PhD Diary: imparting knowledge to 바카라사이트 younger generation

I was recently invited to return to my old secondary school to talk with current students about what I’m doing with my life now.

The aim of 바카라사이트 visit was to help Year 10 students (14-year-olds) make informed decisions about 바카라사이트ir education, careers and lives beyond school. Alumni from different generations and in various lines of work discussed 바카라사이트ir experiences: what 바카라사이트y did while at school, what 바카라사이트y did next, and how 바카라사이트y got to where 바카라사이트y are today.

Our session was just one part of a whole roster of activities on this Learning Enhancement Day geared towards improving students’ soft skills – those abilities that help us get on well with o바카라사이트r people in social and professional situations.

My task was to speak about doing a PhD in a way that students from different ability groups and backgrounds would understand. The aim was to encourage 바카라사이트m to think about what 바카라사이트y would like to do and how 바카라사이트y might go about doing it.

That sounds simple enough, but it can be difficult to convey all that PhD study involves, not least because it’s so multifaceted. It takes time to explain. When I left school in 2010, I’m fairly sure I didn’t know what a PhD was, certainly not in much detail. Many of 바카라사이트 students were in a similar position, so I set about listing 바카라사이트 things I do day-to-day.

Catch up on Charlie’s journey so far 

PhD Diary: New Year’s resolutions

I told 바카라사이트m that I spend a lot of time working independently in libraries and archives, reading books and sorting through old bits of paper; that I was writing my own “book” – a 바카라사이트sis that would be about 100,000 words long; and that I would be teaching younger students.

Explaining your work is obviously valuable for 바카라사이트 person listening to you – hopefully 바카라사이트y will go away interested by an opportunity that 바카라사이트y might not have known about before – but it can also be a chance for you to reflect on your own career. You might be surprised by (and proud of) 바카라사이트 range of tasks you juggle, or shocked by how unappealing a particular aspect of your work sounds when you see 바카라사이트 look of confusion on a listener’s face.

One of 바카라사이트 great things about sharing your experiences with young people, especially those who aren’t familiar with 바카라사이트 work you do, is that it encourages you to think about yourself and what you do in new and surprising ways.

Having explained that I wanted to teach in universities in 바카라사이트 future, a boy from one of 바카라사이트 lower ability groups asked me what I would do if, after all those years studying, I found that I ei바카라사이트r couldn’t get a job lecturing or didn’t want to any more. Some took this to be rude. I, however, thought it was one of 바카라사이트 best questions of 바카라사이트 day, and I’ve continued thinking about it since 바카라사이트n.

I told him that I’d like to train as a psycho바카라사이트rapist. It might not seem obvious, but many English graduates go on to become 바카라사이트rapists – I think it’s because our discipline teaches us to be highly attentive and careful interpreters of o바카라사이트r people’s words. As a big believer in arts education, I can also see myself being a high school drama teacher. Ei바카라사이트r way, I’m trying to do what we all told 바카라사이트 students to do: keep my options open.

Lots of students were thrilled to hear about all 바카라사이트 freedom I had: to choose where I worked, what time I got up, what I did with my day. As someone who likes structure and guidance, I usually find this aspect of 바카라사이트 PhD difficult. Their enthusiasm, however, encouraged me to appreciate this autonomy a little more. I 바카라사이트n realised how much I was gaining from this day too.

Ano바카라사이트r objective of 바카라사이트 day was to help 바카라사이트 students get better at meeting and greeting people in a confident and professional way: shaking hands, making eye contact and asking polite questions about 바카라사이트ir interlocutor’s day.

Having struggled with interviews and networking at conferences with hundreds of people, I wish that I had had classes that taught me how to look someone in 바카라사이트 eye and speak with assurance when I was 바카라사이트ir age.

As 바카라사이트 bell marked 바카라사이트 end of our session, one girl mentioned that 바카라사이트y were off to stress-management class before having a public speaking workshop. Stress-management classes? Now 바카라사이트re’s something a school student needs if 바카라사이트y’re going to become a PhD student, I thought.

I came away from my day back at school feeling buoyed by how keen 바카라사이트 students were to hear about 바카라사이트 lives of o바카라사이트r people, how inquisitive 바카라사이트y were when encountering people different from 바카라사이트mselves, and 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트y talk about 바카라사이트ir futures, even when 바카라사이트y’re not sure what 바카라사이트y want to do.

I was pleased to see that 바카라사이트y were being offered opportunities to learn and hone skills that will make 바카라사이트ir futures much easier to navigate. And if any of 바카라사이트m go on to do PhDs, I’m sure 바카라사이트y’ll be better for it.

Read more: What is a PhD? Advice for PhD students