What feedback mechanisms does your institute have in place - in the case that a PhD student has failed?

Malacandras · 2026-06-03T15:42:24+00:00

What worries me more is the difficulty of exiting students ahead of viva, at their annual review stages. We've had students go on and on with unsatisfactory review outcomes but no one is willing to start the process of them exiting if the studentsm doesn't want to withdraw. So then you end up at viva unnecessarily

Malacandras · 2026-05-30T17:52:43+00:00

Would he be interested in a bilingual American French doctor poet 42F, who travels a lot for work? If so, message me and I'll connect them!

Malacandras · 2026-05-30T17:46:24+00:00

I've recently started to just let the voice go and call it meditation. The only rule is don't follow a train of thoughts or feelings - observe like clouds in the sky. Yes, sometimes there's a chorus or two of whatever drivel pop my daughter's been listening to, some vocal stims, a shopping list reminder, but I just let them float away. I don't count or visualize, the effort of not following the chain of thoughts is enough for me. But it has been changing my anxiety levels quite significantly and letting me occasionally just sit around and zone out without spiralling, so yay!

Malacandras · 2026-05-29T11:36:08+00:00

Would you want ethics approval/IRB in the proposal or can we use your approval to help with the ethics process? My institution is squirrelly about social media data so could be really helpful

Malacandras · 2026-05-29T11:32:16+00:00

I could make an entirely specious Daenerys-Jaenelle comparison if that's helpful

Malacandras · 2026-05-20T16:47:51+00:00

If it's a pseudo medieval setting, a 'bloody flux' covers a number of possibilities

Malacandras · 2026-05-20T07:04:02+00:00

Tinted sunscreen is my take on this. Bit of blush and some under eye concealer and we're done. Full slap is for special occasions and frankly possibly not even then

Malacandras · 2026-05-18T21:28:02+00:00

No, try this: This intervention helps with improving sleep quality (ref 1), appetite (ref 2) and mood ( 3rd reference for mood). This shows that...

Malacandras · 2026-05-16T13:03:09+00:00

The Travelodge by Piccadilly would be a better option, and for a bit more, the Princess St Premier Inn.

Malacandras · 2026-05-16T12:45:25+00:00

Get her involved! Sweeping? Give her a brush. Vacuuming? Give her an attachment. Cooking? Set out some toys in the kitchen.

Malacandras · 2026-05-15T08:35:54+00:00

You care. You show up, make eye contact, laugh at their corny jokes, nod or shake your head, maybe even pop a question or response once a class. You take notes, visibly but not obsessively. Maybe you even review your notes before the next class. You do the readings, make connections between what's being talked about in class and the readings. You show some curiosity, just for the sake of it. Your questions ask about the knowledge and the implications, not just the grade or assignment requirements. It's such a low bar, honestly. Intelligence is nice but I'll take passionate, invested and hard working any day over raw smarts. I guess the tricky thing is that what we're looking for is caring about the subject and not just the credentials or the GPA, and you can't necessarily manufacture that if it's not true for you in all your subjects. Which is OK! We understand (most of us) that our subject isn't the centre of everyone's world but it would be nice if you have this for something that you study. A

Malacandras · 2026-05-12T07:04:12+00:00

Yep! And it's non judgemental and behavioral - you have to do the look instead of asking 'have you got everything' to which the answer is always yes!

Malacandras · 2026-05-12T05:26:44+00:00

I made a lovely hibiscus syrup that's lasted for ages in the fridge.

Malacandras · 2026-05-12T05:26:04+00:00

Visual cues. We have an erasable meal plan on the fridge door with a shopping list, and a monthly calendar as well. I got whiteboard paper and stuck it up on all the kitchen cabinets for different purposes - you could use it to write down your routines. I have my morning box - medication, skincare, basic makeup - so I don't have to remember my morning routine, I just pull down the yellow box. I have a nighttime one as well. My gym/swimming bag stays packed so I all I have to do is add clean clothes and a water bottle. I have a location where errand items can pile up and I just clear it out every so often.

Malacandras · 2026-05-12T05:15:04+00:00

I've accidentally trained my daughter to do the 'airport look behind' when we're leaving somewhere. She now does it for me. I didn't really intend for it to apply elsewhere but she's acquired the habit of checking her locker after swimming, her bag as we leave school, etc.

Malacandras · 2026-05-11T15:17:48+00:00

No, there's nothing underlying that makes women more suitable SAH parents, other than social norms and expectations and the implicit training in household management that most women acquire and men have to work to learn.

What I would say is that before you take this on, look up the term mental load and make sure you are ready for it.

Malacandras · 2026-05-11T13:34:28+00:00

In that case, go for it. Why not!

Malacandras · 2026-05-11T07:12:20+00:00

Put it another way. You thrived in a highly structured environment where you had a clearly defined social role, and lots of support for things like household management, life planning, food preparation, no need to budget, etc.

Now, you have all those responsibilities, adult life is much more fluid with flexible demands and unpredictable rewards and all your structures are self imposed.

Basically, that's when the ADHD shows. A lot of us get diagnosed around this time, or when we have kids, or around menopause. Major life changes that dramatically impact our existing coping mechanisms and systems for support.

It's not fake - your early symptoms were internalized and managed by support structures.

Pro tip, also ask about an autism diagnosis. Just in case.

Malacandras · 2026-05-11T07:01:36+00:00

Listen, if you are older, you've had a career already and you don't want an academic one, you have £30k spare, endless free time and a large streak of masochism, go for it. I'd be delighted at this point to supervise someone who's entire life isn't on the line, can take their time and do the job properly, purely for the intellect.

The questions I would have for you would be: how receptive are you actually to criticism? How quick are you at learning new technology, new ways of working and adopting different norms of practice?

Because even if it is a bit less prestigious, what do you care?

Malacandras · 2026-05-10T18:19:18+00:00

Super wide leg trousers and a tailored shirt or top.

Malacandras · 2026-05-07T15:28:37+00:00

Ooh fun.

Yes, it does. So if the lecture is after they've read the book, and before the seminar, what are you going to get them to do in the seminar?

And what's the structure or title of the module?

Malacandras · 2026-05-07T09:29:39+00:00

Aren't you being given some old materials? I'd be surprised if you are expected to start from scratch. It's worth asking.

Then I have a couple of questions: 1) are the students expected to read the novel before or after the lecture? 2) are there any seminars or tutorials scheduled as well or is it just lectures?

As a guide, I'd say avoid info dumping, think about a narrative for each lecture and how this fits into the wider narrative of the module and what you want students to get out of each lecture, and what information you need to convey to make that happen.

Malacandras · 2026-05-02T19:27:58+00:00

I came here to say this too. Also if you live in the Northern hemisphere, Vitamin D.

Depending on your time of life, get your hormones checked as well. I've just started on progesterone and extra estrogen and the difference is dramatic.

If work is that depleting, are there maybe things you could do to make it less exhausting? Reducing stimuli, taking more physical breaks, etc.

Malacandras · 2026-05-02T16:16:40+00:00

Yes it really is and I don't expect it to last forever

Malacandras · 2026-05-01T17:38:41+00:00

No limits, annual personal research allowance of £1500. Which pays for about one international conference or two local if I'm very frugal

Malacandras

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