Beyond PhD

Writing a paper is like creating art. The artist chooses when to stop with the work of art. But the artist can also get trapped inside their mind. “Do I have the right results? Maybe I should try to get better ones. I have not done enough.” These questions run in our minds as we stare at the screen, wanting to do something meaningful. And we find an activity to do for half an hour, to feel better....

Who are the people who will get a glance at your thesis? Some of the professors from the committee, because they have to. Some of your colleagues and friends, because they want to see if they ended up in the acknowledgments. Your family, who will use it as a trophy to show around. The one person who will read many chapters of your thesis is described in this episode. #phd #phdjourney #phdlife #bey...

"I want to create a start-up after my PhD, but I am unsure if and when to communicate this to my PhD supervisor." Because ... (finish with your own words) - I might change my mind. - I might not fulfill what we agreed upon. - I might disappoint my supervisor // my expectations of myself. It is perfectly fine to change your mind. It is perfectly fine not to fulfill exactly what you agree...

Vlasta Sikimic is Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Science at the Eindhoven University of Technology. This interview could have lasted for hours, so we focused on topics related to the PhD and the roles of researchers nowadays. Here are just some of the topics we touch upon in this interview: - position of the PhD candidate and the supervisor - individual responsibility and the responsibility...

Imagine a situation where your professor asks you to do something that requires you to work over the weekend. And this weekend you have planned to go on a trip. What do you do? How do you respond? Are you bringing up your plans on the table, or rethinking in your head how to find a solution to do both things at the same time? Thinking that the professor will not appreciate if you say no, that it w...

Let’s take the example of publishing a paper. The work that needs to be done is: finding a research direction, literature review, finding a missing part, aligning with the supervisor to aim for a publication, doing experiments for the paper, analyzing experiments, putting them in a publishable format, and submitting them to a research journal. Quite some steps to be taken. After submission, it is...

By choosing the PhD journey, you have chosen to challenge yourself. You went out of the ordinary, out of your comfort zone, looking for ways to learn, acquire new skills, and grow. The environment itself can be a challenge. People at work can deliver challenges. But ultimately, there is one person whose job is to challenge you – your PhD supervisor. Your supervisor will ask you uncomfortable quest...

If PhD would be just one of the jobs you will have in your life – how would that make you feel? How would you approach it? Would you be disappointed because for you working in academia is the highest expression you can achieve in your lifetime? Would this attitude take away the power and nobility that academic position has in your perception? Or would you be relieved because you can focus on other...

I am just going to focus on the PhD for a few years, and then finally live my life. Then I will deserve to have some rest. Then I can focus on other activities as well. Life does not care if we are doing a PhD or not. Because after the PhD might come a job, a family, and more on our plate than we imagined. Having a PhD is not a ticket to freedom. Your thoughts and habits are a ticket to freedom. W...

Most of us publish papers, present our work at conferences, and defend our theses. But how we get to this point, and do each of these things is unique to every one of us. For someone making a presentation is fun and easy, and presenting the same work to a large audience is terrifying. While for someone else it is the other way around. Seemingly the results are the same, but the process of getting...

“I thought I was already immune.” To criticism. To tough conversations. To hard questions during your presentation. PhD situations are like chicken pox. If we do not deal with them during the PhD, while you are a kid, they will come back another time and have a stronger impact and longer recovery time. The immunity you develop during the PhD will serve you far more in all the other areas of life t...

This video is a gathering of women who previously gave interviews 1-1 in this podcast. ☺️ They all have a PhD in STEM-related fields, yet each of them brings a unique flavor to her work and her presence. More about it in this episode 🎧 The 1-1 interviews are on the following links: Ep#1 Valentina Bonito, Ph. D. https://lnkd.in/ewPHeqa5 Ep#3 Wieteke de Boer https://lnkd.in/e33kNN7Y Ep#5 Diana Leit...

