or
Continue with FacebookLooking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here.
Posted on 21 Dec '20
Best of 2020 – Our Most Popular Blogs This Year
As we finally come to the end of 2020, we've decided it would be worthwhile to take a look at some of our most-read blogs of the year. Of course, you don't need us to tell you what a difficult 12 months it's been, but we hope that our pieces have kept you informed in terms of the latest developments in the world of PhD study this year.
From posts on how PhD students are helping in the fight against COVID-19 to a blog about what it's actually like to start a PhD in the midst of a pandemic, we've done our best to cover the effects of the coronavirus crisis on people like you.
Despite the upheaval caused by the coronavirus, most of our top blogs of the year are actually to do with fairly normal PhD-related subjects, such as supervisors and applications – hopefully next year will mark the return to normality in a wider sense of the word.
#5 How Rare (or Common) is it to have a PhD?
In this blog, we crunched some official data from the OECD to work out just how many people have a PhD, looking at percentages in several countries. We also looked at the ratio of female to male PhD holders to see how equal doctoral education is around the world.
Read more: How Rare (or Common) is it to have a PhD?
#4 Coronavirus – Advice and Guidance for Postgraduate Study
Throughout the year, we worked hard to keep our readers updated on the effects of coronavirus on postgraduate study, monitoring how funding, start dates and visas had been affected by the pandemic.
#3 The Dos and Don'ts of Contacting a PhD Supervisor
Contacting a supervisor for the first time can be a bit of a nerve-wracking experience. This blog shares some tips on what to do – and what not to do – which will hopefully put your mind at ease if you're about to tackle this important part of a PhD application.
#2 Preparing a PhD Application
This year's number two blog comes from Gaia Cantelli, who provides a great checklist of how to make the time you put into your application worthwhile and make things easier, from start to finish.
#1 PhD Study, for Free? – 14 Countries That Charge Very Little (or Nothing!) for Doctoral Degrees
Studying a 'free' (or very cheap!) PhD is a pretty tantalising prospect, reflected by this blog's position at number one. Despite the current challenges facing international study, these fee policies offer plenty of incentive to head abroad for your PhD.
We hope you have found these blogs useful (and enjoyable!) and we look forward to checking back with you in 2021, when we will continue to keep you up-to-date with the latest PhD advice and funding opportunities.
If you’ve got an exciting or inspiring story that you want to tell, or think it might help other postgraduate students, why not blog for us in 2021? We’re always on the lookout for new voices to join us.
Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice
Sign up for free
You may also like...
Some simple PhD application mistakes – and how to avoid them
Applying for a PhD is a bit more complex than applying for a Bachelors or Masters. Here are some pitfalls to avoid.
Getting your CV into shape for a PhD application
A proper academic CV can really help you secure a PhD place. Here's how to make yours as strong as possible.
Working from home as a postgraduate
You might be considering it, or you might be temporarily forced into it, but what's working from home as a postgrad student actually like?
Last Updated: 21 December 2020
