phd advice blogs

A Happy PhD

A blog about doctoral productivity, supervision and wellbeing..

Looking for tips, tricks and advice to finish your doctoral thesis on time and with high spirits? Baffled by how little information is out there about how to support PhD students to become independent researchers? As an ex-doctoral student now co-supervising five students , I feel your pain.

“A Happy PhD” is a blog where I distil what has worked for me, as well as recent research in doctoral education, psychology and many other fields. Join our newsletter , or follow the blog on Twitter , Facebook , or via RSS .

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Common problems and challenges in doing the PhD, from mental health (e.g., depression or anxiety) or productivity challenges , to writing or dropping out of your PhD .

Mental health and wellbeing tips and advice : common mental health symptoms in the PhD , tips to avoid dropping out of the doctorate , the importance of sleep , holidays or advice from positive psychology to keep yourself motivated during the PhD.

PhD productivity tips and advice : from the classic Pomodoro technique , to avoiding to-do list overwhelm , dealing with multiple projects and priorities , staying productive and motivated , how I manage my daily tasks or how I do my weekly reviews .

PhD-specific tools , like the CQOCE diagram to conceptualize your PhD, the NABC method to structure your research presentations, or the process I use to write scientific papers or make big career decisions .

Supervision tips and advice , about giving feedback on student papers , or supporting a sense of progress in your doctoral students .

What (else) do I write about?

Recent posts.

Productivity as Avoidance, or How *Not* to Think about Doctoral Productivity (book extract)

If you are a doctoral student struggling to move your dissertation forward, especially in the face of additional jobs, teaching, family, or other obligations, the thought of becoming more productive can be very appealing – to the point of becoming a sort of obsession. After our review of (somewhat caricaturesque) doctoral productivity and anti-productivity arguments , in this post I summarize some of the ideas in Oliver Burkeman’s recent book, Four thousand weeks , which I have found very helpful to reach a balance between my own productivity obsessions and the abandoning of all hope of being any good at my daily research activities.

Is Doctoral Productivity Bad?

In this blog I have written a lot about doctoral productivity tools and advice. Yet, many doctoral students out there may also think that the focus on productivity is exploitative, dehumanizing, and counter to the very spirit of the scientific endeavor. Should we reject the quest for being productive altogether? Should we “quiet quit” our PhDs? This post tries to clarify what I mean by (doctoral) productivity, which may not be the “narrow productivity” view you find in certain research policy or journalistic articles about the topic. That way, you can decide whether it makes sense for you to follow my advice, or get it elsewhere.

Tiny idea: To-do lists are menus

Overwhelmed by your endless to-do list? Stressed because of the many PhD-related tasks you need to “go through”? As we discussed previously in the blog , you are not alone (and ask any already-doctors whether this feeling goes away after graduation). Lately, as I struggle with not-so-new-parenthood-unproductivity in my own research, I have been reminded several times of a mental reframe I first encountered in productivity writer Oliver Burkeman ’s work. This simple metaphor helped me change my relationship with my to-do list, without hurting my productivity (more probably, the opposite).

Tiny practice: Beating procrastination with The Right Now List

One of the top barriers to PhD productivity is procrastination. Have you ever found yourself with a big ugly task getting stale in your to-do list, repeatedly postponed because it is too big, too abstract, or makes you somehow uncomfortable? This tiny practice post gives you an simple trick to beat this sort of procrastination.

ChatGPT's doctoral productivity advice... and four ideas the algorithm will (probably) not give you

We know that making progress is a critical motivational factor in finishing a PhD and maintaining good mental health while we do it. In turn, our productivity plays a big role in whether we make progress on our dissertation or not. As the first post in a series on doctoral productivity, I could not help but fall into one of the thèmes du jour : whether ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence (AI) tools can write a good piece about this topic. In this post, I go over a couple of iterations of (pretty good) computationally-generated advice, and finally give you a few ideas that I think are overlooked by the algorithm.

Tiny idea: Use the Regret Test for daily decision-making

Breathing through the phd: breathwork in the doctorate, tiny practice: boost your workday happiness with natural spaces, tiny idea: subtraction, tiny practice: granny's rule.

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• CAREER COLUMN
• 06 November 2018

Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD

• Lucy A. Taylor 0

Lucy A. Taylor earned her zoology PhD from the University of Oxford, UK. She is now a postdoctoral researcher at Save the Elephants in Nairobi, Kenya, and a visiting researcher in the Department of Zoology at Oxford.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Starting a PhD can be tough. Looking back, there are many things I wish I’d known at the beginning. Here, I have curated a list of advice from current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from the Department of Zoology at my institution, the University of Oxford, UK, to aid new graduate students.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07332-x

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged. You can get in touch with the editor at [email protected].

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Lessons learnt from my PhD so far

It’s been a while since I started my PhD so I’ve been reflecting a lot on my first two years and wanted to share some of the most important lessons I’ve learnt so far.

Disclaimer: as always, I am sharing my personal experiences and current opinions and thoughts. These are in no way representative of everyone’s PhD, disability, mental health, experience and opinions. They may also change over time as I am always learning and growing.

I’m now two and a half years into my PhD program temporally, and two years in registration wise as I’ve taken 6 months of temporary withdrawal so far. I passed the confirmation process (also called ‘upgrade’ or ‘transfer’ at some other UK universities) in February last year which means I’m a PhD candidate now and I have plenty of things that I’ve learnt that I want to share with you. I’ll be covering the impact of the pandemic on my PhD in a separate post so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested. Of course, everybody’s experience of a PhD is different and they work differently even between universities, let alone different countries and education systems. These points also have a bit of a skew towards the experience of being disabled in academia as that has been one of the main roadblocks for me. But I think the following lessons are fairly universal and hopefully, they might help you navigate your PhD better if you’re thinking of doing one!

Without further ado, here are the most important lessons I learnt in my first two years of doctoral study:

You need to structure your time

I guess this is fairly obvious, but it has been something I’ve really struggled with. Whereas during undergrad, I had my timetable dictated by the university which gave a good structure to my time and allowed me to plan ahead to manage my workload, my time as a PhD student is completely dictated by me. I’m in charge of booking meetings with my supervisor, booking lab equipment, making time to read, write, and analyse data. When I started out this meant I was all over the place as I hadn’t really found a good structure for me (I also didn’t disclose my autism to my supervisor for a few months so I was trying very hard to behave neurotypically as best as I could).

To overcome this lack of structure, I now implement what I like to call a ‘skeleton routine’ (which you can read more about in this post I wrote about my planning system). Research is unpredictable and you do need to be flexible in how you work. As somebody who likes predictability and routine as well as struggling with task switching, this was definitely an issue. But the skeleton routine has helped along with a reasonable adjustment to have a work from home day every Friday (which promptly became irrelevant once lockdown started and everyone had to work from home as much as possible!). This means my sensory space is completely in my control and I mitigate social fatigue from interacting with colleagues in person. I usually get the most and the best work is done on my work from home days!

