education

Student Perspectives: Conference and Workshop Experiences

The Social MetworkLeave a comment

By Ana Arama (ana.arama@pgr.reading.ac.uk), Jake Keller (j.p.keller@pgr.reading.ac.uk), Ken Rui Fong (kenrui.fong@pgr.reading.ac.uk) and Maia Arama (m.arama@pgr.reading.ac.uk)

Introduction

Attending conferences and workshops is an essential part of every academic’s life (and perhaps non-academics as well, since some of us will one day leave academia!), and therefore it is only natural that us PhD students get to go as well. In this blog Maia, Jake, Ken and Ana tell us about their experiences of attending some of these scholarly gatherings this year.

Editors’ tip for first-years: though most of these opportunities are communicated to you by your supervisors, research groups or PhD admin, it is good to keep an eye out yourself for conferences that may have skipped their radar. Following key organizations on LinkedIn is always helpful for that. In fact, that is where Ana found out about the energy modelling workshop!

Maia Arama – RMetS Early Career and Student Conference

At the beginning of July, I attended the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) Early Career and Student Conference. This 3-day conference is designed for early career researchers, undergraduates, master’s and PhD students. The conference location changes every year; this time it was held at the University of Exeter.

The programme opened with a relaxed social (drinks and pizza) on Sunday. Based on my experience, I highly recommend going to pre-conference socials. I felt this was the ideal way to meet other conference delegates which made walking into the first full day of the conference less intimidating.

Over the following two and a half days, I attended a series of 15-minute talks covering themes relating to weather and climate extremes, atmospheric chemistry, climate impacts, and machine learning. Poster sessions were in the late afternoon on the first two days. I found that presenting my research as a poster was great practice for learning how to build a story for my research and defending my methodological choices – both useful skills to have in the lead-up to the monitoring committee meetings we have here at Reading!

The conference also included a workshop on storytelling for researchers and a panel on science communication, both good reminders that research isn’t just about the work itself but also how we communicate it. Frequent coffee breaks provided ample opportunity for networking and socialising, and a vegan/vegetarian BBQ and quiz on the first day were also a lot of fun.

Overall, I had a genuinely positive experience at this conference. Hearing everyone’s talks and discussing their posters was truly inspiring. As a PhD student, one unexpected highlight was connecting with other PhD students outside of the University of Reading. Being reminded that we all share the same struggles relating to data processing, setbacks and navigating PhD milestones despite different research areas was reassuring!

The conference environment was very relaxed and friendly, so I would highly recommend attending this conference if it’s your first time presenting or if you want something a bit less intimidating than the RMetS Annual Weather and Climate Conference!

More details about the conference can be found here: https://www.rmets.org/conference/early-career-and-student-conference-2026

Jake Keller- Diabatic Processes Workshop

This spring, I attended the Diabatic Processes Workshop in Wolkersdorf, Austria. The workshop brought together around 70 researchers from a wide range of universities and included both senior scientists and early-career researchers, such as me.

The programme was structured into seven presentation sessions over four days, covering topics such as jets, cyclones, predictability, convection, and more. In addition, two poster sessions showcased a broad range of research related to diabatic processes. I presented some of my relevant work in the predictability session, and I even had the opportunity to co-convene a session. The workshop concluded with group discussions, where participants considered the future direction of the field, focusing on what researchers can do next and identifying the data needed to advance our understanding.

Mealtimes were particularly valuable for informal discussions, allowing me to connect with researchers whose papers I had previously read and to ask them questions about their work. Regular coffee breaks also provided opportunities to follow up on presentations while they were still fresh in my mind!

Beyond the scientific content, the workshop provided an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the diverse topics currently being explored within an already specialised research area. Smaller, focused workshops like this also offer valuable opportunities for networking and make it easier to have more meaningful and extended conversations with other scientists.

Since the workshop, I have continued discussions with researchers conducting similar modelling experiments, and we are now sharing updates on our progress and results. I have also had the opportunity to speak with a visiting scientist who attended the workshop, discussing one of his papers that closely relates to my research.

In addition to building connections, these smaller workshops are highly rewarding. They create a strong sense of contributing to and advancing the field, something that isn’t always easy to feel during every stage of a PhD. I would highly recommend this type of workshop to other early-career researchers.

