The PhD Knowledge Base

Every PhD is different

Dr. Max Lempriere

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In these messages I often give tips and pieces of advice that talk about a particular way of working, or technique you can use to manage your PhD. They’re designed to make your life a little easier.

But one thing that you need to remember is that every PhD is different and, more importantly, every PhD student has their own way of doing things.

So, if some of the tips and techniques I suggest don’t resonate, or you can’t see how to apply them to your context or your way of thinking, that’s fine. That’s just a reflection of your unique qualities.

There will be some things you read that make complete sense, but others that you find harder to wrap your head around. Again, that’s fine.

But what that implies is a need for ongoing critical reflection of how you do things and how you can best manage your PhD. It means taking advice and tips you read – whether from these emails or elsewhere – and asking whether and how they fit into your PhD-life.

It also means you need to gain a thorough understand of how you work (and how you don’t) so you know how you can best manage your PhD and what resources are the most useful in helping you do so.

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