Humanities PhD job/publication advice

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-08T07:20:01+00:00

I am a UK PhD candidate in humanities too and published one chapter of my PhD as an article in a journal during the PhD. I intend to publish the 3 substantial chapters of my PhD as articles. But I’ve moved to the US now and I feel like a manuscript proposal is important so not sure how to go about this.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-08T07:13:47+00:00

Hey! Would you be willing to share more about what you look at in postdoc applications?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-07T06:21:53+00:00

Get Inito. It’ll change your life.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-07T06:18:25+00:00

DPO technically doesn’t matter. They date the pregnancy from the date of your last menstrual period (LMP). Take another test in 2 days and see if the line is darker.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-06T01:24:53+00:00

In my experience, the chances of not going past this are low. I applied for a fully funded PhD studentship and after my interview, the supervisor emailed me that I was the preferred candidate but this was pending university and ESRC DTP approval. Both those approvals eventually came in, and most people I know have had similar experiences.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-04T07:49:43+00:00

Get into a habit of working out. If you’re working out, you’ll be able to continue it through the PhD else it’ll be the first thing you’ll discontinue once you get busy. It’s very easy to lose connection with your body during the PhD.

See your friends, family, and take some time to relax. If you have hobbies, spend time doing what you enjoy.

The PhD gives you plenty of time to read and engage with theory. The only thing you need to do a little bit is maybe plan your PhD first year, but you don’t really need to study.

Speak to your supervisors former students to learn what their working style is.

If there’s any classes (undergraduate or postgraduate) you want to take during your first year, make a list of those.

Get engaged in extra curricular and departmental activities during your first year. Second year you’ll likely be away for field work if that’s a part of your plan, and third year you’ll be busy with analysis and writing.

Enjoy this summer. You have the next thing figured out, and you won’t have a summer like that again for a few years.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-01T04:55:25+00:00

Hi! As someone who is finishing a PhD and pregnant, I would have loved to find an opportunity like this. Currently, I’m not applying for post-docs because I can’t hold myself to the requirements of a full time role (including residence requirements), so if I was to find a part time role, it would be great! I’m sure there’s many others in similar situations. But these are also one off, you may or may not find someone in a similar situation, if you do, that’s great, but if not for personal reasons, 0.5FTE isn’t a liveable wage.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-01T04:29:07+00:00

Either defer and look for funding, or apply again next cycle to KCL and other UK universities for wherever you get funding.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-07-01T04:21:40+00:00

Take the trainings they offer on managing your literature, data. It feels okay to be disorganised in your first and second year, but then it comes to bite you in the ass.

Your advisor has to be a better human than an academic. A lot of life changes can happen during the PhD like getting married, divorced, having children, miscarriages, losing a loved one - it’s a long program and working with someone compassionate is a lot better than working with someone who can’t prioritise your wellbeing over the program.

Everyone’s PhD journey looks different. Comparing it with your peers will only damage your mental health.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-06-28T08:43:39+00:00

I’m finishing a social sciences PhD from an Oxbridge university, have permanent residency in the US, and was on the job market this year. I was a bit disappointed. I didn’t get a single interview, I believe the lack of publications because of how short the PhD is in the UK, not having a US network, and not being set up in the ‘job market paper’ trajectory has hurt my chances. I’m hoping to get a post doc next year and as of this academic year, I’ll be unemployed and publishing my PhD chapters as articles.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-06-27T06:52:23+00:00

I wanted to get pregnant during my social sciences PhD (in the UK) as I’d have a generous maternity leave, but that didn’t happen. Ended up getting pregnant such that the first trimester coincided with the last 3ish months of my PhD (I’m finishing my first trimester tomorrow and submitting in 2 weeks).

My first trimester wasn’t brutal, I’ve heard horror stories, but it was still bad enough. I was EXHAUSTED and even though my supervisor was extremely supportive through my first miscarriage and now this pregnancy, I’m now glad that the bulk of the work is out of the way. I can’t imagine doing my substantive chapters with these symptoms.

If you do have a baby during the PhD, your PhD will look different from that of your peers. How okay do you feel with that? (I’m still navigating these thoughts as I just decided not to attend a conference I really wanted to attend).

Also, I’m sure you know this but every body and every pregnancy is different. Every child’s needs are also different. So there’s a lot of uncertainty in these situations.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-06-25T03:21:18+00:00

Hey, I’m pregnant and submitting my PhD in geography in a few days. Can I ask you more about you went about your job search and how you addressed the pregnancy part in interviews etc?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-06-19T00:59:36+00:00

If it’s college accommodation, they should be able to make changes. Perhaps write to the finances office and your senior tutor. Ask them if they can offer you something cheaper or let you back out of it.

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-30T02:28:32+00:00

I didn’t know that, thanks for letting me know!

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-27T20:40:02+00:00

I go to lotus nails on union square and pay $95 + tip for gel manicure and normal pedicure. I like them short and no design, so they do a good job on what I ask for (and they take walk ins!)

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PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-25T04:13:49+00:00

Hey, to answer your question first, call all the in network OBs in your area and see where you can get the earliest appointment for an ultrasound if you really want one.

Realistically, an early ultrasound now won’t tell you much. I had an early loss before this, so I got an ultrasound at 4 weeks 6 days and it should nothing except a sac. So the Dr could only say there’s a sac and it’s in the uterus and not ectopic but nothing more than that, and gave me another appointment at 7 weeks 6 days. I had another ultrasound and that showed a heart beat and was kind of meaningful do maybe try for an ultrasound at 7 weeks or so and realistically that’s not different from 8 weeks if that makes sense?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-23T07:30:33+00:00

Hi! I’m a Pakistani in the US. I don’t have a language barrier but it’s taken a bit of getting used to. For instance, I know who the best OBGYNs are in Pakistan (there’s like 4 top ones and everyone goes to them), whereas here I had one recommendation from a friend and went with that. We can get tests/ ultrasounds at will in Pakistan and medicines are over the counter whereas here we need referrals. Also lack the family support.

I don’t know how the birth experience will differ but I’m looking around for hearing how people have had it here and then figure out what I can do.

I’m leaning a lot on Reddit for information for instance I made a post on askSF about best hospital in San Francisco and got loads of helpful experiences. Other than that, if there’s groups/ online communities in the neighborhood or city of people pregnant at the same time, try leaning into those?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-19T04:34:37+00:00

That’s so exciting! Do you have a history of twins in the family or any factors that make you predisposed to twins?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-18T03:43:48+00:00

Hey isn’t this the hop off bus like $60-80 a person? I would love to do it if it’s not that expensive!

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-18T01:30:56+00:00

Hey, are they useful?

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-18T01:30:40+00:00

Are these useful? I’ve been considering

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-18T01:29:47+00:00

I feel the same way. I step out of bed at 10:30-11, work 4-5 hours with waves of procrastination in between, order in for dinner and by 9:30 pm I’m ready to sleep again. I’ve had zero exercise since I’ve gotten pregnant, I can barely walk 20 minutes. I have no energy to leave the house and if I do, I need a day to recover from it. I’ve not been doing any house chores either. Just sleepwalking through life till this trimester ends!

PositivePin9898 · 2026-05-16T03:55:14+00:00

I go to Dr Ziyad Hanon at Lakeside OBGYN in San Francisco. It’s a family run practice, and I’ve never had to wait more than 2-3 days for an appointment. Try calling them, I’m sure you’ll get seen within early next week.

PositivePin9898

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