"What I wished I'd known when starting my PhD" with Chloe Lee
My fabulous first guest is Chloe Lee a 3rd year History student undertaking a practice-as-research PhD. Chloe talks about three key things that she wishes she had known more about when she was starting her PhD. Shares how she structures her time and creates a manageable rhythm for working. She talks about her own experience of part-time work as a helpful aspect in shaping her week and we touch on the importance of transition moments in the day and how to make them work for you. She shares her own methods for self care and personal development - if you would like to know more about the enneagram system that Chloe discusses The Ennegram Made Easy by Baron and Wagele gives a really clear and simple outline. We discuss how a commitment to promoting well-being can help to shift the culture of the academy. I mention the book Academic Tribes and Territories by Becher and Trowler that explores the process of enculturation into academic life and we note that the new generation of researchers have the opportunity to challenge established norms. Chloe reflects on how she wished she had realised what a big challenge the PhD would be on many levels and shares her process of developing healthy boundaries and support structures.