244 #phd tips*

to help you finish your thesis successfully and in time

* in Dunglish

Here you are, 244 #phd tips!

Especially for you. In Dunglish. To help you finish your thesis successfully and in time. Because I believe that every PhD student can finish his thesis successfully. Sometimes with a little friendly support. That support I can provide. Being a PhD student is not an easy job. Research shows that in the Netherlands - only 10% of all PhD students finish their thesis within the agreed time. What is the cause? Most PhD students get excellent support with the subject of their PhD. That really isnt the problem. The biggest stumbling block for PhDs is the whole process of getting your PhD. Im then talking about for planning, writing, processing your literature, getting the right kind of feedback, contact with your supervisor, work-life balance. The whole process of how you will finish your thesis successfully and in time is not sufficiently supported. And that is exactly what I can help you with. These tips are a starting point.

Why can I help you?

No, I dont have a PhD myself. But I am specialized in teaching academic skills and facilitating the process. And since a number of years is all I do coaching, supporting, training and facilitating PhD students, I think I have the best job there is! And of course, Im good at what I do. In the past (more then) 20 years I have had jobs at many different (applied) universities as a lecturer and researcher in the field of academic skills. So I know universities inside out, know what's going on and what you may encounter during your PhD. Through my experience as a teacher, researcher, trainer, consultant, facilitator, coach, mediator and entrepreneur, I can give you a lot of input from different angles. Moreover, I am not distracted by all kind of internal PhD troubles. Another advantage: I am an outsider, so you can discuss things with me that you might not easily discuss with other people.

How can you use these tips?

You can use these tips in different ways. You can for instance keep this eBook close by and read one tip a day. You can use it for a long time then Another way in is when you get stuck to get this book and look for something that might help you. Or, just read through the tips it, and use a highlighter to highlight those tips that are currently important for you. You can also use the tips to start a conversation: how does your supervisors think about the tip, what do colleagues say about it? Often that will open up a world of new ideas and insights. Do you need more? At the end of this eBook you will find options for more support. Or simply follow me on Twitter @ltrprmvrn to get your (almost) daily portion of #phd-tips.

Arjenne Louter

1.! #phd-tip: ask a roommate or colleague one tip on how to enjoy your work better. Be open to what is coming! 2.! #phd-tip: Ever thought about setting up a 'Dissertation Support Group'? It's worthwhile! 3.! #phd-tip: don't use complex language or jargon when simple words will make your point equally well. 4.! #phd-tip: realize your article will never be perfect, at some point you have to quit ddling

5.! #phd-tip: when you are writing nish to following sentence: 'What I actually want to say is....' 6.! #phd-tip: blaming is paralyzing, think if you can state what you want to say differently, in that way you create space! 7.! #phd-tip: you can't force pleasure, it's a feeling that follows satisfaction. What satises you? 8.! #phd-tip: ever asked yourself if you are so tired because you try to full other peoples expectations?

9.! #phd-tip: look for a way to make routine and boring work useful, you can also use it to give yourself a break in a busy period! 10.!#phd-tip: if you want to give an effective presentation, make sure your audience follows, understands, believes and remembers your story 11.!#phd-tip: is it clear when you are prewriting, writing or rewriting? That makes you more effective! 12.!#phd-tip: do you know what the three main things are you want to do today? that helps you to focus!

13.! #phd-tip: if you have to write a lot, write something every day, that's how to avoid stress 14.! #phd-tip: didn't enjoy the beautiful winter weather yet? play truant for at least an hour today! 15.! #phd-tip: plan backwards, start with when something needs to be nished and then plan from there 16.! #phd-tip: set aside hours or days for those things that are important right now, like writing, researching, analyzing data

17.! #phd-tip: try to capture your research in a picture of diagram, that gives a lot of insight 18.! #phd-tip: explain to your supervisor why you don't use certain commentaries, that prevents irritation 19. #phd-tip: talking always provides useful feedback, so talk! 20.! #phd-tip: work for a day at someone elses desk, you will nd out the difference!

