Month: February 2019

The discs and the doctorate — why I played Ultimate Frisbee whilst finishing my PhD

Posted on by Doctoral College

Sarah Garner with her Ultimate Frisbee team.

This week, our ‘5 Weeks of Wellbeing’ theme is ‘Be Active’. To kick us off, Sarah Garner, a final-year PhD student in the Bristol Dental School, tells us how she balanced the demands of her PhD with fitness training for the World Ultimate Frisbee Club Championships — and how that helped her get fresh perspectives. 

October 2017: I’ve just started the final year of my PhD. Whilst I’m not in dire straits, the lab work isn’t going as well as I’d hoped, and I definitely feel like I’m behind where I want to be. I’d had good intentions to write up as I went but this quickly fell by the wayside. So I feel the pressure is on, and time is limited. I have a new job lined up for next October and the start date is non-negotiable. But it’s fine, because I’m just going to spend the next year really focusing and putting in the hours on the PhD. Got a plan. Phew. A few 12 hour days in the lab and I’ll be fine.

November 2017: I find out that my club Ultimate Frisbee team has just qualified for the World Ultimate Club Championships in the USA in July 2018. I’ve played with this club for 12 years, captained it and coached. This is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work. I should be excited, right? Bubbles of excitement are spreading through my team. I really want to get excited about it too — there’s nothing like the thought of playing a world championship with a bunch of great friends to get the adrenaline flowing! But, having played at international tournaments before, I also know what’s involved in the preparation: a lot of fitness training! Two weights sessions a week, a conditioning session and anything from 2-4 team training sessions as well. Plus throwing practice, stretching, rolling and yoga. Oh, and a 5k run here or there if you fancy squeezing it in. They say it’s important to ‘stay active’ whilst you’re doing a PhD, but this is possibly a bit overkill.

How can I possibly fit this in around my PhD?

In my heart, I knew I desperately wanted to play, and I also wanted to be at my fittest and strongest possible, so I could play my best. So I’d need to put in the hours doing the fitness. I also knew how physically and mentally tired that can make me feel — not exactly conducive to high level PhD research and writing! So what to do?

I spoke to friends, teammates, my partner. I knew what I ‘should’ do — forget frisbee for once and concentrate on the PhD. I didn’t speak to my supervisors, as I thought I’d knew what they would say — it’s up to you, but the more time you put into the PhD this year, the better. I was torn between my head and my heart!

So what did I do?

I went to the world championships with my team. I reasoned that, if it was what I really wanted to do, I would make time for it, and it would be a useful way of switching off at the end of a long day in the lab.

How was it?

Really, really tough. The fitness programme we had was designed to make us ‘peak’ at the time of the championships, but we were told that up until then chances are we’d feel exhausted, ache in funny places, and be totally sick of frisbee. And we did.

How did I do it?

Every Monday morning, I sat down and looked at my week and decided when and where I could fit in each of the sessions I needed to. I did gym sessions before work twice a week. Sometimes it would really wake me up for the day, and other times when I sat at my desk by 9am I’d feel like I wanted to sleep. That’s where my good friend strong coffee came in.

In the summer we trained as a team twice a week after work. I usually managed to make it on time, but I made it clear that sometimes I wouldn’t be able to leave the lab bang on 5pm and I might be late. My teammates were very understanding and supportive. The other sessions I did ad hoc in evenings or at weekends when we weren’t playing tournaments. And if I missed the odd session for whatever reason, I didn’t beat myself up.

It was really hard to balance training for sport at a high level with trying to complete a PhD. But I also think it kept me sane; it gave me something else to think about and strive for, that had a definitive end point — unlike a PhD, where there’s always more you can do and so you never get that satisfaction of ‘I’ve finished’ until you’ve done the Viva.

Seeing all of my friends train and prepare around me whilst I wasn’t would have given me serious FOMO and probably would have distracted me enough that I would have lost almost as many hours to thinking about what could have been as I would have spent doing the training in the first place!

The final year of a PhD is never easy. Whilst I took the ‘keeping active’ part to the extreme, what I realised was that doing something that you enjoy — whether that’s a walk around the park at lunch or travelling overseas to play a week-long world championship, or anything in between — does help to keep you sane, as it allows you to think about something other than research, just for a bit. PhDs aren’t the be all and end all, and, whatever anybody tells you, the world will keep turning regardless of your findings.

