It Is What It Is

If you’re anything like me, you’ve had teachers throw out the word thesis right and left when it comes to papers. It’s that little word that gets slipped so casually into essay prompts: “Make sure you have a strong thesis,” or the dreaded, “You must submit your thesis before you begin writing your paper.” But have you ever been unable to go to sleep because you were trying to figure out what a thesis actually is? No? Just me? Regardless if you’re still confused about what a thesis does or why you need one, this is the post for you. 

Read on as I answer the question: “Dafuq is a thesis?”

I’ve just passed my confirmation review so I’m officially a second year PhD student!

I’ve learnt a lot over the last year (and I’ve realised what I need to do in my second year to make my life easier and more productive) so I thought I’d share the top ten things I’ve learnt during my first year as a PhD student.

Just a bit of background info: I’m a self-funded arts and humanities PhD student in the UK. Self-funding is fairly common amongst arts and humanities students in the UK (only a few people I know are funded) so my situation is very different from that of funded students and students in the USA or elsewhere.

1. A PhD is a marathon, not a race. I’ve finished one chapter and I’ve almost finished another (and I started another but that’s on hold for now) which is great for my first year but this isn’t a process I can rush. Research takes time and I don’t doubt that at some point I’ll go back over my first two chapters and rewrite them.

2. Drafts are meant to be bad. The first draft of my first chapter was horrendous but I needed to get feedback from my supervisors. I hadn’t written anything in over a year (yay for gap years) and I needed to find my style again. Don’t waste time worrying about how bad your drafts are, just send them in and use the feedback to improve your work.

3. Make friends and be social! I’m very lucky that I fell into a group of PhD students who share my interests and are amazing people. They’ve known each other for years but they’ve welcomed me with open arms and I finally feel like I belong somewhere. I’ve learnt a lot from them about research and about the PhD.

4. Share your research and go to conferences. I’ve presented at two (very different) conferences this year and I’ve gained so much from them. Yes, funding can be a problem but if you can afford to go then do it.

5. Maintain a work/life balance. I need to work on this one because I currently work on my thesis Monday to Friday and then I work a part-time job on Saturdays and Sundays. I had to take some time off from work due to ill health which was caused by (and I’m quoting my GP here) ‘burning the candle at both ends’. You need to make time for yourself and I need to do that more often. I did just go on holiday for two weeks to Florida and I feel completely refreshed now.

6. Keep your notes neat. My notes from my first year are on loose leaves of paper and I’ve had to collect them into a folder to try and keep them together in some type of order. I’ve bought a new notebook to keep my second year notes in though. Also, my conference notes are in my bullet journal but they’re going to be transferred into a new notebook too.

7. Apply for all funding possible. I managed to get a conference bursary (based on the quality of my abstract) for one of my conferences this year but I’ve also had funding from my department to cover some of the cost of another. £100 might not seem like a lot but it was £100 that I could keep in my bank account for another day. I’m currently in the middle of applying for £800 for an international conference.

8. Save everything you write. If you ever decide to delete something from a chapter then transfer it into a different word document (or whatever you use) and make a note of which chapter it came from and when you removed it from that chapter. You never know when you’ll need it. My document full of deleted paragraphs is called ‘deleted scenes’.

9. Keep your references and bibliography up to date. Future you will thank you for actually putting in the footnote rather than just writing ‘footnote’. Even a shortened version of the footnote will work, as long as it’ll still make sense to you in a year or so.

10. Read everything. If someone recommends a book or article to you then read it. Put it in your annotated bibliography and you’ll always have a record of what it was about even if you don’t think it will be useful to your thesis. You never know what will be useful in the future. Research is about reading and engaging with other research so don’t dismiss the work of others.

Here are some ideas for sensory stimulation for when you are studying~ this should be used on top of the normal study tips you see around (get up and walk around to take a break, stretch, drink water, etc.), I found that by taking small ‘mini’ sensory breaks I can focus better. 

