Shortly lots of new postgrads will be joining our ranks in the College of Med and Vet med. It’s pretty scary because it means I’ve been in my PhD for nearly a year, and although I feel like I’ve achieved a lot in a year, I know I have lots more to do in the next 2 and a half! That would be my first piece of advice for any new postgrad – appreciate how much you will learn, improve and grow in a short period of time. It’s easy to look forward and think about how much work you still have to do but if you keep thinking back to 3 months, 6 months or a year ago you can hopefully see what progress you have made. Other tips that were given to me by a postgrad just finishing in my lab were;
1. Save £30 of your stipend a month. If you run out of time at the end of your PhD you can take an extra month without worrying about being skint! If you do finish you’ve got a nice little lump sum to celebrate with!
2. Write as you go. You don’t want to be writing 3 years worth of work up in 3 months at the end of your PhD.
3. Have a hobby. You will likely be spending a lot of time in the lab but if you don’t force yourself to get out and do other things you could end up sleeping in your lab coat.
One other that I would add is to think about your future career. Try and get a wide range of lab techniques under your belt so that you have versatility. And do some Public Engagement! It’s fun, its good for your CV and its increasingly important for scientists to work with the public and the media.
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