Doing something that allows your brain to get away from the PhD for a bit is so important and will help you look at it with a fresh pair of eyes on your return. Sometimes I find getting the endorphins flowing really helps me kick start some lab work or writing. Find something that works for you and schedule it into your week — it’s as much a part of doing a PhD as being in the lab or library!

Want to get active yourself? Here’s the full list of activities that we’re holding as part of our ‘Be Active’ week. All activities take place in the PGR Hub, on the 1st floor of Senate House, unless otherwise stated.

Competition! Whether it’s jogging, juggling or jujitsu, we want to know how you take active breaks from your research degree. One random comment will be chosen at 5pm on Friday 1 March, and its author will win a free session with a personal trainer at the University of Bristol Sport Centre. (Please note that the competition is open to current Bristol PGRs only. To take part, see our posts on Facebook or Twitter.)

And remember to pick up a free 5 Weeks of Wellbeing zine from the PGR Hub! Collect a sticker for an activity each week and you’ll be entered into a prize draw — and you could win a wellness hamper worth up to £100!

5 reasons why you should apply for Research without Borders

Posted on by Doctoral College
Bec Rengel at the 2018 Research without Borders showcase exhibition
Bec Rengel at the 2018 Research without Borders showcase exhibition

Bec Rengel, the Bristol PGR who picked up the ‘best-communicated exhibit’ prize at the 2018 Research without Borders showcase exhibition, reflects on the festival — and why getting involved was such a positive experience for them.

We’ve all been there. You’re slogging through that research degree (for me it was my MPhil), but it isn’t nearly where you hoped it would be by now. In fact, you’re caught in between being proud of your work, and wanting to bury it in a shallow grave while you flee the country assuming a new identity.

This is how I felt when I applied for Research Without Borders (RwB) in 2018. And here’s 5 reasons why you should too:

1. It helps your research

When designing your stall, you need to think about engaging, creative, and clear ways of conveying your research to members of the public. It prompts you to look at your research in ways that you might not have before, giving you a fresh perspective.

Talking with members of the public, you’re forced to examine every aspect of your arguments, sources, and results. For example, during one in-depth discussion, I ended up having a huge breakthrough and discovering a strong answer to my primary research question. I’m not saying that’ll happen for everyone, but it’s almost inevitable that you’ll come out of RwB with more ideas, clarity, and even new directions for your research.

2. Careers, Careers, Careers

Believe it or not, RwB is a huge event that really packs a punch on your CV. If you’re looking to continue a career in academia, public engagement experience is an absolute must and RwB can help kick-start your career.

If you’re heading outside academia, RwB shows employers that you can manage your own projects, think creatively, and engage audiences. It’s also a fantastic way to improve your communication skills, making interviews that tiny bit less terrifying!

3. Get out of the bubble

Sometimes you can get completely lost in your research, consumed by #gradlife, and forget why you started your degree in the first place! After all, we don’t just do research for ourselves, but to make a contribution to society in our chosen field.

RwB gives you the opportunity to take your research directly to people, finding out what people outside universities think, as well as seeing just how your research can make a real difference in their lives.

4. Get creative

Even if you don’t think you have a creative streak, you’ll be amazed at what you could do! I saw robotics demonstrations, magic, a full pub set-up, screen printing, interactive maps, guessing games. It doesn’t even have to be something particularly elaborate. Sometimes the simplest thing like an artwork display or a prompt for attendees to write their fondest memory of Bristol were enough to draw people in.

5. Networking

RwB doesn’t just showcase your work to the general public. You’ll also be able to meet industry professionals from a huge range of sectors. And don’t despair my fellow Arts and Humanities researchers, RwB isn’t just for science, technology, or business! I met professionals working in heritage, education, civil service, journalism, research, law, you name it! It was fantastic to see what people with degrees like mine went on to accomplish.

You’ll also get the chance to meet amazing fellow PGRs, researching everything from bees to Beauty and the Beast. Research degrees can be pretty isolating — particularly when, like me, you’re working alone with mountains of books every day. RwB is the perfect opportunity to make new friends and leave your self-imposed solitude in the library or lab.

You won’t regret it and you’ll leave with a stronger research project, vital skills, new friends, and great memories. Go ahead and apply!

Want to give it a try yourself? It’s not too late! Just complete the Research without Borders application form before 11am on Thursday 28 February 2019.