Taste

different flavored mints

hard candies

gum

flavored water or teas

coffee

These are for when you aren’t really hungry-if you are hungry then grab yourself a snack- fruits, veggies, cheese/crackers, and yogurt are the ones I most often pack

Smell

A nice hand cream/lotion (I have this really nice pink peach one that I love)

Essential oils (it is easy to keep a small bottle in your backpack)

perfume or cologne in a roller

Wearing clean clothes (the smell of laundry detergent can be so nice)

Touch

Having clothes that are different textures (comfy scarves, soft shirts, textured tops, etc.)

Leather briefcases/packs ~ if you have one I am super jealous

Laptop cases (I have a felt one which is nice and is a different texture than what I normally touch)

Fidget toys can also be useful if that is your cup of tea-they get a bad wrap but can be useful to some people.

Visual

Taking a break from screen time is key- even just looking away for a few minutes can help. 

I like to study in places that have some sort of visual stimulation like libraries,cafes,that way I just have to look up for a break.

Auditory

Music-esp. classical and lo-fi are best because they have limited words to distract you

There are also a number of apps you can get that simulate rain/thunder/fire crackling/cats purring/etc.

If you can handle constant auditory stimulation then studying in public places that have a natural ‘hum’ it works well such as a cafe or even the dining center.

The main sections are: 

Abstract: a general overview of the paper’s content. It’s good to start here first, to sort of “seed” the ideas and concepts of the paper into your head.

Introduction: the general overview and setting of the paper. Sometimes you’ll find brief descriptions of key concepts or phrases

Methods: Read at the end, the technical jargon might be too heavy to for your to read this first.

Results:

Conclusion/Interpretation/Discussion: the hypothesis is either accepted or rejected. Reading the conclusion can help you decide if you want to spend your time reading the paper or not if you are looking for a specific method of doing something.

References: Read to familiarize yourself with the common titles, sources, and theories. 

Tip: Read the  Intro, and conclusion before you read the rest of the paper, its the fastest way of knowing what’s in the paper. 

Look out for the keywords key contribution and significant. 

Step by Step instructions: 

 Read Intro and Conclusion

 Identify the big question - what is this paper about?

Summarize the background in five sentences - why is this research important?

Identify specific questions - What exactly are the authors trying to answer with their research. 

Read methods

Read results and write down a sentence to summarize the result of each experiment. 

How do the results answer the specific question?

Read the conclusion section - Do the authors think that the results answered the big question?

Now read the abstract - did it match what happened?

Sources: 

https://medium.com/ai-saturdays/how-to-read-academic-papers-without-freaking-out-3f7ef43a070f

i spend way too much time on spotify and thus have way too many playlists, but here are some of them as a thank you for 11k !!

neptune / soundtrack to a warm coffee on a sleepy afternoon 

pluto / 3am, lying upside down off the bed with dim phone light on your face

saturn / laughter, pillow fights and intentionally bad singing-along

mars / quiet piano floats through the window on a warm, windy evening 

lunar / during windows-down summer car rides with your friends

solar / fingers tracing on a thigh and quiet evening humming 

jupiter / gentle, wordless, beats to see you through revision 

eclipse / a soft voice paired with a guitar, and a cup of tea

earth / for dozing off amidst gentle yawns, wrapped in blankets

cosmos / a face amongst the crowd, stairs to the subway, city lights

galaxy / clink of glassware and muted murmurs amongst background jazz

sapph / for the girls who love girls

How Many Earths Would Fit Inside The Sun

If The Moon Was Replaced By Saturn

Prop Used For Close-Ups In The LOTR Movies

United States Compared To The Moon

Traffic Light

Road Signs

Michaelangelo’s David

Great Pyramid Of Giza Compared To A Human

Size Comparison: Titanic Vs. Modern Cruise Ship

Humpback Whale And Diver

Salt Water Crocodile

Giant African Land Snail

A Full Grown Wombat

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Eagle Talon Vs. Human Hand

Gorilla’s Hand

hey guys!!!

so this entire past month has been extremely, extremely stressful for me because i had so many exams and i only realised how hideously unprepared i was for them on the day before the exam, which was really really awful. so in the middle of september i created a studyblr to keep myself motivated + get some helpful tips from the studyblr community on how to go abt studying for tests. the results proved to be super helpful and ive resolved to keep running this blog for as long as i can, because it really helps me stay motivated and i’ve already learned so many things from the community, despite the fact that i’ve only been here for around a month.

but anyways, i decided to create this masterpost in order to help others stay motivated + keep studying not only well but also properly i.e. not necessarily studying for exams but life in general, if that makes sense.

