Stupid Genius PhD Podcast

How can we feel proud of our achievements? Does academia help to foster an environment where we can be proud of ourselves? What is tall poppy syndrome and have you ever been made to feel like one? Emily and Mollie discuss these questions and more on this week's episode of Stupid Genius. They chat about how we can be better cheerleaders for ourselves and for others and how energy vampires might be...

This week the Stupid Geniuses answer your questions! They chat about 5 things they wish they’d known at the start of their PhD, how to get started on the PhD each day, methods of note taking, how to establish a PhD routine, and much more! But, what do they know?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a PhD student, you're probably already thinking about the future. If becoming a lecturer is your goal or if you're trying to decide whether that is the path you would like to take, this is the episode for you. In this episode Emily and Mollie go through everything you can do to make yourself hirable as a lecturer and to stand out from the crowd. From disseminating research, to student engagemen...

Learning to prioritise can help with time management, reduce stress levels and enable you to feel more in control of your workload but, it takes work and practice. This week on Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie chat through the pros and cons of different prioritisation techniques such as setting non-negotiables, using the Eisenhower principle and establishing firm boundaries, and lots more! They sha...

Doing a PhD often brings wonderful opportunities to see the world. Although sometimes that means travelling alone which can seem scary! Emily and Mollie dive into their experiences of travelling solo and they share some tips and tricks for how to make it an amazing experience. But what do they know?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joined by the hilarious co-hosts of the Empty Space Inbetween podcast, Emily and Mollie question whether working in academia or doing a PhD means stripping yourself of your personality. With their guests, Emily, Mollie discuss why they think that the expectation for academics to fit a certain mould is outdated and unhelpful, and why it’s much better that we all embrace our quirks. But what do they...

As PhD students, we tend to focus on how doing a PhD impacts our own lives. But this week on Stupid Genius we chat about how the decision to do a PhD affects the people around us and particularly, our romantic partners. Tune in for a surprise, special guest as we question what it’s like to date a PhD student, what some of the biggest challenges are, and how to best support each other through what...

Are you getting enough sleep during your PhD? Do you have good sleep hygiene? Join Emily and Mollie as they discuss what the hell sleep hygiene is and how we might go about improving it. The Stupid Geniuses reflect on their own sleeping habits and share some of their personal do's and don'ts for getting a good night sleep. But what do they know? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Supervisory meetings are such an important part of doing a PhD, so it's crucial that you know how to manage them and how to get the most out of them. In this episode, the Stupid Geniuses reflect on how they felt about their supervisory meetings at the beginning of their doctoral journey compared to now. They share how they plan for these meetings, what it's like during them and what actions they t...

More often than not research is genius. But sometimes, just sometimes, it can be pretty stupid. Join Emily and Mollie as they share some ridiculous, hilarious, and unbelievable studies that have made it to the lab. Think Nasa funded inappropriate relationships with dolphins, treadmill running shrimps, and a new theory behind opposable thumbs. Emily and Mollie share why they think some research is...

Why waste time working on your PhD when you could listen to Emily and Mollie talk about theirs. Join the Stupid Geniuses as they discuss the highs and lows of the PhD experience from navigating awkward conferences, managing an unmanageable workload and overthinking the art of overthinking. Expect zero professionalism, lots of laughs, an abundance of stupidity and occasionally, a moment of genius....

Making friends as an adult is hard, there are no two ways about it. But Emily and Mollie are here to tell you that you are not alone. In this week's episode of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie discuss the importance of adult friendships, their experiences with making new friends in adulthood and they share some advice on how to put yourself out there in the sometimes scary world of mate dates. But...

Finding motivation can be a struggle but this episode is here to help you get back on track. Emily and Mollie talk about how to get your motivation back. They discuss setting measurable goals, taking inspiration from your support network, keeping your eyes on the prize and how a shift in perspective can be a motivating game changer. But what do they know? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Find out what life is like for PhD students once they complete their viva. PhD graduate, current post-doctoral research fellow and content creator, Bethology, joins Emily and Mollie to discuss life after the PhD. They chat about Beth's experience of the viva, what she misses most about being a PhD student, what the hardest thing was about transitioning from PhD student to postdoc and what her favo...

Receiving criticism on your work is part and parcel of working in academia, but it's not always the easiest pill to swallow. The Stupid Geniuses talk about how feedback should always be constructive and something to feedforward, and how it's important to be able to detach yourself from this. They also share some of their thoughts about how to deal with comments that appear to be negative and also,...

In this weeks episode of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie talk about the often dreaded art of public speaking. Public speaking is one of the most common phobias and yet it is something that we all have to do, particularly in the PhD world. Rather than running from it, the Stupid Geniuses talk about how embracing the fear is the only way to get better and they share some tips and tricks on how to ma...

Join Emily and Mollie on this episode of Stupid Genius as they spill the tea on some of theirs and their listeners best fails. The Stupid Geniuses share some spectacular interview and zoom malfunctions with bleeding legs, swollen faces and naked mishaps all thrown in. They discuss how we can all learn from our failures and how at the end of day, at least you'll get a good story out of it. But what...

On Episode 14 of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie discuss preparing for job interviews and how to present the best version of yourself. They chat about the importance of researching the institution and the role you are applying to and why it's crucial that you know your CV inside and out. They also share some other key tips and tricks to make sure that you smash your interview. But what do they kno...

On this week's episode of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie talk about what success means to them in general and while doing a PhD. They talk about how success is often construed as money, fame and material gains but they discuss how this sort of success isn't sustainable and often comes at the expense of others and true contentment. But what do they know? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

On this episode of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie discuss how to apply for a PhD. The Stupid Geniuses each share their own unique PhD application experiences and they share some handy tips prospective doctoral students can use when applying for PhDs. But what do they know? A useful resource when looking for a PhD: https://www.findaphd.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

In the first episode of Season 2, the Stupid Geniuses play a game of would you rather. Put your quiz hats on ready to answer these PhD themed would you rather’s, with a few smutty ones thrown in for good measure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of the season, the Stupid Geniuses welcome a very special guest, the poet, writer and theatre maker, Lewis Buxton. Lewis joins the Stupid Geniuses to discuss mental health and particularly, men's mental health. In this extended episode, Lewis shares some of his fantastic poetry from his debut collection of poems 'Boy in Various Poses', through which Lewis questions the myriad o...

In this bonus episode, the Stupid Geniuses talk about all things International Women’s Day. Being a woman in academia can be challenging for many reasons and there is a long way to go in the pursuit of gender equity. Emily and Mollie discuss the leaky pipeline, the different challenges that women may face, they reflect on the barriers they themselves have faced and they consider how we might move...

On Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie discuss Chat GPT. They chat about what Chat GPT is and what it’s emergence might mean for academics. They talk about some of the possible negatives that Chat GPT might pose for those in academia and they also consider what is potentially great about it. But what do they know?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re thinking about doing a PhD, if you’re already a PhD student and you need to fall back in love with your studies or, if you want to support a loved one doing a PhD, this is the Stupid Genius episode for you. It’s easy to get bogged down in the challenges and the negatives of doing a PhD. But on this episode of Stupid Genius, Emily and Mollie celebrate all that is great about being a PhD s...