Thursday 6th January 2025
The number of people I know who have stayed at the same institution for their undergraduate studies and PhD are few. Even more so those that have stayed at the same department. Even more so, the same supervisors.
So for me comes along a different set of challenges than the usual PhD starter. How have expectations of me changed? How much more independent do I need to be? How do I show that I'm not the same person as I was 6 months ago? What I'm really glad about is that my supervisors really understand what I'm here for: the excitement of coming up with new ideas and delivering thorough and worthwhile science. In the past, I have been advised to note down somewhere exactly why I'm doing this. I never did, so I'm taking this as my chance. Many times I have thought about these motivations to get me through the day, and I'm only less than 6 months in. I think I have found the answers to these questions now: I just have to be me.
On that note, I didn't really expect to be more mindful of my work-life balance. This used to be offset more towards the work-end of the scales but I quickly realised that sitting in front of a laptop for three-quarters of my waking hours is not what will get me through the next few years.
To the me who's reading this from the future, try to pat yourself on the back. That'll be the next challenge you overcome.