Starting a PhD in the humanities

So, you're starting as a brand-new PhD student with UCL. You may or may not be starting that journey on campus due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. What happens next? What do you actually do? This is where things get very different between humanities PhD students and scientists – all I know about the science PhD life is that there are lots of labs involved! As a PhD student in the humanities, though, I can tell you a bit about the things you’ll be up to in your first year.

1) Supervisors: The amount you’ll meet your supervisors varies – some supervisors set very regular meetings, while others could be more ad hoc. Similarly, some supervisors will set deadlines to deliver work by, while others will let you come to them when you’ve written something or want help. Don’t be afraid to contact your supervisor about any aspect of your work, if you’re unsure what you’re doing! They’re there to guide and support you. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, you'll most likely be having your supervisor meetings over Microsoft Teams whether you're arriving on campus or working remotely to begin with. There is plenty of support around the use of Teams and other digital communication tools so you shouldn't feel isolated and unable to contact your supervisor during this time. Remember, they're here to help you and are just a Teams call away.

Visit the ISD Remote Learning page for further support and advice around getting started remotely.

2) Reading: Prepare to do a lot of this during your first year! It’s good to structure and limit your reading plans in some way – otherwise it’s very easy to be led down an endless rabbit hole of citations and texts you feel you really ought to follow up on. Remember, you’re never going to be able to read it all – so don’t feel as if you have to try!

Find out more about support and access to digital library resources if you're working remotely due coronavirus.

3) Writing: My supervisor encouraged me to start writing really early on, and it was great advice. You’re not going to be producing finished thesis chapters from the off, but you might write literature reviews, thoughts about your project, or rough essays on aspects of your work. Writing helps develop your thinking and keeps your work structured – and you’re building up material you can rework later on!

Visit the Students' Union Advice Service for Language and Writing Support.

Visit the ISD software database for free access to helpful note-taking/citation/writing software such as Endnote, MS Office, etc.

4) Other stuff: There’s lots of additional stuff to take on as well as the nuts and bolts mentioned. You could attend or present at conferences (where possible amnd most likely these will be held digitally) – this is a great way to network, hone your presentation skills, and get valuable feedback on your thinking. When these are allowed to restart in person, there will likely be a fair few events and seminars at UCL and across London that you might want to get involved with, and your department probably has a graduate work in progress seminar or research society to attend. Or there’s always the Three Minute Thesis competition, if you’re looking for a challenge!

PhD research gives you more liberty to pursue your academic interests than you’re probably used to – this is great, and being able to develop and change your work freely is a massive benefit of the research experience. But it can also be a bit overwhelming! I’d recommend working with your supervisor to put a structure in place for your early work, so you don’t end up drifting. Overall, though, take the time to enjoy your first months as a PhD student: read things you wouldn’t otherwise read, explore areas of your subject you might not get around to otherwise – it’s the chance of a lifetime!

The UCL Doctoral School have created a response plan to coronavirus for research students outlining ways of working and advice for specific groups of students during this period.

Visit the Doctoral School's Response plan to coronavirus page to find out more information.

Simone Webb, PhD student in Gender Studies & Regular Countdown to UCL contributor