Original PhD Blog

As university students are continuously surrounded by tight deadlines and great expectations, they are likely to be stressed. While conducting in-depth research before dissertation writing or any academic writing can cause some kind of stress on students, taking a significant amount of stress can take a toll on health, diet and sleep patterns. Stress often causes students to lose focus and ultimately affects their productivity and grades. If you are going through a stressful situation and need some time away from your research, here are the 10 best ways which can help you to de-stress.

Sleep

To cope up with their coursework, exam notes preparation and research writing, students often neglect their sleep schedule. This sleep-deprived state can reduce your efficiency and you might find it difficult to focus on your research. Ensure that you get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep in addition to small power naps when required. 

Exercise

Indulge yourself in some kind of exercise to stay healthy and de-stress yourself. Whether it working out in the gym or doing yoga, regular exercise will boost your spirits and clear your head.

Get some fresh air

Get a fresh supply of oxygen to keep your stress level down. Go for a morning walk or use your bicycle to go to the university to get the fresh dose of air.

Listen to Music

Listening to your favourite music has many cognitive benefits on the human mind. Music will not only act as a great stress reliever but also will help you calm down and stimulate your mind. Whether you prefer slow melodies, classical music or upbeat music, play it and immediately relieve yourself from stress.

Watch a movie

To regain your focus back on the research, it is ok to take some time off to chill and unwind. Relaxing is a great way to improve concentration and reduce the movement of stress hormones. So, plug-in your favourite movie and enjoy the moment.

Dance

Experts believe that dancing boosts self-esteem and improves psychological well-being. It is one of the fun ways to jump around and let yourself loose. Play the music in your room and dance around to your heart’s content before heading back to your research.

Laugh

Laughter is indeed the best medicine. As laughing increases blood flow and oxygen, it decreases stress and makes us feel better. Read some jokes or watch your favourite comedy shows to give you a hearty laugh.

Take a bath/shower

Apart from cleaning ourselves, taking a bath or a shower is a great way to relax and de-stress. Just step in the bathroom and let the hot water rinse away all your stress. A quick shower or bath will also make you feel refreshed and give you instant energy to continue your research.

Get organised

To sweep away the stress, try to organise and clean your room or study table. These everyday activities work well for relieving stress and will make you more mindful. 

Treat yourself

Pamper yourself with your favourite food or simply go out for a cup of coffee to feel more relaxed. After all, after putting so many efforts into research, you deserve a reward.

PhD writing can prove to be a complicated task. A PhD thesis can comprise multiple levels of revisions and additions. This could prove to be a major challenge for students. Furthermore, PhD dissertation writing requires a student to be patient and keep their motivation levels high. One of the best ways to do so is to read as many books as you can. This is because reading books can build your vocabulary and ensure that you acquire as much knowledge as you can. So, here are 8 inspirational books that we recommend for any PhD student:

1. Read This Before Our Next Meeting

This is an extremely interesting book that motivates students to plan ahead. It helps them in building their efficiency while also taking a humorous approach towards the meeting culture in the corporate world.

2. Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond

This book can help a student in getting started with their PhD thesis. It also guides them in terms of planning ahead. It concentrates on the key skills that could help students in achieving their goals.

3. Advice for a Young Investigator

This is a book that not only motivates PhD students but also suggests the key tactics that could help them in conducting their research. It also inspires them to be pragmatists so that they can complete their thesis successfully.

4. A PhD Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science

This particular book guides PhD students in terms of selecting the right path towards their PhD Thesis. It also helps students by sharing the importance of having the right adviser for your research.

5. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

This book allows students to understand the art of finding answers. It also inspires them to think out of the box and find unusual ways of going about research. The book mixes elements of motivation and fun and reading it can be the perfect way for you to prepare for your PhD Thesis.

6. The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research 

This book ensures that PhD students are aware of the nuances of PhD writing. At the same time, it acts as a major catalyst for students, inspiring them to become successful researchers that could contribute to society.

7. Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

This one is a wonderful read for PhD students because it allows them to accept failure as a part of life. It also inspires them to use their imagination and come up with creative ideas. This book also focuses on building a student’s will power. Such abilities could prove to be highly beneficial during PhD writing.

8. Exceptional You!

This is another inspirational book that could prove to be priceless for a student. This is because it involves elements of planning and strategizing, along with reminding students about being grateful for what they have. This book helps students in channelizing their energies and ensuring that they make good use of their time.

With the increasing number of competition and growing demand for an all-round achiever, it is important that students must start increasing their productivity early. University is the best place for students who are looking forward towards overall development and increase in their efficiency. At universities, students are continuously surrounded by a number of tasks and activities. Whether it is attending a lecture, engaging in your favourite sport, working on different academic assignments such as report writing or dissertation writing, catching up with your social life or looking after yourself, the university is the best place to learn to lead a balanced life.

Below is a list of our top tips which will help you increase your productivity not only at the university but even in your professional and personal lives.

Manage your time

Managing your time is the first step towards increased productivity. To manage your time, first, you need to track the time you spend each day on different activities. A simple way of managing your time efficiently is by making a personal timetable for your daily activities. This will help keep a track of all the events and activities you have to get involved in for the day and will give you equal opportunities to accomplish your listed tasks.

Set your deadlines

Once you make a timetable, start by setting deadlines. For example, for an essay writing task, break the complete task of writing the essay into smaller tasks such as researching on the topic, writing the essay, proofreading and editing. Further, start setting deadlines for each task such as three hours for researching, two hours for writing and so on and add these deadlines in your timetable. This will save you from any last-minute hassle and will maximise your productivity.

Plan in advance

To maintain a work-life balance, start making use of a diary, calendar or mobile application to plan in advance for the upcoming weeks and months. This habit will not only make your student life productive but also will come as a great help in any career you chose. Mark your calendar with major family events and deadlines for submissions and exams. This will help you decide your priorities and give you enough time to plan your personal and academic life.

Follow a healthy diet

We often get tempted to ditch that nutritious and wholemeal food for fast food and sugary drinks. However, following a healthy diet is important to maintain optimum health and build a strong immune system. As students put a lot of strain on their brain and bodies, switching to more nutritious food will increase your energy levels and will keep you more productive throughout the day.

Get enough sleep

Experts recommend daily 8 hours of sleep for the healthy functioning of the human brain. To increase your productivity, make sure to take frequent breaks and get enough sleep at the end of each day. If you feel stress before exams, indulge in exam notes preparation beforehand and get sound sleep to wake up fresh for your examination day.

The journey of PhD can be highly daunting which requires a candidate’s consistent time and effort. Ultimately, the idea of writing a nearly 100 page PhD dissertation can discourage a candidate’s wish to seek a break or holiday out of the grilling process of PhD. Nonetheless, a well-placed holiday has the potential to improve the quality of PhD writing profoundly.

The fear of holidays amongst PhD candidates

The word ‘holidays’ may not be a famous word amongst PhD candidates as they are always scrambling with research work, attending seminars, completing applications, submitting latest developments in their manuscripts and anxiously emailing to different collaborators. Before taking an enjoyable holiday, PhD candidates believe in completing their due work on time which during the PhD writing process never comes. However, a hiatus from PhD work during the PhD process can be beneficial a PhD candidate.

The process of pursuing PhD can be a daunting exercise, and you might have the temptation to reject holidays. However, having a journal of own personal and PhD work deadlines can assist in negating that temptation. If you’re a candidate with a planned structure of work, you can easily adjust holidays between PhD deadlines without entering the so-called ‘panic zone’. The well placed holidays can assist you in introspection of your existing choices, ideas, and overall path. Moreover, they eliminate the chances of boredom and frustration as the mere idea of a vacation can recharge and refresh your temperament towards the PhD journey. In addition, it provides a path for work – life balance as you’re able to reconnect with your friends and family and spending time with your loved ones diminishes any dull or dreary environment in your life.

