The PhD Life Raft Podcast

Welcome to Season Five!!    What better way to start than with ABBA?!   This week’s guest Shanika Ranasinghe is a fourth-year part-time ethnomusicology PhD student in the Department of Music – Royal Holloway, University of London.  Her thesis constitutes an ethnographic study of twenty-first century ABBA fandom.     In this episode we discuss how ABBA’s recent reform led Shanika to re-think her PhD topic and how she managed that shift.   We also talk about the media interest that Shanika’s work has attracted - she has recently appeared on Swedish and British national TV, as well as UK, Australian, and New Zealand radio.   You can find The Conversation article that Shanika references in the interview here: https://theconversation.com/abba-who-actually-likes-them-167401 .  As we discuss, The Conversation can be a really useful platform for disseminating research material and often gets picked up by journalists.   Shanika shares top tips about maintaining your integrity as well as the importance of community. Support The PhD Podcast on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thephdliferaft

In the great tradition of British TV we are re-running our Christmas special! This episode has not one, but two guests!  Chloé Bradwell is a Drama practitioner and SWW DTP funded PhD candidate at the University of Exeter and Aberystwyth University and Rachel Hopkin is a full-time, TECHNE funded PhD in the Media Arts department at Royal Holloway.  Like Chloé she has returned to study after experience in industry and has worked with two of the largest theatrical agencies in the UK.    In this seasonal episode we think about how to handle the holidays as a PhD student…. We talk about guilt; we talk about exhaustion; but we also talk about how to make the most of what this period may offer.  Rachel is looking forward to a change in pace after a pressurised first term and Chloe’s plans for the holidays are built around spending time with her daughter. We talk about how rest can be a productive activity and Rachel also shares some tips on how to build a support network – even if you are an introvert! The PhD Life Raft will be back with a new season on 11th January 2022 but, in the meantime you are very welcome to join Emma for two special events.  The PhD Year Review takes place on 21st December - you can find out more here:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/review-of-the-year-for-phd-researchers-tickets-180825422707 Or you might want to kick-start 2022 with The PhD Plan-a-thon - you can save your seat here: https://emmab.kartra.com/page/plan-a-thon   Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year!   

This week we are welcoming back the marvellous Allan Kilner-Johnson!  Allan is mindfulness meditation teacher alongside his work as a Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research at the University of Surrey.   Allan talks us through the importance of the process of review within his own academic life.  We talk about how academia can be very forward-focused and how a lot can be gained from taking stock of the previous work and experience.  Allan draws on Kolb’s experiential learning model to illustrate how review sits within a productive work cycle.   We talk about how it can be important to create moments of reflection for yourself within the PhD journey and how this time of year can be a particularly useful moment to look back at the past year in order to prepare yourself for the year ahead.   Allan and I are co-facilitating a review of the year for PhD researchers on 21st December.  This will be an online event supported by a bespoke workbook.  You can find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/180825422707   You can connect to Allan here:   www.allankilnerjohnson.com https://www.instagram.com/allankilnerjohnson/ https://www.facebook.com/allankilnerjohnson https://twitter.com/thisisallan   Here are the links to the publications mentioned in the episode: Daily Greatness Journal: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Greatness-Journal-Minimalist-Productive/dp/B08VBH5MLZ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=XDES0HRB3LSW&keywords=the+daily+greatness+journal&qid=1638796471&sprefix=the+daily+greatness+%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-3 Legend Planner: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=legend+planner&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 6 Minute Journal: https://www.amazon.co.uk/6-Minute-Success-Journal-Motivation-Mindfulness/dp/B08HZBTK2Q/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=6%2Bminute%2Bjournal&qid=1638796535&sr=8-6&th=1 Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodbye-2021-Hello-2022-Design/dp/1911682156/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1LKKKO8Y4VDH8&keywords=hello+2022&qid=1638796617&sprefix=hello+2022%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-3  

This week’s episode focuses on ‘finding your voice’ - both in terms of having confidence to speak about your work but also the process of discovering a way of writing about your research ideas.     Our guest is Rebecca McCutcheon, a director and practice-led researcher, working across site-based practice, feminist performance and feminist theatre history.      Becs talks about her own journey into the PhD through her creative practice and the experience of being pregnant whilst undertaking her doctoral research.   She discusses the importance of the team of people who supported her through her PhD.   Becs describes the challenges of finding her own distinct academic voice and the advice that her supervisor gave her which helped to take her forward.   Becs also shares her advice about how to begin sharing your work publicly.   You can find out more about Becs’ work here:  https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/rebecca-mccutcheon(84c0dadc-dfa4-4449-a076-6bc3a7afd4cb).html Sign up for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’ - a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey:  https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

This week’s guest is Alison Miller AKA The Dissertation Coach.  Alison created ‘The Academic Writers’ Space’ to provide structure and support doctoral students and academics and then, in 2000, she developed this work through The Dissertation Coach which provides programmes and specialist coaching for researchers.     In this episode Alison talks about her own experience of imposter syndrome during her doctoral studies and how she developed structures to support her own mental well-being.   Alison talks about her ‘project management’ approach to the PhD and how she built an infrastructure for engaged and meaningful productivity.   We talk about the importance of both internal and external tracking as a means to keep yourself on-course.      We also reflect on how clarity can be the antidote to procrastination.     Alison introduces what she terms “environmental alignment” as a means to set yourself up for success.   We finish with the invitation to work with the version of you that showed up to work!   You can find out more about Alison’s work here:  https://www.thedissertationcoach.com/   You can find Alison’s book ‘Finish Your Dissertation Once and for All!  How to Overcome Psychological Barriers, Get Results and Move on with Your Life here: https://amzn.to/3nFmfx8 Sign up for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’ - a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey:  https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