Further information on the workshop can be found here: https://diabatics2026.w.uib.no/

Ken Rui Fong- ParaChute Conference

I attended the ParaChute (“Understanding turbulence and convective processes”) conference held in Reading in July this year. The conference attracted many attendees from a wide range of universities and modelling centres from all over the globe, working across theory, modelling and observations. The conference talks were divided into seven themes across five days, touching on various aspects of convection & turbulence, such as grey-zone parametrization, observing systems and microphysics-turbulence coupling. I personally got to present a poster on my PhD project on grey-zone convection parametrization and benefited greatly from interesting discussions with other senior researchers working on modelling and convection.

Despite the range of topics and different disciplinary approaches, I found nearly all the sessions interesting and relevant because they are underpinned by the ‘grand challenge’ of convection & turbulence parametrization in high-resolution models. I also found it enlightening to hear from researchers from modelling centres talk about their experiences and challenges faced in deploying operational km-scale models and performing forecast verification at convective scales – it was a sobering reminder that many things still have to be done downstream of model development before we might see any gains realized.

Apart from the talks and poster sessions, the committee had organized social events on Wednesday afternoon, and we were given a choice of a tour of the university’s atmospheric observatory, or an orienteering course around the campus. I opted for the former since it would be my first time touring the observatory. The conference capped off with a panel discussion on Friday summarizing contributions from group discussions earlier in the week about the future of modelling and observing systems for convection and turbulence. All in all, I had an interesting time at the ParaChute conference, and hopefully I’ll be able to attend many more like it in the future!

Further information about the Parachute conference can be found at https://research.reading.ac.uk/parachute/.

PyPSA Energy Modelling Workshop, Ana Arama

This September, I attended the PyPSA Workshop held at the University of Birmingham. PyPSA stands for Python for Power System Analysis, and is a free, open-source modelling tool used to simulate and optimise energy systems.

The workshop lasted two days and featured a combination of lectures on PyPSA’s key features and hands-on examples demonstrating how to model different aspects of the energy system. There were five Jupyter notebooks which we could work through, each one focusing on a different aspect of PyPSA. They ranged from basic use cases of the tool to more advanced topics, such as incorporating uncertainty using stochastic modelling and security of electricity supply analysis under different scenarios, like gas price shocks. I particularly enjoyed learning how to use the stochastic modelling feature of PyPSA, since this is a feature that has only recently been added to the toolbox. It was a good way for me to see how uncertainty could be incorporated in energy modelling analysis.

Overall, the workshop was a good opportunity to learn more about the capabilities of PyPSA, and I think it was a good step towards increasing my energy modelling skills. I also found the environment of the workshop to be very relaxed, with plenty of time to ask questions about the various topics covered.

I would recommend this course to anyone who is fairly new to energy modelling and wants to gain a better understanding of how energy modelling tools can aid in power system planning as well as power system design under uncertainty. Although the course provides an introduction to PyPSA, I think it would be helpful to have some prior basic knowledge on terminology used in energy system modelling. I would also recommend doing some of the online examples on the PyPSA website to gain familiarity with the tool before attending the workshop.

The resources from the workshop can be found here: GitHub – pypsalabs/workshop-202609: Workshop materials for energy system modelling with PyPSA, Birmingham, September 2026. · GitHub

What’s it like to do a fellowship in Parliament? 

The Social MetworkLeave a comment

By Juan Pablo Garcia Valencia (j.p.garciavalencia@pgr.reading.ac.uk)

In January of 2026, I paused my PhD to do a 3-month fellowship at the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST).  

This blog aims to give a summary of my experience, as well as some tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind if you’re interested in working in policy or science communication.  

What is POST?

The Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) is an impartial research and knowledge exchange service based in the UK Parliament. Their role is to ensure that members of parliament (including the House of Commons and House of Lords) have access to cutting-edge research evidence and expertise. It covers emerging or complex physical and social science topics, including health, the environment, housing and computing.

The Fellowship 

I first heard about the POST fellowship through a departmental seminar given by a previous POST fellow (shout out Helen Hooker!). From that moment, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss, as it aligned perfectly with my interest in the science–policy interface. 

The fellowship provides an opportunity to gain real-world experience in the communication of research to policymakers. In this 3-month placement, fellows get the chance to research, write and publish an in-depth research briefing, called POSTnote, on a matter that was either requested by a Parliamentarian or identified as a topic of interest.  

The front page and the list of contents of the POSTnote – Here is the full briefing.

How does it work?  