Every student-supervisor relationship is different

I’m sure most PhD students have heard that you have to ‘manage’ your supervisor and there’s definitely some truth to that. It’s a really weird relationship as they are kind of your manager but also a colleague. You’re meant to bring stuff to the table and eventually be fully leading your project so the relationship also changes over time. If like me your supervisor was a lecturer of yours during your undergraduate degree then things get even more mixed up regarding knowing where you sit in the hierarchy.

Throwing into the mix a disability and some mental illnesses for good measure and I think I was a bit of a curveball for my supervisor! Because autism involves communication differences, my non-medical helper and I explained to my supervisor how autism impacts me specifically, emphasising that you need to think about accommodations on an individual basis. It’s really paid off as we now have lots of techniques in place for facilitating communication between us. For example, I find that I will sometimes go into a nonverbal state at work which is not ideal when we have our meetings as his preference is talking face-to-face. So, we’ve experimented with a few things and now we have weekly meetings via teams chat so that even if I can’t speak verbally, he can assess my progress and see my ideas. This has facilitated some great discussions and allowed me to be more confident (I am much better at both conveying my thoughts and processing what is being said to me in writing than through speech). I think we’ve both learnt a lot from each other about communication, accessibility and, of course, physics! I really look up to him both as a person and as a scientist and I know that he always wants the best for me, for me to produce great research and thrive in this environment.

Supervisor relationships are incredibly personal and it truly depends on the unique mix of personalities of the supervisor and the student. They’re not something that you can necessarily get working perfectly immediately and can take time to develop into something beneficial for both parties. Some supervisors are quite hands-on and like to have a lot of contact with you and very regular updates (like mine), but some are very hands-off and only like to meet once a month (quite a few of my peers have supervisors more like this). When applying to PhDs, it can be useful to ask current students who work with your prospective supervisor what their supervision style is so that you can assess whether you’ll be a good fit. I think that this and making sure you’re passionate about their research area are the most important things to consider.

Sometimes experiments don’t work— that’s the nature of research!

This is something I first got a taste of during my R&D internship where I worked on my master’s research project in industry. During undergrad labs, I never had an experiment not work at all. I always found that as long as I followed the lab script I would always obtain the expected results, or at least something similar to what I was expecting. It probably helped that I have a slight flair for experimental work and have discovered that I’m good at setting up and calibrating equipment. But this aside, undergraduate labs don’t really teach you what to do if your experiment doesn’t work at all or if you get some strange results that you don’t understand.

When I first encountered real-life cutting-edge research experiments, it was a bit of a shock to not always get the results that I expected from the theory. But now I love analysing it and investigating the reasons why my results might be doing something new and unexpected. Sometimes ‘failed’ experiments are the ones that give us the biggest insight and the most profound advancements in science!

So, if you can, try to isolate your self-worth from whether your experiments work or not. As scientists, we’re studying nature and finding ways to innovate with what we learn so of course, we will encounter lots of things that we don’t yet understand. If things weren’t failing, we would never make progress and learn exciting new things about our field.

Stepping back occasionally helps you look at the bigger picture

I’m such a detail-oriented person it can sometimes be hard to explain why my research is useful to people. So I’ve got into the habit of forcing myself to step back from the nitty-gritty quantum physics and focus instead on the project as a whole. So far, I’ve found that having reasonably long holidays (I usually try to take annual leave so I have two weeks off at a time) allows my brain to process my research subconsciously and to see the context better. Whenever I return to work after a break, I have so much more clarity on the impact and implications of my work which I don’t think I would get if I stayed buried in the details all the time. It can also help to explain your work to others, like friends and family as this usually forces me to talk about it more generally which inherently situates my work within a broader understanding of it.

Mental wellbeing should always be the priority

Academia is notorious for being a poor environment for mental wellbeing. I’ve written about my mental health experiences in the past here which explores this topic in a bit more detail from the autistic perspective. It goes without saying that your health should always be your top priority, but that often doesn’t seem to be the case in academia. People like to brag about how many hours they work and how they’re always in the lab on weekends. So for those of us who like to keep strict work boundaries, it can feel like we’re not living up to what is expected of a PhD student.

But this just isn’t the case. You shouldn’t be doing so much overtime that it causes you to develop a mental illness. That’s just not sustainable. As someone who already had a diagnosis of anxiety and depression going into my PhD, I already had some coping techniques in place like my medication and therapy. This, along with regular mental health check-ins with myself, helped me manage things better. But still, I fell into the overwork trap early on in my studies which resulted in a few relapses into severe depression and needing to take some withdrawal time from my program.

Since then, I’ve been a lot better at setting clear work boundaries where I don’t work in the evenings and weekends (unless it’s needed due to booking of equipment or I am in a hyperfocus state that I want to make the most of). This has helped me enormously in terms of both my energy levels and my mental health and I encourage everyone to try and set boundaries that fit in with how they work best. Don’t just work all of the time because ‘it’s what PhD students do’. The only way we can change the overwork culture in academia is to push back on it and challenge the status quo instead of falling into the trap that so many others have succumbed to in the past.

Being in limbo between being staff and student takes some getting used to

This was something that I hadn’t really considered until I was in my doctoral program. My university campus card says ‘student’ but in reality, I’m more like a member of staff. I don’t go to taught classes and all of my activities are either research or teaching-focused. I think this is a big misconception that a lot of people have and ‘PhD student’ is a bit of a misnomer, especially in places like the UK where you jump straight into the research project when you start your PhD. But even so, you’re still not a full member of faculty as a PhD student and you do sometimes feel a bit forgotten about. Owning this feeling of being not-quite-student-not-quite-staff took me so long to get accustomed to. It also plays into trying to work out where I sit in the hierarchy that I mentioned before in reference to supervisor relationships. Lecturers who taught me at the undergraduate level suddenly expected me to refer to them by their first name which just felt really odd for a long time!

Self-directed learning is key

Being a researcher is all about self-directed learning. I’ve found that my skills of teaching myself new complex concepts and seeking out information have improved so much since I’ve been a PhD student. During undergraduate degrees, we are usually still ‘spoon fed’ a little bit so transitioning to a PhD can be a bit of a shock. Luckily I had already been reading around subjects I studied during my degree but not having a syllabus to guide me still took some getting used to! As a PhD student, you sit right at the top of Bloom’s taxonomy of learning – create: where you’re producing new or original work.

The only taste of this that I had prior to starting my doctorate was during my research placement and in writing my master’s dissertation. I’ve found that I really have to take my learning into my own hands and this includes identifying suitable people to reach out for help and advice on understanding new concepts. If you’re an undergraduate hoping to do a PhD one day, I definitely recommend reading widely and practising this form of learning whenever you can. Not only will it improve your own understanding of your subject but it will also put you in good stead for a research career.

Writing papers takes way longer than you think it will

I’ll be honest, when I started my PhD I thought I’d have at least one paper published within the first two years. Due to a myriad of factors (mostly thanks to the pandemic), this has not happened. I don’t think that I would have had something published, even if we hadn’t had this strange year to deal with. I don’t know how common this is for other PhD students, but I struggle a lot with my confidence when it comes to academic writing that I know will be seen by other academics so I’ve spent a lot of time in a state of anxiety paralysis towards papers I have on my ‘to do’ list. This seems mostly due to my perfectionism and the fact that everything I’ve been reading is a highly polished final draft that has been through the rigorous peer-review process. Of course, my first draft isn’t going to be of this standard and nobody but me is expecting it to be. I’d quite like to share the various drafts of my published papers online so that others can see the process more as I think it would help me to see more ‘in progress’ academic writing from others in my field!

