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• CAREER COLUMN
• 06 November 2018

Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD

• Lucy A. Taylor 0

Lucy A. Taylor earned her zoology PhD from the University of Oxford, UK. She is now a postdoctoral researcher at Save the Elephants in Nairobi, Kenya, and a visiting researcher in the Department of Zoology at Oxford.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Starting a PhD can be tough. Looking back, there are many things I wish I’d known at the beginning. Here, I have curated a list of advice from current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from the Department of Zoology at my institution, the University of Oxford, UK, to aid new graduate students.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07332-x

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged. You can get in touch with the editor at [email protected].

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Land your dream job, graduate school life | what to expect before you enroll.

There are many ways in which graduate school life varies from the undergraduate experience. Even if you’re jumping into continuing education right after college, the lifestyle changes in particular can be very pronounced—affecting everything from time management and employment opportunities to day-to-day schedules and financial considerations.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in graduate school, and the changes (outside of the classroom) you should anticipate once you’re enrolled.

Grad school will take up a lot of your time

Whether you’re pursuing your master’s degree full time or part time , graduate school life will put your scheduling skills to the test. Although you may have fewer classes per semester than you did as an undergraduate, your course load will be significantly more demanding. From reading and writing assignments to potential research and field work, the bulk of your activity will take place outside the classroom—leaving you with far less free time than you might be used to. 

If you have children, are in a relationship, or have other personal commitments, you should expect grad school to affect your usual routines and responsibilities in that realm as well.

When preparing to enroll, be sure to do the following:

• Check items off your to-do list (before school begins). If you have any big extracurricular projects or plans that are still in progress, do your best to finish them before school starts. It will be much more difficult after you’ve started your studies, and getting these items out of the way will allow you to focus more closely on your work.
• Create a workable schedule for ongoing tasks. Even after clearing your plate, you may still have plenty of responsibilities to juggle. Make a list of all of your recurring commitments and put together a timetable that works for you (and that allows for plenty of study time!). Listing and prioritizing agenda items will help you eliminate things you can’t handle during school, and keep you on top of the things you can.
• Ask friends, family, and co-workers for support. Whether you’re navigating childcare, making time for your significant other, or other personal considerations, developing a healthy support system is critical to managing your responsibilities and stress levels during school. Reach out to people you trust early, and see how they may be able to help you balance the demands of grad school with your other commitments.

Balancing graduate school life and work will take effort

Pursuing a master’s degree can feel like a full-time job, but depending on your situation, you may also need to actually work while studying . This introduces challenges to managing not just your time, but also your energy.

The need to simultaneously perform at work and at school can create competing tensions (especially if you have a demanding job)—adjusting to these tensions is key to a successful graduate school life. Here are a few tips if you’re planning on working while studying:

• Discuss your grad school plans with your employer. Tell them what you hope to achieve, what your schedule is going to look like, and how your goals relate to your position at the organization. This will allow you to work together to set reasonable expectations and, depending on what you’re studying, discuss what sort of support your employer might be willing to provide .
• Budget more time for yourself than you think you need. It can be difficult to know just how intense the work-school balancing act will be until you’re in the middle of it. As you transition into graduate school life, work with your employer to set generous deadlines and ease into accepting new projects so you can avoid burnout and work anxiety .
• Remember the benefits of working while studying. Pursuing a master’s degree while working is definitely a challenge, but it yields myriad benefits, from networking opportunities after graduation to potential advancement in your current organization. It’s also a chance to apply your current skills and experience to your coursework , which will help you thrive in class and make you an asset to your graduate program.

Most Popular

Is gen z actually lazy this admission consultant doesn’t think so, reddit users share experiences of surviving a toxic phd advisor.

freepik.com

A PhD journey is more than just academics; it’s a transformative experience full of challenges and growth. It’s not just about researching; it’s about discovering oneself amidst the highs and lows. This path represents dedication, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge at its pinnacle. No wonder, many students are facing struggles regarding their PhDs, and this issue sparked a discussion on Reddit.

Key takeaways:

• Importance of the Right PI: The relationship with a Principal Investigator (PI) is pivotal in a PhD journey. Choosing a PI goes beyond just research interests; it involves ensuring a supportive environment for both personal and academic growth.
• Toxic Environments Impact Well-being and Success: Being in a toxic environment, especially with a controlling or demanding PI, can severely affect a PhD student’s mental health, overall well-being, and academic achievements. 
• Know When to Move On: Recognizing when you’re in a toxic situation and seeking the strength to leave is essential. Many in the academic community emphasize the importance of prioritizing personal well-being and advocate for leaving such settings to ensure long-term success and mental health.

Built Up Frustration Due to Toxic PI

The Reddit user expressed deep frustration regarding their PhD journey. Now in their 7th year, despite having over 20 publications and winning multiple national awards amounting to around $44K in funding, their advisor still prevents them from graduating. The advisor keeps changing project scopes and insists that the OP produces three more first-author papers based on projects they proposed. Moreover, the advisor wants to retain them as a low-paid post-doc, citing their productivity.

“But I’m sort of exhausted, I don’t think I can do a post-doc with him or anyone else. I have so many ideas, and I really wanted to become a professor at an R1 or even R2. But I feel like that dream is really far away.”

The author mentioned a lucrative post-doc offer they received from an esteemed professional at a top-tier R1 university. Yet, under pressure, they declined the offer upon the advisor’s insistence. The author feels unable to stand up for themselves, fearing the potential consequences of challenging authority or reporting misconduct.

“I feel like maybe I’d rather just quit the phd. My dream was always to start my own lab and mentor/guide new students. I feel a little too broken to do that now, I don’t know if I’d become as toxic as my PI one day. I’d rather not subject anyone to that.”

The advisor’s behavior is controlling, even intruding into personal matters like health appointments. The author is overburdened with tasks, including some that don’t align with their academic goals. They have become heavily reliant on antidepressants and limited therapy sessions, with their social life and mental well-being severely compromised. The OP feels trapped and recognizes the toxic environment but struggles to find the strength to break free.

What You Should Keep in Mind When Choosing a PI 

Close communication and collaboration with an academic advisor is half the battle when it comes to completing your degree and going beyond that. This choice goes beyond matching research interests; it’s about aligning with mentorship styles, understanding mutual expectations, and creating a bond that can benefit both participants. An ideal PI doesn’t just guide your research but nurtures your growth, ensuring you’re not alone. But how exactly do you make that choice?

Alex Maya-Romero, who works at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, shares her point of view. She stresses that navigating a student’s academic journey requires a guide that aligns not just with your research interests but with your core values and unique challenges. A suitable PI (short for Principal Investigator) can catalyze your ascent, while the wrong one can completely blow it. The alignment between a trainee and their PI should go beyond the number of publications and delve deeper into the mentorship.

“Whether you are an undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, graduate student, or postdoc, the primary goal of that step in your training is to catapult you into the next stage of your career journey”, says Alex Maya-Romero.

Here are some of her recommendations for selecting the right PI:

• Self-reflection is Crucial: Before diving into lab choices, reflect on what is essential for your growth and what environment you thrive in. Don’t be swayed solely by the allure of renowned science; the mentorship aspect is just as pivotal.
• Understand Unique Challenges: UIS, women, LGBTQ+, and disabled students often encounter specific hurdles in academia. It’s crucial to find a PI that comprehends these unique challenges and offers an empathetic and supportive environment. Remember, true inclusion transcends numbers, aiming for a genuine sense of belonging.
• Engage with Past Trainees Strategically: A vague “How is Dr. X?” won’t suffice. Seek out detailed answers by posing precise questions, such as how supportive the PI is of extracurricular activities, their openness to new ideas, or their assistance during personal crises.
• Scrutinize the PI’s Online Presence: A lab’s website, the PI’s involvement in campus organizations, their seminars, and their credit allocation to trainees during presentations can offer valuable insights into their mentoring style and the lab environment.
• Seminar Observations Matter: Attending a PI’s seminars can give you a glimpse into their teaching style, interaction dynamics, and receptiveness to questions and suggestions, subtly hinting at the lab’s culture.

While these points are guiding lights in your quest, remember that any one of them shouldn’t overshadow the rest. Every lab and PI brings unique strengths to the table. It’s about engaging with those strengths and your aspirations, ensuring a fruitful working environment.

But What If You Already Made Your Choice and It Was Wrong?

The post quickly triggered many users, since they had similar experiences with their PIs. People shared some advice for the original author, strongly suggesting they should try and get out as soon as possible.

One of the commenters stressed that with such credentials, OP should not have any problems with further employment.

“Just graduate at this point. i also graduated after 7 years with 2 co-author papers. i was also hesistant to tell my adviser about this but eventually after 6 and half years, i got courage and was adamant that i will graduate any how. I denied proposal to do post-doc in same lab and moving forward. Just have some courage and tell them. With your record, you will get a position easily.”

However, the original author replied that the situation is not that simple, expressing that they’ve tried to raise this question and failed at it. 

