{"id":845,"date":"2025-04-30T11:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T10:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/chemfs\/?p=845"},"modified":"2025-05-19T17:41:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:41:35","slug":"phdiary-concluding-the-term","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/chemfs\/2025\/04\/30\/phdiary-concluding-the-term\/","title":{"rendered":"PhDiary: Concluding the term"},"content":{"rendered":"

I can\u2019t believe we\u2019ve already journeyed through a whole term together on this PhDiary \u2014 YAY! Look at us.<\/p>\n

\"PhD<\/p>\n

To honour this lovely milestone, I\u2019d like for us to pause and reflect on what we\u2019ve covered so far \u2014 and what I\u2019m learning as I read it all backwards. Our very first post celebrated the new beginning of becoming a PhD student. Many of us can relate to the mix of angst and excitement that comes with starting something new. Someone wise once said, \u201cAll life is made up of many beginnings, middles and endings \u2014 although not necessarily in that order.\u201d<\/p>\n

To read about how my journey began:<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 A New Beginning: My First Week as a PhD Scholar at the University of Kent<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Trojan<\/p>\n

The second post dug into what a week in the life<\/em> (my very first week!) as a Chemistry PhD student looked like \u2014 orientations, training and those early experiments. It was all so new and exciting, and the more I settled into the season, the more confident I became.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 My First Week of Chemistry<\/a><\/p>\n

Weeks 3 and 4 offered a glimpse into life at Kent and a \u201cday in the life\u201d of a PhD researcher. I was intentional not to over-romanticise things \u2014 because let\u2019s be honest, the honeymoon stage of starting something new can sometimes cloud logic and realism. Anyone else relate?<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 A Day in the Life of a PhD Researcher<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udd17 Being a PhD Student at Kent<\/a><\/p>\n

By post five, I slowed things down a bit and started thinking more deeply about academic life \u2014 especially the relationships that can make (or break) the PhD experience. I reflected on the value of having a thoughtful, supportive supervisor, and what that can mean for early-stage researchers.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 Supervisor Relationships: Being a PhD Student<\/a><\/p>\n

That was followed by a pause to look back on my first four months as a PhD student. It\u2019s amazing how much we can learn about ourselves when hindsight becomes a gentle teacher instead of a place for regret.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 Four Months of PhD<\/a><\/p>\n

The next two posts captured some of my experiences as an international student \u2014 the joys, the challenges, and those quirky bits in between. Writing them was equal parts fun and cathartic.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 Life as an International Student<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udd17 My Favourite Things About Kent So Far<\/a><\/p>\n

I then wrote a post specifically for anyone considering the PhD path \u2014 kind of a pre-PhD hack or starter kit, based on what I wish I\u2019d known.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd17 A Post for Prospective Chemistry PhD Students<\/a><\/p>\n

My husband often says, \u201cSmooth seas never made a skilled sailor.\u201d<\/em> While I sometimes find that sentiment a bit harsh, I found it oddly encouraging when I hit a few walls in my journey.<\/p>\n

That prompted a few posts:<\/p>\n

\"Drawing\"<\/p>\n

Reflections on the Ebbs and Flows<\/strong> of postgrad life<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \ud83d\udd17 Ebbs and Flows<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The importance of rhythms and routines<\/strong> to ground you during those ebb moments
    \n\ud83d\udd17     Rhythms and Routine<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Ways that friends, family and partners can support their PhD person<\/strong> (based on what\u2019s helped me most)
    \n\ud83d\udd17     Four Ways to Support Someone Studying a PhD<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    To say that these past few months of journeying together have been essential<\/em> to my well-being would be an understatement. I’m so looking forward to continuing these conversations next term!<\/p>\n

    Here are some upcoming topics I\u2019m hoping to explore:<\/p>\n