2022: Another Year Another Blog

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2022: Another Year Another Blog 

Happy New Year. Here's to another year of PhD woes. I say woes, I don't mean it. When I get a chance to sit down and get my teeth into research I actually really enjoy it. I wouldn't even say I don't enjoy writing. I love getting my research on paper and bringing it all together. However, it can be quite tedious and frustrating at times. 

Just to update you, I started this PhD in October 2019 bc (before Covid). I've been through transfer and now the world is my oyster until October 2025, which is my final deadline. 

I don't make new years resolutions but I do try to make plans. My plans for this year (particularly as I have big chunks when I won't be working so can focus on my PhD) are: 

  • Reach 40,000 words by the end of the year 
  • Write drafts for at least two chapters 
  • Visit Northamptonshire Records Office, the Women's Library and The National Archives 
  • Present at least two seminar papers (one of these is already planned) 
I'm making a start. Because my work is currently on mid semester break/exam breaks I've started to organise my research more. Before Christmas I felt a bit dejected. I had a very honest supervision meeting which left me feeling a bit deflated and to be honest I'd started losing interest in my research.  Part of this has been caused by the limitations of COVID and getting settled with fitting in the school run as well as the new jobs. Because of this I spent a lot of time chipping away at my literature review but it just lost all thread of what I was trying to achieve and what my main focus was. So over Christmas I decided to take a step back. I spent the break typing up some notes for things I'd read a while ago and organising my folders. This has really helped as it's not only helped me recap on things I'd forgotten that I'd read but also that I need to research further. I definitely recommend doing this if you're stuck on your research. I will try to do an update on how I've organised my research soon. 

This brings me to another point for PhD students. Don't be scared to take a break. Don't burn yourself out over something that can be put to one side. It's really not worth stressing yourself out. Your PhD might seem like the most important thing in the world but actually your mental health is far more important. 

I would like to add a disclaimer that being a part time PhD student allows me time to reflect on what I've done over the last three years but I do also believe that if it wasn't for the pandemic I wouldn't be in a position where I feel I need to.  Much of the last three years have been a case of getting bits done as best as I can and I do feel that this has led me to be quite erratic and unorganised in my research so that has led me to where I am now and the targets I have set myself for this year. 

I'm hoping as well to be more active on this blog (which I am very aware I say every year) so keep an eye out for other posts along the way. 

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