Overview of Hanginthere on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of Hanginthere

Signup date: 10 Dec 2016 at 6:17pm

Last login: 05 Aug 2017 at 11:18pm

Post count: 38

Recent Posts

Why did you leave/are considering leaving academia?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From pm133:

Quote From cloudofash:

I agree. I often wonder how is it justifiable that we are researching first world illnesses but milions of people are dying because they have no access to clean water.

That is a good example but in fairness the problem you are describing is not down to a shortage of money. It is down to corruption in the affected countries. No amount of money will fix it without fundamental structural reform.

Generalising does not really answer the question (indirectly) posed by cloudfash.Corruption might be a contributory factor in one country, but definitely not the case in all the countries that lack clean water. My research explores fisheries crimes, most of which is perpetrated by fishing vessels from developed countries in Europe. Millions of dollars lost to this crime and local fisher folks left food and economically insecure. So there, I don't think generalisation helps in this sort of scenario(s).

How do you keep notes on your PhD learning?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

I tend to note things like that as a draft named under a chapter that I feel that is best suited for the subject. This means that when I start analysing my data I can easily access the notes I took earlier and can elaborate on it.

Books about publishing

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Congratulations Dr.

I will re-echo the advice given by Tudor_Queen and bewildered. I will also suggest adding workshops on academic publications if you are able to get access to one.

All the best.

What would you do?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Thank you so much for your input/feedback.
I appreciate. I shared these views with my partner and he sort of agrees too. I have also sent an email to the Prof. proposing that she consider me for post doc instead.

What would you do?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
Better the devil you know? But then again, could be an opportunity...

I know! Better the devil I know. But the current devil has been a source of depression sometimes. Like you noted, could be an opportunity... Might never know if I don't take the risks?

Whatever happens, I just hope I make the right decision.

What would you do?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From tru:
Hanginthere, does ur uni allow transfers? Will a transfer delay ur graduation? Have u spoken to the prof's students to know more about the person's character? She did respond late (3 months later) after all.

She was on the field hence the reason for the lateness in her response. I have not asked her students, however, my research about her past students showed that they are doing great. Graduate in record time, published with her and continue to do good things in their respective careers.

I am not sure if I should even consider making the enquiries, but, I worry that my partner might be right one year from now.

Thank you so much for your response.

What would you do?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

I am not sure if I am making the right decision.
I should complete my PhD by this time next year (if I get feedback on time as my supervisor has been taking forever to give feedback).
I reached out to a professor about doing a post doc or working under him as a visiting PhD student. She responded about three months later and noted that she was very interested in working with me asap. She further proposed that if she gets a scholarship, was I willing to transfer my PhD to her university.

As much as I'd love to do this, but I have one year to go so I don't know if I should say yes? She is an expert in my field and someone I would love to work with. I am tempted to accept because I don't get much attention from my supervisor (I have posted about this earlier). My partner thinks I should say yes and see if the process is completed before I finish my PhD as he strongly feels that things will not improve unless I go ahead to submit whether or not I got feedback for all my chapters.

Thank you for your insights and be well.

Need advice

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Hi Henry2014,

Sorry to hear that you are stressed. Changing your methodology at this stage is common with PhD research as it is possible your supervisors found that the current one is not suitable. I made some addition to my theoretical frame work and changed my methodology one year into my PhD (just before I went for my field work) and this has not really affected my progress.

I will, however, advise that you make sure you understand what the new methodology entails by asking questions and attending workshops if need be.

All the best.

Phd Defense

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From TreeofLife:
Regarding nerves, I just don't think about things that make me nervous, that's all I can do.

Viva prep, you need to make sure you know the thesis inside out, go through a list of potential questions, be sure you can draw complicated things if they ask you to, think of how the examiner's research is going to be informing the direction of the viva, be prepared to stand your ground when you are right otherwise they will tell you to change something to their way of thinking when it may be wrong, if they ask you what you thesis is about make sure you can answer in one or two sentences and then expand on this for a few minutes, know the ares in which your research has made a contribution to the literature, know where you are going to take the research next, know what the big developments in your field are going to be.

I have to re-echo ToL, although I have not had my viva, my experience from my mini-viva thought me that you really need to relax. You need to know the main contributions your research is making and be able to defend those. Most importantly, keep it simple and breath.

Good luck.

Life after a PhD

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From TreeofLife:
Lecturer positions are basically impossible to get without a postdoc.