~ staying motivated + focused

coffitivity

download the forest app

chrome site blocker

self control app

try the pomodoro technique

pomodoro printable

getting back on track

guide to staying motivated

an excellent post full of great advice

lots of great advice from an a levels student

masterpost full of motivational quotes

how to avoid procrastinating

100 reasons to study

how to study like a harvard student

motivational movies/shows

types of learners [what method of learning works for u]

motivation for harvard students [and basically all other students]

~ staying organized

5 habits of organized students

set up a bullet journal [1][2][3]

keeping school notes organized

use dropbox to store important files

masterpost on organizing schoolwork

a super awesome n helpful video tutorial

how to organize ur desk

how to study space

study space guide

study space tips and guidance

guide to study guides

atracker - track ur time and stop procrastinating [mobile app]

minimalist organization

masterpost on time management

time management tips

how to be productive

how to use a planner

effective planning system

~ note-taking

notability [ios app - best note-taking app imo]

note taking overview

cornell method

summary foldables

fastest way to take notes

simple, creative note-taking

how to make ur notes look pretty [infographic]

how to make ur notes look pretty [video]

taking notes from textbooks

taking notes during lectures

for: maths [1]

for: history

how to make mind maps

great supplies and stationery u could use to keep notes pretty and organized

what is visual note-taking?

how to: visual note-taking

what are sketchnotes?

how to: sketchnotes

masterpost on note taking methods

~ research techniques

how to google effectively

use google scholar as an alternative to google

one of the best websites for research [esp. while doing science projects at the last minute…i would know]

alternative to wikipedia

find books in nearby libraries

openlibrary [ebook library]

online journal search engine [find scientific publications]

~ essay writing

guide to writing a great essay

HUGE general writing masterpost [including essays]

a huuuge essay writing masterpost

how to write a university-level essay

how to connect ur points and ideas: transition words

editing checklist

advice: college application essays

improve ur vocabulary 

check the readibility of ur essay

website which grades ur papers and essays

~ free online resources & courses

openculture 

mit opencourseware 

the open university 

coursera 

khanacademy

codecademy [how to code]

memrise

study geography

online calculator

maths masterpost

amazing maths + general knowledge site [u must check this out!!!]

maths cheat sheets

mathway [solves any maths equation]

website that balances chemical reactions for u

study guides for many subjects

windows apps [not all study-related, but useful anyways]

more phone apps for productivity

list of great apps every student must have

crash course: psychology

crash course: world history + world history 2

crash course: anatomy and physiology

crash course: astronomy

crash course: big history

crash course: chemistry

crash course: biology

crash course: literature

crash course: us history

crash course: economics

crash course: us government and politics

crash course: intellectual property

crash course: ecology

free ebooks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

masterpost of free ebooks

~ languages

memrise

duolingo [20+ languages - very fun and interactive]

lang-8

thesaurus

reverse dictionary [1]

learning vocabulary

how to learn any language

HUUUUUGE language masterpost [so many languages and resources]

literature masterpost [for english - reading something other than textbooks is important yo]

english literature for college students [masterpost]

english literature: sparknotes

english literature: cliffnotes

english literature: shmoop

english literature: crash course

english literature: novel guide

no fear shakespeare

self-studying languages

spanish: advice

spanish: getting started

spanish: vocab

spanish: grammar and spelling checker

french: advice

french: getting started

french: vocab

french: grammar and spelling checker

french: masterpost of amazing resources

japanese: getting started

korean: masterpost of amazing resources

~ survival tips + advice

how to study for ANY subject

10 mistakes when studying

101 study tips

studying for a test

general study tips

how to study

how to survive high school

how to survive college

college survival masterpost

things to avoid doing

college: applying for scholarships

giving presentations

improve ur handwriting

resume cheat sheet

productive + relaxing afterschool routine

productive study breaks

emergency life hack: send last minute assignments after the last minute without getting into too much trouble

