of Durham in February this year. Katy Williams was born in America, raised all over the world, and studied at universities in England. Between 2011 and …continue reading.

All over Australia, new PhD students are beginning their studies – welcome! Starting something new can be hard. Connecting with your new community can make it so much easier. Thesiswhisperer is an online community, but of course you will have your local community too, in your school or faculty. If you are new to ANU, …continue reading.

Welcome to 2017. It’s started in an odd way hasn’t it? When the world seems topsy-turvy, I find it’s even more important to take a moment to pause. To think. To take stock, re-orient, reassess and set new goals. I hope many of you took a break. I’ve had a month off and it’s been …continue reading.

Dr. Daveena Tauber is a composition scholar, consultant, and teacher who specializes in pedagogies related to graduate-level writing. Her practice, ScholarStudio, serves individual writers as well as with institutions, offering workshops, residencies, curriculum design, and faculty development. Find more of her work on writing and teaching writing at Scholar Studio website or blog. Executive functioning …continue reading.

At ANU we run a program called ‘Thesis Bootcamp’, adopted from the Melbourne University program of the same name invented by Liam Connell and Peta Freestone. Thesis bootcamp challenges PhD students to write as much as 20,000 words on a single weekend of intensive writing in a group setting. We run four Thesis Bootcamps a …continue reading.

This post is by Samantha Fitch, a PhD Student at School of Population Health at the University of Auckland As I approach the 3-year mark, I’m the worst person to talk to if you want to do a PhD. I heard an undergraduate student say how she “just loved research”. I replied – “I felt …continue reading.

Advice is plentiful at the start of any big life journey: marraige, pregnancy… and starting your PhD. Friends and family have no hesitation in offering it and this blog is now but one amongst many offering stories and ideas about the start of the PhD journey. What advice should you listen to and what should …continue reading.

This post is by Dr Catherine Ayres, who completed her PhD in the School of Sociology at the ANU in 2016. She’s worked as a research training nerd at the ANU Research Skills and Training unit. This post was written at a bit of a low point. Cathy wants you to know that she is …continue reading.