Dr Rachel Marsh has a PhD in satire and teaches in the Humanities with the Open University. She is also the lead academic for the Online Pre-PhD Programme with Oxford International. Rachel has previously worked at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Dundee, and the University of St Andrews, helping international students at all levels develop critical skill sets.

 

In this episode we discuss coming to the PhD later as part of a lifetime learning process and Rachel’s own experience of a ‘starter’ PhD.

We then talk about Rachel’s work on creating a pre-PhD programme and the sort of preparation that may be useful before starting your thesis - both academic skills and wider well-being considerations.

Rachel highlights the importance of trusting yourself and seeing your role as an expert in the field develop throughout the PhD process.

 

After the recording Rachel, with characteristic generosity of spirit, sent me some thoughts to add to these notes.  She says:

 

“I had noted in the podcast that I had started a PhD at one institution, but upon realising it wasn’t a good fit a downsized to an MPhil. I would like to take this opportunity to add that ‘a mis-matched fit’ between student and PhD programme in no way reflects poorly upon the institution.

The search for the perfect PhD programme is a bit like dating. Someone might have a wonderful dating profile, tick all the boxes, but when you meet there’s just no chemistry. It doesn’t mean they’re a bad person; they’re just not the person for you. In fact, you may go on to be friends, or business partners, or you may even set them up with your friend. They just weren’t ‘the one’. That is finding a PhD programme.

In fact, during my PhD to MPhil process I began working with the institution in various professional staff capacities, and these roles continued long after I graduated. I learned a lot from that institution – not just about the PhD process, but also about how Higher Education in the UK works. Moreover, to show that there were no hard feelings, I returned to teach international students as a lecturer. Therefore, with this in mind, I’d like to add the following additional advice – don’t turn your back on opportunities. Something that may not pan out for a Doctorate, may be just the right fit for something else”.

 

To find out more about the programme Rachel is developing contact Linda Sandberg at [email protected].

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