Finding the right work – holiday balance

Actually, striking a perfect balance in PhD work can assist a candidate in planning a holiday. Enjoying an interlude during PhD writing is essential as it rejuvenates your productivity and creativity to a greater extent. However, too much engagement during holidays can turn your work technique counterproductive. Therefore, focus should be on getting necessary holidays for an essential period of time – No more, No less. Having said that, planning in advance is the essence of taking holidays wherein you should inform your supervisors way well in advance, you should complete the priority tasks in advance, and should avoid taking holidays if you’ve a vital meeting for your PhD dissertation or a research seminar. Thus, planning is the key.

Holiday – Productivity Propeller

Going forward, PhD candidates should take a break, enjoy the holidays and recuperate with a new enthusiasm. It is pivotal to understand that PhD is as demanding a full – time job, or perhaps more. Thus, sound mental health is key for writing good PhD thesis as major institutes across the globe are investing resources to counter debilitated mental health. Continuous engagement with lots of research papers, submissions, seminars, and applications over a period can serious harm a researcher’s health to a great extent. Thus, in order to generate ground breaking breakthroughs in the respective fields, a timely holiday can definitely act as a panacea.

Choosing the right topic is an extremely important aspect of PhD thesis writing. This is because selecting the right topic means that you are able to obtain relevant results. But many students choose to select PhD topics that are not part of the mainstream. Such unique topics can also lead to an interesting research study. So, here are 10 unique and interesting PhD topics:

1. The role of teachers’ irrational behaviour in students’ lives

This is a unique topic that entails the habits of teachers and how they can influence the lives of their students.

2. The importance of homework in developing an individual’s personality

Homework has been associated with improving learning and writing abilities. But does it have a positive impact on a person’s overall personality? This topic focuses on conducting a practical analysis.

3. To what extent does a positive attitude matter in life?

This is another unique topic. Time and again, we are told to have a positive outlook towards life. But it is worth researching whether this is actually the case.

4. How to manage the millennial generation?

Millennials are much different compared to the other generation. This topic aims to study how to manage them and keep them happy.

5. Is the newspaper industry being hampered by the digital revolution?

In recent years, the growth of technology has meant that we all are connected to multiple devices. Has this actually had an impact on the newspaper industry, or is it too early to say so? A case study-based analysis explores this topic.

6. Is design an art or a science?

There has been an ongoing debate regarding designing abilities. This research aims to establish whether design is an art or a science.

7. Can racism unite people?

Racism is seen as evil in society. But this research topic explores whether racism can also help us in coming together.

8. Will a cure for AIDS ever be developed?

AIDS is a disease that has impacted the lives of millions of people. This research focuses on whether a cure is likely to be developed.

9. Why are some products more successful than others?

This is another interesting topic that focuses on product development. By comparing the success of products, the reasons behind their success can be identified.

10. The role of gaming in personality development

The gaming industry has been developing at a rapid pace. This topic helps in ascertaining whether gaming is also helping in personality development.

A PhD proposal, along with choosing the right topic is the first step towards completing your thesis. These proposals encompass an outline of the research that you will be conducting in the future. Further, a PhD proposal allows others to understand the true meaning of your research and whether it is justified. A compelling proposal must answer various questions related to the research. Here is a list of the most important features of a high-quality PhD proposal:

It includes clear objectives

One of the most important elements of PhD writing is to develop a convincing proposal. Firstly, you need to build a background related to the topic. This includes providing relevant theories and related information on the topic. Further, your proposal needs to define clear objectives. A high-quality PhD proposal comprises a research question that is relevant to the topic. Furthermore, it also includes a set of aims and objectives that are linked to the research question.

