How to survive your Ph.D. and have fun doing it

Doing a Ph.D. is a serious commitment: 3 or (usually) more years of toiling away on an arcane (or less arcane) research topic, living from deadline to deadline, revising and resubmitting your work.... It's definitely not all unicorns and rainbows, but you did make it to Crete this year so it's definitely not all bad. In this talk, I'll discuss the good and the bad, the fine-print and unwritten rules, and some suggestions on how to turn your Ph.D. into the positive experience you deserve.

Invited talk to ESWC 2022 PhD Symposium
30 May, 2022
Heraklion, Crete
https://2022.eswc-conferences.org/program-phd-symposium/

Transcript

1. How to survive your Ph.D. and have fun doing it Marieke van Erp KNAW Humanities Cluster merpeltje img src: https://pixabay.com/photos/throw-hat-graduate-jump-phd-657140/
2. introduction / ˌɪn trəˈdʌk ʃən / noun 1. the act of introducing or the state of being introduced. 2. a formal personal presentation of one person to another or others. 3. a preliminary part, as of a book, musical composition, or the like, leading up to the main part. 4. an elementary treatise: an introduction to botany. 5. an act or instance of inserting. 6. something introduced.
3. Ph.D. Computational Linguistics 2010 NLP, Semantic Web & Digital Humanities Research group leader DHLab @KNAW Humanities Cluster Current research: H2020 Odeuropa, Cultural AI Lab, recipe analysis Academic because: I get to solve puzzles every day Surfer, chocoholic
4. passion / ˈpæʃ ən / noun 1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate. 2. a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything: a passion for music. 3. the object of such a fondness or desire: Img src: https://beachgrit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ xcarissamoore.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.eTxjzBSkti.jpg
5. Why did you choose to do a Ph.D.? What do you like best about research? What makes your project your project?
6. advisor / ædˈvaɪ zər / noun 1. one who gives advice. 2. Education. a teacher responsible for advising students on academic matters. 3. a fortuneteller.
7. Choose the right supervisor Who’s else is on your team? Set the agenda & take notes
8. impostor syndrome / ɪmˈpɒs tər ˌsɪn droʊm / noun Psychology. anxiety or self-doubt that results from persistently undervaluing one’s competence and active role in achieving success, while falsely attributing one's accomplishments to luck or other external forces.
9. Global competition Someone already solved it! (no they didn’t) Other nasties to look out for: rat race, publish or perish, FOMO
10. deadline / ˈdɛdˌlaɪn / noun the time by which something must be fi nished or submitted; the latest time for fi nishing something:
11. Can provide focus…and stress Make a plan Accept that plans change Dare to ask for an extension (nicely!) Remember: there will always be another deadline Submitted? Now decompress
12. team work / ˈtimˌwɜrk / noun 1. cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause. 2. work done with a team. Img src: https://www.incimages.com/uploaded_ fi les/image/1024x576/getty_488251861_126908.jpg
13. Alone you may go faster, together you’ll go farther Team work == communication Author order Debrief
14. conference / ˈkɒn fər əns / noun a meeting for consultation or discussion:
15. Did you come prepared? Follow-up with speakers Don’t skip the social events
16. conferoliday / ˈkɒn fər ɒl ɪˌdeɪ / noun a time or period pre- or appended to a conference of exemption from any requirement, duty, assessment etc.
17. Travel is one the perks of academia You’re here already, why not stay a while?
18. rollercoaster / ˈɹoʊlɚˌkoʊstɚ / noun any phenomenon, period, or experience of persistent or violent ups and downs, as one fl uctuating between prosperity and recession or elation and despair.
19. Everything takes more time than you think The devil is in the details Rejections suck Celebrate the small wins
20. stuck / stʌk / verb 1. to become fastened, hindered, checked, or stationary by some obstruction; 2. to be at a standstill, as from dif fi culties; img src: https://miro.medium.com/max/1024/1*5CRZArHp2RN4ElcWjQ-00A.jpeg
21. ” “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein You are more than your Ph.D. project Ask for help
22. dissertation / ˌdɪs ərˈteɪ ʃən / noun a written essay, treatise, or thesis, especially one written by a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Img src: https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/thesis_defense_2x.png
23. ” Perfection is the enemy of done Go to other people’s defences Teach others
24. Img src: https://pixabay.com/vectors/unicorn-rainbow-colors-cute-5296443/ Thank you for listening, now go be awesome!