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Posted on 21 Sep '23

Starting My Second Year: Goal Setting and Words of Advice

Having gone straight from my undergraduate degree to my master’s degree, and then to my PhD, I realise that this is the first September in my life that I’m not starting a new course. ‘Back to school’ no longer includes a new classroom, teacher, or pencil case - although my recent stationary purchases may disagree! I’m know I’m not alone in finding this a strange feeling: it cements the idea that a PhD is a long project which requires endurance and perseverance. In light of this, I have taken the chance to reflect and want to share my main goals for year two.

#1 Set monthly goals

My PhD largely breaks down into three projects, each expected to take roughly a year. Whilst helpful, a year is too long a timeframe for me to know if I am on track. To overcome this, I divide my work into goals for each semester and then a small specific goal for each month. This helps me monitor my progress and keeps me focused on my targets for that year. However, it’s important to make sure that you are flexible with your goals! Not everything will go to plan, somethings take longer than expected or might not be available (something I have definitely learnt during year one!). Adjusting your goals due to factors outside your control is crucial to staying on top of your targets without stressing yourself out.

#2 Schedule regular breaks

As well as having goals for each month I also find it helpful to have a scheduled day off each month. These aren’t always holidays but are often just days to decompress, walk my dogs and not think about my project. Having dates in your diary to look forward to can motivate you, knowing that you have time off soon, and can break up an otherwise long term. I also know that my mental health becomes more challenging over the winter months so making this a priority this year will help keep me going. I have now learnt that conferences are exhausting, so I am going to schedule a few days off after each to give me some extra time to sleep! Identify your own challenges to know when it might be good to take a break.

#3 Invest in my personal development

When I started my PhD my supervisor asked me what my goals were for the next four years. Apparently “to get a PhD” was not an acceptable answer! She asked me to think about what skills I wanted to work on, what opportunities there might be to develop these skills and what jobs I might be interested in later. This was so informative in showing me that a PhD is a training program to develop you into a researcher. It is a great chance to upskill yourself: this can be practical skills such as techniques you want to learn, subject-specific skills like taking an extra module that interests you, or personal skills including getting your driving licence, being a more confident presenter, or improving your scientific writing. This year I want to treat my PhD more like a training program, by looking for opportunities to build my skills throughout the year.

#4 Look back on my progress

One of the hardest things about second year is knowing that you have so much of the project still to go. However, I think it’s amazing to see how much you have learned in your first year. This year I am going to write down my achievements and look back on them regularly to show myself how far I have come. This may look different for everyone but I like to document questions that people have asked me about my work (either in my department or at presentations) and what answer I was or wasn’t able to give them! Seeing my confidence grow in answering questions has reminded me how much I have improved over my first year. I want to develop this habit going forward.

I am excited to start second year when I consider how much I have learned in year one. And I know there’s only more to discover! I hope you will continue to join me on my PhD diary series with monthly reflections of how I am getting on. We may not be starting something new, but we are always finding out new things – so happy ‘back to school’ everyone!




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Last Updated: 21 September 2023