I also somewhat want to push back on the ‘publish or perish’ mindset that many people have in academia. I’d like to do good and complete studies that I am proud of, even if it takes me a bit longer to expand on the analysis and my interpretation of it- ensuring that I am not falling into selection bias when presenting my findings. This is particularly on my mind as recently, a paper in my field published in nature was retracted which has caused a bit of a stir . Research integrity always needs to come first and I don’t want to get caught out for being sloppy from not spending enough time on things. So I think it’s about finding the balance between my ‘slow science’ philosophy and not being afraid to put my work out there in the academic sphere (I fear I may be using the former as an excuse to hide the latter). I’m now really pushing myself to overcome my perfectionism and have an upcoming deadline for a ‘submittable’ paper draft next month- so watch this space (I’ll try to post an update as to how it goes!).

Don’t compare yourself to other PhD students

I was told this so many times at the beginning of my PhD and I still couldn’t help constantly comparing myself to others. I work in a vibrant research group with fellow PGRs who are brilliant and who I perceive as infinitely more intelligent and better PhD students than me. Part of this is internalised ableism on my part but that is something I’ll write about another day. I think this is something that many PhD students struggle with and it links into the imposter syndrome problem that we always hear so much about. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what other PhD students are doing. Transitioning from undergraduate where you can compare yourself to others fairly easily using grades (something I always did and it damaged my self-esteem a lot), I automatically started doing the same thing. It’s something I’ve been trying to break out of for a long long time but I’m still not there yet. Maybe one day I’ll feel like I am good enough to be a researcher.

Anyway, the main thing I’ve learnt is that everybody’s project is different so you can’t possibly compare them. For example, my project sits slightly outside of the rest of my research group. It’s just me and my supervisor who are working on my material system (InSb) at my university at the moment. Many of those in my group work with silicon and all of their projects feed into each other more (note: I was given the option in my interview and I chose to work with InSb rather than silicon as I think it’s a more interesting material and it’s a smaller research area so there’s less literature to battle with). Thus, there is more group work and bigger teams working together on things like publications for other PhD students in the group. When I see how they already published by the stage I am at in my PhD, I forget this fact and use it to bully myself. Even if I was working closely with other PGRs or if I had published a paper, I’m sure I would find a way to make it reflect badly on me in my head. Let’s see if I can take my own advice and stop comparing to others!

Doing a PhD is a rollercoaster!

This is another thing that I was warned about but didn’t really believe at the time but it’s so true. There’s no escaping the fact that research ebbs and flows. There are weeks where I feel like I do nothing at all and others where I do more than I thought possible. Of course, there are going to be emotional ups and downs – you’re dedicating 3-4 years of your life to a single research project and it can feel like you almost embody your project. I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone who’s said that their PhD was straightforward and easy to manage. From equipment breaking or just not cooperating to unexpected results, you just can’t predict what will happen. That’s research for you! I’ve learnt to embrace the uncertainty and love the challenge that it presents.

If you like my work, I’d love your support!

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10 Essential Dissertation Blogs for Ph.D. Students

If you are anything like me, then having a few blogs and podcasts to follow is essential to every project – and dissertation blogs are no exception.

In this post, I’ll share ten of my favorite research blogs for dissertation students, including academic, writing, and humorous options. (Don’t worry – we’ll get to podcasts another day!)

Dissertation blogs are great, because you can get everything from instructional tips on research and writing to motivational daydreaming and validation for your frustrations. I think these ten blogs offer a good range of what you need to survive the dissertation research and writing process – but let me know what you think!

(And yes – the ReadWritePerfect Dissertation Advice blog also offers these things – but it’s nice to have options, right?)

The Thesis Whisperer

This blog offers ten years of humorous and supportive content from professor inger mewburn..

Director of Researcher Development at The Australian National University, Professor Mewburn writes The Thesis Whisperer with candor, humor, and more than a little bit of inside knowledge. her tips on writing, surviving the dissertation process, and staying motivated are user-friendly and filled with empathy.

Nick Hopwood

Associate professor at the university of technology, sydney, hopwood shares insight on research, academic work, writing, and more..

More formal and authoritative than the Thesis Whisperer, Nick Hopwood is a site for readers who prefer an all-business approach to academia. As well as the blogs, readers can find podcasts and instructional videos on the site.

Get a life, PhD

Although the last post was in 2021, this dissertation blog offers years of blogs on everything from how to find a life-work balance to general tips on academic writing..

Get A Life, PhD is all about finding the balance between letting your PhD fall to the wayside and letting your PhD consume you, mind, body, and soul. I especially love the practical, realistic tips on time management.

Research to Action

This collaborative site offers a synthesis of instructive blogging, online community, and academic debate, all focused on improving research strategies..

The Research to Action site is a pretty comprehensive one-stop-shop for researchers at all levels, from PhD candidate to seasoned researcher. The site itself is well-designed, as as well as instruction, readers can find reading lists, calls for submissions, and even job opportunities.

The Professor Is In

This dissertation blog offers guidance and resources for graduate students and academics from a range of contributors..

Slightly more commercial than some of the other blogs listed here, the key strength of The Professor is In lies in the range of contributors lending their voices and expertise to the content, from a productivity coach to a graduate director to an editor to several professors and assistant professors. Between them, they know everything there is to know about thriving in academia.

The Research Whisperer

This research blog is similar to the thesis whisperer, but more recent and more funding-focused..

The bloggers at The Research Whisperer address topics related to all aspects of academic research. While they “don’t just talk about funding,” there is a real emphasis in the content on the business side of research (such as getting grants and being a union member), as their tag line suggests: “Just like the Thesis Whisperer – but with more money.”

From PhD to Life

This dissertation blog covers topics that help phd students prepare for and transition into life after academia..

Even if you’re not quite ph(inishe)d yet, From PhD to Life will definitely give you something to look forward to – and tips to help you plan practically for it. I particularly like the light, conversational style – it’s a nice break from academia-speak.

Writing for Research

In this research blog, professor patrick dunleavy writes about academia, offering some higher-level insight into the processes and culture of higher education institutions..

Writing for Research  does offer some basic writing and research advice, but what really helps it stand out from other sites is the focus on how academia ticks. There are posts on everything from university organization (why exactly is an academic discipline called a “discipline”?) to open-access and fair reviewing practices – really interesting stuff, in other words.

Tress Academic

Aimed at beginners and dedicated to simplifying things and getting you through the job, this site provides various resources for researchers and phd students..

Not every dissertation student is interested in a lifetime devotes to academia – some just want to get on and get done. Tress Academic offers easy-to-digest advice posts broken down into manageable steps, as well as useful worksheets, checklists, and free training videos. Again, this one has a commercial feel, but it’s still got a wealth of useful material if you need to get the job done quickly.

Supervising PhDs

This is a community research blog from various professors and academics. topics cover doctoral supervision relationships and pedagogies..