21.! #phd-tip: for a good summary you have to suspend your own believes and put yourself in the shoes of someone else 22.! #phd-tip: in a good summary, readers should not be able to tell whether you agree or disagree with the ideas you are summarizing 23.! #phd-tip: a good summary has a focus that allows tting with your own agenda while still being true to the text you are summarizing 24.! #phd-tip: as a writer you need to answer the questions 'so what?' and 'who cares?', don't assume your readers know the answers

25.! #phd-tip: not all qualitative data can be reduced to numbers, make sure you describe it precisely with words 26.! #phd-tip: have clear how you distinguish your views form the other views you summarize 27.! #phd-tip: take a close look at how other writers quote, can you learn something from it? 28.! #phd-tip: in science, it is essential to say why your work - and arguments about it - matters. Make sure you make that clear!

29.! #phd-tip: make chunks of your time: work for 90 minutes, then have a 30 minutes break, that will make you much more productive! 30.! #phd-tip: in an ideal world your supervisor is coach, editor en career counsellor; in this world: nd different people to support you 31.! #phd-tip: take responsibility; don't expect your supervisor to think for you or do your work for you 32.! #phd-tip: stay in charge of your own writing, remember you are the owner

10

33.! #phd-tip: writing is actually making a lot of mess, and then cleaning it up 34.! #phd-tip: a good planning is one you feel comfortable with and where you work efciently, so that's different for every one! 35.! #phd-tip: do you still have clear what the goal of your PhD is? It helps you to order your thoughts 36.! #phd-tip: are things not so well between you and your supervisor? talk about process instead of content

11

37.! #phd-tip: don't become lonely, so organise something for you fellow PhDs or join a phd association 38.! #phd-tip: your research is never nished, so make sure you stop in time in order to be able to make a fresh start again 39.! #phd-tip: if you have to give a presentation, give your message in one sentence and support that sentence, result = good presentation 40.! #phd-tip: with a presentation make sure the audience can follow, understands, believes and remember your story

12

41.! #phd-tip: do you have clear what takes the most energy? Plan to do that when you are t! 42.! #phd-tip: did you reward yourself for all your hard working? Don't forget! 43.! #phd-tip: 'this was about it' is the worst ending of a presentation, come up with something better! 44.! #phd-tip: try to shut up your internal critic during writing for a while, that makes writing much more pleasant

13

45.! #phd-tip: did you recently look at your daily routines? are they still effective and efcient? 46.! #phd-tip: always rehearse your presentation and also lm it that will give you a lot of useful insights! 47.! #phd-tip: for a week give every part of the week a grade, nd out why you gave that grade; creates opportunities for better day schedule 48.! #phd-tip: whilst revising your text read your paragraphs randomly, that gives different insights

14

49.! #phd-tip: prepare the meeting with your supervisor by making an agenda 50.! #phd-tip: don't forget to spoil yourself because of your hard working, get a nice coffee, go to the movies, buy yourself a book 51.! #phd-tip: plan today what you want to do coming Monday, that helps you to relax during the weekend 52.! #phd-tip: plan today what you want to do coming Monday, that helps you to relax during the weekend 53.! #phd-tip: don't forget to plan time off, you need that, but you easily forget to schedule it!

15

54.! #phd-tip: make an outline for your writings, then you now what you work towards 55.! ##phd-tip: don't forget to use 'free writing', that will help you in any stage of your writing 56.! #phd-tip: make sure that in your problem statement it is clear whether you are going to describe, dene, compare, evaluate, design, explain 57.! #phd-tip: if you read literature, make sure you know why you read. What is your goal? 58.! #phd-tip: do you know what costs you the most energy? nd out and do something about it!

16

59.! #phd-tip: what went well this week? how come? try to use that for next week! 60.! #phd-tip: make sure you have a starting and an ending time and stick to it, it gives space in you and in your planning 61.! #phd-tip: make sure you have a starting and an ending time and stick to it; it gives space in your self and your planning 62.! #phd-tip: make sure you really 'switch off' when you go home, that is the only way to make sure you will get new energy for the next day

17

63.! #phd-tip: switch of your email for a few hours whilst writing, and if possible also your phone (or put it through to someone else) 64.! #phd-tip: be smart in planning, don't think that after a meeting you can immediately start writing, rst nish loose ends 65.! #phd-tip: also schedule time for an accompanying letter with your article and for revising your article 66.! #phd-tip: try to meet - f.i. during a congress- people that are busy with the same kind of research, nice and useful!