Take notice tips with Jiahe Lu

Posted on by charlotte.spires

A man meditating | 'Take Notice' caption

Our ‘5 Weeks of Wellbeing’ theme for the upcoming week is take notice. We invited 2nd year PhD student in the School of Cellular and Molecular Science, Jiahe Lu, to share her advice and insights on why taking notice has helped her throughout her research.

Hello Bristol! I’m Jiahe, a PhD student working on T cells and cancer. In my day-to-day research, I do a lot of imaging of cells –  and that has helped me embrace being an amateur photographer. I always take notice of colours and movement and am ready to capture the moment. So, it seems like I am one of those who has a lot to share about how “taking notice” has had a positive impact on my wellbeing.

As a researcher in the early stage of my career, pressure from my project and too many repeat experiments means I have sometimes felt isolated and depressed. My low mood at these times further prevented me from making progress in my project and my wider life, which ended up as a vicious circle. Therefore, I think it’s beneficial for young researchers to keep up a dynamic communication with the environment around them, and drive towards an active status of noticing the world, both mentally and physically.

Instagram

I’m an Instagrammer myself so maybe that’s why I found Instagram a good way to appreciate the world around me. By following some of the Bristol local Instagram accounts like @visitbristol and @bitsofbristol, people new to Bristol could be busy enough for a whole year —- Bristol looks awesome everywhere and you’ll want to pay a visit yourself to all of its neighbourhoods and parks! For people like me who have been in Bristol for many years, it’s a delightful experience to look through others’ eyes and rediscover the place you’ve become so used to –  and maybe even bored with. Sometimes, when I take a lower view of a familiar sight, or stand behind fences, the world is different and inspiration sparkles.

 

Also, I’m a fan of plants, so I visit @uobroyalfortgardens very often. Royal Fort Garden is the mystery garden closest to you and don’t assume you know everything about it. For example, I never knew there is a loquat tree and its flowers smell sweet! Go and have lunch with your colleagues at Royal Fort Garden, spring is around the corner –first daffodils, now crocuses, and then next up is the cherry blossom, we’re really spoiled…

I post my all my lab work’s live cell imaging experiments on my Instagram, as they make incredible art. In my experiments, the cell signals bloom like fireworks; and watching T cells hunting for cancer cells beneath the microscope really is a hunger game!

I love the hashtag my colleague Grace posts, #mypolaroidPhD, as my PhD is indeed a visually enjoyable project and on top of that, I’m a polaroid fan!

Photography

If following others’ views means to take in information, then photography means to put out your own. Take pictures of the blue sky and balloons, take picture of people’s smiles, take pictures of children hand in hand with their parents, take pictures of old couples cuddling each other…

You don’t need to be an expert or have a good camera. Catching the world’s beautiful moment is a present to yourself, and you can revisit your pictures from time to time to remind yourself how lovely the world is, and what a tender person you are. In Japanese the word “tender (優しい)” is commonly used, and I believe having a peaceful mind saves us from low self-esteem. If you’re stuck in your research project and you feel blue, move your sight away from your desktop for a while. Maybe there’s a rainbow in the sky, or maybe there’s a seagull who wants to come in and do some science!

Enough talking about pictures, you may never notice what a remarkable view your workplace has. I’m proudly claiming that our lab has the best birds-eye view of Bristol at night. But I admit that Queens Building has a better view of sunset since it has the Wills Memorial Building in its frame. I strongly miss the library of the old Biological Building, as you can see the best autumn foliage from there.

The view outside my desk (and we can see rainbows every month from our lab!)

I always said to myself that “this is a world worth living (in Chinese, 人间值得)” on my way home, when I noticed how clear the dark sky was and how the diamond stars twinkled there, and then the early dark in winter is forgivable!

At the end of this blog I really want to say you don’t have to force yourself to pay attention to everything happening around you. But when you sniff the danger of sinking into loneliness and indifference during your academic life, remember you can recharge your battery by noticing the beauty of nature and the community right around you.