Admittedly, a lot of the really useful stuff on Supervising PhDs is aimed at professors and supervisors. However, there’s nothing to say you can’t gift some of the useful checklists, guides, and articles to your supervisor the next time they’re being particularly frustrating…

Need More Help?

Dissertation blogs and forums not your thing? Instead of relying on online communities, get personable and personalized help with dissertation coaching services .

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My Advice and Tips for New PhD Students

I started my own PhD exactly six years ago this week and looking back there are LOADS of things I wish I’d known when I started! Previously I’ve written a whole post about my PhD regrets . In this post I want to focus on actionable advice and tips which I hope will help out any new first year PhD students.

Even if you’re already midway through your PhD I hope that you find some of the advice useful. Do you have a piece of PhD advice yourself? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.

1. Set Up Regular Meetings with Your Supervisor

One of the main things which really helped during my PhD was having regular one on one meetings. Not only do you get an opportunity to check things with your supervisor, they’re also a useful way to stay focussed and disciplined.

Rather than set up ad-hoc one on one meetings when you need them, I’d really push for a regular slot. I had a recurring weekly meeting, mostly just with my primary supervisor but sometimes my secondary supervisor came along too. Some people may find this is too frequent but in any case regular meetings are crucial.

Supervisors will be familiar with many challenges you’re likely to face. They can offer invaluable advice  to not only solve the problem quickly but also offer perspective to put your mind at ease. It is almost impossible that you won’t have anything at all to discuss. In fact you are likely to end up receiving lots of other advice which you may not have been actively seeking near the start of your PhD, such as career guidance.

Some supervisors by default only have group meetings with their PhD students. Whilst they can be great for getting to know what everyone in the group does and for getting feedback, these really aren’t the place to raise a lot of issues to do with your PhD. For starters it isn’t an effective use of other students’ time to sit through you doing a deep dive into technical details. In addition, some topics are far better suited to a private meeting: mental health, a review of your progress etc.

For any prospective PhD students reading this, it’s a good idea to gauge how much support you can expect to receive from a supervisor ahead of time. If you’ve already recently started your project, now can be a great time to set yourself up with regular meetings.

2. Don’t Work Too Hard

When you’re new in the research group it is natural to not want to come across as a slacker to your colleagues and supervisor. However please don’t become that person who feels the need to hang around in the office just to be seen to be committed to the project.

A perk of a PhD is that they’re flexible: you should be able to control your own time and work when you want and take breaks when you want. Some people see this flexibility as merely theoretical and instead end up working really long hours. Please don’t!

Instead I suggest treating the PhD like a job (in a good way!). For me personally I found that working roughly 9-5 Monday to Friday was more than enough time to complete a PhD at a top tier university in less time than average. For more details, including my own calendar just over one year into the PhD, check out the separate post:

How much work is a PhD?

3. Work Smart and Learn to Take Breaks

Working in unison with the previous point about the number of hours you put in per week, a top tip for new PhD students is to learn to work smart and take breaks where necessary.

Repeat after me: don’t waste time being unproductive.

An effective PhD student shouldn’t need to chuck their entire life at the PhD. Instead, learn how you work best and use this knowledge to find a work pattern which boosts your productivity. Along with figuring out whether you prefer to start work earlier or later in the day, I personally found it useful to figure out how long I could sit at my desk before my productivity starting dropping. On the topic of working hours and productivity: no, PhDs don’t need caffeine .

Taking frequent breaks are great, not just for your productivity but also your sanity. By breaks I mean everything from a five minute walk through to a proper holiday away from work.

If you realise you’ve started procrastinating, take a break: reading a few pages of a fiction book or taking a short walk can do wonders for PhD motivation and your mental health. Breaks are particularly important for anyone starting to feel the potential effects of burnout. In fact it may be worth reading my whole post about PhD burnout .

PhD Burnout: Managing Energy, Stress, Anxiety & Your Mental Health

Beyond daily walks, take days off when you feel like you need them. While you no longer enjoy months off in a row like undergraduates, do be sure to take holidays too: yes PhDs should definitely take holiday. Here is how much annual leave I used up for holidays throughout my whole PhD .

4. Start Thinking About Publishing

Clearly you’re not going to be in a position to publish original research for quite some time (as first author at least), but your first year is often filled with a lot of reading. In addition to using this reading to help with your project direction, you could turn this into a writing exercise which can be useful for three key reasons:

• Boost your understanding of the topic. Writing things down in your own words will strengthen your comprehension.
• It can form the basis for the literature review in your thesis. Always useful! Also handy for any early stage milestones that your university has. Mine had a checkpoint at nine months where it can be pretty handy to demonstrate that you have some idea about your research field!
• A relatively easy and early publication: a review article. It’ll really help give you confidence in the publishing process.

One of the best research groups I collaborated with during my PhD had an initiative where all first year PhD students should try to publish a review article. I think this is a great idea and wish I’d considered it myself so consider publishing a review article a top tip for new PhD students!

Before I tried submitting my own first original research article , which wasn’t until over two years into the PhD, I found the whole publishing process quite overwhelming and intimidating. Had I dipped my toes in early with a review article I’d have realised it wasn’t as complicated as I suspected (as with most unknowns) and instead probably tried to submit my own research much sooner. I’ve since written an entire series of guides about publishing your own paper, check it out here:

Writing an academic journal paper

5. Get Some Good Habits Started

There’s no better time to get some good habits established than when you’re just getting started with your PhD.

Have a think about what kind of habits you’d like to have by the end of your first year as a PhD student and start putting plans in place to work towards them.

Good habits may include:

• Using a calendar so as to not be late to meetings or lab bookings
• Reflecting on times that you procrastinate and instead pushing yourself to take proper breaks
• Healthy and low-cost eating habits . Nothing is more important than your health, and what you eat is a key part of keeping yourself healthy. At least in the UK it can get really expensive really quickly if you buy prepared food (cafes, restaurants, takeaways) for all of your meals. Instead, I strongly suggest starting to cook for yourself. It is much cheaper and usually more healthy. I wrote a series of posts about cooking during a PhD, check them all out here:

Save money as a student: cook delicious & nutritious meals on a budget!

• Getting a good amount of sleep. I won’t prescribe how much sleep to get or when your bed time should be (I’m not your parent!) but just know that getting into a regular sleeping pattern to stay fully rested will do wonders during your PhD. I already mentioned how caffeine consumption is not a prerequisite for those of working in research and sleeping enough so that you don’t feel tired is a good starting point.
• Doing regular exercise . Try to make it something that you enjoy so that you stick with it. Want to be uber efficient? Combine it with your commute: I cycled to work during my PhD . Bonus points for any exercise which is sociable.

