The PhD is often stressful and trying. Nevertheless, most people do get through it. Many PhDers keep a journal to help work through the difficulties, challenges and worries that they experience.
Writing about the everyday can of course just be a wallow. A self indulgent moan that goes nowhere. However, verbalising concerns and putting them in writing can not only be cathartic but also lead to very helpful insights. Journaling can be a powerful way to both reflect on problems and resolve them.
Some people choose to make their journals public via a blog. Others keep them, analog style, in a notebook. And there is a cumulative running document on the desktop, with each entry dated so that ‘change’ can be tracked over time.
If you’re thinking of starting off a PhD journal, or you’re just a bit stuck on what to write about in a reflective journal, here’s a little listicle of prompts that might kick off a (new) line of thinking.
- Strategies that help me cope
- How stress affects my ability to get things done
- Something I’ve learnt from failing
- What I do when I feel inadequate
- Challenges that I have overcome
- Things that worry me about the PhD
- Am I too competitive?
- The best advice I’ve been given about the PhD was…
- I can best organise my time by…
- I am really motivated to/by…
- I need to work with my supervisors/advisers on…
- I am good at…
- I have learnt since starting the PhD that…
- The last time I did something difficult…
- I deal with negative thoughts best when…
- Things that I have in common with other PhDers
- How I manage ‘the university’
- The key thing I have to remember is…
- The feedback that most helps me is…
- The PhD goals I’ve already reached are…
- Dealing with things I can’t immediately change means I need to…
- People who support me are usually …
- Am I too hard on myself?
- Risks I will and won’t take
- Academics I admire generally…
- I am really looking forward to…
- When and where I work best
- The book that has most stuck with me is…
- My favorite part of the PhD is…
- Ethical issues I need to keep in mind are…
Reblogged this on Everyday Issues and commented:
Food for thought…
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