The boundaries of the research are clearly defined

An amorphous proposal will not serve the purpose. Therefore, it is important to set the boundaries of your research. The boundaries should be well-defined, and you also need to justify these boundaries. Additionally, it is also important to be clear in terms of the aspects of the topic which you will be covering. Any lack of clarity in terms of the aspects can render your proposal to be vague and incomplete.

A compelling justification for the research is presented

It is also important to justify your research. The best PhD proposals include a compelling justification for the research to be conducted. A common strategy is to briefly review the prior literature on the topic in order to understand the gaps in research. This will help you in formulating your proposal. Furthermore, another good strategy is to identify the motivation behind your research. Doing this will help you in creating a more compelling proposal.

It is structured in the right manner

A high-quality PhD proposal is structured in the right manner. You need to create links between the chapters so that the reader manages to stay interested in the topic. Further, you also need to make sure that the chapters of your proposal cover all the main elements of your research. You need to include an introduction, a brief review of past studies, a research methodology chapter, and a discussion chapter. Covering all these elements will help you in ensuring that your proposal is accepted.

While coursework requirements differ between universities, most of them view it as a compulsory element of developing your PhD thesis. More importantly, you are expected to pass compulsory comprehensive exams after completing the first year to demonstrate the knowledge of the subjects taught during the course. The following recommendations will allow you to maximise the effectiveness of your coursework activities to make sure that they contribute to your PhD writing success.

1. Coursework is methodology-grounded

First-year preparations are required to develop proper research skills and methodological awareness necessary to address your future research objectives. When you start addressing your dissertation topic, your supervisor will expect you to be 100% knowledgeable in terms of selecting the optimal data collection and processing tools for your future doctoral dissertation.

2. Coursework is goal-oriented

Most PhD programmes include both elective and compulsory courses. If you feel that the choices presented to you by your university do not compliment your academic needs, you should discuss this problem with your course supervisor. In doing so, you can assemble the desired ‘coursework portfolio’ offered by other universities or partnering institutions.

3. Coursework is problem-specific

While the revision of methodological tools sets the canvas of your future project, coursework must also increase the depth of your knowledge of your studied field. Most importantly, you get proper supervision regarding your research direction, key sources and theories, and all contemporary works that need to be taken into account to improve your project’s originality.

4. Coursework minimises your compliance risks

Finally, a Doctoral Development Plan gives knowledge about specific ethical practices and formal requirements imposed upon all dissertation projects supervised by the university of your choice. Since your dissertation topic is finalised prior to the coursework, this also allows you to avoid any compliance risks by clarifying all precautions you need to take during the research phase.

The compulsory nature of coursework should not discourage you from completing a PhD. Instead, consider it a unique combination of area-specific doctoral studies and advanced research methods. Often, this approach is not attainable through Bachelor or Masters courses. If you find it difficult to effectively utilise these new opportunities in PhD proposal writing or PhD thesis writing, you can always seek reliable academic writing services to assist you with these tedious tasks.

Attracting funds for your PhD degree can sometimes prove more difficult than actually writing the PhD thesis, at least for some students. Essentially, the funding for a PhD, which can include fees and living expenses, can be generated from a variety of sources,

What options are there?

Sources of funding include Research Councils, various charities and funding bodies, overseas governments and even the European Union initiatives. Funding can also be generated from the universities’ own accounts in the form of financial aid. Some students may be funded by their employer and others may take out a loan to finance their PhD. Interestingly, one-third of doctoral degrees are completely self-funded by the students themselves, whereas 21% of the doctoral degrees are funded by the Universities and 15% are funded by the Research Councils.

In some universities, some additional funds are also generated from national Higher Education funding bodies including The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for covering the cost of supervising the doctorates.

Alternative options for home and commonwealth students

More recently, the UK have introduced doctoral student loans to ease the pressure of the candidates. It’s important to note that the main sources of public funding for PhD, namely Research Council studentships and doctoral student loans, are not available to the non-European Union students. However, for international students, various forms of scholarships and loans are available. The Commonwealth Scholarship is a flagship scheme built under the aegis of the UK Department for Education (DFE) and Department for International Development (DFID) and supported by a strong alumni network.