6. Get Involved

As interesting as your research may be, your PhD shouldn’t all be about working on your own in the lab. Take the opportunities presented to you. Such as:

• Collaborations. Working with other people can be much more fun than working on your own and could lead to some interesting developments for your own project.
• Presenting at meetings and conferences. It is a great experience. Scared of presenting? Even more reason to get started.
• Side projects. Got another idea you want to try? Give it a go!
• Make connections. I don’t want to bore you with networking spiel, instead I’ll just say that making connections (or hopefully friends!) with lots of people around your department, university or elsewhere can really enrich your PhD experience.
• Learn new skills. Not just “boring” lab stuff like analytical techniques, think about anything else in life you’ve always wanted to try. For instance you can join student sports clubs and societies like any other students at university. I tried scuba diving and gliding during my PhD and I’m so pleased that I got involved. Read my whole post here about opportunities during your PhD:

How to make the most of opportunities

7. Enjoy It!

There is no doubting that a PhD can be tough at times but do try to enjoy it and remind yourself how lucky you are!

As a PhD student you’re in an enormously privileged position. You’re getting paid to be a student, which in itself is pretty great but on top of that you get to become an expert in a topic you find interesting. It is pretty amazing really. My final tip for new PhD students is to savour the PhD experience. The years will fly by before you know it, so make sure to take a breath once in a while to appreciate where you’ve got to and where you’re going.

A Quick Summary of Tips for New PhD Students

• Set up regular meetings with your supervisor(s)
• Don’t work too hard
• Work smart and take breaks
• Start thinking about publishing
• Get some good habits going
• Get involved
• Most importantly: enjoy it!

Good luck to all you PhD students, new and old. Hopefully these tips for new PhD students help give you some ideas to make your PhD a more pleasant experience. Do you have any other ideas for tips to help out PhD students? Let me know.

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Top 50 Blogs for PhD Students

50 best blogs for ph.d students.

Whether the most rewarding or alienating of times, whether your job prospects are good or grim, you’re one of the best and brightest, and you’re being given years to research what you find most fascinating. Here are the best blogs for your unique struggles, needs, triumphs and entertainment. Here’s to you, Ph.D candidates.

• Gradhacker : this Inside Higher Ed blog focuses on general trials, tribulations, tips, tricks, and thoughts on the process of seeking your Ph.D.
• Ph.D. Life : while this blog is British, there are still tons of tips, tricks, insights, and some humor regarding the process of being a Ph.D student.
• Ph.D works : this blog focuses on everything you need to know for writing dissertations and theses. From effective research, to writing tips, to submitting papers for publication, this blog covers it all.
• Ph.D 2 Published : similarly to Ph.D works, this blog focuses on academic writing for theses and dissertations, but focuses more on academic publishing, particularly for the first timers.
• Get a Life Ph.D : this blog focuses on general productivity and life tips for writing your thesis. It also focuses on how you can have a family, and perhaps (gasp!) a life while a Ph.D student.
• The Thesis Whisperer : thoughts on the Ph.D process, writing a dissertation, humor, and general life hacks for Ph.D candidates, edited by director of research at ANU, Dr. Inger Mewburn.
• The Dutch Ph.D Coach : this blog, from the Netherlands, offers both life, writing, teaching, and general well-being tidbits for Ph.D candidates and students.
• Schoology : this blog offers general thoughts on heading to graduate shool, obtaining a Ph.D, and most particularly, how technology and educational media plays a roll in the process.
• Grad Resources : this blog focuses on a number of areas of support and advice for all 2.5 million graduate students in America. General topics include time management, balance, finances, productivity, your community, dissertations, and relationships.
• The Grad Cafe : this forum offers a vibrant community sharing insights and camaraderia for those in graduate school. Sign in to view and share content on a variety of topics.
• My Graduate School : this blog is written for anyone in the process of preparing for or trying to gain acceptance into a graduate school. The blog is told by Dave G. Mumby Ph.D, a professor at a major university in Montreal.
• Terminal Degree : this honest and oftentimes humorous blog centers around the quest for tenure in the south, also includes a look into life dealing with students, and advice.
• the Graduable : this blog is provided by a Victorianist who blogs about navigating academia, practical advice for being in grad school, education in general, and personal musings.
• The Stingy Scholar : as you might have guessed, this blog focuses on the intersection of saving money and academia. Particular discussions focus on obtaining texts cheaply, politics that affect the cost of education, and online education opportunities.
• Iterating towards openness : this blog focuses on the goal of educational openness, and emphasizes “pragmatism over zeal.” Posts include personal stories from school as well as larger policy thoughts.
• Ph.D Comics : this site offers humor in the form of comics on being a Ph.D student. Other entertaining aspects of the site include the Ph.D movie as well as a merchandise store.
• the Grad Student Way : this blog is maintained by Dr. Ryan Weaver, a Ph.D graduate in cellular and molecular pathology. The blog is filled by humor about the ups and downs of graduate school, as provided by a number of sources.

Productivity

• Academic Life : this blog focuses on productivity tips for aspiring and established academics, including reading suggestions, and a free e-book titled 4 Common Mistakes Every PhD Student Should Avoid.
• To Do: Dissertation : this blog offers advice, support, and general thoughts about making it through the process of writing a dissertation.
• Phinished : this forum is an attempt to keep members accountable and making progress as they write dissertations, theses, chapters, or books. There are also sections focusing on advice for navigating academic after you have obtained your degree.
• Pro Quest : this platform allows for graduate students to communicate about finishing their dissertations, as well as to upload their work to be cross referenced and commented on by other grad students.
• Faculty Focus : this blog, put on by Magna Publications, is offered in the hope that it will help promote quality higher education teaching strategies from graduate students as well as full professors.
• Constructing the Academy : this blog focuses on those in the early stages of working in the humanities, with tips on how to balance research and teaching, productivity, and what you might not have learned in graduate school.
• Practical Ethics : this blog presents up-to-date analysis of the ethics of technology, science, environmental policy, public health, and information ethics. The blog is maintained by researchers at the University of Oxford.
• Girl Scholar : this blog follows a tenured “Associate Professor of Medieval Stuff” as she talks about moving up in the academic world, tips for academics, and just general thoughts on life.
• Academic Cog : this blog follows the journey of a Ph.D level literature student, with humorous anecdotes, thoughts on grad school in general, and tips on higher education.
• Epistemic Value : this blog focuses on epistemology, the philosophical branch focused on theory of knowledge, with employment information, up-to-date news from the field, and general grad school thoughts.
• The lyf so short the craft so long to lerne : this blog follows the life of Melissa Ridley Elmes, doctoral candidate at UNC in English and women’s studies. The blog covers a variety of angles about teaching including Melissa’s teaching philosophy, as well as thoughts on the grad school process.

Natural Sciences

• Benchfly : this platform enables science marketers, researchers, and teachers to collaborate through educational videos. The site has tons of food for thought, quick ways to refamiliarize yourself with scientific concepts and experiments, and great videos to share with students.
• Occam’s Typewriter : this blog is a network of scientists who like to blog about the latest science developments, humorous anecdotes, the state of academic science today, and teaching tips.
• Happy Science : this blog has entertaining science tidbits, musings on being a Ph.D student, science writing tips, and academic productivity in general.
• Swans on Tea : this blog focuses on a mixture of physics, technology and humor, with a focus on what it’s like to be a scientist.
• Looking at Nothing : this blog gives up to date data on recent chemistry research and breaks down basic concepts to graduate level work for the layman.

