Being a PhD student is a weird thing. In fact, many people don’t even really know what it is (me included, until just over a year ago!!)
A PhD is a doctorate in philosophy... The study of thinking. So, the idea is, after the completion of a PhD you should be an expert (doctor) in a very specific area! This can cover anything from history to architecture to engineering... Or, in my case, Biology!
My PhD aims to explore the changes that happen in the kidneys of people with diabetes, and how different types of cells talk to one another to cause the damage we see.. If we can better understand this, we can look at more specific treatment options, to stop the progression of this diabetic kidney damage! (I won't bore you with my research any more, dont worry !!).
So now you know a bit about PhDs, and my project specifically, what is life like day-to-day? Well, for starters it’s a lot of hard work! In pre-COVID-19 times, a typical day would be as follows...
8:00am: Arrive at the lab, get my lab coat/gloves on and ready. Take the media (to feed our cells) out of the fridge and into the water bath to warm up
9:00am: Start preparing my samples of proteins (which I will have already removed from the cells on a different day)
10:00am: Begin my first experiment!!! This will typically take around 4-6 hours from this stage... With each section taking 1-1.5hrs.
13:00pm: I normally manage to squeeze in half an hour for lunch between the sections of my experiment
16:00pm: I’m normally finished with my experiments by this point, although this can often run until 18:00pm, or later!
17:00pm: I will look after my cells now, or if I have a break earlier in the day - changing the media, or maybe treating them with different things!
18:00pm: Generally I head home now, to cook, speak to friends and relax!
20:00pm: Once I’ve cooked and done any other jobs, I normally spend a couple of hours doing extra work.. I often have presentations to prepare for, reports to write, data to analyse, emails to answer (if I haven’t had chance in the day), planning for future experiments etc...
22:00pm: I try to finish work by 10, and have some ‘me’ time - again, I may talk to friends, watch Netflix, have a shower etc
23:00pm: Yes, I’m that boring 21 year old that is normally asleep for 11 !! I have always been older than my years and this is a classic example!!!
Anddd repeat.... This is usually the routine Monday-Friday, and I sometimes have to nip into the lab on Sunday too if I need to change the media on my cells!! I try to keep my work in the week as much as possible, to avoid working all weekend too, although it is sometimes inevitable... This works best for me because I live alone, so I can get everything done during the week, leaving the weekend free to see my boyfriend, friends and family!
I think the other thing to bear in mind with PhDs is how different they can be, between disciplines, universities and supervisors...
Mine is very structured and feels very much like a job, however ones that are solely computer based may feel less like this, and there may be less of an expectation for you to be physically present somewhere 9-5 (8-6 !!) Monday-Friday.
Universities have different expectations, and different lab/workshop sizes... A large lab is likely to be regularly busy throughout the day (and sometimes night!) whereas a smaller lab may be quieter - which can be a lot less distracting, but also potentially more lonely too.
Finally supervisors.. This is a big one. There are so many different types of supervisors in terms of their management style.. All the way from being completely hands off, to being super controlling. My main piece of advice for this would be to take some time to consider what you want from a supervisor and what style would suit you best. Do you want somebody constantly setting you deadlines to keep you on track? Do you want someone that will give you some ‘artistic licence’ and allow you to follow your instincts with experiments, or where to direct your research? Do you want someone that is very present and constantly in the lab/office, or someone you see less? These are all really important questions, and ones that need to be considered carefully before settling for a supervisor! 3 years (in the UK) is a long time and you want to work with someone you know you can get along with and feel supported throughout your journey.
Despite the long hours and high levels of stress, I am LOVING every second of my PhD . I am so fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing lab group who make every day hilarious! It is a big commitment, but if its something you want, I would say GO FOR IT! I was very very lucky with my PhD - it wasn’t even something I had considered. I was doing my undergraduate degree and planning on doing a masters, to give me some lab experience and help me figure out where I wanted to take my career. Then, this opportunity was presented to me. I was completely shocked someone would even consider me for a position like this. I never for one minute thought I was good enough, or clever enough or skilled enough (etc etc), and I still often have those doubts, but I think the best thing you can do in life is to push yourself and believe in yourself (incredibly rich coming from me !).
My take home messsage from this post would be, if there is something you want to do, go for it! Don’t be afraid, because even if you fail, you wont be any further away from your goal than you would have been if you didn’t try at all! You don’t know what you’re capable of until you explore things further and the worst thing you can do is doubt yourself to the point you don’t reach your full potential. If I can do it, anyone can!!
As always, any comments or questions are actively encouraged! You can reach me through the blog, or through the insta icon at the top of the page.
Stay safe and believe in yourself.
B x
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