You’ve finished that piece of work - got the ideas straight, discussed the secondary material, presented a clear argument. But there’s one more thing: proofreading. Your work needs to look perfect and read perfectly to get the attention it deserves, and this isn’t easy, especially if English is not your first language. The Gradgrind is … Continue reading
Half of the PhD students in the UK are international: the university system here couldn’t survive without them. If you ask British or international students what is the best thing about studying here, one of the top points is the diversity of the people you meet and all you can learn from them. But what … Continue reading
So you’re doing a PhD - or maybe you’ve just finished one - and all you hear is how terrible the academic job market is now. Hundreds of highly qualified people applying for each nine-month part-time teaching fellowship, salaries dropping, more PhD graduates and fewer new jobs. Your supervisor might tell you that actually there … Continue reading
So here you are, living the dream: maybe funded, part funded or not at all, but either way managing somehow to do a PhD. What a privilege! Organising your time exactly as you please, exploring an intellectual field that fascinates you, surrounded by like-minded people and having your horizons broadened every day. So why is … Continue reading