Before you join, your research topic is agreed upon at a board meeting and communicated to you. Occasionally, you may get a choice between two topics, but most of the time, you are assigned a question that requires investigation.  

The topic will not be related to your PhD, and this is intentional. The aim is to help you write a briefing for parliamentarians who may have no prior knowledge of the subject. In many ways, the less you know at the start, the more likely you are to explain the topic in a simple, clear, and accessible way.  

To help you understand the topic, there is an extensive consultation process involving experts and stakeholders. By interviewing leading figures in the field, from academics to government officials, you will get a good understanding of the main themes, problems and concepts related to your topic and be able to write a well-informed, up-to-date briefing.  

And don’t worry if you have little to no interview experience (like I did), it’s definitely a skill that you perfect with practice, and your supervisor will help you prepare for them.  

Once you’ve completed the interviews, the writing stage begins. The briefings are just over 3,500 words long, so the challenge is often to condense all the valuable information you’ve just learnt. Again, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your writing and communication skills. 

Your draft is then reviewed internally before being sent to stakeholders for external review, helping ensure that the final version is accurate, impartial, and comprehensive. 

Where is it?

The fellowship is based in Parliament itself, which is one of the best things about it. The POST offices (not to be confused with the actual post office inside Parliament…) are based just outside of the Palace of Westminster, about a 5-minute walk, in a nice and modern building. Most days, we would walk over to the Palace for lunch to enjoy the incredible views of the Terrace Cafeteria, one of the various (subsidised!) cafeterias in Parliament. 

The Palace of Westminster
A view from the Terrace Cafeteria

Pictures outside the Parliament

During your time there, you’re highly encouraged to make the most of being in such an amazing place by joining a Parliament tour, signing up to events in the Speaker’s House, going to the chamber for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) or oral questions, attending the ‘All Parliamentary Party Group’ meetings, and so many other interesting things there are to do.  

At these events, it’s not uncommon to bump into politicians, public figures, and other fascinating people, which never failed to amaze me. Also, you can bring one or two guests into the Palace, which makes for great lunchtime catch-ups!  

Application process, tips and tricks

I believe the application process has changed slightly since I applied last year, but hopefully some of these tips are still relevant.  

The first step of the application was to fill in a document with many typical application questions, like “Tell me about a time you researched a completely new topic and how you did it”. My biggest recommendation for writing good answers to these is to follow the STAR method, focusing mainly on the Action and Result. This is what they are going to be most interested in: what exactly did you do, and what impact did it have?  

I also had to write a mock POSTnote. I spent some time identifying a topic that wasn’t already covered on the POST website but was currently relevant in political discussions. Reading one or two existing POSTnotes helped me get a feel for the tone and structure before writing my own briefing as clearly, impartially, and evidence-based as possible (the one on Public engagement with the energy transition could be a good start 🙂 ). A top tip to be impartial is to always state who said the point you’ve just made, i.e. “Researchers say…” or “The IPCC stated that…”. 

For the interview, roughly half of the questions focused on general competencies, while the rest was on the mock POSTnote. The emphasis wasn’t so much on the topic itself, but on your process. For example: 

  • How did you choose the topic? 
  • How did you organise your research and manage your time? 
  • How did you ensure impartiality? 

Caveats 

It’s worth noting that your experience may differ considerably depending on where you’re placed. 

Some fellows are based in Select Committees, where they engage more directly with science and policy by supporting scrutiny of government activity. Others are placed in the House of Commons Library, where they undertake work similar to POST but generally without the extensive interview process. 

One thing I would strongly recommend is attending in person as much as possible. This had a huge impact on my experience. Many of the most interesting opportunities arose spontaneously, and I was only able to take advantage of them because I happened to be in the office when someone mentioned them. Being physically present is one of the best ways to make the most of your time in Parliament. 

Pictures inside Parliament

Challenges and things to keep in mind

Although the experience was overwhelmingly positive, there are a few challenges worth highlighting.  

Firstly, I cannot stress enough how quickly the three months go! Deadlines can creep up surprisingly fast, making organisation and time management essential. Fortunately, because so many fellows have completed the programme before, there is an excellent Gantt chart and timeline available to help structure your work. I found this incredibly useful, although others preferred to develop their own systems.  

Another challenge is impartiality. When working for POST, you are expected to remain politically impartial both inside and outside the workplace, as you are effectively representing Parliament. This means thinking carefully before posting strongly partisan opinions on social media, for example.  

