The end of the beginning

 I’m starting this blog to help me collate, collect, reflect on and generally document my PhD journey. I’m actually quite some way into this now, which is quite strange but now is as good a time as any. 

I started my PhD which I’m undertaking part time in October 2017. It’s shifted a little in terms of focus but essentially I’m looking at the mental wellbeing of engineering students. I’ve completed a postgraduate certificate in research methods along the way and also passed my transfer viva, a 2 hour oral exam of my work so far and completed my data collection. I’ve conducted a survey on over 400 engineering students across the UK and interviewed 28 of them. I carried out a systematic scoping review with my supervisory team to help me get a handle on the existing literature, of which there isn’t much. I’ve presented some of my work via webinar for the Engineering Professors Council and had a poster accepted for a European conference. 

At the moment I am trying to work up the energy to complete data analysis but having the kids at home, a full time job, and a wee start up company on top means I need a bit of a run up. I’m hoping by doing thing blog I’m adding a bit of accountability to myself to get through this sticky patch!


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