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How to tame the monkey mind

You need to find a calm, focused state before you can truly work to the best of your ability. This isn’t easy, but it is a trainable skill. It feels horrible if the effort you put into your work...

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How to set up your writing routine

Everybody has different circumstances and different amounts of time available, so however you setup your writing routine you’ll need to adapt it to fit your needs. With that said, though, there are...

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You can’t include everything in your thesis

If a thesis is supposed to show the examiner how much you know, then it makes sense to try to show as much as possible. But this is not the point of a thesis. The point of a thesis is to demonstrate...

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Is your PhD supervisor a facilitator or a barrier?

There are two basic kinds of PhD supervisor. There are the facilitators, who take some responsibility for their students’ progress and generally try to be helpful. Then there are the barriers, who see...

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How to cope with an absent PhD supervisor

Unfortunately, there is very little consistency in the amount of guidance and feedback PhD students receive; with some left for months or years with no contact at all. So what can you do if your PhD...

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Not everything you say needs a reference

Not everything you say in your thesis needs to be supported by a reference. It’s OK to present your own thoughts and observations, and you don’t always have to refer to someone else who’s already said...

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Talk to people

“… don’t forget that the point of doing a PhD is to prove that you can do research autonomously, so you should not be relying on too much guidance anyway” The point of a PhD is not to prove anything;...

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Choose a research methodology that suits your character

I’ve written before about different research topics being suitable for different people. What makes a good project for one person might be totally unsuitable for another (hence why I don’t provide...

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“If I can do it you can do it too”

“I went through such a tough time during my PhD… if I can do it you can do it too!” I’ve heard statements like this countless times. As well-intentioned as the sentiment might be, it isn’t always...

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Determination is not enough

Last week I published a post arguing against blindly optimistic encouragement (“If I can do it, you can do it too!”). Of course it’s nice to hear someone tell you that you can do it and that all you...

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