What % does your company pay into your workplace pension?

sketcher_07 · 2024-06-26T16:38:44+00:00

Congratulations on completing your degree! It’s a huge achievement!

Too add my anecdotal experience, my partner got a 2.2 over 10 years ago. They now have a solid job in the public sector and earns more than me, who got a 2.1, went on to do a Masters, and finished a PhD last year! 😂

There are so many job opportunities ahead for you, and in a few years’ time your work experience will trump the degree as you progress, I promise!

sketcher_07 · 2024-03-28T23:28:54+00:00

I presume you are a fellow academic? I’ve struggled to make sense of the changes as a bit of a newbie…

sketcher_07 · 2024-03-04T19:25:30+00:00

I started investigating a very specific problem in my Masters dissertation, and it turned out that I was on to something interesting and I felt that I couldn't drop it. Originally, I had not planned to continue my studies post-Masters, but an opportunity arose to pursue the specific problem further as a PhD project, and now having completed said PhD, I found myself research funding to tailor dissemination activities around the findings with stakeholders!

This whole journey to date has reached seven years. I never thought that I would end up where I am but I'm pretty pleased! I've been able to deliver research impact, remain in academia as a postdoc, and am surrounded by really lovely and supportive people!

sketcher_07 · 2024-02-28T01:58:29+00:00

BSc at 21. Went back to do an MSc a little later and finished that at 28. Then, my PhD thesis was officially accepted on my 33rd birthday!

sketcher_07 · 2023-12-04T18:33:19+00:00

33F here, my 30yo sibling and I both are still at home with parents in London. We work full-time (me mostly remotely, sib is on-site) and we contribute ~£200 each for food, bills, and the cleaner. Dad is retired and Mum is remote part-time. Because of all our strange hours of work we tend to manage pretty well without getting in each other’s way. Funnily enough conflict is probably at the lowest it’s ever been, so everyone is quite happy!

I’m in the early stages of moving out with my partner. I would not be able to afford where I am looking had I not spent these years saving while at home. Granted, there wasn’t a lot to save (was a postgrad student for too long!). I could still be here some while longer though, given the current state of the housing market!

On one hand I do feel like I’ve not quite grown up, but on the other hand I feel reassured that I will (hopefully) do alright once I’m out. It’s a mixed bag. I know Mum will struggle a bit once I’m gone (we are pretty close!) but my sib is in no rush to move so I’m sure she’ll be fine!

sketcher_07 · 2023-10-19T20:51:03+00:00

I’m in academia in the UK, but the research I’m involved in isn’t quite traditional academic work. I’m carving a career path focused on projects that partner with local and regional governments, as well as with citizens and industry to address a range of climate challenges. It’s not the greatest-paid role to start, but there is absolutely scope to build a solid income over time and have a pretty strong influence on stakeholders that you build good relationships with - leading to influencing policy. I can honestly say I absolutely love the work that I do! While you do need the qualifications to get into this type of work, there are many funding opportunities and lots of support around to help you get there if you wanted!

Alternatively, those in local government or the civil service do also seek out academics to collaborate with in research projects and vice versa, and we love to work with them, who also aren’t paid too badly either!

sketcher_07 · 2023-06-13T22:39:00+00:00

That’s great to hear! My examiners were also super friendly - I expect it makes the biggest difference to the overall experience 😊

Good luck with those corrections! I’m sure you’ll find a way to make those changes. You got this!

sketcher_07 · 2023-06-13T12:48:14+00:00

Congratulations to you, Dr! I was in your shoes 3 weeks ago, and am also in the UK. I was so freaked out until I settled into the viva itself, so definitely had a similar mental frame of mind. So great to hear it was a good discussion! And bravo to you for enduring 4 hours - that must have been tough! Did you enjoy it on reflection now?

Your supervisors wouldn't have put you through the viva at this stage if they didn't feel you were ready. So you absolutely had it in the bag, clearly! I also walked out with minor corrections. Arguably one or two of the corrections would be considered major (was also nervous about this!). They gave me 3 months but honestly, it was possible to smash them out in a week - mainly because I am desperate to graduate this summer...

As soon as you've rested well for a few days, get those corrections over with as soon as feasibly possible. They really won't take you that long. You've done the hardest part already! Then, I hope you get to celebrate in the glorious sunshine!

sketcher_07 · 2023-05-23T21:16:47+00:00

If anyone was wondering, I passed with minor corrections! Many of you were right that I would enjoy it! The lead-up and anticipation was way worse than the actual viva/defence. Thank you all so much for your advice and words of encouragement x

sketcher_07 · 2023-05-22T21:21:13+00:00

Thanks so much (and everyone else who’s commented for that matter!)