18

67.! #phd-tip: don't compare yourself with others 68.! #phd-tip: make sure you also set the end time when you have a meeting 69.! #phd-tip: don't be too ambitious, you will set yourself up for failure 70.! #phd-tip: don't postpone activities that you nd difcult, that will only make it more difcult for yourself

19

71.! #phd-tip: take courses where you meet other PhDstudents 72.! #phd-tip: plan a session each half year to evaluate and think about your long term goals as well 73.! #phd-tip: realise that writing means entering the scientic conversation, where it 's about 'they say' and 'I say' 74.! #phd-tip: when you write, state your own ideas as response to others

20

75.! #phd-tip: set yourself a writing goal, in time, amount of pages or till you have written a decent idea 76.! #phd-tip: back up your les, back up your les, back up your les, back up your les 77.! #phd-tip: did not do it last Friday? Then do it now: backup, backup, backup, backup... 78.! #phd-tip: if you can't work because you are f.i. ill, enjoy it and relax, instead of stressing about time you loose

21

79.! #phd-tip: take 5 minutes NOW and ask yourself what the most important thing is that needs to happen today; make sure it happens! 80.! #phd-tip: be realistic when you plan, concentrated writing for a whole day is not realistic! 81.! #phd-tip: it's Friday, the end of the week; what nice stuff did you plan for yourself in the weekend to recharge? 82.! #phd-tip: did you plan the rest of your week? That makes your week more relaxed (and change the planning if needed!) 83.! #phd-tip: meeting with your supervisor? Let him/her know what you want to meet about, that helps him/her and yourself

22

84.! #phd-tip: make sure you have clear agreements with your supervisor about supervising; what do you expect from each other? 85.! #phd-tip: keep track of what you spent your time on, that helps you to make a realistic planning 86.! #phd-tip: plan for yourself 3 things that need to be nished this week, that will give you clarity 87.! #phd-tip: 4 criteria for a good presentation: interaction, variety, steering and credibility. What is your score?

23

88.! #phd-tip: it's a rare dissertation writer who is never really scared about his project; so no worries if that happens to you 89.! #phd-tip: stay in charge of your own writing, remember you're the owner 90.! #phd-tip: divide projects in such small tasks, that they no longer frighten you 91.! #phd-tip: take some time this summer to think about your long-term goals: where do you want to be in 3, 6, 12 or 24 months from now? 92.! #phd-tip: already thought about the skills you need or want to invest in next year? Plan your own curriculum!

24

93.! #phd-tip: what did you learn form your planning of last year? Use that for your planning for coming year! 94.! #phd-tip: can't be said too often: back up, back up, back up! 95.! #phd-tip: don't forget to free write, most important tool you have! 96.! #phd-tip: remember 'less is more', so delete unnecessary words! 97.! #phd-tip: make a plan that deals with reality, with what you can and cannot do about a situation

25

98.! #phd-tip: don't waste your energy on things you can't change 99.! #phd-tip: if things go wrong, try not to add panic to the mess 100.! #phd-tip: don't expect your supervisor to do the thinking for you 101.! #phd-tip: already thought about what the best way is to plan your day and be productive, also when the weather is nice? 102.! #phd-tip: whilst writing, make sure you answer the questions 'Who cares?' and 'So what?'

26

103.! #phd-tip: check your writing to see if you've anticipated and respond to any like objections 104.! #phd-tip: is it clear in your text how you distinguish your views from the other views you summarize? 105.! #phd-tip: for researchers, loneliness is around the corner; make sure you create a strong social life for yourself! 106.! #phd-tip: not every day can end with a tangible result, so no feeling guilty! 107.! #phd-tip: biggest problem with writing: not enough structure, so take time to structure, structure, structure

27

108.! #phd-tip: boredom can hit you in any phase of your dissertation, don't pay attention, it will pass 109.! #phd-tip: invest time to learn how to use the library, a 'search course' is something very useful to invest some time in 110.! #phd-tip: communicate about your planning, in that way, other people can take it into account 111.! #phd-tip: make sure you create enough support for yourself, don't be dependent on your supervisor for support