“My PI chose the committee; I tried choosing someone on my own during my first year and was yelled at. I had to remove them and choose the members my PI selected (his friends), who defer to my PI’s opinion about my graduation (even the chair).”

Another user claimed that most people graduate with even fewer publications than the author. The main problem, in their opinion, is that the PI doesn’t want to lose someone so productive and dedicated to their work.

“Considering you have 20+ papers and five of them are your own first authorship, your advisor is full of shit. They don’t want to lose someone so incredibly productive to their lab (and grant effort), and they’re trying to take you for everything you got.” 

According to the number of upvotes, many users agree that OP should be confident in their position to move further with their PhD.

One Redditor left a comment saying that the academic world is quite small and tightly knit, so one way or another people will recognize their achievements and ensure proper treatment in the future. So, the first step for nor is to just push through and graduate in whatever way possible to get out of the toxic environment.

“GET OUT, no matter what. You cannot continue to work with this advisor, nor do you need to! This is abuse.”

Many users also supported the idea of continuing OP’s journey under better circumstances, since it is very easy to burn out far before the person is pleased with their academic pursuits. Balancing personal well-being with academic goals is essential for long-term success and mental health.

“Even if you change your mind about staying in academia, your best bet right now is to finish your PhD before you feel irreparably burnt out.”

As we can see, leaving a toxic working environment during your PhD is crucial for both your mental well-being and academic success. Working closely with a PI who creates a toxic atmosphere can suppress creativity, introduce unnecessary stress, and impair your ability to focus on meaningful research. A negative environment often leads to a lack of motivation, reduced productivity, and even anxiety and depression. Most importantly, a dysfunctional relationship with your PI can also mess with your future career. In a phase of your life that is already challenging and demanding, it’s vital to work in a setting that supports your growth, not one that sabotages it.

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

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Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD Life: Socialising and Making Friends as a PhD Student

There is a widely held belief that PhD students must be constantly working, with no time for a life outside of academia. If you’re considering embarking on a PhD you’re probably curious about what PhD life is really like.

Do PhD students have many opportunities to socialise? Can PhD students join societies? Are PhD students destined to work and live in isolation for the duration of their PhD?

I recently finished my PhD so I’m keen to share with you the realities of life as a PhD student. I’ll also include some of my own experiences of PhD students’ social lives.

Disclaimer – I completed my PhD just as COVID-19 was taking hold. Social events may be a little different for now but you should still have time away from work to be sociable! In this post I include examples and tips for how to stay sociable during lockdown.

Does PhD Life Leave Time To Socialise?

Let’s start by dispelling the belief that PhD students need to always be working and must live in a permanently anxious state that they’re not working enough.

I see tweets like this all the time:

3rd yr PhD student: Sorry I haven't texted back. Been working 16 hours/day recently Me: Barely forces self to work 8 hours/day bc I'm constantly exhausted or simply can't focus. Feel so guilty about this. Any advice to improve my productivity? @AcademicChatter @OpenAcademics — Marina D (@marinadsouza22) December 16, 2020

PhD students should not be under any pressure to feel the need to work crazy (>8 hour/day) hours! If nothing else, working such long hours are unproductive and entirely unsustainable long term. Even if dedicating all of your waking hours to research was mentally sustainable, there is more to the PhD experience than just your project!

I feel strongly that if you treat your PhD like a normal full time job, i.e. around 40 hours a week you’ll be as productive as you would ever need to be.

Previously I shared how many hours I worked, and a calendar, during the second year as a PhD student to illustrate how I spent my time. Seeing and speaking to many other PhD students, I’d say the amount of hours I worked during the PhD was pretty normal.

Sidenotes: In case it’s of interest I’ve also shown that PhD students do take holidays , so again please don’t feel under pressure to not take extended breaks from your project! Oh and please also know that you don’t need lots of caffeine to survive a PhD !

This is basically a long way of saying that life as a PhD student should involve having a life outside of the lab! Taking time away from your work to socialise is great for so many reasons but not least is it fantastic for your mental health. Looking after yourself should be a priority far above academic achievements.

What If I’m Happy to Work Longer Hours on My Project?

As with any segment of society, PhD students represent a range of people with different priorities. There will be some PhD students who do spend all of their time working and aren’t interested in socialising. That’s completely fine but that should be a choice rather than a requirement.

Whilst I understand that some projects may require periods of long hours, it shouldn’t be the norm to regularly put yourself through unsustainably long working shifts. If a PhD student has no time away from research I would personally suggest that they are doing things wrong. If nothing else they’re missing out on other parts of the PhD student life experience!

Even if you love your project, there are loads of positives to taking time away from your work and making time for the other fun things you can do as a student which we’ll come on to in a second!

Two Perks to Your Social Life as a PhD Student

If they want to, PhD students absolutely can and do have a social life! Despite misconceptions, as we just covered a moment ago PhD students aren’t generally confined to living a life in the lab for the duration of their project!

The reality is that your social life as a PhD student doesn’t need to be any different from how it would be if you were working a regular job. Just like how university graduates who go on to have “normal” jobs still go out and have fun, so can PhD students. In fact I’d go as far as to say that PhD students are in a much better position to enjoy a rich social life than friends who go straight into a normal job.

This is because PhD students have a few aces up their sleeves when it comes to having fun and being sociable whilst being productive:

1. PhD students can still join societies and sports clubs through the students’ union

A lot of PhD students don’t realise that all of the opportunities to join student-run societies and sports clubs are still open to them as PhD students.

In my experience, even fewer PhD students actually make use of this opportunity.

I think that this a big oversight since student societies and sports clubs are a way to very easily meet like-minded individuals and a fantastic way to socialise and make other PhD friends.

Even if you don’t have any hobbies at the moment, these student-run clubs represent an incredible chance to try new things out. For example during my PhD I tried out gliding. I only went for one taster session but had an amazing time! I would never have usually gone out of my way to try gliding but at university opportunities like that are seamless and practically handed out on a plate.

Think of all the cool things you could try which would add to your PhD life. I do appreciate that things are a little different at the moment, but there are still things to get involved with and the restrictions won’t be with us forever.

If you don’t make the most of your chance to enjoy your time at the university you’re missing out!

2. You are in control of your time

By and large PhD supervisors give their students lots of freedom to manage their own time. As long as you get the work done, it doesn’t really matter when you do it. This means that you can fit your work around activities more easily than if you were in a structured working environment.

For example, in the UK Wednesday afternoons are the common time for university sports clubs to meet. I’ve known PhD students who take advantage of flexible working to take this time off and enjoy playing their favourite sports. Likewise I’ve had labmates who shuffled around their work to fit in orchestra practice and I’ve taken time out of my day to run events for student societies and volunteer.

Volunteering to provide free tutoring in a local sixth form, and going to an event organised by the Dutch Embassy in London about plastic pollution (before it was trendy!)

Having the flexibility to work whenever you want also means…

• being able to meet up with friends who are visiting
• finishing early if you’re travelling somewhere
• starting work late if you drank a bit too much the night before
• simply leaving to get an ice-cream with labmates!

Being in an environment with this flexibility and ownership of your time can be very handy to ensure that you are having a break from work and staying sociable.

Typical Opportunities to Make Friends and Socialise

Below are a few examples of the many ways PhD life gives you opportunities to socialise. None of these suggestions require that you know anyone in the place you’re studying.

All examples are from my own PhD experience.

Academic-related social events:

• Regular drinks with members of the research group . These have continued to take place virtually for a research group I was in.
• Research groups bi-annual socials . At Imperial there is a departmental allowance to fund two away days (or meals) every year. During my time we went bowling, did an escape room, played darts plus enjoyed several meals together as a research group.
• Public engagement events. Speaking to the public about research might not sound like time off from work and yes it can be tiring. Even so, I did it a few times during my PhD and enjoyed it so much more than I was expecting to! It convinced me that even for introverts like myself, speaking to loads of new people can be good every so often! It is also a great way to bond with your research team.

Busy afternoon chatting slug slime science @royalsociety 's Summer Science 2018 with @celizlab & @NHM_London . Team are there again 10-6 tomorrow, drop by! pic.twitter.com/frFEYLjJm0 — Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) July 7, 2018

• PhD student-specific socials. One of the two departments I was affiliated with ran a few social events throughout the year specifically for PhD students in the department: free food and drink!
• Departmental parties at Christmas and the summer.

What about if your research group and/or department don’t organise any events? Well firstly, you can always try organising your own. Secondly, here are some other widely available events:

• Public lectures and seminars by visiting academics. Go along with friends or make friends at the event or at the free drinks receptions often held afterwards.
• Conferences . They’re a great way to socialise. I’m not massively extroverted but some of my favourite conferences have been when I’ve gone alone and put myself out there. Most conferences have loads of opportunities to socialise: coffee breaks, poster sessions, drinks receptions and often a conference dinner. Don’t worry, loads of people go to them alone. You’re going to an event where people work on similar research to yourself so usually you’ll have lots of common interests to talk about. If all else fails, start a conversation by asking people about their research: they’ll love it!

