Dr. Michael Stevenson (you probably know him as 'Dr. Mike' on twitter:@drmikeographer) is a lecturer in biological sciences & is extremely enthusiastic about science communication. Michael hosts his own podcast called "SciComm" which he runs with his co-host Dr. Karen Ring. His PhD was in Molecular Parasitology and he is a huge advocate of research for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). In his guest post today, he reflects on his PhD experience and offers some advice that he learnt along the way.
In this blog post, I am going to share with you, the PhD experience from my point of view, based on my own experiences and from chatting with PhD students, past and present. I will delve inside the mind of the PhD student and take you on a journey of surprising highs and worrying lows; don’t worry, there IS light at the end of tunnel, I’ve seen it with my own safety goggles.
I’m sure most people that are reading this are already PhD students; perhaps you’re in the wonderful first year, where everything is new and nothing can bring you down; or perhaps you’re in the frantic, final year, where nothing works and time seems to fly by like a SR-71 Blackbird (check that awesome aircraft out!). But then again, I may be wrong; perhaps you are not a PhD student and are maybe thinking about becoming one; either way, I hope you’ll stay and enjoy this post. And so, without further ado, let’s go! (by the way, my PhD was in the realm of Biological Sciences, so it will be from that point of view, sorry to any humanities students! I’ll try and keep it general so that it can benefit a wide audience!)
The journey begins in the final year of my degree; in the last year, everyone chooses an Honours Project, which introduces them to the laboratory or a type of fieldwork, allowing them to gain valuable, first-hand experience carrying out real science (not just organised practicals). This should allow you to see whether this ‘life’, or lifestyle/career is for you. I’ve often heard that while some people are great in exams, they may not be so great in the laboratory doing practical work and vice versa. While this can be true for some people, do not give up before you have even begun; I urge you to try your best, give it your all and at the end of your project, decide whether you truly liked it. When I say truly, I mean truly; do not convince yourself that you liked it if you honestly didn’t. There is nothing worse than doing something half-heartedly.
Anyway, moving on…
So, at this point, you’ve completed your honours project, you’ve decided you like working in the laboratory, among the other science people; you’ve found your rhythm with the protocols, the equipment is playing ball and your results are coming at you, left, right, and centre. Things are looking good!
Fast-forward a few months; you’ve decided you want to travel down the road of the PhD student. There are a few ways to go, to find the ‘perfect’ project. A lot of PhD projects are advertised on University websites; here, you can apply for a project and if you’re lucky, you will be chosen to come for an interview in front of a panel to decide your fate (getting in or not). You may also choose to stay at your current university; maybe you enjoyed your honours project/degree and wish to continue working in that area. I would advise discussing the possibility of pursuing a PhD with your current supervisor and they will be able to help you with the process (funding/studentships etc.) I applied for a project that was in the same area as my honours project; I was then interviewed by a funding body, got the funding and started my PhD journey later that year (on the condition that I achieved a 2:1 in my BSc – SPOILER: I did! J )
As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed the area of Parasitology (despite it being a completely new world to me) and so it wasn’t a tough decision to want to continue in the same area for my PhD. A piece of advice I would give to those wishing to start a PhD – research every project that piques your interest; read around the topic in detail. Make sure that it is the one for you, because a PhD is a long time to dedicate your full time (mentally and physically) to a topic/project, so you had better love doing it! I’ll put it this way; think of something, like a hobby, that you enjoy doing more than anything – you should be this enthusiastic about your PhD project. If you’re not, it will be like an endurance, and you will end up disliking your project. A PhD is hard enough when you love doing it, so you can imagine how difficult it would be if your heart and mind weren’t in it. I say this, not to scare anyone (far from it), but to simply warn you and ensure you choose the project that’s right for you!
When I talk to a lot of people, currently completing their PhD, I see a whole range of emotions – from the uplifting “HURRAY, MY EXPERIMENT WORKED!” to the rather saddening, “CELLS JUST DIED, AGAIN!”. There emotions are just part and parcel of the whole process I’m afraid; not every day will be a good one; and conversely, not every day will be a bad one!
I remember when I first started my PhD; once I knew what I was doing (or THOUGHT I knew what I was doing), I found a rhythm in my work. Initially, in a new lab, you’ll have to find out where everything is kept, how all the pieces of equipment work, how you order kits/chemicals, where everyone goes for lunch (lol); and so, do not be afraid about asking a LOT of questions in the beginning. Everyone was the same, remember that if nothing else from this blog, EVERYONE WAS THE SAME! No-one came into the lab and magically knew where everything was and how it all worked. Try and share your experience with other first year students; this will help you see that everyone goes through the EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE as you, so please, do not be disheartened.
