Day in the Life of an Oxford PhD Student

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5 жыл бұрын

No two days for a PhD student are alike, and no two PhD students’ days are ever alike either, but here’s a day in the life of this one as accurately as I could make it.
5:30. Wake up and work on hobby for several hours over breakfast
8:00. Head in to department
8:30. Start lab chores
12:00. Sandwich time!
12:30. Analytical techniques
15:30. Thermodynamic calculations
18:00. Tea in college
19:00. Back home with time to chill
20:30. In bed :)
I don’t talk much about my science in here, but if you’re interested here’s what my Martian experiments are trying to figure out: • How to Make a Martian ...
Yes, I do get up that early every day, but it was hard going at first and requires you get to bed equally ridiculously early every night (any later than half eight and I’m suffering the next day). I made a video diary of my first week trying it here: • Rising at 5:30 am for ...
A huge thank you to my college, St. Edmund Hall, which has been extremely kind to me and is a continual source of joy and beauty in everyday life in Oxford. Thank you also to the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) for funding my PhD, and to my department, Earth Sciences, at the University of Oxford.
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New video every other Wednesday (ish). Please comment to suggest a topic relating to postgraduate life that you’d like to see covered, or get in touch:
Twitter: @LeKissick
Website: lucykissick.co.uk
Email: lucy.kissick@earth.ox.ac.uk
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Thank you to the post-rockers You Break You Buy for use of their beautiful music. The two tracks played consecutively in here are Inertia and Into the Clouds, both of which you can find on their bandcamp here: ybyb.bandcamp.com
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My name is Lucy Kissick, I’m a third year PhD student at the University of Oxford, and I’m a northerner from the seaside town of Southport. It’s near Liverpool but regrettably I do not have the accent to prove that.

Пікірлер: 84

@meghanoneill7430 5 жыл бұрын

I’m in my first year of an arts PhD and I’m always so surprised how the day-to-day life can be so similar, hitting walls, pushing forward, I don’t think many people realize how solitary pursing a PhD can be! Creative writing is one of my outlets as well... thank you for sharing, it’s inspiring ☺️👍.

@tayemartha 4 жыл бұрын

The best PhD vlog I have watched.

@lovleenalobo1690 Жыл бұрын

Agreed

@analissa123 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a geology student and I've been struggling to find content like this which gives insight into my field of interest! So glad I've found you, such an interesting video :)

@noortayeh392 4 жыл бұрын

Lucy, am planning for a PhD and I discovered your videos in the process ... they are actually a source of motivation and inspiration for me especially when you talk about some of the challenges you face ... thank you for sharing, you are doing an amazing job ... Best of luck with your project.

@ravisinha312 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your journey and insights! These are really useful.

@trevorkohne1705 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a geoscience undergraduate. It's so cool that you work with martian conditions! This is like my dream project!

@beccab.6974 5 жыл бұрын

Loved your saying at the end! It's my motivation currently for just pressing forward. Just keep getting up each day, do my normal, productive routine, and eventually that PhD will be mine. Thanks for your videos! :)

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

glad you liked it and thanks for watching! Motivation is something I really struggle with and I think that every PhD student deals with, so just finding a way to get though each ordinary day can be tough.

@lifehacker4331 2 жыл бұрын

@@ThePhDiaries please I need a help from you can we talk once please

@PlanetXeddex 4 жыл бұрын

I love how loving and warm you look to be. I love nature as well, and I would love to read your papers on geology 😊

@cassiaj8171 5 жыл бұрын

Beautiful dedication and discipline!!

@Mahdul 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent work !

@techdipbest 3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate you sharing it. Can imagine how hard it is to record everything.... looking to start my PhD soon... looking for inspiration..

@innocenttendomugaanire8278 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Lucy, Amazing Videos.

@mariusbraun450 4 жыл бұрын

Your office looks really nice! I am a Master's student thinking about doing a PhD, and to be honest my current office gives me a sense of confinement

@sallyolivia37 5 жыл бұрын

I’m starting my PhD this October and really excited. People did warn of the isolation and working alone but I love it!! Watching this has made me even more excited to have the freedom to come and go into the lab. Love your channel!

@shyspeaks9238 4 жыл бұрын

How have things been since then??

@nirajbhuyan1548 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you madam for your beautiful content. This really helps to boost up my phd life in ore geology.

