Starting the PhD journey: Insights from the Research Skills Course

Starting your PhD: Facing the journey ahead

Starting a Research PhD is an exciting prospect, but the more you learn, the more you realise you don’t know. When starting off, we all have an idea of where we are going, and how we might get there—after all, we have worked hard to be offered the opportunity in the first place. However, it’s only once you take those first few steps and look up that you see the enormity of the mountain ahead of you, and this is where The Bartlett School of Environment energy and Resources Research Skills course was so invaluable. 

Anna’s journey from industry to PhD research

I'm Anna, a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and I have more than 10 years' experience working in the energy sector, analysing and designing offshore structures. Prior to working in industry I completed an MEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering. I am researching how the UK TIMES energy systems model, which is used to inform energy policy decisions by the UK government, can be improved with high-resolution building stock data. So far, my PhD journey has felt very much like "jumping in at the deep end", particularly because I've started the journey after a three-year career break following the birth of my third child! It has only been made possible by joining as an EPSRC student, because I was able to apply for a specific research project that had already been allocated funding, and through this I receive financial support to study.

Within BSEER, the welcome and settling-in period has been friendly and inclusive, and it's been great to see that the programme attracts people from all sorts of backgrounds. Below, I share my experiences on the BSEER PhD Research Skills Programme.

An introduction to The Bartlett School of Environment energy and Resources PhD Research Skills Programme

The programme, led by Dr Shih-Che Hsu and Professor Ian Hamilton, was spread over five days and arranged into four main themes:

1. How to be an effective academic,
2. Professional skills,
3. Research skills, and
4. How to communicate well.

Learning from experts: A closer look at research and communication skills

In each of these areas there were multiple classes, and experts were invited to give lectures or run activities to engage with the students on specific topics within those themes. Research and communication skills included research design, presenting and critical thinking, amongst others, while professional and academic skills covered topics from networking to research ethics to project management. 

Networking highlights

Throughout the course we were regularly encouraged to consider how the material related back to our own area, and to start incorporating those skills into our own work, for example to create effective project plans, to consider whether we will need ethics approval, and to think critically about what we are reading. The course also included networking opportunities, such as an elevator pitch evening event and an Escape Room social, where we could get to know each other more and learn about each other’s work. 

Mastering research skills and the art of presenting at conferences

A particular highlight of the course was a presentation on Rapid Realist Systematic Review (RRSR), which is a specific and very efficient technique for literature review. Speaking afterwards, many of the students were confident that the methods demonstrated would be well-suited to their own projects and many were itching to give it a try straight away! Another highlight was 'Presenting at Conferences' where we were given amazing insights into what makes a good presentation, the little things you might not consider when speaking with an audience, and a step-by-step guide for writing a great elevator pitch. 

Reflecting on the experience: Collective energy and shared tools

Reflecting back, I think the most valuable part for me was the sense that while we are all at the start of the PhD journey looking up at our own mountains, there is a collective energy that we will all make it together. Within our cohort there is such a range of backgrounds and everyone brings with them a different skillset, but the Research Skills course brought us all together and gave us all the same set of tools with which to take the first steps on the journey.

Are you interested in studying a sustainable resources?

Discover more about the course and the career opportunities it could unlock by visiting the UCL Graduate prospectus. 

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