Non-academic social events:

In addition to academic settings, there are loads of other ways to make friends and stay sociable during your PhD. PhD life does not need to be a lonely experience and I’d be sad to hear of people working in small isolated research groups who are having a miserable time!

Here are a few examples of ways that I stayed sociable outside of an academic setting.

• Trying out new sports . If you have the chance, I really suggest making use of the opportunity to try out new sports. I’m not really sporty but took the opportunity to try out different cool things. During my PhD, in addition to gliding, I learned to scuba dive and surfing trips with the student-run clubs: including spending my birthday surfing in Morocco! I’m still on the mailing lists for some of these sports clubs and know that they’re still organising events, many of which are available virtually. I realise this isn’t quite the same but can provide a much needed way to socialise!

• Joining societies as a PhD student . Most universities have loads of student-run societies for everything from acapella to yoga, and loads in between. Here is the list from the Imperial students’ union. I personally got involved with the environmental society and ended up leading it as president for a year.

Having worked for a few years before starting my PhD I was initially apprehensive about joining clubs and societies, but I decided to get involved while I had the chance and I am so glad I did.

I can’t speak highly enough of the social benefits which come from either trying something new or bonding with fellow students who already love the same interests as you. If you do go on to do a PhD, make sure to make the most of all the opportunities !

Another great visit to the @IC_ESoc allotment today with @savvy_scientist – pond cleared, green manure planted and courgettes & beans harvested @Grantham_IC @imperialcollege pic.twitter.com/IAFFln0ZXH — Imperial Zero Pollution: Our Campuses (@Sustainable_ICL) September 25, 2018

• Volunteering. If you’re moving to a different city or country, I’ve found volunteering to be a great way to meet new people. For example I spent many Saturday mornings during my PhD growing vegetables with people in my local community outside of the university. In my book, socialising outdoors gets points for being twice as good!

PhD Life During Lockdown: How to Avoid Loneliness and Stay Sociable

If you’re working from home and are unable to go and enjoy in-person events, it is more important than ever to ensure you’re able to avoid loneliness and stay sociable in other ways! The most obvious and safe way to do so is to move them online.

Here are a few suggestions to ensure you’re able to stay sociable remotely during a PhD:

• Videocall a friend or family member . Not quite the same as seeing in real life, but much better than not speaking to them at all! The great thing with speaking virtually is that you’re not limited to only speaking to friends or family who are geographically close by.
• Join virtual events . Loads of student societies have moved to virtual events for their members, plus I have seen different virtual events organised by groups, departments and university-wide initiatives. If you’re anything like me and get intimidated by social events, you could start by finding passive events where the focus is on following a presentation, tutorial or video and there is less emphasis on needing to jump straight into talking to strangers. I do encourage you to put yourself out there though if you feel up to it. The handy thing with socialising virtually is if you’re not enjoying it you can easily leave, blaming it on a dodgy internet connection if necessary!

If there aren’t any virtual events for your research group, PhD cohort or department, consider organising one yourself. Not only are you helping yourself but it could be a lifeline for someone else too!

Since finishing my PhD I’m currently still working in research as a post-doc so fully appreciate the difficulties of balancing your time during a lockdown: here in the UK we’re in one right now! Working from home can certainly blur work and home life which makes it all the more important that you can differentiate the two by having fun and staying sociable!

Hopefully I’ve reassured you that PhD life doesn’t need to consist of work every hour of the day and that it is possible to still enjoy an active social life! If you have any comments or concerns, I’m happy to try and help if you want to reach out.

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A Day in the Life of a Successful PhD Student (You Need To Know)

If you are thinking about starting a PhD, you may be wondering what a PhD student do es all day . This isn’t really a career move that many people talk about. Most people when they finish undergraduate move on to a career in their field and many programs at colleges and universities are geared towards preparing students for that life step. Often grad school is talked about in an “abstract” way and students are given the sense that they are more or less continuing on as a student and guided through the process by the university. This is partially true for a Masters degree, but far less true for a PhD. PhD programs, as has been discussed elsewhere in this blog, are much more free form after the coursework and comps phase and the direction depend s greatly on the scope and direction of your research project. This means the daily routine of a PhD student can vary widely depending on their project and also on what stage they are in during their PhD. Do you want to take a quiz to find out if a PhD is for you? (It was crowd-sourced from our community of PhDs.

This post is going to explore the more or less typical da ily (or recurring) activities in the life of PhD students in the beginning of the PhD post comps and in the later stage s of a PhD edging towards thesis submission . There is no set daily routine for most PhD students and their days often vary, but their days usually focus around the same set of activities. The dai ly routine of a PhD student changes over the course of their PhD , as the demands and expectations change . Daily routines are also different depending on if a PhD student is full or part time. The daily life discussed here is more applicable to a full time PhD student. The topics and activities discussed below may not occur everyday, but they are the typical activities of PhD students. To understand the daily life of a PhD it is best to view it as almost an apprenticeship in academia. Much of the daily work and expectations of a PhD student is similar to th ose of a professor, but often on a smaller scale.

Professors generally split their time between research (40%-100%) , teaching (20%-80%) , and administrative duties (20%-80%) . PhD students do the same only with a different split, much more of their time is allocated to research, but they often have teaching and administrative duties as well. The focus of their daily routine can also change depending on the needs of the given day and program. For example, PhD students will spend more time on teaching related tasks, if they are a Teaching Assistant, during midterms and finals, but in the summer, they may spend most of their time on research.

Are you a current PhD student, professor, or knowledgeable potential PhD student? We can really use your help! Can you add your institution to this crowd-sourced PhD Program index? It will greatly help future PhD students.

Based on the polls on the R3ciprocity YouTube channel, the modal breakdown of a PhD’s day is the following:

• 3-4 hours writing.
• 0-2 hours reading.
• 0-2 hours analyzing data.

I used to think that PhD Programs were inexpensive, until I learnt about the true costs of PhD Programs. Check out this post on the average PhD Program cost.

Full-disclosure: This post was written by an anonymous PhD student so they can speak freely, but based on this video:

https://youtu.be/bHfahwjtsOE Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: What Does A PhD Student Do All Day (In Business Admin)? (https://youtu.be/bHfahwjtsOE)

Beginning Stages of a PhD Post Comps

So, you passed your coursework and comps with flying colors, and you are ready to finally dig into your project. On a typical day getting into this project is now your focus , so what does that entail?

If you want to learn more about comprehensive exams, here is a good video:

https://youtu.be/phC1puj52eA Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: 5 Simple Tips For Doing Well On Your Grad School Comprehensive Exams ( What To Expect During Comps ) (https://youtu.be/phC1puj52eA)

Reading – S o Much R eading

It is important to understand the current state of your field before getting heavily into your own research . Y our overall goal as a PhD student is to make a unique contribution to your field through your research . In order to do that you need to know where everything stands in your field. The typical early stage PhD student spends a lot of time reading academic articles and  books. They are synthesizing the current state of their field and determining what the gaps are and how their own research can fill them. During the early days of my PhD, I spent entire days reading, highlighting, and taking notes in order to gain a full picture of the current research field . Much of my first year post comps was allocated to making sure I was up on all the latest research and not duplicating anyone else’s project.

Here is a great blog post about what PhD classes are like and the size of the classes.

Also, you might find this blog post on how PhD students are evaluated very useful.

Data Collection

The typical early stage PhD spends time collecting data. Depending on the field your data collection c an vary widely. Data collection might mean conducting interviews, experimenting in a lab, mining large open source datasets, or digging into an archive for documents. Whatever your data is, this is the time it is usually collected, and you start examining it for preliminary results, patterns, unexpected outcomes, etc. Data makes up the base of your project whatever it is, so the early stages is when data is collected and organized .

You absolutely have to check out this blog post of all of the best software that you need as a PhD. The answers were crowd-sourced from 100s of PhDs – you will love it!

During the early stages of a PhD writing takes a back seat to reading and data collection. It is still an important component of a PhD’s day, and it is useful to develop regular writing habits early, but more of the day will be dedicated to other activities. Writing at this stage in the PhD usually consists of very focused assignments, plans, and synthesizing your reading and research. For instance my first piece of written work after comps was a formal project proposal in which I stated my preliminary thesis, wrote a historiography of my proposed subject, displayed some of the gaps in the current research my project could fill, and of course an extensive bibliography of works I would utilize in my coming research. Other types of writing in this stage are research plans, formulating hypothesis, literature reviews, and the occasional conference paper. At this stage writing is more about focusing your reading and setting the direction of your research rather than producing “write-ups” with your findings. At this stage, you will really need some feedback on your writing (this is when a community-based writing software like R3ciprocity comes in handy).

Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant Duties

Many PhD students take on Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Research Assistantships (RA) at their universities. TA s assist a professor at their university teaching a specific course. They may guest lecture occasionally, but they often do not teach the classes themselves. TA duties can include facilitating student seminars, gu e st lecturing, holding office hours to help students with the class, and grading exams and essays. Grading is usually the main duty of a TA so PhD students with TA duties will find themselves busiest with these tasks around midterms and finals.

R As assist a professor with their often already established and ongoing research project. RA duties are directed by the professor for whom you are working and can include helping with many stages of the research project such as collecting data, transcribing information, and proofreading written works. RAships can vary in length and intensity depending on the needs of the professor and the project.

Read this blog post to learn the real length of time to get a PhD.

Here is some more detailed information about RAs in this video:

https://youtu.be/3FVq9PsBpbY Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Research Assistants: Duties And Responsibilities At A Top University – Just FUNDING Your Studies? (https://youtu.be/3FVq9PsBpbY)

University Service or University Involvement

University S ervice is often a requirement for professors, but more of an option for PhD students . H owever, many PhD students choose to get involved in the university in some way as the university is their workplace and their community. There are a variety of ways that PhD students can get involved at their university such as becoming a board member of thei r graduate student association or participating in peer help groups on campus. PhD students often either volunteer or are nominated by their department to represent graduate students and their needs to larger department or university committees. For example, I was briefly the graduate student representative at department meetings. I was responsible for bringing the concerns or issues of graduate students to the department. University S ervice for PhD students is often geared towards advocating for the needs of graduate students and providing a sense of community for them at the university. This is again not a mandatory requirement, but if you are interested in a career in academia it is a good idea to become acquainted with the needs of University Service.

What is the average PhD Program acceptance rate? It is soo difficult to find out information on this, but check out our results from this poll. The results are so curious!

Special Events

Many PhDs also attend special events periodically such as on campus speakers series . These types of events are sometimes required by universities or departments . Other special events include conferences and workshops . At this early stage PhD students may have something to present at conferences, but there are also a variety of conferences that PhD attend for networking reasons. Most fields have large yearly international conferences and early stage PhD students will sometimes attend those to get a sense of the field, the quality of research, and to network with others. There are also many skill building workshops that PhDs can attend both at conferences and independently as their own events. For example, there are several skill building workshops in the field of Digital Humanities every summer that PhDs can often get scholarships to attend and learn new skills such as programming or digital story telling. These types of events enhance a PhD student’s skill set and allow them to further their research.

Later Stage PhD ( Doctorate Candidates ) 

At some point during the PhD, the balance shifts from learning and synthesis to writing and creating your own research.  You become the captain of your ship. When this happens the typical daily routine of a PhD student also shifts and the priorities and the demands on their time change.

At this point, you will feel like your are floundering, which is why I am trying to build the online writing accountability software. You need to check out this post to learn how you can join!

Writing is probably one of the biggest changes from early to late stage PhD. Now you have read enough and gathered all your data and have started to write your dissertation. Writing is now a much bigger chunk of your day and depending on the nearness of your deadline, it could be your whole day. When writing your dissertation your writing objective s shift . Y ou are no longer concerned with synthesizing information that has come before you, but rather you are now focused on analysis and articulating the results of your own research (with reference to other research still of course). Much of your time is centered on producing your research to disseminate to your field. This also means that in addition to writing your dissertation, you may also be writing articles and conferences papers to share your brilliant ideas and original research . You might like this blog post about how to prevent depression when writing your dissertation – it provides great details into the writing process.

I did a poll on the R3ciprocity YouTube community in August, 2021 on how much time researchers spend writing N=109). I was not surprised with these results. The modal time spent writing was 3-4 hours a day. 

Despite the shift to much more writing focused than reading focused days, there is still always some reading to do. New research comes out all the time, and it is best to stay on top of that to keep your own research competitive. Furthermore, your dissertation may take a turn you did not originally expect and so you need to read up on a topic in order to understand your results. For instance, my own research on late medieval Europe took a turn and I had to spend a few days reading up on what constituted treason in late medieval Europe in order to understand the ramifications of a political murder. So, there is always going to be reading to do, but this will become a much smaller part of your everyday.

Want to know the questions you should never ask during your PhD? Check out this pretty helpful blog post.

Later in the PhD process, data collection also becomes a much smaller portion of your time. Most of the heavy data collection is done in the early stages and while you will often revisit your data, likely large collections of it are not going to be repeated at this stage. However, you may have to collect some smaller sets of data, particularly again if your research has taken an unexpected turn. For instance, I had to revisit the archives to find a separate set of historical documents when my research took an unexpected turn. Unexpected turns happen in research projects so if you are in the late stages of your PhD and something does come up that you need to gather a little bit of data on that is not unusual.

Want to learn how to analyze data from a survey? Check out this comprehensive post.

I did a poll on the R3ciprocity YouTube community in August, 2021 on how much time researchers spend analyzing data. Here are the results. Out of 89 PhDs, the modal number of hours that PhDs spend time analyzing data is 0-2 hours per day. Surprisingly, some PhDs spend more than 9 hours a day analyzing data. This variance is likely due to the stage at which their research project is in.

TA/RA/Adjunct duties

Many PhD students continue to have TA and RA duties throughout their PhDs. However, later stage PhD students sometimes also take on Adjunct Professor roles at their own or nearby universities. This means they will teach a class or two by themselves. They will do everything that needs to be done for that class from syllabus preparation to lecture writing to marking the assignments. This additional responsibility can prove challenging because teaching takes up a lot of time particularly when teaching a class you have not taught before. Designing and implementing a class is a lot of work and it continues to be a lot of work as the semester progresses. I have had particularly difficult lectures take all day to write. A lot of PhD students underestimate how much time preparing and teaching a class takes since their TA duties did not consume a huge amount of time. If you go the adjunct route be prepared for it to put a huge time demand on your day.

If you are looking for great gifts to give PhD students, you have to read this post!

The R3ciprocity Project started out as a side-project, where David Maslach created an App to help others get feedback on their work (r3ciprocity.com – it is seriously inexpensive and easy to use. You have to try it!) , but it is beginning to grow into a real movement. Check out the YouTube channel , or some of these posts if you want to understand more:

Professional Service

In addition to University Service, some PhD students in their later stage also begin to take on what is known as Professional Service. Like University Service, Professional Service is an activity that in some way serves the greater academic community, usually in some way related to your field. This again can be a variety of things. For instance, many PhD students become involved in their professional organizations as graduate representatives. PhD students also can become involved in the editorial committees of academic journals. They may serve on committees for the advancement of their field or organize conferences. Again, like University Service, these positions are often not huge parts of their everyday routine, but they are again some of the expectations they must meet.

In the later stages of a PhD, it is more common for PhD students to present at conferences. They now have results and a thesis to advance so they apply to and present to their wider community at conferences. Conferences are also great places to stay up on current research and to network. PhD students may also find themselves presenting their research at their university showcases or in public lectures. Late stage PhD students still attend public lectures and workshops, but the emphasis begins to shift to presenting their own research instead of listening to someone else’s research .

These are the activities that make up the typical day of your average PhD student. The responsibilities do ebb and flow with the needs of the day. If you decide to start a PhD be prepared to spend a lot of time reading, writing, thinking, and working with your larger university community. You will need to get good at time management and scheduling in order to get it all done, but it is possible and a very rewarding experience.

This is all part of the r3ciprocity project, where the goal is simple: We are real people helping other people in academia. Academia is hard. We need to share our stories. Be real. Be nice. Help others. Science benefits.

The r3ciprocity project started out as a side-project, where David Maslach created an App to help others get feedback on their work, but it is beginning to grow into a real movement. Check out the YouTube Channel , or some of these posts if you want to understand more:

• Read more about PhD problems and solutions.
• How to deal with self-doubts as a PhD.
• The best tips on the internet on meeting with your (potential) graduate advisor.
• Did you benefit from this post? Do you know of anyone at all that could use feedback on their writing or editing of their documents? I would be so grateful if you read this post on how to get feedback on your writing using R3ciprocity.com or let others know about the R3ciprocity Project. THANK YOU in advance! You are the bees knees.

R3ciprocity_Team

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A Day in the Life of a PHD Student

Ellen Brewster is studying for a PhD in English Literature.

Having completed her undergraduate degree, she went on to a Master’s before returning to her original college for her PhD. Her area of specialism is UK domestic readership in the eighteenth century.

You can also find her on Instagram: @_ellenbrewster

Table of Contents

How did I become a PhD student?

Hello! I’m Ellen, and I’m a first-year doctoral student at the University of Oxford. I’m studying for a PhD (or DPhil as it’s known here) in English Literature. I’ve got an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in English Literature too, and these qualifications have allowed me to go on to do a graduate research degree. This means I’m still a full-time student after five years (so far) at uni! I’m able to do this full-time thanks to a generous scholarship, which pays for both my university fees and my living costs.

I wanted to do a PhD because I’m passionate about studying literature, and love to be able to find out new things and tell people all about them!

