Enrolling at university is exciting. In the whirlwind of freshers fairs, freedom and new friends the world seems to be at your feet. Yet all too soon we adapt to our new routines and the glamour can fade.
But I believe there’s a strong case for dusting off your rose-tinted glasses and regaining that initial hope and ambition. After all, being a student brings an almost endless surge of opportunities and many will vanish as soon as you graduate.
Speaking as someone who left academia before returning to begin a PhD: it’s important to make the most of them while you can.
Not convinced? Read on to learn why I believe now is the best time to explore new opportunities and get outside of your comfort zone.
By opportunities I mean anything outside of your current role which could improve your life. This could be anything from your career progression to your happiness.
Examples could be: trying new hobbies, picking up skills, making connections, starting a business or visiting new places.
University is a great time to try out different things with few negative repercussions if things don’t go to plan. Find out you don’t enjoy hockey? No problem, at least you gave it a go. Didn’t do a great job at public speaking? Again, no problem. There are opportunities all around to try out new things which can help your personal development and inform your future choices.
Why the time during your PhD is particularly good
At different stages of our lives our ability to seize opportunities are limited by different factors: time, money and access. When we’re in school we often have lots of time but lack the money, and access, to make the most of opportunities.
As we age, responsibilities mount and despite higher earning potential we may struggle to find the time to take up the [more limited] opportunities that come our way.
I believe that the period while you’re working towards a PhD falls in the goldilocks zone, where you’ll have an abundance of opportunities and the time and money to make the most of them.
Here’s more on each of those three crucial factors.
Time
Yes you’ll have to be disciplined with your time during your PhD but I think people have the wrong perception that the project will encompass all of your time. Of course it depends on your project but if you plan your time wisely, 99% of students shouldn’t have to regularly be spending crazy hours on it.
Here is a post I wrote about how much time I was spending per week on my PhD, just over one year in. Certainly all of the PhD students I know are able to maintain a sensible work-life balance, working outside of “normal” hours only occasionally. This means that you can still go out and make the most of opportunities which come your way.
Money
You have access to many of the same opportunities as an undergraduate, so why do I say that the PhD is the best time to make the most of opportunities? Well for a start you’re earning stable money (for how much, see here), probably for the first time in your life.
Even in somewhere like London you should be able to live comfortably (London living costs here) with a disposable income to spend on hobbies. If you want to earn extra money you’re also in a great position to do so around your studies (ideas here). I should point out that many of the opportunities presented here don’t necessarily require much money, but it can certainly be a limiting factor, and earning money as a PhD student goes hand in hand with access to opportunities.
Access
Universities can offer you access to opportunities of every kind. In the section below I’ve grouped them into three rough groups: social; entrepreneurial and career opportunities. Some are available after graduation but there are often barriers to entry which make it that little bit more difficult: this especially hold true if you’re not naturally an extravert!
Read on for details and to give some context examples are included for opportunities I suggest making the most of.
Opportunities you can get involved with
Social: Clubs and Societies
Just like undergraduates, you still have access to all of the clubs and societies run via the students’ union at your university.
Clubs and societies often offer the opportunity to try out new hobbies and sports through large subsidies at considerably reduced rates. Not only are the prices lower, but it’s often much more accessible; transport is arranged and many clubs are open to people with no experience. For example in the last few years I have tried gliding and scuba diving along with beekeeping and surfing.
As soon as you leave university it can be much harder to break into a new hobby and they’re often far more expensive.
Getting involved with the running of these clubs, as a committee member, is also worth considering. In addition to being rewarding, it’s also a fantastic source of new skills and personal development which can be applied to future roles. Plus it makes for valuable material on your CV!
For graduates the closest thing I can think of to university sports clubs and societies are Meetup groups. These are a great way to meet new people but are typically run with fewer resources than university clubs. Plus, what’s available varies largely based on where you live.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Not only can you take lots of risks when you’re young without repercussions, but universities can be a melting pot of ideas and enthusiasm. If an idea fails it doesn’t matter, you’ll have learned lots and still have your degree to fall back on.
Many universities have entrepreneurial clubs where you can find like-minded individuals. Beyond that there are schemes (often either run by your university or outside organisations) which have limitations of age/student-status: for example the Mayor of London’s Entrepreneur Competition.