28

112.! #phd-tip: not all supervisors give a compliment; that has nothing to do with you or your work! 113.! #phd-tip: realise that you don't always have to act upon commentaries you get 114.! #phd-tip: already thought about the courses and workshops you would want to do the coming year? 115.! #phd-tip: start of the new academic year: the ideal moment to plan courses, trainings, workshops, coaching for yourself

29

116.! #phd-tip: make sure you do not only keep backups of your documents, but also of your software 117.! #phd-tip: make - with your supervisor - a plan for coming your of what you expect from each other 118.! #phd-tip: whilst writing, don't mix up preparation, writing and revising, that will make you much more efcient 119.! #phd-tip: make sure that you take unexpected things into account in your planning, because they always will happen! 120.! #phd-tip: leave yourself an instruction if you know that it will take a while before you can continue with something

30

121.! #phd-tip: plans for getting your PhD? Talk to a lot of people to inform yourself as good as possible 122.! #phd-tip: reward yourself for working so hard, go home early! 123.! #phd-tip: don't work on your PhD for half a day, that gives you new energy and fresh insights 124.! #phd-tip: already clear which conferences and congresses you want to visit and what the deadlines are? 125.! #phd-tip: looking for contact with other PhDstudents? Use #phd #phdchat (and don't miss the #phdchat on Wednesday evenings!)

31

126.! #phd-tip: ever asked yourself what better NOT to talk about? 127.! #phd-tip: get clear what you and your advisor expect from each other 128.! #phd-tip: get your own responsibilities during the process very clear 129.! #phd-tip: make sure you exercise enough, so you won't get physical complaints 130.! #phd-tip: make sure you also have a hardcopy of the latest version of your thesis

32

131.! #phd-tip: set yourself a deadline for writing that's too short, it might help you to be more efcient 132.! #phd-tip: don't be surprised if your not only happy with your progress, ambiguity is part of the process 133.! #phd-tip: investigate what you ca expect at your thesis defence 134.! #phd-tip: write several times about the same topic, later on choose the best parts of your writing 135.! #phd-tip: don't be discouraged if your environment doesn't understand what you are doing

33

136.! #phd-tip: deadlines are always closer then you think, keep track of your planning! 137.! #phd-tip: make an agenda for the meeting with your supervisor and make sure that he/she receives it in time 138.! #promotie-tip: probeer -bijvoorbeeld op congressenmensen te ontmoeten die gelijksoortig onderzoek doen, leuk en nuttig! 139.! #phd-tip: don't let physical problems get serious, treat them earlier! 140.! #phd-tip: write down what is in your head, stick to it for a while and you will nd interesting themes!

34

141.! #phd-tip: make your goals small enough, so you can actually see and measure the progress 142.! #phd-tip: make sure you sleep well before an important meeting, it will make you more alert during the meeting 143.! #phd-tip: don't plan more then 80% of your time, the other 20% will take care of itself 144.! #phd-tip: it often works well to do your thinking in the morning, and your doing in the afternoon 145.! #phd-tip: don't wait for inspiration when you want to writing, just start!

35

146.! #phd-tip: plan your article together with your supervisor 147.! #phd-tip: get things that are not clear ASAP as clear as possible, that will save you a lot of time and energies 148.! #phd-tip: if you have difculties, try to make the problem insightful that gives clarity! 149.! #phd-tip: keep on doing the stuff that matters, try to cluster the ad hoc tasks and plan them all together 150.! #phd-tip: don't forget to think about your long term plans, they might inuence your current choices

36

151.! #phd-tip: do plan some time for yourself, even if it is only 1hour a week; it will give you lots of energy! 152.! #phd-tip: make sure you revisit your planning often, it is outdated before you know! 153.! #phd-tip: remember, writing is actually rewriting, 'good in one go' doesn't exist 154.! #phd-tip: your supervisor is not your schoolteacher, so don't act like a pupil

37

155.! #phd-tip: start every part of your thesis project with the end in mind, that will help you to get more clarity 156.! #phd-tip: doing research can sometimes be boring. No worries, all part of the process! 157.! #phd-tip: which norms do you have whilst working with colleagues? The clearer they are, the easier it is to cooperate 158.! #phd-tip: know with what result you want to leave the meeting with your supervisor, that will help you to steer the conversation 159.! #phd-tip: don't forget to look back at the end of the year, look at what went well and celebrate that!