The length of a PhD can vary, depending on your subject and how long it takes you to research and write up your thesis. In the UK, you’re usually expected to finish your project within 3-5 years. Your thesis is a long piece of writing: I’m aiming to have written between 80,000 to 100,000 words, which is basically a long book! It will have several chapters looking at different aspects of my research topic.

I’m studying how people used to read in the past, particularly in the eighteenth-century. I want to understand how people at the time wanted to improve their reading-aloud skills through attending lectures, reading books, and joining book clubs; people viewed reading primarily as a social activity. To do this kind of research, I have to read a lot of books by other scholars about my topic, but I also have to do my own (metaphorical) digging in archives and libraries that have eighteenth-century books. Oxford is a great place for this, as the Bodleian Library is home to lots of modern and old books relevant to the history of reading.

Curious to experience what studying at Oxford University is really like? Attend an Oxford High School Summer Program and get a real taste of university life.

What does PhD research involve?

Generally, with PhD research, I am doing one of two things: reading, or writing.

When I say ‘reading’, I also mean note-taking – while a form of writing, the main focus of taking notes is understanding what I’m reading and remembering it for later.

When I’m not writing notes, I’m writing parts of my thesis – drafts of paragraphs or sections, or even an entire chapter! All this reading and writing helps me to think about my topic in great depth – both by thinking about what other people have said, and thinking about the things I’ve discovered for myself. Some weeks tend to be more reading-focused; other weeks tend to be about trying to articulate my ideas into readable forms for my supervisor to read. She’s the person guiding my project, giving me feedback on the things that I write, and helps me work out what I should research next.

The PhD student experience – What is it really like for PhDs?

Are you curious about what it’s really like to be a PhD student, navigating the world of academia and research?

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the lesser-known aspects of the PhD journey, from the profound impact of your supervisor to the competitive environment you’ll face.

Discover the truth about the importance of publishing papers and the realities of funding and job security in academia.

We’ll also give you a glimpse into the daily life of a PhD student, and explore the highs and lows of this challenging yet rewarding experience.

So, buckle up and join us as we uncover the secrets of the PhD student experience that no one else will tell you!

The little known-facts that you need to know about the PhD experience,

This is what no one else will tell you!

What does the daily life of a PhD student look like?

Embarking on a PhD journey can be a thrilling yet demanding experience, as a doctoral student is constantly immersed in:

• academic responsibilities,
• and professional development.

From the early morning, the life of a PhD student begins with checking emails, planning the day, and setting priorities.

A typical day usually involves conducting experiments or research in the laboratory, analyzing data, and reading scientific literature to stay up-to-date with their field.

PhD students often participate in regular meetings with their supervisors, who provide guidance and advice on their research projects.

These meetings are crucial for maintaining momentum and ensuring a productive working relationship.

A typical daily schedule for a PhD student might look like this:

7:00 AM – Wake up, morning routine, breakfast

7:45 AM – Check emails, plan the day, and set priorities

8:30 AM – Arrive at the laboratory, set up experiments or research tasks

9:30 AM – Attend a class or seminar (if applicable)

11:00 AM – Conduct experiments or research in the laboratory

12:30 PM – Lunch break, socialize with fellow graduate students

1:30 PM – Analyze data and read scientific literature relevant to the research project

3:00 PM – Meeting with supervisor to discuss research progress and receive guidance

4:30 PM – Continue working on experiments, data analysis, or literature review

6:00 PM – Dinner break

8:00 PM – Draft or edit thesis, work on conference presentations or publications

10:00 PM – Wind down and engage in a hobby or leisure activity for mental health and work-life balance

11:00 PM – Bedtime routine, sleep

In addition to their primary research, many PhD students assist and mentor undergraduate students, contributing to a diverse and dynamic academic community.

Balancing the demands of coursework, research projects, and administrative responsibilities can make for long working hours, which is why it’s important for doctoral students to maintain their mental health and work-life balance.

Attending conferences, participating in social events, and engaging in professional development opportunities are important aspects of the PhD experience.

Given the commitment and dedication required, full-time PhD students often rely on funded positions to support their education and living expenses.

Despite the inherent difficulties, the experience equips students with a range of new skills and expertise, setting them on a path to contribute significantly to academia and the world beyond.

How stressful is being a PhD student?

Being a PhD student can be quite stressful due to the unique challenges and demands of the program.

It varies from person to person and the supervisor will have a huge impact on how stressful a PhD will be for a student.

Here is a case study of the highs and lows of a PhD from a PhDs student’s perspective:

This PhD student experienced frustration with experiments not working or yielding results, leading to feelings of imposter syndrome and demotivation. A lack of progress was a significant source of stress during this time, as well as comparing oneself to peers who seemed to be achieving more success.

However, there were also numerous highlights throughout the PhD experience. Attending conferences and presenting research offered opportunities to gain feedback, collaborate with others, and even travel. Engaging in scientific discussions and exploring the significance of one’s work provided a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

Furthermore, working with cutting-edge equipment, such as advanced microscopes, allowed the student to appreciate the unique and privileged nature of their research.

The pressure to produce significant contributions to one’s field and the uncertainty of achieving results within a limited time frame can induce anxiety.

For instance, many students find themselves constantly juggling various responsibilities, such as conducting experiments, analysing data, attending meetings with their supervisor, and writing their thesis or papers.

Aside from academic pressure, managing work-life balance can be difficult as well. It’s not uncommon for PhD students to work long hours, often sacrificing personal time and relationships.

The lack of a structured schedule and the need for self-motivation can add to the stress and the competitive environment in academia and the constant pursuit of funding can further exacerbate stress levels.

PhD student workloads and holidays

The life of a PhD student is often characterized by heavy workloads and limited opportunities for holidays.

In a typical PhD program, students juggle numerous responsibilities, including research projects, coursework, and professional development activities, such as attending conferences and training.

This is particularly true for funded PhD students, who are expected to adhere to strict timelines set by their supervisors and the university’s academic calendar.

In the science field, the workload can be even more demanding due to the nature of research, which often involves conducting experiments that can take months or years to complete.

This commitment means that even during holidays, PhD students may feel the need to work in order to meet deadlines, leading to burnout and stress.

Later Stage PhD ( Doctorate Candidates )

When PhD students reach the later stages of their doctorate program, they become PhDs preparing to complete their research project and thesis.

This stage comes with an intense academic workload, with high demand for researcher-level skills and scientific knowledge.

A typical day for a PhD at this stage involves conducting research, analysing data, and editing their findings to complete their thesis.

In my experience it is WRITING, WRITING and more WRITING…with a touch of editing.

There are deadlines to meet, and students may face pressure, but the reward of completing a doctorate degree is worth it.

At this point, a PhD is expected to demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research and contribute to their field of study.

The latter stages of the doctorate program offer a rigorous and rewarding challenge for students who want to pursue a career in science, education, and research.

Wrapping up – PhD and Doctoral Student experience

The PhD student experience is a complex and multifaceted journey that offers a unique blend of challenges and triumphs.

As we have explored in this blog, the road to obtaining a PhD is filled with personal growth, professional development, and numerous hurdles to overcome.

But, for those who persevere, the rewards can be immense, leading to a sense of accomplishment, increased expertise, and the potential to make a significant impact in their chosen field.

In navigating this adventure, it is essential for PhD students to maintain a healthy work-life balance and develop strong support networks to help them manage stress and maintain motivation.

The journey may be demanding, but with the right mindset and guidance, the experience can be truly transformative.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

We are here to help you navigate Academia as painlessly as possible. We are supported by our readers and by visiting you are helping us earn a small amount through ads and affiliate revenue - Thank you!

2024 © Academia Insider

Local News | ‘It saved my life’: 50-year-old CU Boulder…

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Local News | ‘It saved my life’: 50-year-old CU Boulder students set to graduate Thursday

Her husband of nearly 20 years asked for a divorce in April of 2022, and as a 50-year-old housewife, she suddenly had no income, no job and no home.

“I suddenly had absolutely no security in my future,” Amsel said.

Within two weeks, she contacted the University of Colorado Boulder to be admitted as an undergraduate student in the history department. She started classes the following fall, earned a scholarship to cover most of her living expenses, visited the food pantry, battled depression and negotiated the divorce while in school.

Now, she’s graduating from CU Boulder on Thursday with a degree and future she never would’ve imagined for herself.

“I am still astounded some days when I wake up and see where I am now compared to two years ago,” Amsel said. “I’m still me, I’m still the person I was two years ago, but now I know I have the capacity to do anything. I can make a great life out of nothing more than my imagination, my tenacity and my drive.”

Amsel was able to graduate in part due to support from the Finish What You Started program at CU Boulder. The program has graduated 52 undergraduates at CU Boulder since it was created in the spring of 2022, and that number is projected to exceed 80 students by the end of this summer.

The program provides scholarships, academic and career advising and academic coaching so that students have the help they need to finish their degree.

“When she returned to CU, Beth was undergoing a major transition in her personal life, had been away from higher education for several decades, and had concerns around managing her time effectively,” Michelle Pagnani, lead program specialist and senior academic coach, said in an email.