This can sometimes feel frustrating, particularly for scientists working in climate-related fields in the current political landscape. However, it is also an incredibly valuable skill that is difficult to develop elsewhere. I came to view it as an important learning experience rather than a limitation. 

Overall

To summarise, I would strongly encourage anyone with even a passing interest in policy, parliamentary processes, or science communication to apply for the fellowship. It’s a unique opportunity to learn how Parliament works while helping policymakers engage with emerging scientific issues. 

Feel free to email me as well if you have any questions; I would be very happy to answer.  

Models and Memories: Our NCAS CMSS 2025 Experience

The Social MetworkLeave a comment

Piyali Goswami: p.goswami@pgr.reading.ac.uk

Mehzooz Nizar: m.nizar@pgr.reading.ac.uk

This September, we attended the NCAS Climate Modelling Summer School (CMSS), held at the University of Cambridge from 8th to 19th September. Five of us from the University of Reading joined this two-week residential programme. It was an intense and inspiring experience, full of lectures, coding sessions, discussions, and social events. In this blog, we would like to share our experiences.

 Picture 1: Group Picture of Students and teaching staff. One cohort, many time zones, zero dull moments…

About NCAS CMSS

The NCAS Climate Modelling Summer School (CMSS) is a visionary program, launched in 2007 with funding originating from grant proposals led by Prof. Pier Luigi Vidale. Run by leading researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Reading, it’s an immersive, practice-driven program that equips early-career researchers and PhD students with deeper expertise in climate modelling, Earth system science, and state-of-the-art computing. Held biennially in Cambridge, CMSS has trained 350 students from roughly 40 countries worldwide.

The CMSS 2025 brought together around 30 participants, including PhD students and professionals interested in the field of Climate Modelling. 

Long Days, Big Ideas: Inside Our Schedule

The school was full of activity from morning to evening. We started around 9:00 AM and usually wrapped up by 8:30 PM, with a good mix of lectures, practical sessions, and discussions that made the long days fly by.

Week 1 was led by Dr Hilary Weller, who ran an excellent series on Numerical Methods for Atmospheric Models. Mornings were devoted to lectures covering core schemes; afternoons shifted to hands-on Python sessions to implement and test the methods. Between blocks, invited talks from leading researchers across universities highlighted key themes in weather and climate modelling. After dinner, each day closed with a thought-provoking discussion on climate modelling, chaired by Prof. Pier Luigi Vidale, where participants shared ideas on improving models and their societal impact. 

The week concluded with group presentations summarising the key takeaways from Hilary’s sessions and our first collaborative activity that set the tone for the rest of the school. It was followed by a relaxed barbecue evening, where everyone finally had a chance to unwind, chat freely, and celebrate surviving our first week together. 

Picture 2 : Working on our group projects. Looks like NASA, feels like: ‘what’s our team name?’

Week 2 was all about getting hands-on with a climate model and learning how to analyse its output. We moved into group projects using SpeedyWeather.jl to design and run climate model experiments. It is a global atmospheric model with simplified physics, designed as a research playground. One of the developers of SpeedyWeather.jl, Milan Klöwer, was with us throughout the week to guide and support our work. Each team explored a different question, from sensitivity testing to analysing the model outputs, and spent the afternoons debugging, plotting, and comparing results. Evenings featured talks from leading scientists on topics such as the hydrological cycle, land and atmosphere interactions, and the carbon cycle. 

The week also included a formal dinner at Sidney Sussex, a welcomed pause before our final presentations. On Friday 19th of September, every group presented its findings before we all headed home. Some slides were finished only seconds before presenting, but the atmosphere was upbeat and supportive. It was a satisfying end to two weeks of hard work, shared learning, and plenty of laughter. A huge thank you to the teaching team for being there, from the “silly” questions to the stubborn bugs. Your patience, clarity, and genuine care made all the difference.

Picture 3: SpeedyWeather, as told by its favourite storyteller Milan, Picture 4: Pier Luigi probably preparing for the next summer school..

Coffee, Culture, and Climate Chat

The best part of the summer school was the people. The group was diverse: PhD students, and professionals from different countries and research areas. We spent nearly every moment together, from breakfast to evening socials, often ending the day with random games of “Would You Rather” or talking about pets. The summer school’s packed schedule brought us closer and sparked rich chats about science and life, everything from AI’s role in climate modelling to the policy levers behind climate action. We left with a lot to think about. Meeting people from around the world exposed us to rich cultural diversity and new perspectives on how science is practiced in different countries, insights that were both fresh and valuable. It went beyond training: we left with skills, new friends, and the seeds of future collaborations, arguably the most important part of research.

