PhDetails is designed to be a blog to share the ups and downs, ins and outs and stories behind biology PhD students from all over the world. We hope to remove some of the mystique surrounding PhDs and give a real insight into what a variety different PhD students did to end up where they are, what they're currently doing with their time, and what drives them.
The idea for PhDetails came in some way from the 'How Molecular Ecologists Work' series from the The Molecular Ecologist. They did a great job in showing how different Post Docs and Profs 'get stuff done', giving the details of technology they couldn't live without, their work routines and their tried and tested time saving lifehacks, however, all of these people are sickeningly successful in the great scheme of things. I became curious about what a similar series interviewing the workhorses of academia, PhD students, would look like. I wanted to know about how they became PhD students, how their work is going (in every other context this is a question to avoid at all costs with PhD students) and what makes them tick. What better way to find all of this out than to interview people from genetics, ecology, conservation biology and behaviour and find out about the fun, serious and absurd parts of their academic history and current projects.
I hope PhDetails not only acts as some therapy for current PhD students but also can shows undergrads and masters students that there are many different paths leading to a PhD (and even more to finishing one). Hopefully PhDetails will help you ignore the 'scarily clever' - 'breezes through university' - 'multiple PhD project offers from world famous unis' - 'doesn't even need to drink coffee to get anything done' students that might otherwise be your only available role model.
The idea for PhDetails came in some way from the 'How Molecular Ecologists Work' series from the The Molecular Ecologist. They did a great job in showing how different Post Docs and Profs 'get stuff done', giving the details of technology they couldn't live without, their work routines and their tried and tested time saving lifehacks, however, all of these people are sickeningly successful in the great scheme of things. I became curious about what a similar series interviewing the workhorses of academia, PhD students, would look like. I wanted to know about how they became PhD students, how their work is going (in every other context this is a question to avoid at all costs with PhD students) and what makes them tick. What better way to find all of this out than to interview people from genetics, ecology, conservation biology and behaviour and find out about the fun, serious and absurd parts of their academic history and current projects.
I hope PhDetails not only acts as some therapy for current PhD students but also can shows undergrads and masters students that there are many different paths leading to a PhD (and even more to finishing one). Hopefully PhDetails will help you ignore the 'scarily clever' - 'breezes through university' - 'multiple PhD project offers from world famous unis' - 'doesn't even need to drink coffee to get anything done' students that might otherwise be your only available role model.
If you're a biology PhD student and would like to be featured on PhDetails then message me on Twitter @PhDetails