Ok, where was I…ah yes, back to the rhythm. So, I had found my ‘rhythm’ in my work, I knew what I was doing (in my head) every day and just got on with it. I remember being in a kind of zen-like state of mind when I had reached this point. I felt like I was on auto-pilot. Come into the lab, prep my samples, carry out the experiment, analyse results, write it up; and that was my day; and it was great! I loved having that schedule; you might be thinking, “same thing, day in, day out, weren’t you bored after a while?” – that’s the thing about PhDs, the experiments can and will change all the time. Your entire project might shift in another direction (after amazing, paradigm-shifting results!) and it’s that dynamic shift that keeps it interesting ALL THE TIME (and I haven’t even talked about what you learn from others yet).
One of the greatest things about working in a lab with others is the sense of a micro-community; your lab mates are all working in the same area but on DIFFERENT projects. Some might be working on different proteins, some of entirely different species, others on different techniques; and it’s this amazing dynamic that will just keep your mind alive with wonder and curiosity. Often, as I sat waiting for a PCR to finish or was taking a break, I would find myself in a conver(sen)sation (I’ll cut that lol) with another person in the lab – and it was these talks that open your mind. When you talk to someone about their project, they will usually be very focused and have a certain way of thinking about it, however when you come in, (an outsider, in relative terms) you bring a new perspective to their project and can help them figure something out or indirectly help them think of their problem in a new light. Never underestimate the power of getting a new perspective from someone; discuss your work with people, and not just people in your own lab, other labs too! People from different labs use different techniques and so if you become stuck and mention how you’re stuck, they can usually suggest a new technique or trouble-shoot with you until the problem has been resolved. Remember, “many minds make light lab work” (or something like that).
Let’s talk about mental health re: PhD – I’ve mentioned the great feelings you can get from carrying out fantastically innovating, interesting and downright brilliant science experiments in the lab and the unique emotions that ensue when you acquire the results. There will be times when you feel amazing but there are also two sides to every coin; let’s look at the other side of the PhD coin. We have talked about experiments working and obtaining great results; but what happens when experiments don’t go your way, the results don’t turn out how you had hoped, and everything turns into a rather large mess?
Well, this is where things might take a turn and you may start to feel uneasy. A failed experiment is not the end of the world, of course it isn’t. Two failed experiments? No way. What about three failed experiments? Hmmm; you can see where I’m going. What if you had multiple, consecutively failed experiments for the better part of a year; you’ve been adjusting parameters, trouble-shooting the technique online and with other people, tried many different ideas but things just aren’t working. Do you give up on that part of the project and move on? While it sounds easy to do that, sometimes giving up a large part of a project, or maybe, more crucially, part of a great story you’ve built up with your series of experiments, is harder than it sounds. When you fail an experiment once, you can shake it off; when this happens repeatedly, it can start to make you questions yourself; “Is the experiment failing, or am I failing?” and the more this happens, the more you are going to believe that it is because of you. This can have a negative impact on your productivity, your well-being and your overall outlook on the PhD. I cannot stress how important it is to maintain contact with your supervisor on a regular basis; once a week is a good number. I remember having my meetings on a Friday; this gave me the week to carry out my experiments, analyse the data, and bring it to the meeting in a presentable format. As it was on a Friday, it also allowed me to go home at the end and relax, ready for a new week. The power of talking to your supervisor about both positive AND negative results cannot be stressed enough; they will give you advice, talk it out in a calm and productive manner, leaving you in a much happier mood than when you first walked into the meeting. If you take away one thing, again, please make sure you do this, for your own peace of mind.
There is no doubt, you will have good day and bad days; it’s important however, to not let those bad days overcome your good day. Do not let them overwhelm you; there will always be someone to talk to, whether it’s your supervisor, a lab mate, a friend or family member, just talk to someone about it. Discussing your problems takes it off your mind and frees you from the mental shackles they can put around your head. You are NOT a collection of your problems, never let them take over. When I was doing my PhD, I was lucky enough to never feel too overwhelmed. Going out for lunch or going on short tea/coffee breaks with others in your lab/department is a great opportunity to rest your mind and body. It can also let you discuss any problems you have with others and have a laugh about other aspects of life!
When I was doing my PhD, I didn’t use Twitter, but now that I see the great potential it has (especially for PhD students), I would encourage all PhD students to join and find others that share their passion. It can be a great place to simply talk to others who are also doing a PhD, you will find many relatable GIFs and photos in some hashtags like #PhDChat #PhDLife.
I think I’ve covered all I wanted to cover re: the PhD experience and so I will end it in saying; if you would like to discuss any of the points I’ve raised on this blog post, feel free to contact me on Twitter (@drmikeograher). I have linked a few of my past blog posts re: PhD life below, check them out if you would like to know more or just visit my website (www.drmikeographer.co.uk)
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