Surviving the PhD: stories from the other side

This workshop will engage delegates in a lively discussion around key tensions that emerge throughout the doctoral and early career researcher (ECR) journeys. Drawing on personal experience and key literature in the field, we will explore the following themes: academic writing, supervisory relationships and procrastination. The session will be structured around three short presentations (outlined below) and will be followed by a wider discussion and interactive tasks. 1) ‘How to tame the supervisors: experiences from both sides’ The supervisory relationship is incredibly complex and is shaped by several different factors (Lindén, Ohlin & Brodin, 2013); but remains one of the most important variables in PhD completion. Informed by the work of Whisker (2012), we will explore this process from the perspectives of student and supervisor, and consider strategies for ‘taming’ the supervisor.  2) ‘The PhD does not have to be a lonely experience: the benefits of writing retreats’Isolation can be a common feeling amongst doctoral students and ECRs, particularly when it comes to writing. One method that has proven effective in creating a sense of community is the writing retreat model (Papen & Thériault, 2017). We will explore this process in more depth and reflects on the way in which writing retreats can improve our relationships with writing. 3) ‘Procrastination: understanding and avoiding it’Academic procrastination is a problem behaviour commonly displayed by doctoral students and ECRs (Ahern & Manathunga, 2004). This presentation will explore causal factors behind procrastination and offer an overview of techniques for overcoming it.