“The Secret in education lies in respecting the student” Ralph Waldo Emmerson The PGF blog so far has spoken about several fascinating things, such as fieldwork, mental health, how to attend conferences and make posters amongst other things. However, one area which has not been widely talked about is the role of Graduate Teaching Assistant…
Author: Admin_PGF
How *NOT* to do Fieldwork: A tale of mishaps from the field
By Dan Casey (PGF Chairperson, 2017-2018) Recently I’ve been out in the field a lot. Having a picture of how things would go and trying to plan could not prepare me for what I ended up encountering. Below you’ll read a series of mishaps (perhaps laughable, but not so much at the time) and how…
Masters: Mapping it Out (5) – The Transition from Masters to PhD
Nearing the end of a Master’s degree can feel like you’re approaching the end of student life as you know it. No more lectures or taught classes to attend. Very few seminars or tutorials lined up in the calendar. Indeed, the transition from a Masters to a PhD – or to the world of work…
Masters: Mapping it Out (4) – A Day in The Life of a PhD Student
Researching boundless PhD projects and writing and re-drafting your own proposals can leave you prone to getting lost in the world of academia and contracting a clear case of application-fever. It’s easy to lose sight of the end goal when the volume of information out there is so vast and the deadlines seem to be…
Masters: Mapping it Out (number 3)-Top Tips when Applying for a PhD
Crossing the halfway mark of your Master’s degree can be both an exciting and daunting prospect, not least because the inevitable questions of ‘what next?’ begin to rear their head. It can seem as though you’ve only just arrived in one place before you have to start thinking about the next step. The short duration…
Masters: Mapping it Out (number 2)
Embarking on a Masters can be a daunting process, regardless of whether you’ve just graduated or are pursuing a degree later in life. You may be venturing to a brand new city on your own with little idea of what the next year or two has in store. The idea of starting afresh and meeting…
Life at Sea as a Scientist
I haven’t written a blog before, but this past summer I took part in a research cruise around the Arabian Peninsula, so I feel I really should give this a try. So here goes… The research cruise was entitled AQABA (Air Quality and Climate Change in the Arabian Basin) which examined the impact of air…
Tips for Masters Students Using a Translator for Fieldwork
Overseas fieldwork at Masters level can be enduring enough, particularly in unfamiliar environments and unrecognised cultures. Incorporate the necessity for a translator and this can amplify fieldwork challenges. However, manage and utilise your translator appropriately and you can produce a quality piece of research whilst enjoying the experience of conducting overseas fieldwork, remember not a…
Masters: Mapping it Out
Final year at university. Dissertation deadlines looming. Graduation fast approaching. Fellow course mates applying for jobs, attending interviews, and preparing to embark on life in the so-called ‘real world’. But what about those interested in staying in academia? What does a Masters entail? Why should you embark on a Masters in the first place? This…
PhD life: Surviving or Thriving?
In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Week, we were reminded of a recent paper on mental health of PhD students. Some of our earlier blogs spoke about how messy PhDs tend to be, how long the thesis can drag along, and how life revolves around coffee and editing. But how does this survival affect our mental state? Time for an anonymous PhD…