Turbocharge Your Writing

If you want to be an academic or researcher you have to write. And if you want to be a successful academic or researcher you have to write a lot. Yet many academics and researchers never learn the techniques and strategies that can significantly increase their writing productivity.

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The Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Research Students

Rate yourself on the seven secrets and work out what exactly you can do to improve your progress. Topics covered include dealing with your supervisor, writing, being realistic, and hanging in there when the going gets tough.

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The PhD Experience: What they didn't tell you at induction

Find out what they don't tell you at Induction that would be really useful if only you knew! We interview 10 PhD students from different disciplines, discuss the emotional roller coaster of PhD study and let you know how best to handle it.

Table of contents:

  • Mark's story: The human factor as well as the scientific factor
  • Amy's story: This is not going the way I expected
  • Andrew's story: Throw the kid into the deep end to see how he does
  • Anne's story: I love what I do
  • Margaret's story: Life gets in the way
  • Daniel's story: You don't want a wing and a prayer to get you through
  • Sam's story: Having the confidence to say this is what I think
  • Christine's story: It's been a long process, and most of the time, not very fun
  • Megan's story: It's like crossing the line without finishing
  • Jennifer's story: I'm doing something that's making a difference

Time for Research: Time Management for PhD Students

Three years might seem like ages when you're starting out, but without some strategies, it's gone in no time. Find out about rolling plans, dealing with distractions and interruptions, managing paper and staying motivated.

Table of contents:

  • Taking control of your time
  • Priorities - the big rocks
  • Procrastination
  • Staying motivated
  • Overcommitting and saying no
  • Planning
  • Daily planning
  • Distractions
  • Part-time study and work
  • Email
  • Paperwork
  • Working smarter
  • Avoidance

Defeating Self-Sabotage: Getting your PhD finished

Procrastination, perfectionism, over-committing. Sound familiar? Learn how to identify your own patterns, find out what might be behind them, and work out what you can do to tackle them so that you can get your thesis finished.

Table of contents:

  • The secret life of the PhD student
  • What is self-sabotage?
  • The down side of self-sabotage
  • Defeating self-sabotage
  • Overcommitting: it's enough already
  • Procrastination: I'll start when I feel like it
  • Perfectionism / writer's block: It's not a Nobel prize (sadly!)
  • The ultimate defeating SELF-SABotage tool
  • 20 excellent excuses for not starting work on your PhD