A lecturer position generally requires anything from 3 years postdoc to 3-10 years of a fellowship. In order for you to get a lectureship after a postdoc, you can expect to have several Science/Nature papers + have just been awarded a 3-5 year fellowship grant, going on the people that have just got lectureships at my uni. That is the bare minimum. At the other end of the scale there are people at my uni that are fantastic researchers with fellowships and 10-15 years research experience but just can't seem to find a lectureship. Basically, you can't count on ever getting one and if you do then you are pretty lucky.

The alternative route into academic positions is a teaching role, like I'm doing, but these are generally temporary and may be non-progressable, although the pay and benefits is the same as an entry level lecturer.

Thank you so much for your detailed response.
Your analysis makes the whole business of working in the higher education sector worst than I thought. Nevertheless, one will continue to try.

Thanks again.

Life after a PhD

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From craigwhizz:
Getting a lecturing position is getting tough but can be easier at the less research intensive unis although I know they teach a lot more. For me, I know I am not productive enough to stay in a top UK uni - however, working in SE Asia, there is a lot of demand for scholars to teach in branch campuses etc. In Thailand, for example, the pressure to publish is much less and the lifestyle much better. However, not everyone can travel and be mobile (As a working class guy, I know this more than most). Research grants are much easier to get over here (Thailand) I can tell you! I could get virtually no money to support my PhD in the UK!

Thank you so much for this craigwhizz, I am open to working abroad (preferably an English speaking country) for easy integration. I also agree with how difficult it is to get funding in the UK, with Brexit it is probably going to be tougher.

Thank you again.

Life after a PhD

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From TreeofLife:
I started looking once I'd done about 1/2 my thesis writing as by then I was confident I would finish it by the deadline. This was about 3.5 years in for me.

What sort of job are you looking for? What you've described is enough for a postdoc.

Thank you so much for your feedback.
I am open to the idea of a postdoc. However, getting a lecturer position (which is more permanent) will be amazing.
I know the competition is stiff for both positions, just trying to make sure that I am ready.

With respect to when I can start searching, the 3.5 timeline is realistic. Thank you.

No reply from PhD supervisor after interview?

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From Pjlu:
Congratulations on the offer Huubte. Are you considering taking this?

Thinking back to your first post -see quoted insert below:
"telling that i am good enough to take the position. I got the reject email but no worry, he would talk to the admission team, he also asked me if i can pay the tuition of the first year."

It may be that you may be able to reapply for scholarships or other grants, after the first year if you do well. Do you think the supervisor might have been referring to this perhaps when he used these words?

I say this, as I have known other students to self fund for a period of time, then apply for other grants to assist, once they have shown merit and progression during their PhD.

Best of luck and best wishes to you.

Congratulations. But please only take the offer if you can fund yourself for the whole duration. I had the misfortune of starting a PhD in the hope that I will have some opportunities for funding in 2nd or 3rd year, but no chance. The closest I get was getting a fieldwork grant.
I find that most potential supervisors will do anything to get you to start, but once you do nothing (especially promises of funding) is guaranteed.

All the best whatever you decide.

Supporting my partner doing a PhD, last 18 months to go (Issues for women)

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From craigwhizz:
Thanks the suggestions are good ideas but in Thailand most lecturers in social science never publish or do any work so writing groups are difficult to find. Feedback is pretty much never clear from my own experience, certainly how we do things in the UK is not conducive to international students, that I am certain.

I agree with writing groups but i know from my own field, was just not enough like-minded people to do it - thai universities do not have a research culture.

Dear craigwhizz,

I have just read your post from May 2015 and I am sorry to say that this does not look good. It seems as though she has little or no motivation or perhaps not committed to putting in the work. 6-8 weeks to generate 1000 words draft is very poor and if the literature is her problem then how does she expect to finish the PhD.
This is a difficult situation to be in emotionally but is it possible she expect you to do more (write her drafts for her?).

I am sorry if my response seems harsh, but the post you made today reads almost exactly like your 2015 post.

Be well.

Best and worst PhD interview questions

Hanginthere 38 posts
7 years ago

Quote From butterfly20:

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
I just mean that a question one person loves another person may hate (I wouldn't want to answer questions about the challenges of Brexit myself)!

The question was about challenges that higher ed institutions are facing currently, Brexit was my personal answer. But that was for a lecturing role to be fair and not a PhD position. I am guessing for a PhD position, questions about timescales and challenging workloads could come up? Also perhaps managing your relationship with your supervisor and with other students.

Amazing stuff! I am so happy for you.

With respect to questions, I was asked why I wanted to do a PhD? I know it presents to be an easy question to answer, but I sometimes still find it hard to answer almost three years into my PhD.