It’s something that we, as PhD students, don’t do often enough – seek help, and knowing when to seek help is important as well. I think sometimes it’s the perception that we may be seen as weak by others if we do seek help, especially in a competitive academic environment where mental illness is stigmatised […]

This blog post is probably one of the most important I have written because speaking from experience, PhD students always struggle to switch off and relax. But in actual fact, it’s as important as writing the thesis. One of the first ways I help my mind, as well as my body, is through a type […]

There is life, which exists beyond a PhD; believe it or not and despite me saying that my PhD has taken over my life, there still should be some space to enjoy oneself. Striking the balance between work and life is tough and it doesn’t just affect us PhD students but coupled with the mental, […]

External pressure is a difficult issue to overcome particularly if you have parents, a partner or friends who have no experience with further postgraduate research. It appears to make the process a whole lot harder – not just managing your workload but also constant questioning about “when are you going to get a real job?” […]

Impostor Syndrome is a term originally coined in the late 1970s by clinical psychologists. It refers, in this instance, to PhD students who are defined by an inability to internalise their achievements and where a persistent fear exists of being seen as a fraud. The euphoria of actually beginning a PhD can often mean that […]

I started my PhD in Sports Business Innovation in July 2016 at the Loughborough London campus. It was a slow start as most of the staff were on holiday and I was the only summer starter (due to my own eagerness to get going early) and it was a strange experience coming into a quiet […]

This week I sat my viva and passed with corrections. It has been a long four years of research that has culminated in earning the title Doctor. I am lucky to say I have a full-time lecturing job, I had to balance work with submitting the thesis and then preparing for the viva. My colleagues […]

At the time of writing, I have just completed my first month as a PhD student. Here are some of my thoughts so far. I’m in the School of Arts, English, and Drama, which occupies a substantial section of the top part of the campus map. I work in an office with only a few […]

For some, the transition from undergraduate or postgraduate (master’s) study to PhD researcher is relatively seamless but for others it is a difficult process. PhD students embark on a journey which is largely misunderstood outside of the world of academia – each PhD is different and thus each student will go on a different journey […]