‘You have exactly one year to finish your thesis.’ This remark or any remark about time will send most PhD students into a frenzy. How come? Uncertainty The main reason is uncertainty about what needs to be done to reach the end product. Often this seems an incomprehensible mountain without…
Many PhD students don’t work, they overwork. Because they have the idea that working more is better, they work so long and hard that they don’t work effectively anymore. And ‘overworking’ kills creativity and you really need creativity. Imagine this: everybody is like a fishing pond full of creative ideas.…
It is hard for many PhD students to make a good planning. I would like to give you some tips to help you. 1. Never plan more than 80% of your time The rest of the time will be filled with unexpected events and normal things in life; a colleague…
In my opinion, September has something magical. It is a bit like January the 1st, but in this case, it’s about the start of the new Academic Year. Therefore, it is a good moment to reflect. You are still having a couple of months left to make sure you realise…
One of my colleagues, entrepreneur Nicola Bird, wrote these 5 simple steps that help you to get your focus back. And although it was written for people with a business, it is equally important ánd applicable for PhD students. I have found out that there are a lot of similarities between…
The best tip to not procrastinate! It is easy, but as with anything, takes a little practice. Try it now! Identify the most important thing you have to do today. Decide to do just the first little part of it — just the first minute, or even 30 seconds of…
