7 Other People Involved in your PhD

I’m currently trying to organise my wedding. When I started, I thought that a wedding was all about celebrating the commitment and relationship between myself and my partner. It would just be about us: the decoration we want, the family and friends we want to invite, and the wedding celebration that we want for us.

If you have ever done this, or if you ever will in the future, you will soon learn that this is not really the case. A wedding is not just two people – there are many, many more people involved. And they love to give their input. Are you sure about that colour? Is so-and-so coming? You’re going with that invite? And don’t get me started on bridesmaid dresses.

In many ways, a PhD is the same thing. Yes, it is a solo project, all about developing you as an independent thinker and researcher. But, it is not done in isolation. Here are seven other people from across your degree that offer input and support that also need to be considered.

Your supervisor is the main person that will help you in your PhD. They are your mentor and often your first port of call for anything to do with your programme. They have expert knowledge and experience that you will call upon time and time again. After yourself, this person is probably the most important person to consider in your PhD. Your first publication will most likely have been written by at least the pair of you. They will provide feedback on all your work and mark the drafts of your thesis. And when all is said and done, they will likely be an important contact and referee you keep for the rest of your career.

A secondary supervisor is an increasingly common feature of your PhD degree. They carry out many of the same responsibilities as your primary supervisor. However, this is sometimes more of an obligatory role, where a secondary supervisor is simply just required for administration purposes. Other times, this role is more like a co-supervisor and a partner with your primary supervisor. Whatever the case, you will probably meet less often with your secondary supervisor. Nonetheless, it’s still a good idea to make the most of this person. They are also an expert, and they may even have different expertise and knowledge than your primary supervisor. Also, they could be based in a different research group or department, and they could provide you access to different resources and researchers.

Although these other researchers may have no formal attachment to your project, they are still valuable resources that can offer expert help and information. They may have different or unusual ideas and viewpoints to your supervisory team. They may even provide the inspiration to get that breakthrough you so desperately need. Getting to know other academics may be useful if there’s something you need to discuss with a senior academic that you don’t feel comfortable talking to your supervisors about. And don’t forget, your examiners for your thesis and viva voce will be academics just like these - it could be well worth getting their perspective on your project.

Throughout the course of a PhD, you will meet many other students. You will all be going through the same process, with the same trials and tribulations. You never know when you can support each other with work, offer advice or just be a shoulder to lean on. Just remember to help others as much as they help you. Most importantly, these people are your colleagues and friends – they will keep you sane!

With a PhD programme comes a daunting amount of administration. Thankfully, your institution will have a dedicated and capable team ready to help you along the way. These staff are responsible for all sorts of aspects of your programme, such as your registration, continuation, submission of supervisory reports, organising holiday time, and the processing of any other aspects of your PhD. Of course, the most important thing you will submit is your final thesis – the programme admin team will be the people there to help you with that.

These are the unsung heroes of your PhD. Every PhD student needs a great librarian, or laboratory technician, or health and safety officer (yes, really). These are the people responsible for running your department, supplying you with the resources and tools you need to study your PhD. They may be easy to overlook, but their handiwork is always there to help you.

Yes, everybody. It takes a village to raise a doctor. All your friends and family are along on this journey with you, whether they understand it or not. Don’t forget your neighbours, the barista, the cat, the pizza delivery guy (OK, maybe not the last one, but in my case definitely the cat). Academia can be such an isolated community at times, it’s easy to lose perspective. But there’s nothing like a “what’s the point?” from your grandma or a sarcastic comment from a barman to bring you back down to Earth. Ultimately, these are the people who were there before your degree and will be there during and after it. They contribute and support you in surprising and unexpected ways.

The best way to be successful in your PhD is to embrace all aspects of it, and to embrace everyone else involved in it. Developing great working relationships with all of these helps the PhD go that much smoother. As for my wedding, I aim to accept and relish all the feedback and support from everyone else involved. Together, I’m sure we’ll make it a great day. As soon as we agree on those maddening bridesmaid dresses.

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