Hi, I’m Holly, and I’m a postgraduate researcher here at the University, now in the final year of my PhD in the School of Psychology.
I’ve really enjoyed my time here as a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. Getting to take ownership of my own research project and fully immersing myself into it has been a really cool experience. But I have found that when you spend hours completely focused on your own project it can be easy to feel a bit isolated at times. Which is why I think finding ways to connect with others and build a community is such an important part of having a positive PGR experience.
One of the best ways I’ve done this is by getting involved with the University Doctoral School, who bring together PGRs from right across the University, in different colleges and disciplines, creating opportunities to meet people you may never have met otherwise. During my time as a PhD student, the University Doctoral School ran a variety of development opportunities, from skills workshops to PGR community events, so there was something for everyone, whether you wanted to develop more as a researcher or just simply want to take a break from work and chat to other PGRs.
Personally, a real highlight for me was taking part in the Three Minute Thesis competition, where I had just three minutes, and one static PowerPoint slide, to explain my PhD research to a general audience. It sounds pretty straightforward, but it was surprisingly tough! Trying to condense three years of research into something that’s clear, engaging, and jargon-free really made me think deeply about what my research is really about — what’s the main message, and why should people care? This process was incredibly valuable though, and the training and support from the competition team made a huge difference.
Since taking part in this, I’ve found that I’m much more confident talking about my work to non-specialists, which has already been useful in job interviews, and I even have a recorded version of my talk that share during job applications. But one of the best parts was definitely meeting the other PGRs taking part. Some were in completely different fields, and it was cool to see the breadth of postgraduate research being undertaken at the university.
And that’s just one example of the many opportunities I’ve had through the University Doctoral School. So, if you’re a PGR, I’d really encourage you to explore what opportunities they have on offer for you. It’s such a great way to make the most of your time here, meet people, develop skills and to remind yourself that while postgraduate research can feel like a solo journey at times, you’re definitely not alone in the experience.