Ursula Crickmay, a PhD student in the School of Education, shares the second part of her mini-series about stamina in part-time PGR life when you are in it for the long haul. Read part one here.
Manage your time rigorously…
…but kindly! Time management is extra important for part-time PhD students. For me this means blocking time for my PhD and respecting that booking in the same way I would any other appointment in my calendar. It also means being opportunistic: I have read a lot in school car parks, on trains and in waiting rooms. I’ve listened to books whilst walking my dog. I have also used ideas and materials I have come across in all aspects of my life, making the most of my part-time status and the richness of life that happens all around me over this extended period of time.
But also take time off
Remember you are running a marathon, and taking time to rest and rejuvenate is essential to being able to keep running. Stay healthy: run, skip, lift weights, punch a bag, listen to music, figure out what it is you need to keep your own body and soul together every day.
Get your work out there
Start to disseminate as part of everything else you do. This is a super power we have as part-time students: we have lots of opportunities to share our work in the other parts of our life – whether that is researching, teaching or parenting, opportunities arise. This will enrich your research, giving you lots of chances to figure out what it is really about, why it matters, and to shape it in relation to a wider environment. Publish if you can. Later on, you can wrap this up as ‘impact’ which will be good for your CV too.
Connect
Being isolated is a challenge for all PhD students, but in my experience, it is particularly tricky for part-time students who can feel quite disconnected from the university. Find one or two forums which work for your schedule and trust that the time you put into them will be repaid strongly in terms of wellbeing, academic enrichment and motivation. If they don’t exist yet, then invent them.
Enjoy it!
Remember that learning is a pleasure and a privilege and by taking a long time over your learning you have the opportunity to draw out this special process. Wallow in it, delight in it, wonder in it, stay open to where it might take you.
Good luck!
Ursula is undertaking a PhD focusing on professional musicians and their creative music workshop practices, using a framework of posthuman theory. For the University of Exeter she has also worked as a lecturer and researcher in the School of Education, currently working on the Arts Council England funded Penryn Creativity Collaboratives. She is on the editorial board for the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity. Her background is in the development and management of creative learning programmes with artists and arts organisations. Recent publications include Sensing in liminal spaces: Words, music and dementia and Sound possibilities: Listening for the new in early years music-making practices.