@purpledoo 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I love your videos! If I may, why are you doing this? What does make you go through that much work and difficulties? :)

@DavySingsTragedy 5 жыл бұрын

This is really quite fascinating. You've got a new subscriber in me. I'm pursuing my degree in Mathematics and thinking about getting my phd in physics

@Alexis-pl5cn 3 жыл бұрын

Once upon a time, I watched you use a glove box to simulate Mars and I thought that was so cool. Now I use a glove box to study the chemistry of iron-sulfur clusters so maybe we can find life on Mars one day. :) Thank you for sharing and inspiring others!

@no-xn6og 3 ай бұрын

I have the sudden urge to do my school work now, thank you lol

@SheshadriMadhu 4 жыл бұрын

Hey this was very informative. Good job :)

@Doctorfirefighter 2 жыл бұрын

I’m in the wrong PhD program. The hard sciences look so much more fun than organizational behavior.

@knpatil89 4 жыл бұрын

Love your videos Lucy :-)

@mimimeviracrochet 3 жыл бұрын

subscribed to your channel. I'm currently in my fourth year now. Wish u the best future Dr.

@jacob_he_reads 4 жыл бұрын

Great video demonstrating the rigor of doing a PhD. Second year PhD here :) Good luck with your studies.

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

thanks mate! good luck with yours

@hiayumiw 3 жыл бұрын

Your video is so awesome >

@OrdinaryPerson49 5 жыл бұрын

Inspiring

@Dennou85 4 жыл бұрын

Very inspiring

@aionvalentine6004 4 жыл бұрын

I am inspired to push forward my PhD in Media Studies :)

@noluckst2 3 жыл бұрын

I'm knackered.

@gretareynoso1625 5 жыл бұрын

Loved your video! But where are your lab collegues? I work at a much crowded lab....also we have and ATR-FTIR so we put smaller amount of sample even with moisture, but I enjoyed watching you work, I am not just as diciplined, I hope I can have a day like yours soon!

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

Ah man I filmed this on a Sunday because I'm too shy to vlog in public! But I was actually in just as a normal day that Sunday (I'd been at my family's house earlier that week so had pushed my working week into the weekend). Usually though, it is just me in the lab as the other PhD students are writing up. Nice and peaceful :)

@GlaneciaXCat 3 жыл бұрын

I could do that, mix stuff! LOL ... but I wouldn't understand what I was doing, and it'd likely explode in my face. I really enjoyed this video, thank you!

@IssaSabla 5 жыл бұрын

I am a third year social sciences as well.. Thnks for sharing this

@user-xn2hf9re8r 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Lucy that was great. I'm the same, up early but you don't seem to see anyone until supper - is this normally the case? Your dept seems really empty. Hope you are still with the b/f.

@ThePhDiaries 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I filmed this on a Sunday because I'm shy about filming in public, and not everyone in academia is supportive about running this channel. But the lack of me talking to anyone is normal(!!). I didn't really realise until I made this video, but I can go a whole day without talking to anyone in person, except family etc on the phone. I'm an introvert and like it that way. Also, I do sometimes work weekends if I've had time off in the week for whatever reason, but this is only to stay balanced -- I won't do a full week and then the weekend too, because that wouldn't be good for me. On this occasion I think I'd been hiking on the thurs and fri, so I worked the sat and sun to make it up :)

@mousumichakraborty8761 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks I just need to hear that we need keep pushing forward till fly over the wall

@jfenciso26 5 жыл бұрын

Now, I have an idea what should I do when doing a Ph.D. stuff without cramming, everyday.

@yb32 5 жыл бұрын

can you do a video on how to make a plan to write your thesis and stick to it? monthly or weekly. it's such a giant task and it's easy to get lost or caught up on other things in the process. I would love to hear your thoughts or how you've made progress in writing so far.

@Moni-wq1yt 5 жыл бұрын

Same here! Would appreciate some guidance on that! :)

@ThePhDiaries 5 жыл бұрын

Hello! I'm not quite up to that stage myself yet -- I'm only writing papers in between running experiments. But as this will one day consume my waking life I will once I'm at that point :)

@KevinHosford 4 жыл бұрын

Started the lit review immediately and made sure to use a non-proprietary application like word or pages as I've heard way to many risks of corruption

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

I'm a big fan of Pages, super minimal and stylish.