Social Sciences

• The Monkey Cage : this blog was named the Week’s top blog of the year in 2010, and seeks to publicize political science research, provide commentary, and provide some non-academic distractions.
• PhDiva : this blog focuses on items reported lost by the government, and re-locating them through research. The blog is maintained by a published Archeologist named Dorothy King.
• Grad Psych Blog : this blog is presented by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students, and offers general graduate studies and dissertation advice that is tailored–in particular–to graduate level study of psychology.
• Grad School Guru : this blog, presented by Psychology Today, offers tips on preparation and gaining acceptance to graduate schools in psychology.
• Chaos and Noise : this blog is by a PhD student exploring Australian small business owners’ use of social media to promote their businesses online. Research, trade talk, and the life of a Ph.D student are all tackled on this blog.
• Ph.D Blog (dot) Net : this blog focuses on a PhD candidate at the University of Nottingham who is in the process of examining how doctoral practice and identity development are facilitated by social and participatory media.
• Cognitive Daily : this blog focuses on developments and neat tidbits in neuroscience. Whether Ph.D students wish to look inside how other students learn, or they personally learn, neuroscience and education are the focal points of this blog.
• Math Ed : this blog focuses on the intersection of research, policy, and practice, with a special emphasis on mathematical teaching.
• Reidar Mosvold’s Blog : this blog is by a professor at the University of Stavanger, and pulls you into the world of mathematics research and teaching.
• PhD Plus : this American Mathematical Society blog is provided by an early career mathematician as she experiences the challenges of being an early career academic at Bates College.

Computer Science

• Communications of the ACM : this blog centers around the leading publisher for computing and information technology fields both in print and online.
• Matt Might : this blog focuses on both computer science specific posts, as well as general productivity, study, and thesis defense tips.
• Vivek Haldar : the blog of a back end programmer at Google who received his Ph.D in computer science some years ago, the blog features trends within the Ph.d in computer science industry, thoughts on industry developments, and some academic thoughts as well.
• The Professor is In : this blog is presented by a one time department head, and tenured professor at a R1 institution. She has since left academia, yet offers advice to those not sure if it is the right path, or having trouble. The Ph.D debt survey is particularly valuable.
• Leiter Reports : this blog is centered on philosophy grad school, and is one of the best locations for finding out detailed employment and placement data post grad school.
• How to leave Academia : this blog focuses on providing peer to peer support for students looking for a post-academic future.
• Alternative Ph.D : this blog centers around alternative (non-academic) career paths for graduate students. A particularly valuable list of other blogs covering those who have forged their own paths after academia is a centerpiece of the blog.

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Compilation of Advice for ML PhD Students

I need guidance as transitioning directly from an undergrad at Minerva University 1 to a PhD student at Brown University is already difficult enough, let alone being in a competitive machine learning field. Hence, I put together a compilation of recent resources for budding researchers like me.

Before I started my Ph.D. program, I frantically searched for advice for incoming ML PhD students. What are the right things to do? How to be successful? Any mistake to avoid? I have come across many great advice posts/threads/videos, and I notice that many recent ones are scattered around the internet. These recent posts usually paint a more up-to-date landscape about ML research field, which has observed an unusual exponential growth in publications and a dissatisfactory review process.

Therefore I have compiled these recent resources, which are written or revised after year 2017, here in an alphabetical order.

Alex Irpan - The 5 Year Update on Skipping Grad School (and Whether I’d Recommend It)

This post puts the question “What to (really) get out from a PhD program” in perspective by comparing doing research in industry and in an academic program. By knowing the differences, I can focus on opportunities unique to my PhD.

Arun Kumar - The Secret Lives of Millennial CS Assistant Professors (Part 1)

Even though this Medium article targets Assistant Professors as its audience, I benefit a lot from reading about how Arun chooses problems to work on and to collaborate on. I particularly like how he values intellectual independence and takes advantage of academic freedom. Besides, his takes on research dissemination and freedom of speech inspire me to be more outspoken.

Bill Freeman - How to do research

I’m adding this as a third-year PhD student because I think the advice of “in graduate school, it’s the hard workers who pull ahead.” and “you can build up intuition about what matters with simple toy models” really stands the test of time.

Christof Monz - So, you want to do a PhD…

This is one of my most favorite blog posts for the fact that Christof based his advice on the end goal of “finishing the PhD thesis”, so his tips are very actionable. On top of the things to do, he also detailed the situations to anticipate at different stages of PhD education.

Diana R. Cai - Tips for New PhD Students in Machine Learning

This blog post touches on many skills that PhD students need to equip. One thing I like about Diana’s post is its comprehensiveness – it even includes a section about working from home!

Dmytro Mishkin - How to navigate through the ML research information flood

I love this information-packed deck of slides because it talks about different strategies of reading ML papers, metrics to evaluate quality of papers, and most importantly, what to do after reading the papers. My favorite part is Dymtro’s breakdown on task understanding.

Eric Gilbert - Syllabus for Eric’s PhD students

I believe Eric’s document is applicable to every PhD student as it dives deep into the expectation of an advisor, the realities of the research job market, the daily schedule of a researcher, and many more. I particularly like the section discussing how many projects to work on concurrently as I fit his description of an anxious student.

Generalized Error - My Machine Learning Research Jobhunt

What to expect during an interview for research position in industry? Unlike its software engineering counterpart, the interview preparation resources for research role are scarce. This post, from an anonymous writer, attempts to shed light on this topic.

Heng Ji - The Art of Doing Good Research

Heng has a unique take on internships and collaborations. As a person who loves collaborative research, I feel great knowing that collaborations will come naturally. When you read this article piece, make sure to spend some time thinking about “how we can have it all”.

John Schulman - An Opinionated Guide to ML Research 2

I believe that PhD is a journey of honing research taste, and John concisely outlined different possible ways to achieve it. He also provided a heuristic for gauging if we are changing our research projects too liberally - we should have many small dead-ends from exploring new ideas and a few projects from start to finish.

Maithra Raghu - Reflections on my (Machine Learning) PhD Journey

I specifically love how Maithra talks about actionable tips to deal with the feeling of being stuck and the importance of community. Her framing of “Why PhD?” is succinct: become an independent researcher with a rich (articulable) research vision.

Michael Ernst - Advice for researchers and students

Michael has compiled a collection of his advice for students, covering important topics such as attending conferences, applying for internships, and using version control. Do I mention that he even included advice for running a conference committee meeting? Whether being an early-stage or an experienced researcher, almost anyone can learn something from him.

Peng Billy Xu - Navigate Through the Current AI Job Market: A Retrospect

This post is not necessarily oriented for PhD students, but Peng’s experience with interviewing for current AI jobs is helpful for us who are looking for opportunities in the industry. I particularly like how he discusses and breaks down the AI job spectrum.

Ronald T. Azuma - A graduate school survival guide: “So long, and thanks for the Ph.D!”

This post is like a graduate school handbook dedicated for CS students. It got me thinking about my views about PhD (it’s a job, period) and the qualities of a successful researcher.

Sebastian Ruder - 10 Tips for Research and a PhD 3

Sebastian’s advice is brief and to the point. I resonate with his advice of working on two projects, where one of which is high-risk-high-reward. In fact, the reason this piece of advice caught my attention is that my PhD friends had advised me to only work on one project.