In this episode, I talk about the difference between coaching, consulting, mentoring, and therapy, and how they show up in my life. 🎧 If you want to check whether coaching is for you, I invite you to book a free discovery call: https://calendly.com/phdtalk-marija/phd-talk #phd #phdlife #phdjourney #beyondphd #PhD #phdchat

If you want something, ask a hundred different people. In a hundred different ways. Until you get a yes. A PhD position. A colleague’s help. A ticket to attend a conference. One no is one moment in time. Two no-s are two moments in time. Make it count until you have decided that it is statistics. You can do it. You are already here because you asked for many things in many different ways. You have...

The only comparison that we can make is with ourselves from yesterday. What is your way of remembering who you were a year ago? If you are wondering how to use this for your PhD, I invite you to book a free discovery call. https://calendly.com/phdtalk-marija/phd-talk #phd #phdlife #phdjourney #beyondphd #PhD #phdchat

One day while working in the lab, Suzan makes a mistake that brings her 4 steps back. “You idiot, you should be working in a supermarket.” Her critical voice fires automatically. This voice is pressuring her to be perfect, to not make mistakes, and to identify herself with her results. After a few hours, she calms down, but the voice is still there. The pressure stays, and the stakes are higher th...

Bachelor, Master, PhD – and then? We have it all lined up until this point, which makes it easy, safe, secure. But is it? More about it in this podcast episode 🎧 Let’s discover during a call what your career options could be: https://calendly.com/phdtalk-marija/phd-talk

The trap we fall into is mastering one skill and expecting to be at the same level in other skills. We learn to write a paper, and then expect to start at a higher level when preparing the presentation. Which makes us: - Go back to doing what we are good at to make ourselves feel better - Give up before we’ve tried enough times because we feel uncomfortable A beginner’s mind combined with caring i...

Do you think to yourself that if you had a different supervisor, you could have gone further in your PhD? If yes, you are not alone. Here is what other PhDs said: - I wish my supervisor would help me change my perspective. - I wish my supervisor would be more present. - I wish my supervisor would realize what is needed. Now you might get frustrated that this episode does not unfold how you expect...

There is a narrative that we need to work hard because PhD is difficult. And yet, here you are not afraid of the PhD being difficult. What we are afraid of is: looking stupid when asking questions, looking lazy when taking holidays, and ultimately not being good enough as a researcher. When these fears take over, they get us in the mode of hard worker to prove that we are not stupid, or lazy. Whil...

Focus on getting the right result Stress rises because there is no clear direction on what is right. You end up overthinking which way to go to hit the jackpot. Your mind keeps running in all possible scenarios, and you end up executing none because you are tired just thinking of all the scary possibilities. Focus on moving forward Realizing that you can do only one thing at a time, and doing that...

You might be thinking that things will be very different once you have that PhD diploma. That people in another group will be better. That you will feel differently because you hold that degree. That you just need to push until the end and then everything will change. And yes, circumstances will be different. But your way of being and doing will most likely be the same. If you are feeling like an...

Like the PhD, travel is about the journey. Meeting people, exploring organizations, learning new ways of being and doing, opening your luggage, taking stuff out that you do not need anymore, putting new stuff in, bringing it back, and implementing what serves. During your PhD here are some of the ways you can travel for free: - Finding a PhD that already implies traveling - Making a collaboration...

I do not know you. But I know that there is a part of you that is absolutely certain, confident, has trust, and believes in yourself. That you are getting that PhD. That you are able to write that paper. That you will grow and learn a lot. About the topic, about yourself. Look behind you. Look at the road you have traveled so far. And tap yourself on the back. You have done an amazing job. You are...

Bingo - a game in which you choose numbers and wait for the lottery pick to announce the winning combo. How is a research project similar to playing bingo? More about it in this episode. If you are ready to take control of your PhD, check out the work I do with PhD ninjas and schedule a free consult: https://linktr.ee/marija.trajkovic