@athenaenergyshine7616 2 жыл бұрын

Wow I never knew that you can do a different graduate studies as opposed to what you study at undergraduate. I always thought that it might not prepare you enough.

@DreamsofChristo 3 жыл бұрын

Wow interesting research area

@mustafayasiraydin 4 жыл бұрын

Wow how different mine is just shocked me. This is what it should be but it is not the case for everyone i guess. Mine is ripping me apart torn me into pieces and f me off like there is no tomorrow. Just search your advisor wisely.

@florocasta 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. Greetings from Popayan, Colombia.

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

Long way away! I've heard you get big condors just chilling out on the streets, sounds amazing :)

@anuradhamaurya1867 5 жыл бұрын

Hey Lucy, we both have similar handwriting. The difference is you are left handed and I am right. :)

@IssaSabla 5 жыл бұрын

I published my first paper at Oxford Uni. last year

@07ally08 4 жыл бұрын

Just wonder about the creative writing that you did. Is it scientific or just random themes?

@wallis34 3 жыл бұрын

Is it possible to download and read your PhD thesis?

@NightDawnDusk 2 жыл бұрын

What happens when you find a worm form or something like that?

@billdole9766 Жыл бұрын

Recapping a syringe needle is a big NO NO!

@tueanhng 5 жыл бұрын

Greetings from Oxford too. Iam at Blavatnik school of Gov. would love to talk to you about productive working tips

@carlosbornes 5 жыл бұрын

You live on st Edmund's Hall? I slept there for one week during one workshop and it's a really nice place you're really lucky

@ThePhDiaries 4 жыл бұрын

It's sooo nice isn't it! I really am lucky, it's a beautiful college and they're really kind to their students

@sundarantirur2252 3 жыл бұрын

From where have you done your masters?? Pleases reply.....

@rtnjo6936 3 жыл бұрын

You do so much work that can be automated and computerized like ez, ask robotic undegrad for help and you will be fine)

@youssefsouhayl 5 жыл бұрын

great PhD Student

@bemanos12345 5 жыл бұрын

What are you going to do after your phd?

@ThePhDiaries 5 жыл бұрын

Goodness knows. Probably not this. Might make a video some time on that.

@Moni-wq1yt 5 жыл бұрын

@@ThePhDiaries please do :) I love your videos!

@leongooorg 4 жыл бұрын

So a typical day of a PhD student is devoid of any human contact?

@SiddiqiRaashid 4 жыл бұрын

liked your videos , can u help me in ftir analysis , want to deconvulate my irradiated protein samples.... if u help me in that or provide a software for that ... i will be highly thankful

@gtfreakmotzi 3 жыл бұрын

It's interesting to see what I strongly believe in. You simply can't do brain intensive work for 8 hours a day. In Germany we get paid quite well as a PhD "student" but we have to do our 8,5 hours a day (0,5 is for the break). That's too much I think. I accomplish more in 6ish hour days because than I don't have this lifetime vs money thing in my head, but it's not allowed.

@manishbisht81 3 жыл бұрын

Hey completed my masters in geology. Want to pursue Ph.d in something that is of commercial value in geology world , can provide me with jobs. Can you guide me through?

@amalhosny 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you I decided not to do PhD, enough with master 😂😂😂😂😂😂

@hartobpriprihartob7383 3 жыл бұрын

This is I called as healthy jobs professionals

@user-zo8eg4lr2m 5 жыл бұрын

I want to cry becuse i will not complet phd in that lab 😢.

@traveller778 3 жыл бұрын

You are very lucky

@naurafadiya 4 жыл бұрын

I wanna take Earth Science in Oxford for my PhD😭😭😭😭😭

@rockyboxers2491 3 жыл бұрын

Me too

@ronaldspencer547 3 жыл бұрын

I envy you your life at Oxford.

@JackT13 3 жыл бұрын

Shouldn’t you actually be working in the ‘mars sciences’ building? Just kidding, nice video

@jairo19992 2 жыл бұрын

I’m tired for you

@roushankumar5420 4 жыл бұрын

Lucy, do you have an instagram? I am also a phd aspirant like every other viewer of this video. ... And i have got bunch of questions to ask to you related to phd... I hope i would get reply from you.

@patoloco1000 5 жыл бұрын

And then along comes an ancient aliens enthusiast claiming things about Mars without a scrap of evidence and people watch their videos and read their crap. Sad.