The Meteorology Department at Reading has just welcomed its new cohort of PhD students, so we gathered some pearls of wisdom for the years ahead:
“Start good habits from the beginning; decide how you will make notes on papers, and how you will save papers, and where you will write notes, and how you will save files. Create a spreadsheet of where your code is, and what it does, and what figure it creates. It will save you so much time.”
“Write down everything you do in note form; this helps you a) track back your progress if you take time out from research and b) makes writing your thesis a LOT easier…”
“Pick your supervisor carefully. Don’t kid yourself that they will be different as a PhD supervisor; look for someone understanding and supportive.”
“Expect the work to progress slowly at first, things will not all work out simply.”
“Don’t give up! And don’t be afraid to ask for help from other PhDs or other staff members (in addition to your supervisors).”
“Don’t compare yourself to other PhDs, and make sure to take some time off, you’re allowed a holiday!”
“Ask for help all the time.”
“Keep a diary of the work you do each day so you remember exactly what you’ve done 6 months later.”
“Don’t worry if your supervisors/people in years above seem to know everything, or can do things really easily. There hasn’t been an administrative cock-up, you’re not an impostor: everyone’s been there. Also, get into a good routine. It really helps.”
“Talk to your supervisor about what both of you expect and decide how often you want to meet at the beginning. This will make things easier.”
“Don’t compare with other students. A PhD is an individual project with its own aims and targets. Everyone will get to completion on their own journey.”
“You’ll be lost but achieving something. You can’t see it yet.”
The Social Metwork 