~ mental/physical health

the thoughts room

the dawn room

the quiet place

it will be okay

international suicide hotlines

iphone feature [to use in case of emergency]

emergency chat [mobile app]

sleeping tips [1]

dealing w insomnia

bedtime calculator [1]

stress management

how to reduce stress

staying calm during exams

grief masterpost

list of happy things

motivation for when ur not feeling so good

~ stress reliefs

clear ur mind

healthy study snacks

mug cake masterpost

smoothie masterpost

salads masterpost

more study snacks to boost brain activity

creepy sites

taylor swift tumblr replies

draw cool neon things

musical sea creature

watch a cool dream

watch any tv show/movie

just shower thoughts

poptropica [so underrated, my favourite game site, it’s for kids but it’s so entertaining and so much fun]

plant personality quiz

cookie clicker

make cool colourful silk

make virtual sand art

fake tweet generator

fake text generator

listen to calming sounds

huge masterpost full of fun stuff

~ music

ghibli music

coffee shop blues

classical music masterpost

masterpost of studying music

classical vocal music masterpost

cute nostalgic piano music playlist

my favourite instrumental playlist of all time

my studying/instrumental playlist collection on 8tracks

i think that includes most of the best resources i could find!!! feel free to message me in case 1) any of the links are broken, 2) u want me to add on to something, 3) u have a suggestion for a masterpost [i would love that so go ahead and ask if u do] or if u just wanna talk! also, feel free to reblog and add ur own comments/resources. hope this helped!! 

Notetaking

Sound Note - take notes while you record audio

Evernote - notetaking that syncs across platforms

Paper 53 - minimal notetaking that syncs

Microsoft OneNote - collaboration and syncing, best for Office users

Google Keep - jot things down, best for Google suite users

Notability - take notes and annotate PDFs

Mindly - create mind maps

Day One - a digital journal

Flash Cards

Quizlet - the quintessential flash card app

StudyBlue - another commonly used app

Cram - best for its “cram mode”

Eidetic - uses spaced repetition for effective memorization

Planner 

My Study Life - schedules, tasks, reminders, and more

StudyCal - keeps track of tasks, exams, and grades

24me - automated reminders and event planning

iStudiez - schedule and prioritized task list

Google Calendar - a calendar, best for Google users

Glass Planner - a calendar and to do list with incredible functionality

To Do List

Clear - organized to-do and reminders

MinimaList - simple to-do and focus timer

Trello - collaborative project organizer

Todoist - clean and functional task manager

Default notes app on your phone

Time Management

Forest - plant trees by staying focused

Pomotodo - pomodoro timer with to-do list

Timeglass - custom timers

Tide - pomodoro with white noise

Alarmy - forces you out of bed 

Pillow - smart alarm that tracks sleep cycles

Productivity

Workflow - automate tasks

Habitica - turn your habits into an RPG

Continuo - simple, colorful activity tracking

Freedom - block distracting apps

Free Learning

Coursera - free MOOCs

TED - listen to Ted Talks

Duolingo - language learning

Memrise - spaced repetition language vocabulary

Khan Academy - free video lessons

Ambient Noise

8tracks - curated playlists

Spotify - online music streaming

Coffitivity - cafe ambience

Noisli - background sound generator

Rain Rain - rain sounds

Binaural - binaural beats

Health

Rockin Ramen - recipes based on ramen

MealBoard - meal planning

Lifesum - healthy eating

Stop Breath And Think - mindfulness meditation

Pacifica - mental health management

Sworkit - personalized video workouts

Waterlogged - hydration tracker

Reference

WolframAlpha - Google on steroids

Oxford Dictionary - all of English at your fingertips

RefMe - citation generator

PhotoMath - solve math problems by taking a photo

Mathway - step by step math help

Desmos - free graphing calculator

Wikipedia - not the best source, but it’s handy

Miscellaneous 

Companion - stay safe when walking alone

Mint - money management

Toshl - finance manager