Shomir Wilson - Guide for Student Research

I particularly like the section “Common Obstacles” in Shomir’s blog because it acknowledges that many problems are just parts of the research journey. For instance, the first obstacle “slow start” perfectly describes my first summer semester as a PhD student. I like that Shomir went into details on how he handled them.

Swapneel Mehta - Interview Advice for Research Internships in Data Science

Incredible resource of Swapneel’s interview experiences at big tech firms for the research positions. He also gave another compilation of advice in this Tweet .

Tom Silver - Lessons from My First Two Years of AI Research

Tom’s recount of his learning is in accordance with other blog posts here (although the specificities may differ). I particularly like Tom’s analysis of the fundamental motivations of researchers (and their papers). In my opinion, his point about how these motivations shape the research papers goes beyond publications – it extends to the reviewing process, the public perception of deep learning, and even the Twitter clamor about AI.

Yannic Kilcher - Machine Learning PhD Survival Guide 2021

Yannic’s video was released just in time when I started my PhD. The Venn Diagram for topic selection helps me objectively evaluate whether a certain research topic is suitable for me.

During my time, there was no research groups at Minerva University led by professors, and professors did not need to publish papers.  ↩

I have picked up the habit of writing weekly research journals after reading John’s blog.  ↩

Sebastian’s sixth tip motivated me to start a blog during my PhD.” %  ↩

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Ten great blogs for PhD students

• June 28, 2012
• evalantsoght_uw8lmy
• Uncategorized
• 36 Comments

Since I started reading blogs at 6 months into my PhD program, I’ve gained some valuable insights from my favorite blogs. An exhaustive list would only lure you into getting more clutter into your information stream – so here are my 10 favorites (in no particular order)

1. Happy Science Cheek-in-tongue blog on science, social media, and pharma-research. If the thought of seeing your make-up under a microscope makes you giggle, don’t hesitate and head to Happy Science.

2. Peoplegogy This blog reads like a magazine, with a wide range of topics that I enjoy reading very much. You particularly might like the “Doctoral Confessions” series.

3. The Dutch PhD Coach I was planning to drop the link to Arjenne’s “Louter Promoveren” blog in Dutch when I discovered there is now an English offspring too. Great content – these articles might as well come from a book with advice on the PhD process.

4. Only a model A website and blog by a fellow PhD student in Structural Engineering. Interesting posts on finite element modeling, workflow processes and academic teaching.

5. Dr Sustainable Only about a month old, this blog has managed to provide some great content and a lively forum with comments. I have high expectations of seeing more interesting content coming up here.

6. Get a life, PhD Combining a career in academia with a family, and still finding time for yourself? I enjoy reading this blog while wondering how my future self will relate to these issues.

7. Gradhacker Life- and studyhacking for graduate students – with contributions from a large authorship.

8. Matt Might’s blog While the computer science in there is all Greek to me, the articles on graduate school and productivity are very much worth reading.

9. PhD2Published With a wealth of wisdom on academic writing in its archives, this blog also provides a Weekly Wisdom sections on Everything You Wanted to Know in Academia.

10. Thesis Whisperer We don’t need to introduce this one, right?

Five Lessons for Science Teachers

Flickr Image under CC license by ceolmTeaching science, especially to…

I am Kimberley Mitchell, and This is How I Work

Today, I have the pleasure of inviting Kimberley Mitchell in…

Inside Higher Ed’s leaving or staying in academia

I saw two interesting articles passing by on Twitter.A manifesto…

Thanks Eva!

Hi, nice list! some good additions to my reader. I'm fairly new to blogging as I'm a first year PhD student in child development/genetics and thought I would post on some of the things I learn along the way. It's probably not classed as one of the great blogs but feel free to check it out at: http://squirreledthoughts.wordpress.com/

Thanks for pointing me to your blog, Joanna!

Eva,Thanks for including my blog. I am humbled. I am always surprised that people actually read my blog, especially since my blog features such a \”buffet\” of content. Thanks again,Will

ooh thanks for the inclusion Eva!!

Apart from my own blog Next Scientist , which I think is awesome, I have compiled a list with great science blogs , some of which we share.

Thanks for sharing your links, Julio!

Thanks for these useful links:)

Also checkout sachristopher.wordpress.com

I love reading PhD blogs especially the first blog site hosted by a certain Happysci, Happy Science. And it's good to know that she just finished her PhD. Me? I'm just starting so it will still be a long way but I'll enjoy my time. http://www.collegepaper.org

Here is one on how to save money while doing a PhD: http://www.onefrugalscholar.blogspot.com

New, and I mean NEW to blogging–still figuring out blogger.com–that new. I'm also a new doctoral student–just started this month. I'd like so share my blog with others in the Education arena–I'm in education and don't want to bore anybody with the inside scoop on an education doctoral journey. If possible, post the reply, and I'll follow directions. Thanks.

Would you be interested in writing a guest post for PhD Talk on your doctoral journey?

Hope My Blog http://guruofmovie.blogspot.in Will Also Achieve This Milestone

Great post!!

Im intresting eve lansoght

Great post… I am fairly new to blogging as well, I began last month http://adamchehouri.blogspot.ca/ and find it amazing the impact a simple blog can have and the experience you gain from it.

I have developed a simulator in ns-2 for heterogeneous mobile and wireless networks that makes vertical handovers between wlan, wimax, umts according vertical handover decision algorithms. If some PhD student in the beginning phase is interested to research in this area this simulator is excellent for getting results and simulate different scenarios. Write me on [email protected] for any help.

Enjoyed this, thanks. Shameless plug – I have just started a blog on my recent transition from research to industry. Maybe I'll make your next top ten! http://drtipper.blogspot.co.uk/

This comment has been removed by the author.

I would like to introduce to you a new place where you can have full access to ways to increase the quality of your scientific artwork. keepcalmandpublishpapers.com keepcalmandpublishpapers.com is a new site that contains tutorials, guidelines and more. Whether you are a researcher, a student or just a science enthusiast, you may find resources for yourself. Please have a look and leave us any feedback on the new site at keepcalmandpublishpapers.com – and I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for the list of blogs, Im half way through them so far so ive bookmarked this page A+

Good luck with the second half of your PhD!

I found your post when looking for Ph.D blogs similar to mine – I find it's really helpful to see what other Ph.D candidates are up to, to keep me motivated and inspire me to write more. Writing about my research, and life in general, actually pushes me to get more done. I'm just coming to the end of my first year, and hoping to continue blogging throughout my Ph.D journey.

Thanks for sharing this PhD. blog list. Some of them look really interesting.

Great List Eva, Thanks for sharing. I have also started blogging about career options after PhD on http://www.gradcompass.com . would be great to hear your views.

The documents are highly efficient and convenient to read. Reviews are one types of experience in custom essay writing . It describes and highlights the writer's piece of writing. In this reviews are expressing the value of something from the writer.

Great gift for PhD students! https://www.etsy.com/listing/491992296/seize-the-data-academic-mug-phd-gift-11?ref=shop_home_active_4

Hi everybody, I'm also a new doctoral student in technical field-just started this month. and I need some advices to start my research

Hi Azamat, welcome to reading my blog! Hope you find interesting information here.

