Top tips for making the most of a PhD

Iswat Oladele is a third-year PhD Student in the Department of Economics. She has used her experience to pull together some tips for anyone starting a PhD to make the most of it.

So, you’ve just started your PhD and you are full of life at the idea of the intense research work you are going to be doing. Well done! Starting a PhD is no small feat, well done for getting in. My job in this blog is to make sure that the joy and zeal you feel at the start of your PhD is sustained till the very end.

The first thing that I would like to do is set your expectation right. A PhD degree in any discipline is hard and intense, the sooner you realise this, the better things will play out for you in terms of how you structure yourself and manage your time. I would like to highlight a few key things that have helped me as I've progressed in my Economics PhD journey over the years. These are tips and advice I’ve picked up from fellow PhD colleagues, PhD blogs, PhD YouTube content, PhD podcasts and sometimes just googling ‘Why do I hate my PhD degree so much’!

Find the right balance between work & life

Many PhD students, myself included struggle to find the right balance with people tilting towards both extremes - overworking or underworking. In my first year, I spent the first 6 months studying with no breaks in between, no time to relax, have fun or unwind. This led to many emotional and mental health breakdowns, anxiety attacks and episodes of depression. You cannot be productive when you are stressed, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed. A better approach which I’ve adopted is to structure my days and apply discipline to make sure I achieve my goals. This way, I can complete my daily, weekly, or monthly tasks while also resting and enjoying life in the beautiful city of Glasgow.

Invest in Relationships

The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child and likewise, it takes the support of a village to finish a PhD. You need the support of your supervisors, PhD colleagues, family & friends. It will prove worthwhile investing in all these relationships. You will be surprised where help or ideas for your PhD will come from. I've been able to formulate ideas for my research from an extended conversation with my dad who works in an industry related to my PhD.

Get into Fitness

Studies have shown that those who exercise experience a better mood and mental health consequently. I mean what better way to take out the frustration of your PhD than at the gym? You will leave feeling much better and more toned in the long run. Strathclyde Sport at the University of Strathclyde offers a wide range of services to all people and has a discounted membership for students.

Maximise opportunities

There are so many opportunities attached to doing a PhD from attending research seminars, presenting at conferences (fully funded by your department of course), teaching, attending summer schools, going for an internship, networking with other researchers and the like. Maximise all these opportunities because the reality is that you may not come across them again.

Avoid Comparison

This is a pitfall for any PhD student as the tendency is to compare your progress with that of other accomplished PhD students. Everyone is different and works at a different pace. Instead of comparison, take the time to study yourself and discover what schedule, pace or rhythm works for you and apply this.

Prioritise Well-being

Repeat after me “I will prioritise my well-being as a PhD student”. If you get this right, every other thing will fall into place. Take care of your physical and mental health, it plays a major role in the progression of your PhD degree.

Take Breaks

PhD students are entitled to 28 days of annual leave outside of the University’s holiday periods - make good use of this time to retreat, rest and travel. Scotland is a beautiful country with breathtaking sights, explore!

Overall, a PhD degree is a huge commitment and should be enjoyed to the fullest. Hopefully these tips will help you to make the most of your PhD degree.

About Iswat Oladele

Iswat Oladele is a third-year PhD student who researches macroeconomic stability policy in West Africa. Having battled through the first year of her doctoral programme, she is passionate about helping PhD students achieve success in their degree. She educates students from all walks of life with useful tools and strategies to succeed in their degrees while also pursuing their mental and physical wellbeing on her YouTube channel, "Iswat Oladele".