“However, she knocked it out of the park in her classes, achieving a 4.0 every semester and ultimately being accepted into a graduate program in counseling at the University of Denver that begins this fall. Beth is an incredibly empathetic and affable person, a skilled researcher and writer, and someone who has overcome obstacles with both grit and grace.”

Amsel had a career as a musician before marrying her husband and attended college for three years intermittently in the late ’80s and early ’90s. When the divorce happened, Amsel immediately knew she had to finish her degree to secure her future.

“From a purely practical standpoint, a woman at that age with no work history is looking at a future of financial insecurity and destitution,” she said.

But, she said, her CU Boulder degree will do more than give her financial security. It also transformed her as a person.

“It saved my life,” Amsel said, adding, “CU Boulder has had such a radically profound effect on my life. I was devastated at this time two years ago and frankly could not see a future for myself. And when I came to CU in the fall of 2022, I was still crying mostly all of every day.”

After graduation, Amsel will move to Denver to pursue a master’s degree at DU in counseling psychology and clinical mental health.

“There’s a lot of shame involved in both the divorce and not having a college degree in certain circles,” Amsel said, adding, “Shame is the thing that keeps us from being our full self. And fear and shame are so unnecessarily handicapping to what our potential is, and once we get beyond the shame and fear, there really is nothing we can’t do in this life.”

‘A sense of that accomplishment’

At 50 years old, Marcos Castillo will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science more than 25 years after he first started college.

“I just thought back then that I would eventually come back sooner or later to finish up and it didn’t really work that way,” he said.

Castillo took various classes at different schools in Colorado but work and money got in the way. He kept working and lived in Mexico for several years before returning to the United States and picking up school again. He always wanted to complete his degree but struggled to commit to it.

“Quite honestly, I just kept making excuses for myself,” he said. “But more than anything (I wanted) just to get it done and get a sense of that accomplishment. I had already put so much work into it.”

Castillo also wanted to finish his degree for his family.

“I would’ve been the first one to graduate from college, I just have one brother but he graduated before I did,” Castillo said. “It’s also for my parents as well, it was a sense of pride for them in my family. I think that’s what really pushed me.”

Castillo didn’t receive any scholarships or grants until he joined the Finish What You Started Program, hindering his ability to finish college earlier. He also dealt with personal issues, including battling addiction, that also made finishing college difficult.

“Life was kind of scattered around and I didn’t have much focus, so I think that was the biggest challenge,” he said.

Once he committed to finishing his degree at CU Boulder, he only had two or three classes to complete. Castillo works for Catholic Charities of Denver and plans to continue his work there after graduation.

“It’s one of those things that you accomplish that’s a lifelong accomplishment and I think it’ll be awesome,” Castillo said. “It just hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited.”

Ann Herrmann, program manager and advisor of the Finish What You Started Program, said many students in the program balance family, work and school and face financial barriers to achieving a college degree.

“These two students have inspired us in our work. They’re the reason we do what we do,” Herrmann said in an email. “To know that they both have plans to contribute to society and the world in their own unique ways (Marcos through Catholic Charities and Beth entering the counseling field) motivates us to continue to serve other CU Boulder students who need our support.”

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• School Life

Alumni start petition to have male students behind ‘unrapeable list’ expelled

An elite private school principal has responded after four students allegedly circulated a “disgraceful” list ranking their female peers.

Teacher exposes problem millions don’t get

Baffled grandparents banned from class

Cops swarm school after online threats

Two of the four boys who allegedly produced a list ranking their female peers from “wifey” to “unrapeable” have been expelled.

The Yarra Valley Grammar School students were suspended on Friday after the list was posted to social media platform Discord, with the school’s principal Mark Merry calling the act “disgraceful”.

The list, which featured photos of female students and ranked them from best to worst as “wifeys”, “cuties”, “mid”, “object”, “get out” and “unrapeable”, was discovered by the school last Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the school sent out a letter to the parents of all students informing them that two of the four boys had been expelled.

“The investigation of this issue has been complex and time consuming and can’t be rushed and I thank our students and families for your patience and confidence as we ensured that all the circumstances were known,” Dr Merry said in the letter.

“As a result of these investigations, yesterday I formed the view that the position of two students at Yarra has become untenable and as a consequence they will not be returning to the School.

“Others, who have played a lesser role in this matter have been subject to further disciplinary action.”

He also acknowledged that the week has been a “difficult one for [the school] community”, particularly the female students who were featured in the list.

“A number of our students had been unfairly targeted in a cruel and highly offensive online post which caused great hurt to them and their families and distress to their friends,” he said.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the matter has been reported to police and investigators will assess the information to determine if it’s a matter for police.

On Monday, a group of 118 former students organised a petition calling for the school to deliver harsher consequences to the students accused of making the list.

“The list is disgusting … I think very highly of the school and I respect that an investigation is underway, but I do expect a strong response from them,” one former female student told The Herald Sun.

“Going to a school like Yarra Valley Grammar is a privilege and that privilege can, and should, be taken away for bad behaviour.

“If you send a message that you suspend these students and make them go into counselling but then they go back into the classroom … it sends a message that these boys’ education is more important than these poor girls involved.”

Dr Merry spoke to Nine on Sunday and described the post as “disgraceful”.

“Respect for each other is in the DNA of this school, and so this was a shock not only to us … but it was a shock to the year level and the boys in the year level that see this as way, way out of line,” he said.

He said he was offended by the final category and had since reported the matter to police to ensure the list wasn’t linked to any criminal offence.

“As a father, I find it absolutely outrageous, disgraceful, offensive. As a principal, I need to make some decisions (about) what we do about all of this,” he said.

“My first impulse and concern is about the wellbeing of the girls concerned. I want to make sure they feel assured and supported by the school.”

“We are going to be consulting the police because the language used could be an inferred threat.

“I don’t think it was, but we need to get further advice on that … I’m hoping it was an appalling lapse in judgment.”

It costs about $30,000 a year to send a student to the elite Ringwood private school, and Dr Merry said the school prided itself on teaching “respectful relationships”.

“We are well aware of the broader issues in relation to respecting women … we need to really do our best to ensure that young men understand their responsibilities and their boundaries of how they should behave,” he said.

Just last week, Victorian MP Georgie Purcell raised the need for an investigation into sexism in schools after Monash University released new research about the rise of misogyny in the nation’s education system.

“Back when I was in high school boys were making lists ranking their female classmates’ bodies. Today these lists have morphed into something even more repugnant, and without government action our crisis of gendered violence will only continue to worsen,” Ms Purcell said in a statement.

She warned the expulsion of the students would not solve the problem but “simply move it to a different school”, and said more needs to be done to combat gendered violence.

“There needs to be serious commitments from the school to enact mandatory consent and gendered violence education for not only those male students, but the whole cohort,” she said.

“We must recognise this as gendered violence, and schools as a breeding ground for serious crimes against women if there is no intervention.”

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

A rural teacher has exposed a problem millions of Aussies simply don’t understand by sharing a simple story from her classroom.

A group of grandparents are up in arms after being refused entry to a show-and-tell-type event at their grandchildren’s school.

Police have swarmed the high school of the “radicalised” 16-year-old boy who was shot by police after threats were made online.

Ohio State graduation death: Here's what we know

Ohio State University released the name of the woman who died during Sunday's commencement ceremony after a fall from Ohio Stadium .

Larissa Brady, 53, of Georgia,  was pronounced dead at 12:25 p.m. at the scene outside Ohio Stadium  by Columbus firefighters. The coroner's office identified Brady by her fingerprints.

While the shocking death has left more questions than answers, here's what we know as of early Monday.

What happened at OSU graduation?

Around 12:30 p.m., a person fell from Ohio Stadium's stands near the Bell Tower just as some of the last graduates filtered into the stadium via a tunnel, according to university officials and an eyewitness.

"An individual fell from the stands. They are deceased," OSU spokesman Ben Johnson said Sunday in the university's initial confirmation of the death. "We have no additional details to share at this time. Police and emergency responders are on scene. For anyone affected by today's incident, we will make counseling and other support resources available."

The commencement continued uninterrupted  as news of the death spread through the crowd. Students leaving the ceremony walked past the area where the body fell still cordoned off by yellow crime scene tape.

Who is Larissa Brady?

Larissa Brady, 53, was pronounced died outside Ohio Stadium. The coroner's initial release does not say whether her death was accidental or intentional. However, police do not suspect foul play or that the fall was the result of an accident, Ohio State spokesman Ben Johnson said in an emailed statement.

Brady's daughter was listed as a graduate being honored with a bachelor's degree at Ohio State on Sunday, according to the university's 2024 commencement program .

"Ohio State is grieving the death of Larissa Brady, a family member of one of our graduates," Johnson said via email. "Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this exceptionally difficult time."

Where did the accident happen?