My Instagram:  @jiahe_lu

 

For this week’s theme, join us for any of the following activities designed to help you take notice within your wider research community. All activities take place in the PGR Hub, 1st floor of Senate house, unless otherwise stated:

  • Mindfulness mural – colour in the walls!: All week
  • Tai Chi: Wednesday, 20 February, 7:30-9:30pm
  • Guided meditation: 22 February, 1-1:45pm
  • *Virtual activity*: share a mindful moment on social media and tag the Bristol Doctoral College. All entries receive a free bookmark or coaster in exchange, available to collect from the PGR Hub

Pick up a free 5 Weeks of Wellbeing ‘Zine from the PGR Hub – collect a sticker for an activity each week, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a wellness hamper worth up to £100!

Putting the pieces back, together

Posted on by charlotte.spires

Two faces on jigsaw pieces

Our ‘5 Weeks of Wellbeing’ theme for the upcoming week is connect. We invited 1st year PhD student in English, Surangama Datta, to share her thoughts on what the theme of connect means to her and her research.

Research, as I see it, is like a package deal. “Pushing the boundaries in your field” comes with having to push internal boundaries. There are days when I feel like a super productive PGR ninja, smashing away at my keyboard with high levels of passion (and caffeine), clearing my email inbox like a pro, and totally nailing deadlines. And then there are days when all I have is a blank page. And lots and lots of funny cat videos.

After an entire vicious cycle of blank page, funny cats and anxiety, the white page continues to be just as daunting. The more I stare, the larger it seems to get. Meanwhile, “I am not good enough” starts playing on loop in my head.

Slowly but steadily, I shatter into pieces and begin to fall apart.

As a first year fresh-into-the-research-oven PhD student, I have days when I feel absolutely paralysed by the fear of this huge mountain called my PhD. I feel lost, confused and one hundred percent like an impostor.

I have always had the tendency to keep my struggles to myself and it is only recently, after a few moments of letting go and finding surprising results, that I have finally started to realise that sometimes, reaching out can be the antidote you convince yourself you don’t need, but which you positively do.

So here are three things I highly recommend for days days we can’t, just can’t:

1. Connecting to people you know
This could be friends, family, or anyone else that is close. Just call, meet, email or text. This is a safe space where you can be yourself and vent, vent vent away! These people are often the best qualified to remind you of your worth, how you need to take it easy, and know you well enough to understand your struggles. This is the most personalised help you will get. And sometimes, you will find that your friend, or sibling, or even your fellow researcher, is going through a similar crisis as you.

And you will get support, comfort, hacks and solidarity.

Like this one time I went to the gym in my accommodation to blow off some steam after a series of bad days, and struck up a conversation with a friend to kill time while waiting for my turn at the treadmill. Suffice it to say, that conversation lasted two hours, and I walked in with chaos, and came out with at least five different solutions and a very light heart.

2. Connecting with people who know

There is also an entire community of people out there who know. They know what you are going through, have perhaps gone through similar things themselves, and they know how to help. Sometimes, all you need is to reach out to them. These people may be your supervisors, your fellow PGRs, or perhaps your wellbeing advisors. The point is, they understand your experiences and are willing to listen, and provide specific advice.
Sometimes, I spend weeks feeling like there’s no progress. When I finally get around to meeting my supervisors, they tell me that what I am doing is good enough. And sometimes, that’s all that’s needed.

3. Getting to know new people

I have been surprised over and over again at how much connecting can help in contextualising problems, bringing comfort, and providing practical solutions, or the courage to find them. And sometimes, this involves connecting to new people. New people bring new ideas and experiences. They can bring out parts of you you didn’t know existed, and apart from adding fresh layers to your sense of self, they may even add to your project. This can be particularly refreshing especially when you feel stuck.

So I make it a point to socialise whenever I can. Besides, it can be extremely relaxing just to hang out with new people, have some good laughs, and put your problems aside for a while.

***

A nod in the right direction, a few compassionate exchanges and knowing that you don’t have to do this alone.

I walk into the PGR Hub after an awful writers’ block. I find an insanely difficult 1000-piece puzzle lying around. The pieces are tiny and the puzzle is giant. I fumble at it for a while, and am about to give up.

My fellow researchers join me. We circle around and scramble through the numerous, exhausting pieces. And slowly but steadily, we put the pieces back, together.

For this week’s theme, join us for any of the following activities designed to help you connect to your wider research community. All activities take place in the PGR Hub, 1st floor of Senate house, unless otherwise stated:

Pick up a free 5 Weeks of Wellbeing ‘Zine from the PGR Hub – collect a sticker for an activity each week, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a wellness hamper worth up to £100!