{"id":696,"date":"2025-03-19T17:29:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T17:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/chemfs\/?p=696"},"modified":"2025-05-20T10:31:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T09:31:01","slug":"a-day-in-the-life-of-a-phd-researcher-and-the-surprises-along-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/chemfs\/2025\/03\/19\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-phd-researcher-and-the-surprises-along-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"A day in the life of a PhD researcher (and the surprises along the way)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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So, here\u2019s the deal: if you\u2019re thinking about diving into a PhD, you might be wondering what your day-to-day will look like. For most people, it\u2019s hard to predict, but not for me! Back when I was doing my MSc in South Africa, I had the genius idea of collecting data from the PhD students around me. I wasn\u2019t just curious about their research\u2014I wanted to know the why<\/em> behind how they spent their time to hit their project goals.<\/p>\n

But, let\u2019s get real for a second: I couldn\u2019t<\/em> have predicted the wild, one-of-a-kind ride that would be my post-grad experience in a foreign country. The first few weeks were all about adjusting\u2014finding my new groove, figuring out everything from where to live to how to spend my weekends (and, let\u2019s be honest, how to deal with the not-so-small<\/em> task of managing my work-life balance).<\/p>\n

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This “Day in the Life” didn\u2019t just happen by accident, and I\u2019m actually pretty happy it didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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One big takeaway from my early stage researcher journey is how it continues to shape my perspective on my career. It\u2019s not just about the research anymore\u2014it’s about being an experimentalist, trying stuff out, learning from my mistakes, and customizing my PhD path into something that feels true to me. And let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s shaping me into a better human, too. I dig it.<\/p>\n

So, what does my day look like?<\/em><\/h1>\n

First, the Morning Madness (Aka, The Commute)<\/strong>
\nI aim to get to campus between 08:00 and 08:45, depending on the bus traffic<\/p>\n

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(shoutout to my fellow public transport\u00a0warriors). I must commend the regularity that the bus services provide in Kent compared to other places I\u2019ve lived in.<\/p>\n

Only on the rare occasion is there a report that there is a delay or an unexpected no-show. For the most parts, I appreciate the flow with which my mornings take the form of because of the straightforward travels.<\/p>\n

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When I finally get to my desk and unpack my bags (and stash my pre-packed lunch in the fridge), my first stop is always the coffee room. But here\u2019s a plot twist: I don\u2019t go for coffee first thing. Nope, I kick off the morning with a nice, hot cup of tea. (Coffee is for later!).<\/p>\n

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I also keep a little gratitude jar<\/em> at my desk. Every day, I jot down a key lesson from the previous day, slap a sticker on it, and pop it into the jar.<\/p>\n

It’s my way of staying grounded while I tackle my to-do list. Speaking of which, I then make a list of everything that needs to get done that day. (This usually involves leftover tasks from the day before and notes from my supervisor\u2019s data analysis meetings. Good times.)<\/p>\n

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Then, it\u2019s full on engagement in the Lab Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around 09:30, I head to the lab, where I can usually be found for a solid 3-4 hours (depending on the task). Here\u2019s a tiny snippet on what I got up to the day this blog was written \u2013 Thin Layer Chromatography.<\/p>\n

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Thin layer chromatography (TLC as it is commonly known) is a technique that separates the components of a mixture based on their polarity. It’s a versatile method that can be used to analyse many different types of substances, including pesticides, lipids, and carbohydrates.<\/p>\n

Here’s how TLC works:<\/strong><\/p>\n