Picture 5: Barbecue evening after wrapping up the first week, Picture 6: Formal dinner at Sidney Sussex, one last evening together before the final presentations

Reflections and takeaways

We didn’t become expert modellers in two weeks, but we did get a glimpse of how complex and creative climate modelling can be. The group presentations were chaotic but fun. Different projects, different approaches, and a few slides that weren’t quite finished in time. Some of us improvised more than we planned, but the atmosphere was supportive and full of laughter. More than anything, we learned by doing and by doing it together. The long days, the discussions, and the teamwork made it all worthwhile.

If you ever get the chance to go, take it. You’ll come back with new ideas, good memories, and friends who make science feel a little more human.

For the future participants

The NCAS CMSS usually opens in early spring, with applications closing around June. With limited spots, selection is competitive and merit-based, evaluating both fit for the course and the expected benefit to the student.

Bring curiosity, enthusiasm, and a healthy dose of patience, you’ll need all three. But honestly, that’s what makes it fun. You learn quickly, laugh a lot, and somehow find time to celebrate when a script finally runs without error. By the end, you’ll be tired, happy, and probably a little proud of how much you managed to do (and probably a few new friends who helped you debug along the way).

Starting Your PhD Journey: Tips for Success

The Social MetworkLeave a comment

So, you’ve officially embarked on the exciting journey that is a PhD—congrats! You’ve reached a major milestone, and whether you’re feeling excited, overwhelmed, or a mix of both, just know you’ve signed up for an adventure like no other. A PhD is an incredible opportunity to dive headfirst into a subject you’re passionate about, build a toolkit of valuable skills, and—who knows?—maybe even make history in your field.

But let’s be real: it’s not all rainbows and groundbreaking discoveries. The PhD life can be challenging, sometimes feeling like a marathon through an obstacle course. You’ll have moments that test your patience, confidence, and sometimes, your sanity. That’s why here at Social Metwork, we’ve gathered some golden advice from seasoned PhD students to help you navigate these waters. Our goal? To make this transition into PhD life a little smoother, maybe even a little fun.

We’ll break these tips down into three areas: navigating day-to-day life as a PhD student, getting organized like a pro, and growing into the great scholar you’re destined to be. Ready? Let’s dive in!

1. Navigating Day-to-day Life as a PhD Student

Work-life balance

The first year of your PhD can feel overwhelming as you try to juggle research, coursework, and life. One key piece of advice? Don’t overwork yourself. As Laura Risley puts it, “Sometimes if you’re struggling with work, an afternoon off is more useful than staying up late and not taking a break.” It’s easy to get absorbed in your work, but stepping away to recharge can actually help you return with fresh perspectives.

Getting involved in activities outside your PhD is another great way to maintain balance (L. Risley, 2024). Whether it’s exploring more of Reading, participating in a hobby, or just getting outside for some fresh air, your brain will thank you for the break. Remember, “Your PhD is important, but so is your health,” so make sure to take care of yourself and make time for things that bring you joy: exercise, good food, and sleep!

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of routine. Building a consistent schedule can help bring some stability to PhD life. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. The weight of expectations can be heavy so give yourself permission to not have it all figured out yet. You won’t understand everything right away, and that’s completely normal!

Socialising and Building a Support System

Your cohort is your lifeline. The people you start with are going through the same experiences, and they will be your greatest support system. Whether you’re attending department events, organizing a BBQ, or just grabbing a coffee, socializing with your peers is a great way to get through everything. At the end of the day, we are all in this together! As Rhiannon Biddiscombe wisely says, “Go for coffee with people, go to Sappo, enjoy the pub crawls, waste a night out at PT, take part in the panto, spend time in the department in-person” — so make sure you get involved!

If what you want is to meet new people, you could even help organise social events, like research groups or casual hangouts – feeling connected within your department can make all the difference when you’re having a tough week. And hey, if you’re looking for a fun group activity, “Market House in town has darts boards, ping pong tables, and shuffleboard (you slide little discs to the end of the board, it’s good fun!)”.  