38

160.! #phd-tip: don't try to nish everything just before the holidays; that gives a lot of stress and often bad work 161.! #phd-tip: when in the nishing stage of your phd, you really need a place where you can work focused, make sure to arrange that 162.! #phd-tip: even when you think you don't have the time, take a few days off, it will give you new inspiration! 163.! #phd-tip: plan a clear 45 minute task and then do something completely different for 15 minutes; it will increase your productivity! 164.! #phd-tip: when writing, make sure that you connect your sentences

39

165.! #phd-tip: simple steps for literature review: make inventory of what you have, search for amplications/ additions, organize your info 166.! #phd-tip: when revising ask 2 questions: did I write enough and is it all necessary? is it correct what I write? Improves your #writing! 167.! #phd-tip: is it clear what kind of key question you have? Is it evaluating, explaining, dening, comparing, advising, predicting? 168.! #phd-tip: what can you do within the next hour to make your day a better day? 169.! #phd-tip: looked again at your planning for the coming period? Changed what could be changed based on prior experience? Do so!

40

170.! #phd-tip: ever thought about mastering techniques like speed-reading or mind mapping? 171.! #phd-tip: make sure you have a few sentences available to say 'no' in a friendly manner 172.! #phd-tip: make sure you know what you would like to be different in your supervision and talk about it 173.! #phd-tip: make sure you nd out early how your writing is and take action if necessary 174.! #phd-tip: for a good planning, begin with the end in mind

41

175.! #phd-tip: already thought about the audience of your thesis and what that means for your writing? 176.! #phd-tip: be very clear - to avoid frustration - about the kind of feedback you want on your text 177.! #phd-tip: form a dissertation support group that is going to help you! 178.! #phd-tip: the more you revise, the more uid your text 179.! #phd-tip: set yourself a writing goal: write a readable amount of pages each day that will help you!

42

180.! #phd-tip: remember this important rule of editing 'less is more', so use the delete button! 181.! #phd-tip: not nishing your thesis, or not nishing your thesis NOW can be a very wise decision 182.! #phd-tip: stuck with #writing? look at your texts as not (yet) denite, that might help 183.! #phd-tip: if your stuck with writing, take some distance and ask yourself what the goal of your text is 184.! #phd-tip: what have you done today that actually gives energy? Nothing yet? Think of something!

43

185.! #phd-tip: did you reach your goals this week? why or why not? use that info for your planning for coming week 186.! #phd-tip: knowing when to stop is essential for good planning, if you continue too long, you won't be effective anymore 187.! #phd-tip: when asking feedback for your text be clear on the status of your text, so you don't get comments on what you already know 188.! #phd-tip: spring is in the air, maybe time for a springcleaning in your computer les? that might give mental space! 189.! #phd-tip: the most common mistake PhD students make is NOT ASKING FOR HELP. Don't be stubborn, just go and talk to someone

44

190.! #phd-tip: do you know which obstacle is in the way of working in a ow? Take the time to discover it! 191.! #phd-tip: do something different: just sneak out for an hour and do something fun, that will give your energy levels a big boost! 192.! #phd-tip: talk to your supervisor, especially when you think things are going not so well in your PhD 193.! #phd-tip: make sure you carve out blocks of time for tasks and not only bits and pieces, it will help you to work much faster 194.! #phd-tip: don't let your perfectionism get in your way, just start doing and acting! I know you can!

45

195.! #phd-tip: rst plan big tasks, then the smaller ones; if you do it the other way around, big tasks often don't t anymore 196.! #phd-tip: ask yourself these simple monthly questions: 'what goes well, what do I want to improve or change?' 197.! #phd-tip: don't forget to use your body, you are already working with your mind all of the day! 198.! #phd-tip: when have you scheduled the next meeting with your supervisor to discuss your progress? 199.! #phd-tip: check with your supervisor if he/she agrees with what your problem is, you might be surprised!

