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holidays

M

Hi guys,

I'm just wondering how often you take a break, and for how long? I don't just mean weekends, I mean a holiday, a trip, some time out where you completely shut off, without thinking about work? How often in the space of a year? I'm only 2.5 months into my PhD and I have a lot to do but it's not too overwhelming yet. I might go home at Christmas for two-three weeks without the books, or the lap top (it infuriates my 'supportive' parents). I'm feeling a bit guilty for it though and just wondering how often the rest of you shut off from the PhD, or do you ever!?. M,x

E

I was wondering the same thing - not having set 'on' and 'off' time makes it difficult to establish when exactly we should be working! I figure that even in the world of employment you have a good few weeks off a year and the advantage of working on your own schedule means that in theory if you're meeting your targets/objectives/deadlines you can have as many holidays as you want! A friend of mine in the department works ridiculously long days and puts herself through hell so she can justify taking a month off here and there to go travelling - it seems to work for her!

The issue with me is that my supervisors aren't too good with letting me know where I should be work-wise so I'm never quite sure if I'm ahead! Time off at Christmas is essential though and I have far too many cats at home to ever get any reading done.

Not sure this really counts as an answer but thought I'd contribute anyway!

S

======= Date Modified 01 Dec 2009 22:52:55 =======
I receive a scholarship, and it states that I can take 4 weeks of annual leave a year (just like in a 'real' job!), however I've never done this. Since starting my PhD I've taken a week off here and there, but now that I'm writing up I'll just take a few days off at Xmas and then will need to get back into it. I'm a bit of a workaholic - I never have a whole w'end off either. But then, I write slowly, so need to work this hard I think!

C

ithink maybe i'm a bit too lazy sometimes but i rarely work weekends and tke probably a total of 4 weeks off per year. My logic (for christmas) is the uni is shut so i won't work! maybe this year i will as now in my third year. Really should be reading way more and thinking about writing stuff.

B

I take 6 weeks off plus about 10 days around christmas every year. I take three weeks in the summer and join the other three weeks with christmas holidays. I think holiday is a right and you shouldn't feel guilty. Besides you are just in your first year and you would probably become busier later. PhD is a long journey, you need to take some break.

W

Holidays...I remember them once. Just let me fetch my pipe and slippers and sit by my coal fire while I start to reminisce... Ah, yes, I used to be able to not work for weeks at a time before I became institutionalised at my uni doing a PhD. This Christmas, I'm going to take off Christmas day and half of Boxing Day - then it's (ding ding) round/day 814 of my work. Right, off to get a bag of Monster Munch (beef flavour of course) to cheer myself up. :-)

S

Hey Walminski, I'm gonna be working over Xmas too, so we can commiserate together (altho we're about 11 hours apart). Make sure you build in lots of fun tho - I figure if I have to work, then I'm at least going to make sure that I catch up with friends and have some fun, before I get right back into sitting here for 500 hours a day.

S

I have had on average ten weeks off in the past two years. I am just about to take another five weeks off soon, but will probably do work for one of these weeks. After that my write up year begins and I anticipate only one week off and a few days here and there next year at most. I personally think it is very, very important to take holidays. However I also think it's important to have strict boundaries around when the holiday starts and ends - not something I am good at myself!

M

I took 3 weeks off here and there between June and September this year and regretted it as I got out of my stride (much as the holidays were great!). I often take work with me even then, but seldom get much done. At Christmas there'll be a few days with my future inlaws (hmm...!) and I lose days here and there when I don't do much work. This Christmas I won't be able to stop for long: I have too much to do! I did lots of writing over last Christmas too. I think I take about the same holiday as I would in a job (my approach to most of my work) but it's helped that my fiancé is in a 9-6 job and our holiday will almost always match up. In the first year you might be able to take 2 or 3 weeks off at Christmas but I'd probably suggest you take some work with you to keep it ticking over at least.

my mother in law suggested I take phd work on my honeymoon - you can imagine my reaction haha :-s

We are booking a cottage somewhere in feb this year. Going to hide ourselves away for a week and light fires and eat loads of chocolate, take the dog out a lot - the main reason being hubby has a PhD that is ALMOST finished and just needs reorganising, proof reading and a few paragraphs here and there, so that;s the plan. He took a full time job at the end of his 3rd year so it all got put on hold, so this is the time to get it done and dusted.

M



"The only observation you should worry about is the one I make of you". Pretty much sums up my experience with my supervisor thus far...M,x

J

Holidays are the way forward!! I take at least one big holiday a year (2 weeks or more) and have other shoter holidays throughout the year... or just lots of days off.

Saying that, I am possibly the laziest PhD student around. :-)

======= Date Modified 02 Dec 2009 09:43:24 =======
======= Date Modified 02 Dec 2009 09:43:13 =======
jinkim - I have seen you on the sneaks accountability thread and you are not lazy, not compared to me. I might have a lot of aims, but do they ever get done!???

C

Uni regulations said I could take 5 weeks a year. I took 3 weeks in 3 years, and some days here and there, plus time over Xmas as uni was closed anyway!

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