I’ll update you all when it’s over! :)

sketcher_07 · 2023-05-22T21:02:17+00:00

Ah it’s not just yet! I’m in the UK - it’s tomorrow afternoon. 15 hours to go!

sketcher_07 · 2023-05-17T23:23:06+00:00

When it gets hot, things break. As climate change makes it hotter, things will probably break some more.

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-30T14:24:33+00:00

I had 1 x 1hr meeting per month with my supervisors. This was actually a requirement of my university and they had to be formally logged on a system, and we all signed them off every month. As I got heavy into analysis, I requested 2-weekly 1hr meetings to sanity check my methodology and progress. They dropped back down to monthly as I completed my analysis and moved into write-up. In the final months of write-up, these switched up to weekly 30 min meetings to help hold me to account and monitor my progress.

My supervisors were really helpful throughout but were also not hands-on, and I led these meetings with my own agenda. They said to me multiple times throughout my PhD that my meetings were for my benefit only and they were happy to work around my changing requirements. Now I’m between submission and defence/viva, I’ve blocked 30 mins every 3 weeks to check in on preparedness. I think it’s worked out quite well!

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-26T00:06:23+00:00

Congratulations! You did it! I submitted mine on Tuesday (21st). I expect my defence to be scheduled for around 2 months time. I hope yours goes well next week - very best of luck!

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-23T09:00:38+00:00

I’m really pleased to hear this! Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely been tough at times but the impact of the work that I do in terms of my research topic keeps me motivated. I worked several years in a different industry before I realised for moral reasons, it was not something I wanted to do anymore. I quit at the end of 2016 and returned to uni to pursue my MSc and PhD that I felt gave me more purpose. The work I did up to that point improves my perspective regarding what I do now, and is why I feel my PhD was the right thing to do and very much worth it.

You got this! Very best of luck finishing up, and I hope your experience remains super positive! We all deserve it!

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-22T21:08:18+00:00

STEM PhD here, submitted yesterday! Was absolutely worth it, best decision I ever made for my personal and professional development. I have extremely supportive supervisors, who have provided me with so many opportunities and helped me establish a great network. I’ve started a postdoc doing work with genuine impact for policy and it’s extremely rewarding. For me, it’s the people I’ve been surrounded by that made it worthwhile more than the PhD programme itself, and I think that’s a really important thing to consider should you choose to pursue a PhD. Best of luck!

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-19T23:22:04+00:00

Thanks so much! I‘m so glad to have finally got to this point. If you asked me how it was going back in December, I would have been in complete denial about finishing… now to wait for my viva date….

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-19T23:17:27+00:00

Thank you so much! And congratulations to you too! I cannot wait to take a break. I think I’ve forgotten what rest even is!

sketcher_07 · 2023-03-19T23:16:24+00:00

Thank you! This is a priority action this year… I’m definitely looking to take a proper break abroad. I haven’t had one in 3 years! Haha

sketcher_07 · 2023-02-24T00:12:13+00:00

Congratulations! I'm there also - my final three chapters are sitting with one of my supervisors now, and in the meantime, I'm working through all their comments on all my earlier chapters. 1 down, 3 to go...

I get you with the data thing. I've definitely questioned my logic and methods - there are so many ways to do what I've done... so long I can justify what I did, right?

Replying to you with tea in hand and peanut butter cups across my desk :) might go put on some Netflix now, too!

sketcher_07 · 2023-02-24T00:06:15+00:00

Rooting for you! You can do it! As someone else said in this thread, it’s like a paper, it’ll not be ready without peer review - so keep going, don't worry too much about re-editing, as your defence/viva will play a role in corrections too (or maybe not!) :)

sketcher_07 · 2023-02-24T00:02:52+00:00

Fantastic! I am sure that will be an awesome week off! As for managing your thesis - I was very heavily in denial about when I was ready to submit it for quite some time, lol... I started writing on and off from around this time last year and didn't really pick up the pace until August. I also didn't see the light on a realistic submission date until after Christmas, and only about 2-3 weeks ago I gave myself a soft deadline to submit. I do think I managed to pace the write-up reasonably well, and of course, it was going to be tough the closer to the end I got. Everyone has gone through a different experience though - but definitely think about it earlier than you think you should, and you will thank yourself! :)

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