Hi, my name is Isobel and I have just entered my second year as a PhD student in the Biomedical Science Department here at the University of Birmingham. Within my PhD I specifically study the processing of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a potential treatment option for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
As I enter my second year, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on my PhD so far and everything I have achieved in my first year, no matter how big or small.
When I began my PhD, I distinctly remember the overwhelming feeling of being in a new city, having to make new friends again and try and find my place, but this time all as a postgraduate. Although I had experienced this once before, I seemed to find it harder to figure out what I was supposed to be doing and balancing all the different priorities of studying alongside joining societies (something I would HEAVILY recommend to anyone) to make new friends. I found it surprisingly much harder to relate to other undergraduate students and hearing the dreaded ‘What do you study?’ question and having to answer that I was a postgrad seemed to immediately put me in a certain category (normally that I was old!) but eventually I was able to slowly make friends and begin to find my feet within a new city and try new sports and hobbies, just like I did in my undergraduate degree.
I was also extremely lucky to have joined an incredibly welcoming and supportive laboratory group where everyone was more than happy to answer my silly questions, no matter how frequent or downright ridiculous they were. I do think this was crucial in allowing me to become more independent, confident and even determined as I began to understand my PhD topic and everything I was trying to achieve.
As my first year progressed and I got more assured within myself and the project, I signed up and competed in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition run by the University Doctoral School (UDS), even managing to make it into the final as the only first year! Within this experience I was able to chat to other amazing researchers about their diverse range of projects, as well as learn how to communicate my own research to a non-specialist audience. Although I always find public speaking a daunting task (often going bright red), this experience continued to teach me I can do hard things and it’s ok to try, no matter what the outcome is!
After the 3MT the UDS also organised the UDS Showcase, where I took part in the Research Poster Competition. This was an opportunity to celebrate research in a poster format, allowing students to practice presenting posters to non-specialists’ audiences again and trying to get people to engage and understand your own project. Why is it important? Why should people care? This was yet another invaluable experience to practice presenting my work in a different format to the 3MT Competition and trying to get people to care about it. I thoroughly enjoyed this Showcase and getting to see so many other PhD students’ posters really highlighted the vast research which takes place at the University of Birmingham. The Showcase also included the UDS Awards, and I was surprised and thrilled to be presented with the People’s Choice for my 3MT presentation and 2nd Place Overall for the Research Poster Competition. These awards further encouraged me to continue presenting and disseminating my research and are reassuring reminders to DO IT SCARED, as sometimes you will amaze yourself with what you can achieve!
Now as I start my second year, I am forever grateful for the skills the UDS have taught me and I can’t wait to expand them further, from talking at department seminars to presenting posters at national and international conferences. I also look forward to developing my networking skills from informally chatting about our projects to other students to giving in detail explanations to researchers at the top of my field.
I can’t wait for what this new year brings and I’m certain I will be back for more UDS events as I continue this PhD!! And always remember – DO IT, EVEN IF YOU’RE SCARED!