Hello everyone, I've just realised how close it is to October, traditionally the starting time for PhDs.  It'll be a year since I started mine and I guess that'll be true for most here. I thought I'd start a thread to ask - what do people know now that they wish they'd known a year ago?

I've got plenty of things, but I think my number one would be: Academia moves SLOWLY, ask for things weeks and months before you need them!

What does everyone else wish they knew this time last year?

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HAHA you are so right that academia moves so slowly!!!!
yes I wish I knew a year ago what I know now :-)
DEFINITELY!!!

I guess this IS the phd process isnt it
love satchi

...how difficult it is (or maybe it's just me) to write up the discussion of your findings. It's the bit of the write up that I have found really tough going.

Thanks Ady, I needed to read that. Only joking, I'm actually looking forward to starting that even if I keep putting it off...
For me data analysis and results was always going to be the worst.

I wish I'd known a year ago that the economy would still be in such a bad state as I might have planned better for it!

Whoops, sorry about that Delta! For me, writing up my findings finally taught me that I'm not really suited to pure academia! tbh, with each section I used to think 'if I could only move on to the next bit, everything will be fine'! I just lurched from write-up crisis to write-up crisis really! I'm now proofing the final doc and wishing I had done it all differently - hard to retain perspective. Still, finish line 'almost' in touching distance :-)

Hi everyone,
Ady I couldnt agree with you more !! the discussions that have to reflect the theoretical framework:$, but as Satchi said its all part of the process... had I known this a year ago, would I have done anything different?

I don't think so;-)