Thanks for providing this helpful article.

Great list! This site might be helpful too for PhD students. Expontum ( https://www.expontum.com ) – Helps researchers quickly find knowledge gaps and identify what research projects have been completed before. Thanks!

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30 Best PhD Blogs and Websites

• The Thesis Whisperer
• Northeastern University PhD Education
• Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD Blog
• FInd PhD Blogs
• IMISCOE | PhD Blog
• Foster Blog » PhD
• Get a Life, PhD
• PhD Assistance Blog
• Olga Degtyareva, PhD
• Research Degree Insiders Blog
• The Dutch PhD coach Blog
• The Slow Academic
• A Happy PhD
• Thrive PhD Blog
• How to Write a Phd in a Hundred Steps (or More) Blog
• The PhD Careers Blog
• PhD Academy Blog
• From PhD to Life Blog
• PhDStudent Blogs
• The Professor Is In Blog
• Finish Your Thesis Blog
• Hanna Erickson, MD, PHD Blog
• patter » starting the PhD
• How to PhD Blog
• Anuja Cabraal (PhD) Blog
• Adventures of a PhD
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PhD Bloggers

• PhD Newsletter

Here are 30 Best PhD Blogs you should follow in 2024

1. The Thesis Whisperer

2. Northeastern University PhD Education

3. Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD Blog

4. FInd PhD Blogs

5. IMISCOE | PhD Blog

6. Foster Blog » PhD

7. Get a Life, PhD

8. iLovePhD

9. PhD Assistance Blog

10. PhD Life

11. Olga Degtyareva, PhD

12. Research Degree Insiders Blog

13. The Dutch PhD coach Blog

14. The Slow Academic

15. A Happy PhD

16. Thrive PhD Blog

17. How to Write a Phd in a Hundred Steps (or More) Blog

18. The PhD Careers Blog

19. PhD Academy Blog

20. From PhD to Life Blog

21. PhDStudent Blogs

22. The Professor Is In Blog

23. Finish Your Thesis Blog

24. Hanna Erickson, MD, PHD Blog

25. patter » starting the PhD

26. How to PhD Blog

27. Anuja Cabraal (PhD) Blog

28. Adventures of a PhD

29. Fearless Grad Blog

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Windows 11, version 23H2

April 23, 2024—kb5036980 (os builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527) preview.

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Release Date:

OS Builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527

2/27/24 IMPORTANT: New dates for the end of non-security updates for Windows 11, version 22H2

The new end date is June 24, 2025 for Windows 11, version 22H2 Enterprise and Education editions. Home and Pro editions of version 22H2 will receive non-security preview updates until June, 26, 2024. 

After these dates, only cumulative monthly security updates will continue for the supported editions of Windows 11, version 22H2. The initial date communicated for this change was February 27, 2024. Based on user feedback, this date has been changed so more customers can take advantage of our continuous innovations . 

For information about Windows update terminology, see the article about the  types of Windows updates  and the  monthly quality update types . For an overview of Windows 11, version 23H2, see its update history page .  

Note  Follow  @WindowsUpdate  to find out when new content is published to the Windows release health dashboard.      

New! The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. These apps come from a small set of curated developers. This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available. If you want to turn this off, go to Settings > Personalization > Start . Turn off the toggle for Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more .

New! In the coming weeks, your most frequently used apps might appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu. This applies to apps that you have not already pinned to the Start menu or the taskbar.

New! This update improves the Widgets icons on the taskbar. They are no longer pixelated or fuzzy. This update also starts the rollout of a larger set of animated icons.

New! This update affects Widgets on the lock screen. They are more reliable and have improved quality. This update also supports more visuals and a more customized experience for you.

This update affects the touch keyboard. It makes the Japanese 106 keyboard layout appear as expected when you sign in.

This update addresses an issue that affects Settings. It stops responding when you dismiss a flyout menu.

Improvements

Note:  To view the list of addressed issues, click or tap the OS name to expand the collapsible section.

Important:  Use EKB  KB5027397  to update to Windows 11, version 23H2.

This non-security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:

This build includes all the improvements in Windows 11, version 22H2.

No additional issues are documented for this release.

This non-security update includes quality improvements. When you install this KB:

This update adds a new mobile device management (MDM) policy called “AllowScreenRecorder.” It affects the Snipping Tool. IT admins can use this policy to turn off screen recording in the app.

This update adds support for Arm64 .msi files using a Group Policy Object (GPO). You can now use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to add Arm64 .msi files. You can also use a GPO to install these files on Arm64 machines.  

This update addresses an issue that affects the netstat -c command. It fails to perform effective port exhaustion troubleshooting.

This update addresses an issue that affects a low latency network. The speed of data on the network degrades significantly. This occurs when you turn on timestamps for a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection.

This update addresses a race condition that might stop a machine from starting up. This occurs when you set up a bootloader to start up multiple OSes.

This update addresses an issue that affects an accelerator backing store management path. A memory leak occurs that affects some devices.

This update affects media allocations. It improves their memory granularity for some hardware setups. This lowers overcommitment. Also, performance is more efficient.

This update affects Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2). Intermittent name resolution fails in a split DNS setup.

This update addresses an issue that affects universal printers. The system creates duplicate print queues for them.

This update makes Country and Operator Settings Asset (COSA) profiles up to date for some mobile operators.

This update addresses an issue that affects the container networking Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). It returns the wrong Virtual Subnet ID (VSID) for external ports.

This update addresses a memory allocation issue in the Host Networking Service (HNS). The issue causes high memory consumption. It also affects service and pod deployment and scaling.

This update addresses an issue that occurs when you elevate from a normal user to an Administrator to run an application. When you use a PIN to sign in, the app will not run.

This update affects hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI). It accepts drivers that are now compatible.

This update includes quarterly changes to the Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file, DriverSiPolicy.p7b . It adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.

This update addresses an issue that affects Protected Process Light (PPL) protections. You can bypass them.

This update addresses an issue that affects Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) hardware offload. A stop error occurs on PCs that support it.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC). A memory leak occurs when it retrieves mappings.

This update addresses an issue that affects Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS). Its Post Authentication Actions (PAA) do not occur at the end of the grace period. Instead, they occur at restart.

This update addresses an issue that affects the Resilient File System (ReFS). A high load might make the system unresponsive. Also, signing in might be slow.

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

Windows 11 servicing stack update - 22621.3522 and 22631.3522

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates. 

Known issues in this update

How to get this update.

Before installing this update

Microsoft combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest cumulative update (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates  and  Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions .

Install this update

If you want to remove the LCU

To remove the LCU after installing the combined SSU and LCU package, use the DISM/Remove-Package command line option with the LCU package name as the argument. You can find the package name by using this command: DISM /online /get-packages .

Running Windows Update Standalone Installer ( wusa.exe ) with the /uninstall switch on the combined package will not work because the combined package contains the SSU. You cannot remove the SSU from the system after installation.

File information

For a list of the files that are provided in this update, download the  file information for cumulative update 5036980 .  

For a list of the files that are provided in the servicing stack update, download the  file information for the SSU - versions 22621.3522 and 22631.3522 . 

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