Student
You probably won't be curing cancer in your lab; but a PhD topic is part of a large jigsaw of research.
It’s always a daunting experience when you are about to finish your undergraduate degree, and you start to wonder what do I do next? You visit the graduate centre for help and advice and look for graduate career schemes on the Internet but you’re still lost.
Some of us can’t wait to get out of university and experience the “real world” whilst others don’t feel so ready. If you feel you want to be in university for a while longer, or you’ve been working for a year or two and it isn’t quite what you thought it would be, then a PhD might be a good option for you.
Most PhDs have funding available to British students via various research councils. Course directors usually apply to these councils for grants before advertising a position and details of funding appear on the advert. Typically students will find that their fees will be paid for along with an annual stipend to live on, which can be anything between £14,000 and £22,000 depending on the funding.
Many PhDs nowadays are often collaborative efforts between academia and industry; this has advantages for all parties. The universities and companies obviously benefit from working together and sharing ideas whilst the student gets to spend half their time in industry and gain valuable experience. The company also usually helps out with further funding (e.g. equipment or attending conferences) and often the student ends up working with them after they finish the PhD.
Benefits
A PhD is an excellent challenge. It’s investigative research and if you like problem solving then this is problem solving at the highest level. When you start you’ll be asked to spend a few months exploring relevant research and existing ‘literature’ on your field. Once you understand the field you can then sit down and plan your project with your supervisor(s).
There are also other advantages; you will develop professionally in a fairly relaxed environment. You only need to meet your supervisor once or twice a week and in between there’s no one standing over you yelling instructions at you. You manage your own time and work and these management and organisation skills will significantly develop throughout the course. Most supervisors are quite flexible meaning you can come in and leave whenever you like as long as you complete the goals set out in your meetings.
Be prepared
Self-disciplined is essential for a PhD. Else your freedom can easily turn into nights randomly browsing the web instead of working.
PhDs normally consist of three years of practical research with an additional year of thesis writing but this isn’t a rule set in stone. Some students write during the practical phase whereas others take longer to finish. All in all it’s a fairly substantial period of your life so it’s important to consider all points if you are thinking of applying. Since your supervisor is the person you’ll be seeing the most it’s very important that you strike a good relationship with him or her because it’s their door you’ll be knocking on when you need help.
The research is usually quite focused and by the end of the PhD you will be an expert in a very specific field – so specific that unless you explain yourself properly no one will even understand what you are talking about. Your project won’t be about curing cancer or finding a cure for malaria but something very specific in these areas, a small part of a large jigsaw.
At times you may not fully understand or appreciate why you’re doing the research in the first place and for this reason you need to be a self-motivated person and have plenty of determination. As you are given so much flexibility and freedom you need to have the drive and self-discipline to make effective use of your time. Often you might spend a long time working on a single issue and end up frustrated; as a result it’s important to have a passion for the field in the first place, and that desire and commitment will pull you through such times.
Comparison with a job
Whilst university life is fairly relaxed there is still pressure involved. Having spent two years in a work environment before I started my own PhD I think the demands are different. In most jobs the deadlines are much quicker and many things have to be handed in, faxed, emailed or people called before the office closes at 5 or 6pm. A job can be hectic whilst you are there but when you leave you don’t have to think about it.
With a PhD, deadlines are much further ahead; usually a seminar, report, paper or conference abstract will need to be handed in a few weeks ahead and so extra hours at the lab or library, and a few sleepless nights, before these deadlines isn’t uncommon.
I would recommend a PhD to anyone who is passionate about problem solving and wants to challenge themselves in a fairly relaxed environment. Also for anyone who wants a ‘Dr’ before their name and is keen to wear jeans and stroll in at 10.30 am every morning for a little while longer!
Loading ...