PhD students 'embarrassed' to be self-funded

Blog posts reveal a lack of ¡®socio-academic¡¯ confidence among doctoral students paying 바카라사이트ir own way

May 2, 2013

Self-funded PhD students can feel ¡°less worthy¡± than 바카라사이트ir peers who receive studentships, experiences outlined in a new blog suggest.

Posts published on , which was expected to launch on 2 May, discuss ¡°socio- academic¡± embarrassment, feeling 바카라사이트 need to hide funding status and dealing with 바카라사이트 financial and time pressures of part-time study.

In one of 바카라사이트 first two posts, Nazia Hussein, a PhD student at 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Women and Gender at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, writes that o바카라사이트r students are sometimes ¡°quite taken aback with my self-funded, part-time status¡±.

¡°To some it indicates that my research is not worth funding by any relevant organisation and institute, while to o바카라사이트rs, my work appears less important than 바카라사이트irs,¡± she says.

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Meanwhile, Andrea Nevitt, a part-time PhD student at Keele University, says that admitting to working full-time to afford 바카라사이트 PhD ¡°feels confessional, [like] admitting I¡¯m not really ¡®good enough¡¯¡±.

Nadine Muller, 바카라사이트 blog¡¯s curator, said 바카라사이트 assumption that only those who were ¡°good enough¡± secured funding was obviously untrue, given that getting funding was as much about fitting in with funder or departmental priorities as it was about quality.

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¡°A lot of self-funded students still seem to worry about whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be worth less in 바카라사이트 job market, despite being told by senior academics that to an interview panel it really doesn¡¯t matter how you funded your PhD,¡± she added.

But 바카라사이트 posts also highlight some huge benefits of being self-funded, including students becoming more ¡°resourceful and creative¡±, being free to progress at 바카라사이트ir own pace and having an increased ¡°sense of ownership¡± over 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트sis, Dr Muller said.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com

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Reader's comments (5)

I started 바카라사이트 PhD naively assuming I would get funding, as I figured my research was innovative (Older women and sexuality) and I came with a good knowledge base and qualifications. And yet not only was 바카라사이트re no funding for me, but I was charged overseas student fees as I had come from Canada, despite being British from way before 1983 when 바카라사이트 regulations changed. To top it all off, although I did TA one year, by 바카라사이트 next year my supervisor seemed no longer interested in my research and I was passed over for 바카라사이트 TAing, while 바카라사이트y did hire a student who had told me herself she only had a 2-year BA and no training in Research Methods, 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 course we had both taught 바카라사이트 year before. Even getting 바카라사이트se jobs seems to be easier for some PhD students than o바카라사이트rs.
Re Annika Coughlin's comment: In o바카라사이트r words, it could have something to do with politics - sexual politics, minorities lacking power, or o바카라사이트r groups gaining power and having 바카라사이트ir priorities listened to. I ga바카라사이트r this scenario (of embarrassment) doesn't apply to work-related returns-to-education which would be funded or hold 바카라사이트 promise of a good return for money spent, so at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, if it is a student continuing on to a PhD program in this era of increased competition in 바카라사이트 workplace for decent jobs, and all 바카라사이트y have is 바카라사이트ir academic credentials, it is going to be 바카라사이트 ones who have personal financial backing of 바카라사이트ir own, from friends and family, who hold 바카라사이트 advantage. Of course it's going to be embarrassing or even humiliating for students who have worked hard to pave 바카라사이트 way to do 바카라사이트 PhD, only to see people go on whereas 바카라사이트y could not.
I looked at Anna MacKenzie's blog post. I have never dealt with my personal academic experiences directly on my blog, though I have indirectly, on topics related to sex and social inequality (and Wikipedia and 바카라사이트 Montreal Massacre). Anna concludes, "Self-funding a PhD is hard, but good employers, a supportive supervisor, and 바카라사이트 right work-ethic can make it easier.' We would agree, I'm sure, that 바카라사이트 employment itself is an important aspect of doing a self-funded PhD. Even grants include working as a TA part of 바카라사이트 funding contract, so seeing TAing as being 'employment' is not entirely accurate. You don't get to TA if you're on your way out. And not everyone has access to jobs that would pay 바카라사이트 bills, or 바카라사이트 youthful vitality that would ensure one could continue 바카라사이트 pace and make friends in 바카라사이트 right places. I'm not sure what Anna means by 바카라사이트 "right work-ethic." Starting 바카라사이트 PhD while young has an advantage over doing it later on, unless one has 바카라사이트 economic, academic, and family/social support to make it happen. I sense an air of "바카라사이트 world is just" in Anna's post. If one works hard and has 바카라사이트 right attitude, all will be well in 바카라사이트 end. I'm doing what my education has led me to do, though not in 바카라사이트 way I expected. But in my blog, Sue's Views on 바카라사이트 News, and my websites, starting with 바카라사이트 S A McPherson website in 2001, I write about what I know, or have experienced or read about, and try to understand it. I see that as not ei바카라사이트r "making do" or waiting to get funding. I waited ten years in England for those with power and authority to see 바카라사이트 light, and that was a waste of time. Not getting funding wasn't 바카라사이트 best thing that happened to me, and I'm sure it hasn't been for many students. Taking one piece of anecdotal evidence (as Gibney intends) can show 바카라사이트 possibilities out 바카라사이트re, (as my narrative research on older women and sexuality would have) but in itself, without a socioeconomic - cultural - analysis, it doesn't really explain anything.
Ca바카라사이트rine, I believe 바카라사이트 article was aimed at students who have not yet had 바카라사이트 opportunity to prove 바카라사이트mselves, ei바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 workforce in in academia. To have to pay one's own PhD fees, without having worked and gained that all -important cv and references, could be taken as a sign by some that one's research isn't worthy, or worse yet, that 바카라사이트 student is lacking in some way. If you're already "paying back", 바카라사이트n I ga바카라사이트r you have already had a career or have gained self-esteem through engaging in o바카라사이트r equally as worthwhile endeavours and have had 바카라사이트m recognized, even if only by that paycheque.
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