What I wish I knew when I started my PhD - Richa Gandhi

What I wish I knew when I started my PhD

As my experiments start to wrap up and I convince myself that I see the light at the end of the proverbial thesis-writing tunnel, I write this thinking to myself ‘What would I have wanted to know before starting it all?’

Everything takes time

And it’s not just because of Brexit… Well, perhaps a bit. With my project being so multidisciplinary, learning to manage everything has been essential. It’s not just what you know; it’s how you communicate what you know, what you need, and what it all means to different people who are from different academic backgrounds. Doing a PhD is like a parallel circuit; you’ve always got multiple things going on, so there’s never really a time when you’re twiddling your thumbs. That being said, be ORGANISED. I have to wait 3 months from the time I order mice from Europe for my study to the time that I can perform experiments. Planning ahead can’t be overstated; if you think something will only take a week, plan for a potential extra week for leeway.

Obstacles are not the be-all and end-all of your PhD

You have to believe that ‘everything will be OK in the end. If it is not OK, then it is not yet the end.’ Cliché, I know, but it’s true! Tip: Be voracious with your notebook records. You never know when someone will ask you about something you’ve done ages ago or you might need to re-check something. You want to be able to look back and appreciate why you did something a certain way, so if you need to modify your approach, you actually know why.

You're not alone

Less-than-stellar presentations, failed experiments, tight deadlines, and unspeakable amounts of caffeine are part of a PhD. However, you’ll realise that it’s not just you. Your friends, mentors, and peers will all have likely gone through similar experiences and picked up tips/tricks for resilience that they’re happy to share; get to know them. We’re all in the same boat, trying to reach ‘escape velocity’, i.e. graduation!
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