The Commonwealth Scholarships include PhD scholarships for students residing in high income countries, students residing in low and middle income countries, and separate split-site scholarships for high income and low and middle income countries. The Newton Fund incorporates two PhD fund schemes including Newton PhD Scholarships and Newton PhD Placements for full time candidates and one year candidates from a select list of countries, respectively. The Saltire Scholarship  provides assistance to candidates from Canada, the USA, China, India, and Pakistan. Their financial aid extends up to £4,000 towards the PhD, given that the candidate is pursuing their PhD from Scotland.

Country Specific PhD Funding

Apart from the mentioned corpuses, various country specific PhD funds are also allocated such as:

• Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarships and Australia Day Foundation Trust for Australian candidates
• Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund for Canadian candidates
• GREAT Scholarships, China-Oxford Scholarship Fund, BAFTA Scholarships, and China Scholarship Council for Chinese candidates
• Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships for Hong Kong candidates
• GREAT Scholarships and Felix Scholarships Indian candidates
• Kenneth Lindsay Scholarship Trust and Anglo-Jewish Association Karten Scholarship for Israel candidates
• Ministry of Higher Education Scholarships for Kuwait candidates
• Global Education Program (GEP) for Russian candidates, Marshall Scholarships and Fulbright Postgraduate Awards for US candidates.

Trusts and Organisations

There are also international trusts and organisations that can provide PhD funding. These include:

• The Leverhulme Trust
• The Wellcome Trust
• The British Heart Foundation
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• The Rhodes Trust
• Article 26 of Helena Kennedy Foundation

In addition, various specialist services can be availed to delineate various funding sources.

An essay is a reflective assignment allowing students to demonstrate their own standpoint regarding some broad theoretical debate. Traditional essays and application essays are presently required by many PhD courses ranging from creative writing to doctoral theses in medicine. However, many students are not fully aware of the differences between the Bachelor or Master’s standard for these assignments and PhD level requirements. Here are some tips on how to write a first-class PhD essay.

1. Follow the Rules

Firstly, you need to understand the requirements and avoid perfectionism. Your primary goal is to fully comply with all applicable standards such as essay length, referencing system, internal structure, and overall focus. Start with writing a general draft in accordance with all applicable guidelines to get acquainted with the requirements. Afterwards, write down the basic facts and develop your line of argument. Remember that perfection comes from multiple revisions rather than a single full-on attempt.

2. Avoid General Discussions

Next, you need to focus on your own argument and avoid any general discussion of popular theories. You may use them for demonstrating various worldviews. Whilst doing so, you must also clearly demonstrate your supported standpoint and criticise contrasting frameworks. This way, you can prove that your personal choices are more suitable than their alternatives.

3. Focus on Data

Thirdly, you should present credible secondary data confirming your theoretical choices. This is the best way to support your argument . Make sure that you carefully select the sources and rely on the materials published by peer-reviewed magazines, official census results, company reports, etc. You can use the same approach to criticise other worldviews and demonstrate their limitations. Try to fully avoid any emotional judgements and focus on statistical data and facts confirming your suggestions.

4. Demonstrate Caution

Finally, you should demonstrate caution. The history of marketing and management thought has demonstrated that most research projects or academic theories have inherent limitations and may be criticised or discarded by later authors. Hence, all concepts and sources used in your essay must be thoroughly appraised in terms of the underlying samples, data collection methods, and barriers to validity and generalisability. A similar approach should be utilised for drawing your own conclusions and outlining the potential limitations of your research approach and findings.

Remember, PhD-level essay writing is a highly complex activity and only qualified PhD writers are capable of creating first-class essays without multiple drafts and revisions. If you have tight deadlines and experience any doubts regarding your capability to produce high-quality written material, you may want to seek external PhD help to overcome this academic challenge.