Don’t have any ideas but are interested in business or having an impact on the world? A useful introduction could be going to an organised talk where a successful entrepreneur takes you through their journey: for any concerned altruists this needn’t be monetary success and can include people who’ve set up charities and social enterprises.
Interesting talk about the opportunities for lab-grown meat by @SerenLaurelKell of https://t.co/Dr8dacqio4 Organised by Imperial APES: https://t.co/AhHDSQK3jq Clean meat hackathon coming soon! @ImperialEntLab pic.twitter.com/KbFtuiK5DG
— Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) January 24, 2019
Academic / Career Opportunities
Numerous academic opportunities are available while you’re a student and many are specific to being a research postgraduate, these include:
1) Networking & collaborations with other academics, or industry
This could include opportunities to visit other labs. I’ve known several people who’ve gone to work in far flung places for a period during their projects.
Not only is this rewarding, the connections you make could prove valuable in the future and it could even give you ideas for new career paths.
2) Conferences
Your project will often include funding to allow you to attend conferences. I hope it’s not difficult to convince you that even at face value an all-expenses paid trip to somewhere (often abroad) is an opportunity worth taking!
You’ll meet loads of other researchers at various stages of their careers which lead to endlessly valuable discussions. Plus, if you’re presenting your work in front of a large audience this is a great opportunity -, even if it’s really scary at the time.
3) Outreach
Something you rarely get to do beyond graduation is engage with the public widely, discussing something you are passionate about.
During your PhD you may be presented with opportunities to go to schools or host work-experience students to encourage the next generation; speak at festivals and public events, or be invited to engage with specialist groups: I’ve known students to present their work to MPs at Parliament!
I’ve really valued the opportunities I’ve had through this route and it’s been really fun! Plus it’s cool to get the opportunity to go to places like the Royal Society!
Busy afternoon chatting slug slime science @royalsociety‘s Summer Science 2018 with @celizlab & @NHM_London. Team are there again 10-6 tomorrow, drop by! pic.twitter.com/frFEYLjJm0
— Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) July 7, 2018
4) Training
Graduate development courses
At Imperial we have a Graduate School offering personal development courses covering a wide range of topics: from practical skills such as how to use software and basic programming, through to soft skills such as improving communication and how to be an effective manager.
There is a requirement to attend a certain number during your degree, but really they should be seen as valuable assets which would otherwise be difficult to gain (free) access to. I’m not sure how standard these are across different universities but it’s certainly worth looking into.
Equipment
In addition to equipment in your lab, there are often opportunities to be trained on department or university-wide equipment.
Academic staff are usually happy to invest the time to train PhD students on expensive equipment which undergraduates would not be trusted with. This is particularly useful if you’re considering staying in a technical role beyond graduation.
5) Scholarships
When you’re on a university mailing list, every so often you get emails for funding and scholarships. During my undergraduate degree I applied for (and won) a travel scholarship to go to Fiji for a month. You can read the post about the trip here.
Trying new things as an introvert
It’s easy to get scared of trying things which are outside of your comfort zone: I certainly still do regularly! Remind yourself that things almost never work out as badly as your brain sometimes imagines them to be.
The positives of trying something new outweigh the negatives. If it’s a certain event or social situation you’re concerned about, remind yourself that you don’t need to commit to being there for the whole session. Going there for a short period is a win compared to not going at all.
If you don’t go you’ll likely regret having not made the most of opportunities to find new things that you enjoy. You may also miss the opportunity to make lifelong friends or that business partner who could springboard an idea into a reality.
What now? Take action!
This year I’m challenging myself to try something new from each of the three categories listed: social, entrepreneurial and academic; and I’d like to encourage you to do the same.
Social: Is there a sport or hobby you’ve always wanted to try? Great, now is the time to try it.
Entrepreneurial: Whether or not you have a business idea, get out there and meet people, or at least gain an insight in to starting a company by going to a talk by someone who has.
Career: Think about what you’d like to do after you graduate. What useful connections could you make now? Are there particular skill sets which you potentially fall short on? See if there are opportunities you can use now.
I hope I’ve encouraged you to try something new. It would be great to hear what your own challenges will be in the comments! And I’ll keep you updated with how I get on. Good luck!