Police taped off an area on the southeast side of Ohio Stadium Sunday, near gate 30 where Ohio State football players enter the stadium. The incident happened near a tunnel that students used to enter the stadium for the ceremony that is normally reserved for OSU football players during home games.

How did students react?

"No way -- that's unbelievable," one eyewitness said.

The witness, who asked to not be identified, said they saw someone fall and it happened just as the last graduates filing past that area as they entered the stadium.

A Dispatch reporter attending the ceremony said that other attendees and some students at commencement were visibly upset as news of the death began to spread through news organizations and social media.

University officials, commencement speakers — including social entrepreneur and OSU alum  Chris Pan  — made no reference to the death during the ceremony. Pan spoke about world peace and Bitcoin, among other topics, and sang the song 'This Little Light of Mine.'"

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis, you can reach Ohio's 24/7 Crisis Text Line by texting 4HOPE to 741741 or call the Franklin County Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-221-5445 or Ohio State's Counseling and Consultation Services at 614-292-5766. The national Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255 /TALK ( 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers).

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Campus protests over the Gaza war

As student protesters get arrested, they risk being banned from campus too.

Rachel Treisman

Jaclyn Diaz

Dozens of tents are seen on a lawn inside the Columbia University Campus after students refused to take down the encampment by the 2 p.m. EDT deadline given to students protesting by Columbia President Minouche Shafik. Luiz C. Ribeiro/Tribune News Service/Getty Images hide caption

Dozens of tents are seen on a lawn inside the Columbia University Campus after students refused to take down the encampment by the 2 p.m. EDT deadline given to students protesting by Columbia President Minouche Shafik.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators continue to turn out at schools across the country despite the risk of detention and suspension, with nearly 300 more protesters arrested over the weekend .

At Columbia University, where a pro-Palestinian encampment has catalyzed dozens of similar demonstrations across the nation, student protesters face threats of punishment, with some students already receiving word of their suspension.

On Monday morning, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced that in, negotiations over the encampment, faculty leaders and student organizers were not able to reach an agreement .

The university gave students until 2 p.m. ET to disperse and abandon the encampments or else face suspension pending further investigation, according to flyers it distributed on campus .

Columbia University spokesman Ben Chang confirmed to reporters that some students taking part in the pro-Palestinian encampment who refused to leave at that deadline were suspended. It's unclear how many students will receive that punishment.

Chang said the move is required to preserve campus safety.

Hundreds of students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University's campus. Brian Mann hide caption

Hundreds of students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University's campus.

Students who voluntarily left the encampment and signed a copy of a form committing to abide by university policies will be on academic probation through June 2025, according to the flyers. Those who remained past the deadline were told they will be restricted from all Columbia campuses and property and ineligible to participate in classes and academic or extracurricular activities.

"You are not permitted to complete the Spring 2024 semester, including participate in classes or exams in-person or remotely or otherwise submit assignments or engage in any activities affiliated with Columbia University," the notice dispersed on campus reads. "You may lose the semester. If you are scheduled to graduate, you are no longer eligible."

Dozens of New York police officers gathered outside the campus gates about an hour ahead of the deadline.

Many students remained despite the threats, saying they have no plans to leave unless the university meets its demand to divest from companies they say are aiding Israel's war in Gaza. After the flyers were distributed, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine posted on X urging students not to sign anything.

Roughly 100 officers in uniform gathered at Columbia University's campus in the leadup to its 2 p.m. deadline for students to disperse from the encampment that's been up for nearly two weeks. Brian Mann/NPR hide caption

Roughly 100 officers in uniform gathered at Columbia University's campus in the leadup to its 2 p.m. deadline for students to disperse from the encampment that's been up for nearly two weeks.

"We will not be moved by these intimidation tactics. You can see the students are mobilized. There's hundreds of them here today. They will not be moved. We demand divestment, we will not be moved unless by force," Seuda Polat, a Columbia University graduate student, said during a press conference Monday.

Polat continued, "There has been no violence on this encampment. Students from diverse backgrounds have shared their religious observances together. We've celebrated Passover, we've celebrated shabbat twice. This is a place of community, of community learning, not violence."

Police continue to arrest protesters across the country

On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli protesters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, leading to what university leaders described as "physical altercations" and prompting them to increase security measures on campus.

Nearly 300 people arrested at campus protests against the war in Gaza this weekend

At Virginia Tech University, police arrested scores of protesters in the early hours of Monday morning. Virginia Tech Police confirmed early Monday evening that 82 individuals, 53 of whom are current students at the university, were arrested and all were charged with trespassing.

The school had warned of "heavy police activity around the Graduate Life Center" in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) starting just after 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, and announced around 3:30 a.m. that the incident " had stabilized ." Social media footage shows protesters chanting at police as they lead people into multiple white vans.

Elsewhere in the state, 12 protesters — including nine students — were arrested at the University of Mary Washington on Saturday evening after refusing to vacate an encampment on its Fredericksburg, Va., campus. University President Troy Paino said in a statement that health and safety concerns had emerged on Saturday after protestors invited the off-campus public to join the encampment.

A man holds up a Palestinian flag as activists and students surround piled barricades at an encampment at at George Washington University early Monday. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images hide caption

A man holds up a Palestinian flag as activists and students surround piled barricades at an encampment at at George Washington University early Monday.

Meanwhile, protests at George Washington University in D.C. are stretching into their fifth day on Monday — the last day of class for the semester — after a tense weekend, culminating in a clash between protesters and police.

Students first set up an encampment on University Yard on Thursday and later launched a second one on nearby H Street after the school put up barricades to restrict access.

The Picture Show

Photos: take a look at campus protests around the country.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, protesters knocked down the barricades — piling them in a stack in the middle of the lawn — and flooded the lawn, with people remaining there overnight in some 85 tents, the GW Hatchet reports .

GW officials said in a statement early Monday that a group of "approximately 200 protesters from across [D.C., Maryland and Virginia], including professional organizers, activists, and university students, have joined the unauthorized encampment on our campus."

"This is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest," they added. "The university will use every avenue available to ensure those involved are held accountable for their actions."

Schools are alternately threatening and disavowing disciplinary action

Students arrested at Emerson College last week won't face disciplinary action from the school, its president announced. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Students arrested at Emerson College last week won't face disciplinary action from the school, its president announced.

One question on the minds of many is what, if any, disciplinary action student protesters might face from their schools, especially with finals and graduation fast approaching.

Some universities have suspended — or threatened to suspend — students who have been arrested for protesting, while others have said they will not.

Students have been suspended for protesting at George Washington University , Princeton University , Washington University in St. Louis , Pomona College and Vanderbilt University , according to reports.

Barnard College officials announced Friday that it will allow most of the 53 students who were arrested and suspended after protesting at Columbia University to return to campus. The New York Times reports that suspended students who reached agreements with the college have their access to residence halls, dining facilities and classrooms restored, while others are still working to reach agreements.

Middle East crisis — explained

Across the u.s., pro-palestinian campus protesters risk arrest and suspension.

On Sunday, Jay Bernhardt, the president of Emerson College in Boston — where more than 100 protesters were arrested at an encampment early Thursday morning — said the college will not bring disciplinary charges against protesters, and will "encourage the district attorney not to pursue charges related to encampment violations."

He said it is also taking steps to support students who were arrested, including posting bail for them and providing housing support to those who are required to stay local for court appearances after the closing of their dorms.

"The College has done its best to keep all community members safe every day during these challenging times, but we recognize that we must do more," he added.

In Texas, the Travis County district attorney has dropped misdemeanor trespassing charges against all 57 people arrested during a protest at UT-Austin last week, after a judge found insufficient evidence to proceed.

Law enforcement arrest a pro-Palestinian protestor on April 29, 2024, at the University of Texas at Austin. Michael Minasi/KUT hide caption

Law enforcement arrest a pro-Palestinian protestor on April 29, 2024, at the University of Texas at Austin.

But on Monday, around 100 protesters gathered at UT-Austin and set up a new encampment on the campus' south lawn, according to NPR member station KUT. By mid-afternoon, state, city and university police were on hand, breaking up the gathering.

Elsewhere, some schools are threatening disciplinary action for students who don't comply with directives to leave encampments that they say violate their policies.

Officials at the University of Florida, where students began protesting on Wednesday, said Friday that demonstrators could face suspension and a three-year ban from campus if they violate specific protest rules, reports member station WUFT .

They are prohibited from using bullhorns or speakers to amplify their voices, possessing weapons and protesting inside campus buildings — but also face more vague prohibitions like "no disruption," according to a list circulated late Thursday.

"They also included 'no sleeping' on a campus where students often doze in the sun between classes," per WUFT.

Mass arrests roil college campuses amid pro-Palestinian protests

At Cal Poly Humboldt, officials closed campus to the public on Saturday, several days after student protesters first occupied two academic and administrative buildings. They had previously given protesters until 5 p.m. on Friday to leave with a guarantee of no immediate arrest — but said they would still face consequences.

