practical phd

At the end of the term (fall, spring, and summer), I take about an hour to write down what I did in the term.  That’s everything from writing to teaching to service to mentoring. For each of these completed tasks, I answer four questions that capture what I accomplished, what I learned, what I want to keep, and what I want to change.  I find the exercise helpful for giving me a better sense of all that I have done over the course of the semester.  Because research work is ongoing and not always possible to finish within the confines of a semester, it’s sometimes hard to see progress.  For me, spending an hour reflecting on all that I have done by reviewing my old to do list helps me see that just because the projects aren’t finished doesn’t mean I was idle or unaccomplished.  It also gives me lessons for my future work that allow me to build on what I love about the work that I do as I move forward in this career.  

For example, here are the lessons from my spring 2025 semester:

1. Making time for data analysis during the semester is possible.
2. I enjoy being in the weeds of my data!  (YAY for coding!)
3. I can write what I want to say.  I already know the literature for most of my projects well enough to do that.
4. It’s okay to leave blanks on the page while writing, flagging things to figure out later.
5. Leverage opportunities for existing projects instead of creating new ones.
6. Bet on yourself!
7. Take advantage of opportunities to build community and meet new smart people.
8. Sometimes the best move for a revision is a big change.  It’s worth the time that it takes.
9. Choose projects that you enjoy the literature about, not the ones that make you want to poke your eyes out while reading.
10. Do service work that fills your cup.
11. Challenge graduate students in their thinking, while being supportive of their ideas.
12. Keep trying and putting yourself out there.
13. Communication is central with any research collaboration.
14. Support women of color researchers through service and citations.
15. Look to create models you can replicate in mentoring and service.
16. Putting the time in is more likely to get you the result you desire.
17. It’s okay to stick to your lane of expertise and not extend yourself beyond that.

What lessons do you want to take from spring semester into the future?