by Randi J Task

Created on: March 28, 2009

I did a PhD the hard way in the UK. What you need more than anything else is a driving desire to do some research and an idea of how that research and its completion will help bring benefits to the area of your interest and to the wider community and environment in general. This may of course mean finding a better career path.

It's probably easier to get into a PhD immediately after an undergraduate or Masters program but you can do it later in life when you may be sure that it is what you want to do. After realizing you want to do this, and mustering the interest, you need money and a supervisor.

Money represents stability, and you can't do the PhD with ease if you are not stable. You need to eat, sleep, relax and be able to afford a rent/mortgage. You may have to rely on your friends, parents, college or institution, spouse or employer to support you one way or another.

Good PhDs always need a great deal more support than your supervisor, even if you have the money. A supervisor is not as crucial though it can be the difference between joy and grief in the process of your research. You'd be lucky to find a supportive supervisor, many just take the credit and do the minimum. You will ideally need many other academics to help you, to deal with various technical aspects you can't do yourself. You may need extra training as in statistics, molecular biology, experimental methods. On a PhD you should always be willing to be open to learn and apply new skills. Finally, you need to work very hard in quiet surroundings: privacy and room to do your work is vital. A library with the references you are after is ideal or if you are lucky, an office. These days the internet is essential. Communicating with helpful friends, colleagues and institutional affiliation in the widest sense of the word are vital.

If you don't have enough money, you could do your work on a Part time basis and work the rest of the time. Say three days of work and two days for research. University jobs are ideal as they create time in the long holidays for you to pursue work. They also offer internet access and other perks including quiet places with heating (or may be AC), a stimulating environment and theoretically, access 24/7, yes a PhD often demands burning the midnight oil, though you can sleep for part of the day.

The process of doing a PhD is typically divided into three phases: finding a project and reviewing the literature; doing the research including experiments or fact finding and writing

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>