This week we are talking to Lisa Munro who specialises in helping academic writers through writing retreats, workshops, coaching, and editing.    Lisa talks about her journey into and through her PhD.  She also discusses how this led to her current work and business.   We discuss how to avoid the shame and fear that writing can bring up and to look to cultivate joyful writing practices instead.   Lisa talks about the power of writing with others and about her ‘shut up and write’ sessions.  She also reflects on the importance of celebrating achievements.   Lisa’s top tip is to see writing as a practice rather than an event and suggests strategies fo development.   You can find out more about Lisa’s work here:   website: lisamunro.net (under construction for a month or so more for a relaunch) Twitter: twitter.com/llmunro     Sign up for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’ - a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey:  https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft  

This week’s guest is the fabulous Tara Brabazon.  Tara is the dean of graduate research and professor of cultural studies at Flinders University, Australia; a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce; and director of the Popular Culture Collective.    Tara has a fabulous YouTube channel with a wealth of advice for postgraduate researchers covering a whole range of topics (https://www.youtube.com/user/TaraBrabazon)   In this episode we talk about procrastination.     Tara talks about her own experience of poor supervision as a graduate student and how she applied the lessons she learnt from that experience.   We talk about motivation and how to use time orientation and task orientation to break the PhD down into manageable chunks.   Tara identifies the links between procrastination and perfectionism and stresses the importance of taking action.   We finish with Tara’s challenge to try and get up an hour earlier and use that time for PhD work.  Let us know how that works for you!   You can find out more about Tara’s work here: https://brabazon.net/ You can sign up for 'Note for the Life Raft' - a weekly email with helpful info to support your PhD journey here: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

Dr Sarita Robinson (aka Dr Survival®) has spent the last 20 years researching how people respond to life-threatening situations. Using a psychobiological approach, Sarita has explored human behaviour in relation to preparedness, cognitive and physiological responses during stressful events, and recovery from trauma.    In this episode Sarita applies what she has learnt from her survival research to help navigate the stresses of the PhD.   We talk about how a near fatal experience was the catalyst for Sarita’s own PhD journey.   We talk about the stressful nature of the PhD and how it is important to gather the right resources to support yourself.   Sarita talks about the importance of support and the experience of ‘trauma bonding’ - where people in extreme situations form very strong connections - and how this can happen on the PhD journey.   Sarita also challenges the conventional understanding of what it means to be resilient within your doctoral study and suggests that sometimes you need to make changes to a toxic environment rather than just enduring it.   You can find out more about Sarita’s work here: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/academics/sarita-robinson  drsurvival – The psychology of survival Email - SJRobinson1@uclan.ac.uk The doors to The PhD Detox with Dr Emma Brodzinski are closing!   6 weeks to de-toxify your PhD journey… You can find out more here:  https://emmab.kartra.com/page/detoxyourphd  

This week’s guest is Dr Juliane Borchert, an experimental physicist, occasional poet, and gardening enthusiast! She studied in Berlin, Halle (Saale), Groningen, and Oxford. She was awarded a DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Oxford and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge and AMOLF institute in Amsterdam. Her research focuses on novel materials for use in solar cells and LEDs. She is active in several initiatives to make physics more inclusive and equitable, including 'TIGERS - The Inclusion Group for Equity in Research in STEMM‘.   Juliane shares her experience of moving to the UK to take up a PhD position at Oxford and the challenges of negotiating new university systems and cultural contexts.     She also talks about the ups and downs of collaborative working within a research group - including the tricky issue of publication credits.   Juliane’s top tip is to draw on the expertise of others rather than looking to reinvent the wheel for yourself.   Juliane is on twitter @PV_Physicist Sign up for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’ - a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey:  https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

Lynn Koworera has a background in Adult Nursing BSc and Physician Associate MSc. She has a post registration qualification in advanced non medical prescribing and she has practical experience working in the NHS tertiary centres and large NHS trusts in specialities such as care of the elderly, dermatology and clinical research. Lynn has spent her most recent clinical career in general practice.  In this interview Lynn talks about how the desire to do a PhD has been with her since childhood.      Lynn describes how she discovered the professional doctorate (DProf) as a route that would enable her to continue working as well as conducting research into an area of clinical interest.   We discuss the importance of steering your own ship and remaining in control of the direction of your thesis.   We also explore the importance of practices such as time-blocking and journaling to support your PhD journey. There is a great little video on time-blocking with google calendar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL9W57USXPg Or, if you love a printable (and who doesn’t?!) then this is a great resource: https://heydonna.com/2015/12/time-blocking-101-plus-free-printable-worksheet/   Lynn talks about being part of the supportive community of PhD students on instagram.  You can find her at: @researchwithlynn    You can find out more about her mentorship work here: https://researchwithlynn.co.uk/   You can find the PhD Life Raft on instagram too: @phdliferaft  If you would like to receive a useful weekly email from the PhD Life Raft you can sign up here for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft