After the first year of doing your PhD you’ll be asked to do something variously called an Upgrade/ Transfer/ Annual Review (it depends which university you are at). The level of formality at this also depends on the university you are attending. Bristol used to do an ‘Upgrade’ where after a year (full-time) or two … More Prepping for the Annual Review
It’s not completely unheard of for PhD students in the Arts and Humanities to live at a considerable distance from the university they are studying at. Attendance isn’t required at weekly lectures, and there are no weekly tutorials. It is a research degree, so the main commitment comes in the form of meetings with your … More Moving Home for Year 2 of My PhD
Just over a year ago, my OCD became so unmanageable that I went to the GP and was put on medication. There is a certain stigma attached to taking medication for mental illness, which is wrong. Some people are able to manage mental illness without medication through therapy- and that’s fine. But for some people, … More Coming off Sertraline
As a self-funded PhD student, it is an understatement to say that money is very tight. I can rarely afford to go out and do things like going to the gym or meeting up with friends. But one thing that I do spend money on is books. Of course, it just isn’t possible to buy … More The Beauty of Discount Bookshops
Since 2016, the University of Bristol has been putting on a festival called ‘Research without Borders’. The festival encourages postgraduate researchers from the university to showcase their research in visually engaging ways. Members of the public, students and industry professionals are invited to visit the exhibition and see the vast array of research taking place … More Exhibiting at Research without Borders
It goes without saying that self-care is important, regardless of whether or not you are a PhD student. But the PhD life can especially lend itself to the neglect of mental and physical wellbeing. Over the last few months, I have found myself neglecting my physical health simply because I never feel like I have … More Looking after your physical health as a PhD Student
Today I went to the GP to discuss some physical health problems that I have been having on and off for months. I was feeling quite optimistic going into the appointment- I had planned what I was going to say, and I was hopeful that I might finally be provided with a resolution. What I … More Making sure you are taken seriously by a GP
A few days ago, I returned to Bristol to find that my medal for RED January 2019 had arrived. For those of you who have never heard of RED January, it is a month-long fundraising event where the participant does some kind of physical activity every day throughout January. People sponsor you for this, helping … More How fundraising for Mind helped my mental health
OCD, the PhD and Me 