"This does not, however, eliminate University conduct-related sanctions or legal implications," officials said in a release. "In addition, voluntarily departing in this way will be considered as a mitigating factor in University conduct processes and may reduce the severity of sanctions imposed."

The campus will remain closed until May 10, with work and classes remote through the end of the semester. Officials say they are planning for "various scenarios" for commencement.

At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, president Sally Kornbluth said in a Sunday message to students that their growing encampment violates policies around registering for campus demonstrations and creates a "potential magnet for disruptive outside protestors."

She said rules have been broken, and those who break them — "including rules around the time, place and manner of protest" — will face disciplinary action.

"We are open to further discussion about the means of ending the encampment," she added. "But this particular form of expression needs to end soon."

Northwestern reaches a deal with protesters

Signs are displayed outside a tent encampment at Northwestern University on Friday in Evanston, Illinois. Students and the university reached a deal Monday, allowing the demonstrations to continue, but that mandated the removal of all but one of these tents. Teresa Crawford/AP hide caption

Signs are displayed outside a tent encampment at Northwestern University on Friday in Evanston, Illinois. Students and the university reached a deal Monday, allowing the demonstrations to continue, but that mandated the removal of all but one of these tents.

Northwestern University reached an agreement Monday with students and faculty protesting against the war, as demonstrations continued at other campuses across the country.

The deal was struck five days after students erected an encampment on Deering Meadow, a common area on the university's Evanston campus.

The agreement allows demonstrations to continue until the end of spring quarter classes on June 1, "provided all such activity immediately and continuously complies with University policies," Northwestern officials said in a statement.

The school will allow one aid tent to remain at the encampment on Deering Meadow but is demanding all other tents and sound systems be taken down.

"This agreement also addresses our commitment to protect the safety of our entire community and to ensure the ongoing academic operations of our campus while adhering to our support for free expression," Northwestern President Michael Schill wrote in an announcement posted on the school's website. "The agreement includes support for our Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students. Some of the actions have been discussed for years and some are new. Together, they will strengthen our community."

As part of the agreement, the university has promised to fund two Palestinian faculty members per year for two years and to provide scholarships for five Palestinian undergraduates.

Some faculty are calling for amnesty

Students and faculty at some universities are calling on their administrations not to discipline protesters. Arrested protesters face uncertainty about not only their legal records but the status of campus housing, financial aid and graduation eligibility.

At the University of Pennsylvania , officials say a campus statue was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti and are calling on demonstrators — from Penn and other area schools — to disband.

A group of Penn faculty and Philadelphia-area elected officials signed a letter last week urging university leaders to "respect students' rights to engage in nonviolent protest" by refraining from calling in law enforcement to make arrests and from filing disciplinary and criminal charges against peaceful protesters at the encampment.

"Protesters nationwide face police violence and severe discipline, and the safety and wellbeing of Philadelphia students exercising their rights are among our foremost concerns," they wrote.

In Columbia University's protests of 1968 and 2024, what's similar — and different

Nearly 300 faculty members at Yale University, where 48 protesters were arrested last week, signed a letter condemning what they called "the criminalization of Yale students engaged in recent acts of peaceful protest." They demanded that the university take no further disciplinary action and called on authorities to drop all charges against them.

They said the protesters arrested face Class A misdemeanors under Connecticut law, which carry possible penalties of up to 364 days in jail.

"Threatening students with sanctions of this kind is unconscionable and should not be the means by which Yale responds to peaceful protest," they added.

In a further sign of discontent, faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas have either initiated or passed largely symbolic votes of no confidence in their leadership, according to the Associated Press .

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• student protests
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Accomplished graduate student earns dual JD, MD degrees

By Catharine Skipp [email protected] 05-06-2024

Growing up, Jordan Adonis Brooks, a 32-year-old from rural Mount Vernon, Ohio, witnessed firsthand the adverse impact the lack of health care access can cause and vowed to join the fight to fix. 

In May, Brooks will graduate with a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and an M.D. from the Miller School of Medicine. 

“Rural towns have a lot of health disparities compared to cities,” he said. “And being Black can worsen those disparities. Watching my parents, who had chronic diseases, struggle to get the appropriate specialist care they needed for their conditions was very difficult. 

“They had to drive an hour-and-a-half for care and many times to visit medical specialists who often did not have the means of curing their health issues. Watching their struggles and the struggles of many families, while working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, definitely made me want to really understand how to improve the health care system for families like our own.” 

Even in high school, Brooks thought a lot about positively influencing the world. He went to nearby Kenyon College to be close to home and his family after his mother passed and to prepare himself for law school. He earned a degree in neuroscience, an interest that, in part, grew from her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 

“I had never really understood what the nervous system was,” he said, “and I was blown away when I learned of the incredible things that it does. That's what made me want to go to med school. Then I did a Master of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, and then I wanted to do both.” 

Brooks said that learning about all the social determinants of health outcomes and how businesses significantly influence how health care is delivered has steered his educational path. 

“Ultimately, health care delivery is largely dictated by laws that regulate health care entities and public health by policies that aren’t traditionally associated with health care, like access to food, housing, and transportation,” Brooks said. “So, understanding public health and health law has revolutionized my understanding of medicine and paved the way for me to serve as a bridge between health care providers, attorneys, and administration in the health management and policy space.” 

Brooks hopes to use this understanding to help the most marginalized populations attain health equity at the national and international level. Upon graduating, Brooks will start his career working at Boston Consulting Group, where he will focus on health care and life science and social impact management consulting. 

At the School of Law, Brooks wrote a paper on the harmonization of regulation of and integration of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine with associate professor Gabriel Scheffler, previously a staff economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers working on health care and labor market policy. 

Brooks was a Steven Chaykin Fellow for the Health Equity Project at the Center for Ethics and Public Service, where he helped to embed health equity into their affordable housing initiatives. He was also a fellow at the Human Rights Clinic, where he played a leading role in the clinic's work on maternal and infant health, developing an in-depth report with the Florida Health Justice Project, engaging in U.N. advocacy, and facilitating a film screening and multidisciplinary panel discussion on movements in Black midwifery. 

This spring, Brooks also worked with his Human Rights Clinic colleagues planning a town hall for Miami-Dade County for the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

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ASU's suspended student protesters just learned a valuable lesson about consequences

Opinion: asu's suspended student protesters are learning one of the hard lessons of life: there are consequences for your actions..

You’ll excuse me if I can’t quite squeeze out a tear for the suspended Arizona State University students who will not be graduating this week, or the ones now barred from campus in the aftermath of their pro-Palestinian protest.

“It feels like I’ve just been abandoned in the very last moment,” Aida Campos told 3TV on Sunday. “I did have family members that took that financial burden to travel here from other parts of the country, including my 85-year-old grandmother who wanted to see me walk.”

It seems Campos and her fellow protesters had no idea that there would be actual consequences for their decision to ignore repeated warnings that they were trespassing and in violation of university rules.

“In terms of suspension, we absolutely did not know that was a possibility and I want to be clear as all protests and community events of that kind of nature, like, much of the information of a protest happens through word of mouth and in some cases you find yourself stumbling into it.”

Campos is identified as a third-year graduate student, and she couldn’t figure out that she might be held accountable if she violated the university’s code of conduct?

Student protesters were warned multiple times

ASU says the protesters were told at least 20 times over loudspeakers that their encampment on Alumni Lawn was illegal and that arrests were in their future if they didn’t take down their tents and go elsewhere as the 11 p.m. deadline approached.

“People were also warned throughout the day of the potential legal, student conduct code and academic consequences,” ASU said in a statement .

Yet it all apparently went right over the head of Breanna Brocker, who told ABC 15 that her interim suspension meant she would miss her finals and thus wouldn't graduate.

“I’m a little disappointed. I’m being restricted from a lot of things right now that I, that I didn’t expect to be for first standing up for something that I believe in,” the tearful senior said.

The students have, of course, sued and appealed to a federal judge to lift their interim suspensions, claiming ASU violated their free speech rights.

“Absent immediate Court intervention — ASU’s retaliation will have significant and detrimental effects on the Plaintiffs’ academic futures and livelihoods,” their lawsuit said.

ASU just taught them a valuable lesson

U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi wasn't buying it. On Friday, he declined to lift the suspensions.

The students’ attorney, David Chami, told reporters the interim suspensions were a “disproportionate” reaction and a blatant violation of his clinets' free speech rights.

“This,” he said, “is about the First Amendment.”

ASU must lift suspensions: Against protesting students

Actually, this is about a group of protesters who tried to “liberate” land that isn’t theirs. Specifically, the Alumni Lawn.

It’s about refusing to break camp when you’ve been warned over and over and over again that what you’re doing — what you are doing, not what you are saying — is a violation of the university’s rules.

Now the students are shocked that there are consequences for their actions?

Seems to me ASU just taught them a valuable life lesson.

Reach Roberts at  [email protected] . Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at  @LaurieRoberts   or on Threads at  laurierobertsaz .

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