Life as a PhD student at OUInge de Waard

Background: diversity• University => PhD: quicker take up career, less experience• University => job => PhD: more experience, delayed career

start, identity crisis

Why PhD?• Professional career: academic, corporate, project lead …• Personal development: insight in research and methods • My reason: more experience in academic methods,

institutions, getting the PhD-experience, job opportunity

OU opportunity's for PhD’s• Learn with peers (exchange and support)• Post-grad activities• Seminars (early career information, funding skills)• Reading sessions (academic literature/discussion)• Workshops (research methods, critical reading)

• Networking • Campus social life

The supervisors

My experience (2 supervisors):• Year 1: • weekly supervisions: clear actions, feedback => result: get

probation report / pilot study started (ethics clearance)• Presentation opportunities (1000 £ / year)

• Year 2:• bi-weekly supervisions: support and guidance setting up main

study (data collection & analysis), methodsDifferent supervisors, different experiences: mutual understanding, give-&-take (research papers, visibility, academic rigor)

Year 1 => probation report / pilot4 things that make PhD life easier• propose research that inspires you (intrinsic motivation and

the lone-research journey), • build a PhD structure in the cloud (build on chapters that will

be part of actual thesis), • keep shared notes of supervision meetings (easy for progress

reports and keep track of comments that are useful once the writing up stage starts),

• OU seminars/workshops/knowledge/library to enhance your (chosen) knowledge.

Download application forms

For all applications• http://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply For PhD applications• http://

www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/mphil-and-phd-application-process

Visibility & contact

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E-mail: ingedewaard (at) gmail.com

Blog: ignatiawebs.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ignatia

Publications: http://www.ingedewaard.net/pubconsulpres.htm Presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/ignatia

linkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ingedewaard