2. Getting Organised Like a Pro

Writing and Coding

Staying organised is critical for both your mental health and your research. Adam Gainford recommends you start by setting up a reference manager early on—trust us, you’ll thank yourself later. And if your research involves coding, learn version control tools like GitHub to keep your projects neat and manageable. As a fellow PhD student says “Keeping organised will help keep your future self sane (and it’s a good skill that will help you with employability and future group projects)”.

A golden rule for writing: write as you go. Don’t wait until the last minute to start putting your thoughts on paper. Whether it’s jotting down a few ideas, outlining a chapter, or even starting a draft, regular writing will save you from stress later on. Remember what Laura always says, “It’s never too early to start writing.”

Time Management

Managing your time as a PhD student is a balancing act. Plans will shift, deadlines will change, and real life will get in the way—it’s all part of the process. Instead of stressing over every slipped deadline, try to “go with the flow”. Your real deadlines are far down the road, and as long as you’re progressing steadily, you’re doing fine.

Being organised also doesn’t have to be complicated. Some find it helpful to create daily, weekly, or even monthly plans. Rhiannon recommends keeping a calendar is a great way to track meetings, seminars, and research group sessions – I myself could not agree more and find time-blocking is a great way to make sure everything gets done. Regarding your inbox, make sure you “stay on top of your emails but don’t look at them constantly. Set aside a few minutes a day to look at emails and sort them into folders, but don’t let them interrupt your work too much!”. Most importantly though, don’t forget to schedule breaks—even just five minutes of stepping away can help you reset (and of course, make sure you have some valuable holiday time off!).

3. Growing into the Scholar You’re Meant to Be

Asking for Help

This journey isn’t something you’re expected to do alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help from your friends, supervisors, or other PhD students. Asking questions is a sign of strength, not weakness. What’s great is that everyone has different backgrounds, and more often than not, someone will be able to help you navigate whatever you’re facing (trust me, as a geography graduate my office mates saved my life with atmospheric physics!). Whether you’re stuck on a tricky equation or need clarification on a concept, ask ask ask! 

“You’ve got a whole year to milk the ‘I’m a first year’ excuse, but in all seriousness, its never too late to ask when you’re unsure!” – a fellow PhD student.

Navigating Supervisor Meetings

Your supervisors are there to guide you, but communication is key. Be honest with them, especially when you’re struggling or need more support. If something doesn’t make sense, speak up—don’t nod along and hope for the best, “they should always have your back” (it will also be very embarrassing if you go along with it and are caught out with questions…). 

Also, “If you know some things you want to get out of your PhD, communicate that with your supervisors”. Open communication will help you build a stronger working relationship and ensure you get what you need from the process.

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome can hit hard during a PhD, especially when you’re surrounded by brilliant people doing impressive work. But here’s the thing: don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s PhD is different—some projects lend themselves to quick results, while others take longer. Just because someone publishes early doesn’t mean your research is less valuable or that you’re behind – we are all on our own journeys. 

And remember, no one expects you to know everything right away. “There might be a pressure, knowing that you’ve been ‘handpicked’ for a project, that you should know things already; be able to learn things more quickly than you’re managing; be able to immediately understand what your supervisor is talking about when they bring up XYZ concept that they’ve been working on for 20+ years. In reality, no reasonable person expects you to know everything or even much at all yet. You were hand-picked for the project because of your potential to eventually become an independent researcher in your field – A PhD is simply training you for that, so you need to finish the PhD to finish that training.”

If you’d struggling with imposter syndrome, or want to learn about ways to deal with it, I highly recommend attending the imposter syndrome RRDP. 

A Few Final Words of Wisdom

The PhD rollercoaster is full of ups and downs, but remember, you’re doing fine. “If you’re supervisors are happy, then don’t worry! Everything works out in the end, even when it seems to not be working for a while! “– Laura Risley

It’s also super important to enjoy the process. You’ve chosen a topic you’re passionate about, and this is a rare opportunity to fully immerse yourself in it. Take advantage of that! Don’t shy away from opportunities to share your work. Whether it’s giving a talk, presenting a poster (or writing for the Social Metwork blog!!), practice makes perfect when it comes to communicating your research.

Embarking on a PhD is no small feat, but hopefully with these tips, you’ll have the tools to manage the challenges and enjoy the ride. And if all else fails, remember the most important advice of all: “Vote in the Big Biscuit Bracket—it’s the most important part of being a PhD student!”. 

From the department’s PhDs students to you! 

Written by Juan Garcia Valencia