Want to do a PhD? 6 things you should know from an Edinburgh Chancellors Fellow

1. It’s never too late

I don’t have any A-Levels in Science or Maths; I did two languages, Geography, and Classics in my last 2 years of school. It wasn’t until my Master’s that I moved into Biology. I therefore very much feel it is possible to learn something new or change your career path at many points on the journey. Do I think having those A-levels would have helped? Definitely, but there is more than one path to most careers and topics.

2. Staying motivated: be sure that it’s what you want

A big thing that helped drive me throughout my PhD was the knowledge that research was what I wanted to do. The year working in industry after my Master's made me sure of that. There was just a thread of wanting to do that research and wanting to do well.

Once you get stuck in, the desire to solve the problem you’re working on keeps you going as well. I think quite a lot of people who come into these fields are really into problem-solving, and so when you get stuck, it's just motivating to find the way out, even for the sake of finding a solution.

3. Dealing with rejection is a big part of the academic career

At most points along the way, I’ve had multiple failed applications. I did not get the first PhD, the first postdoc, or the first grant I applied for. Often, you don’t hear about the failed attempts, but it’s important to recognise that often in order to do well, you need to push through disappointments. 

It’s equally important to know your own resilience as there’s a lot of rejection in academia. If that is something you really dislike, it is very reasonable to look at a different path.

The day you get a rejection, it's awful. You feel like you're rubbish at everything. But after taking a step back, often you see ways through.

A colleague once told me they always take a day to themselves whenever they receive a rejection: a moment just to pause and be kind to yourself. Then you can decide if you want to keep pushing. 

It truly is a numbers game - just because you failed a few times, doesn’t mean you won’t be successful the next! There is a ridiculous amount of competition and often an element of randomness to these things as well. 

If you do push through and you are good enough, you will get something eventually, but it could take a few tries.

4. Surround yourself with the work-life balance you want

People have different approaches to their work, and some people do genuinely prefer to work 24/7 or atypical (outside 9-5) hours. You have to be true to yourself, though and remember longer hours don’t necessarily mean better results. There is often a trade-off between efficiency and hours.

The culture around you will likely shape your work-life balance. During my PhD, people did not keep strict 9-5 schedules and I would work a lot, at all hours. As a postdoc in Norway, I found a culture of strong core hours; people do go home and switch off. I really liked that and have found it much easier to keep a stricter work-life balance since.

As a PhD student, surrounded by people seemingly working 24/7, it can be hard to find those boundaries. Seek someone outside of that culture. Mentoring schemes can be really helpful in these cases; find a mentor that has the work-life balance you’re looking for. This can give you the support needed to erect those boundaries for yourself. 

5. Decide what you want out of a job, and don’t be afraid to leave

I learnt this from somebody a year above me in my PhD. It’s as simple as: write down what you want out of your job and your life. 

If the academic track fits that, great. But if it doesn’t, don't be afraid to look for something else. Know what you want instead of just following a path.

In my experience, you can definitely make the academic path work within those boundaries, and it's much more fluid than things used to be. You can come back! There are specific grants to re-enter academia, for example. It's not fixed anymore.

6. Everyone is different 

There are so many different paths you can take to a PhD and everyone is different. I've seen people come back and do really well after 5 years out, so never go into a PhD simply because you can't think of anything else to do. PhDs can be very challenging, and it's crucial to be sure this is what you want in order to stay motivated.

Don't be afraid of trying something else and coming back. That's a really valid path to take. Equally, it's not mandatory if you already know the PhD is what you want. We should simply respect individual differences!

Emily is now working in Ecological forecasting, predicting how animal and plant populations will change in the future, and particularly how they may be affected by climate change. Emily hopes that her work can one day be used to manage wild populations, such as to understand how to conserve at-risk species. 

Emily’s most recent work was on uncertainty measurements, both broadly in modelling and how it is reported in science, and specifically in predictive population models. This work is crucial for ensuring science is reliable, transparent and can be trusted by the public.