46

200.! #phd-tip: feeling insecure about what you are doing? Don't bother, it belongs to the process! 201.! #phd-tip: don't get the support you want from your supervisor? Make sure you nd other resources and arrange something else! 203.! #phd-tip: how big is your workload? is it the way you want? what can you change? 204.! #phd-tip: plan backwards, start with the end result in mind and then plan backwards; make sure you plan in time for unexpected stuff as well 205.! #phd-tip: do you have recurring tasks? spell the process out, so you don't have to rethink it every time

47

206.! #phd-tip: when was the last time you looked at the planning of your PhD? Make sure you update it regularly! 207.! #phd-tip: check regularly how much time you actually spent on tasks, it will help you to plan much more realistically 208.! #phd-tip: when you are editing your text at word level, read your text backwards, in that way you'll more easily nd typo's and errors. 209.! #phd-tip: do you have a plan or a schedule for your writing, so you know when to write what? If not, you're heading for trouble! 210.! #phd-tip: if you have a meeting with your supervisor, make notes, so you have something to trace back what was said if needed

48

211.! #phd-tip: end your week by making a plan for next week, that will give you peace of mind during the weekend 212.! #phd-tip: make sure you have a clear decisions and to do list after meeting with your supervisor 213.! #phd-tip: make sure you have set blocks of time to write, and write at least 15 minutes a day! 214.! #phd-tip: already clear what you are going to do this week? Make a plan every Monday, or even better, the Friday before! 215.! #phd-tip: don't forget to get clarity about other peoples' holidays and how they inuence your work, that gives less stress

49

216.! #phd-tip: focus on what really needs to be nished before the holiday, a lot of things can wait till after it. 217.! #phd-tip: keep track of how you spent your time for a while, that will provide you with a lot of insights! 218.! #phd-tip: is your food supporting you? 219.! #phd-tip: never plan more then 80% of your time, the other 20% will take care of itself 220.! #phd-tip: make sure you have the overview of what you are doing, otherwise you never know whether you are on track or not

50

221.! #phd-tip: science benets from communication, so talk about your research! 222.! #phd-tip: be happy with feedback and critics, it can really help you further! 223.! #phd-tip: make sure you work independently, don't make yourself dependent on your supervisor 224.! #phd-tip: is your planning for the coming academic year already clear? 225.! #phd-tip: doubting whether you should nish your PhD or not is all part of the process!

51

226.! #phd-tip: make sure you learn a lot about writing, it's the single most important skill you need during your PhD 227.! #phd-tip: quitting is an option 228.! #phd-tip: make sure you have a good strategy on how to read, ask how others do it 229.! #phd-tip: presentations are important milestones on the way to your manuscript, make sure you plan them! 230.! #phd-tip: discuss with your supervisor what works for you in supervising and what not, that will be very benecial for the both of you!

52

231.! #phd-tip: think about your reader, because they inuence the content of your text! 232.! #phd-tip: have deadlines for your tasks, so you don't procrastinate 233.! #phd-tip: if you get stuck, walk away from your desk, it will give you new insights 234.! #phd-tip: when procrastinating, set a timer and work at the task you don't want to do for 15 minutes 235.! #phd-tip: always ask at the end of the day 'what went well?'; that helps to stay motivated!

53

236.! #phd-tip: talk to someone who is not involved in your PhD how things go, that often gives clarity! 237.! #phd-tip: have a good conversation with your supervisor: what does she/he expect from you, what do you expect from him/her? 238.! #phd-tip: an important reason for procrastination is that you nd the task difcult, make sure you know what you have to do! 239.! #phd-tip: at the end of this afternoon, make a plan for next week, that helps to relax more in the weekend 240.! #phd-tip: what does a usual day looks like? Are there ingredients that can be skipped to create more space?

54

241.! #phd-tip: which 'bad' habits can you say goodbye to, in order to use your time in a more productive way? 242.! #phd-tip: talk with a colleague when you get stuck, that often gives a different perspective 243.! #phd-tip: yes, things do go wrong. So what? 244.! #phd-tip: dont forget to enjoy the process!

55

Now what?
I hope these tips will be beneficial for you. Do you want more? Read my blog at http://www.thedutchphdcoach.com and subscribe to my eZine to never miss anything! Do you want to know about the activities of The Dutch PhD Coach? Then take a look at http:// www.succesvolpromoveren.nl. There youll find my Dutch and English activities. Looking forward to meeting you at one of my activities or via the eZine. Have a specific question? Dont hesitate to email me at info@loutercommunicatie.nl. Ill answer it as good as I can. To a successful PhD!

Arjenne Louter

56