Write it all down...

When it comes to writing up your PhD thesis (or any other thesis for that matter) it can seem a very overwhelming & daunting task. "Where do I start", "how do I start" & "how do I put off actually starting" are common threads that enter your mind.

I have a simple piece of advice for all PhD students, write up your results as if you're writing a paper BEFORE you start writing your thesis (i.e. within the first 2-3 years of your PhD). Take a few hours every couple of weeks to put together your results, be they positive or negative, into the same format you would use for submission to a journal. Not only does this save time when it comes to putting your thesis together, it makes sense of your results, can help you to see where you need to go next experiment-wise, and is great practise for paper writing. I mentioned this to a few of the girls in the lab, who are currently about half way through their studentships & they looked at me like I'd told an offensive joke. "Why would we put ourselves through the torture of writing now, when we don't have to start for another year?" they asked. All I can draw from is my own experience; and I found the pages I had put together as a potential review invaluable for my introduction section. Not only was all of the information I needed right there (including the time consuming references) but it was in the correct format, suitable for a dissertation. I had also attempted to write a paper based on some of my results, this ended up turning into chapter 6 of my thesis. Of course more work was needed, I had to change a few things around & add more to it, but the bones of it were there, and I had a few nice paragraphs that I could literally copy & paste in.

Take it from me, writing up a research thesis is one of the toughest & most draining things you have to do in science, especially at the start of your career. Anything that makes it a little easier can only be a good thing! Let me know if you've had a similar experience when you were writing up or going through your PhD.

Rachel xxx

Thesis writing

Now to change topic slightly...

Writing the dreaded thesis...summing up 3-4 years of research in one nice big package, not an easy task but these helpful tips from a PostDoc in my lab have really helped me.

1. Set yourself small daily targets. For example 'Today I'll get 3 pages of my materials & methods done. I'll draft and re-draft those 3 pages until they're ready to send off to be corrected by boss. Once I have those 3 pages done I can relax for the day!''

2. If you're in the 'writing zone' and things are flowing then keep going, turn off your phone & internet browser & TV (if like me you have no discipline & they're always on ha) and let the words come out.

3. Leave the introduction till last. It may seem like a good place to start but personally I find it quite hard, the intro needs to lead into the results, and sometimes it's easier to have the results done & dusted before you write the intro; this way you know exactly what needs to be said in it.

4. Keep calm and don't put yourself under too much pressure. Like all forms of study, you'll just psych yourself out before you've even started.

5. Use EndNote! It's a God send for referencing!

If anyone else has any good tips please let me know.

Rachel xxx