I have just started a social science PHD.

For the first nine months I have to do my literature review which involves reading lots and lots and lots.

At the moment I am working (reading) from 9am until 4pm. I thought this wasn't much but the other PHD students that have either just started their first year like me or are going into their second year only work for about four hours max. a day.

I don't see how they are going to manage to do a literature review working so few hours in a day.

How many hours a day do or did you spend working in your first year? And was it enough?

Haha, this all sounds very familiar to me! I have just started my second year on a PhD in clinical psychology and spent a lot of the first year reading, writing my lit review, finalising the proposal and form-filling for ethical approval etc. I treated my PhD as a full-time job and I still do, so I always tried to put in at least 8 or 9 hours per day and often did more in the evenings and at weekends (whilst still retaining some sort of social life!). I think it's good to get into this sort of routine and it will set you up well for your next couple of years which will no doubt be rather hectic. I had an office mate who started at the same time as me in the same sort of subject area and same supervisors- she has probably averaged a couple of hours a day and apparently spends most of her time watching films at home and buying stuff off the internet (I am friends with her flatmate so get inside information!). But a year on, I'm glad I have been putting in the hours because she is a long way behind. At the end of the day you can do the minimum so that you pass your PhD with no frills, or you can work hard and get a PhD, publications, presentation/conference experience, teaching experience, and earn the respect of your colleagues. I suspect that this will eventually be the difference between people who casually put in a few hours a day and those who work hard and go on to lead successful academic careers...well I would like to think it works like that although I'm sure in practice it doesn't always! But I am working on this principal :) Stick with the routine, you'll be glad you did! KB

Hi Pennyfarthing,

I started my PhD in a scientific field about three months ago and will be involved in a lit review for the majority of my 1st year . Like you, I had no idea how many hours/days I should be spending on work. I think it depends a bit on how you work. If you can put in 4 hours of focused work a day then leave guilt-free then that's your prerogative. However, if like me, half of the time at your desk is spent day dreaming/ procrastinating then obviously a longer working day is required to produce the same amount of work.

A word of advice, work/leisure-time boundaries are a must! This is something that I still struggle with. I find myself regularly working late nights and weekends because I feel guilty that I amn't making progress quickly. I've learned that this is counter-productive and am currently into my 4th week without a day off work and am pretty wrecked and pissed off with life. I wouldn't mind so much if I had something to show for the hours I put in but I'm too anxious to focus.

Sorry for the ramble, basically I'm just trying to say that I agree with KeenBean - treat your PhD like a job and work full time Mon-Fri. Keep your weekends and evenings free. I will endeavour to do the same! Think of it this way; you project is going to get more hectic/stressful as time progresses - you need to be strong to deal with that. :-)

Hi Pennyfarthing

If you're full-time, I think you should be putting in close to full-time hours, like you are. Funding agreements will also say how many hours you're expected to do. You're right, your colleague isn't going to make progress fast and it will take her ages to finish. This is noticed by supervisors, and as you mentioned, students who put in the work, get the opportunities. But it's also a matter of individual preference and you might want to experiment a bit with different working styles. I work every day and only have the occasional day off, and this works fine for me - I have a couple of mornings and evenings off a week. But find out what works for you, while putting in the hours. I'm also in social sciences.

Thanks for the comments. I sometimes work on Sundays because I get very bored at home and would rather be doing something productive than watching songs of praise. But generally I tend to work Monday-Friday 9-4 and then have weekends and evenings completely off.

I work a 9-6 day but with flexibility as I do things like the shopping during the day sometimes and also I tend to count travelling time in that (which could be 1.5 hrs each way on a bad day, up to three times a week!). I'm now second year though and I don't think it's going to be enough so I need to start thinking of ways of increasing my hours without intruding on time for other things in my life. Getting up earlier is the obvious plan but I'm not such a morning person...

i tend to do a 9-4 Mon-Fri as well, and so far haven't really worked in evenings or at weekends at all (just started 2nd year of pharmacology phd). i often panic that i'm not doing enough, and this year i think i am going to have to step it up a bit. i have some things to publish and will hopefully present at a conference or two in 2010, so i think my level of work is ticking along ok, but i still always feel like everyone else is way ahead of me and i need to work much harder!! (this may well all be in my head though, i'm probably not as far behind as i think!). some days i have a really productive few hours and allow myself to leave a bit early, and others i procrastinate so much i feel like i probably only did about half an hour of actual work, but i think that's the nature of a phd, and there are highs and lows.

Hey,
I'm in my 3rd year (social psych.) and usually do 8.30 to 5, but then sometimes i do 8 to 6 then take time off for appts etc. On tuesdays my partner works late so I stay until 8.30 ish. It depends on my work flow, but try and keep to 'office hours' plus a bit more now I'm in my 3rd year! If I have a deadline to meet I'll also work at the weekends, but do try and avoid it as I want to maintain some kind of 'normal life'!!!
In my first year I did try and keep office hours, but was less strict about it so 9 to 4.30ish I guess. One of the big things I have learnt is to try not and compare yourself to peers to much - you will drive yourself mad!! As long as you are doing the work you need to and feel happy with it don't worry too much.
xx

Hey,

I'm in my third year, and while I'm in my office from around 9:30 - 4:30 "every day", I don't actually work the whole time I'm there. I get maybe 3 hours of actual work done a day... sometimes more if there's a deadline or I'm feeling motivated.

Think it all depends of how efficient you are when you're actually working, and what works best for you. I wouldn't worry about how much other people do... I know some PhD students who work 8 - 6 everyday, and are still miles behind where I am despite starting at the same time.

Work to your own timetable and forget everyone else! :-)

Hi Pennyfarthing,

I just started my PhD 3 weeks ago and like you I have lots of reading to do. My Lit Review is due at the end of December so I'm working hard to complete that. I left a full time job to do my PhD and I worked 7am till 3pm (I prefer to start early and finish early) and thought I could do this during my PhD. I set my alarm every morning but ended up switching it off and going back to sleep. I now realise that I am more productive when I get out of bed when my body tells me to (usually 9am) and work once i've had breakfast. I tend to work a good 6 or 7 hours a day now but I also have to incorporate some compulsary classes into my week and also the 1.5 hour bus trip (one way) into uni. I'm doing a science based PhD and have decided that once I get started in the lab I will do an 8am to 4pm (in uni). The early start means that I can stay later if something goes wrong without having to get a night bus home. lol.

Hope all goes well with your reading.