There are many reasons to do a PhD. But few reasons to discontinue, intermit or leave a PhD (or academia). Beyond why you might leave, you should also consider what you should do on the way out. Here are some suggestions. Transcript: For many of you, COVID-19 might have forced a reconsideration of what your career […]
Four PhD Derailers and Their Solutions
There are 4 PhD derailers. Avoid them where you can. But if you cannot avoid them, here are some ways through or around them. Transcript: There are 4 things that slow down a PhD. The first is the demographics, and sometimes we can’t do anything about that. That is perhaps our age, our gender, where […]
Staying Focused on Your PhD
PhDs take forever. Well, it seems that way. Data on completion times suggests 7 years is the average. Yet, (Australian) universities are pushing 3 years, perhaps with a 6 month extension. So, how do you stay focused? Or, more to the point, what are the kinds of things that distract you from making meaningful progress […]
How Will I know If My PhD Topic Is a Good One?
PhD students regularly stress of selecting the “right” topic. But it is not something that you can know when you start. The important thing is to recognise that each change you make to your original idea is likely to increase the time it takes to complete your PhD. Today, I was talking to some people […]
Should I finish My PhD and Other Questions You Might Be Asking Yourself
There are many reasons to do a PhD. But few reasons to discontinue, intermit or leave a PhD (or academia). Beyond why you might leave, you should also consider what you should do on the way out. Here are some suggestions.
Selecting a PhD Topic
One of the most overlooked steps in the PhD process is topic selection. I’ll go through how potential applicants might choose a topic. Importantly, I’ll also look at factors that influence topic such as where you live, where you are willing to study and what your background is. If you’re thinking of doing a PhD […]
Five Points of PhD Program Failure
In this audio, I cover off five different points of failure within PhD programs and how you might address them. Transcript In the work that I do, I’m often asked to help build PhD programs. As a result, I’ve done a fair bit of work research into published research or looking at the published research […]
Four PhD Derailers and Their Solutions
There are four PhD derailers. Avoid them where you can. But if you cannot avoid them, here are some ways through or around them.
How Will I know If My PhD Topic Is a Good One?
PhD students regularly stress of selecting the “right” topic. But it is not something that you can know when you start. The important thing is to recognise that each change you make to your original idea is likely to increase the time it takes to complete your PhD.