Bending Boundaries

In the final episode of Ebru, Seren and Meghan wrap up the podcast. We talk about what the podcast has meant to us and some of the lessons we have learned along the way. We reflect on where our research is now, compared with when we started the podcast 2 years ago! We then finish off by sharing our tentative plans for the future. Thank you to all our listeners for supporting us throughout the podcast journey!

In this episode we are joined by recent PhD completer Jo Krishnakumar. In the first half we talk about the relationship between activism and academia. In the second half we discuss the final stages of the PhD, handing in your written thesis and sitting an exam called a viva, where you discuss your PhD with two academics. Jo shares their experience and advice for people wondering what it's like to finish.

In this episode of Bending Boundaries, we explore the journey of becoming and being a parent while pursuing a PhD, focusing on the emotional and physical labor involved and the complexities surrounding the concept of 'work-life balance.' This episode provides a heartfelt, vulnerable and connected discussion on the emotional journey of balancing family and academic life. We are hopeful it will offer a resource for those struggling to find connections with other PhD parents or those experiencing anxieties about family planning related to finances and the 'right' or 'wrong' timing. Joining the conversation is our host Ebru our brilliant guests Malika, Julia, and Caroline, each drawing from personal experiences and sharing their unique journeys of becoming and being parents at different stages of their academic careers.

PhD students often have to do an original piece of research. This involves designing a research project, doing the research, and then writing about what you’ve learned. There are so many different types of research and methods for doing it, including conducting interviews, surveys, and ethnography.  In this episode, Ebru, Meghan and Seren talk about their experiences of running their own research projects as part of their PhDs. They discuss research methods, ethics, what it feels like to be in ‘the field’, finding participants and analysing the data collected.

In this episode, Ebru, Meghan and Seren talk about their experiences of working on various tasks alongside their PhDs.  When doing a PhD, working on your project is just one of many activities that take up your time. You might be teaching, submitting papers for journals, reviewing others’ work, or applying to present at conferences.  In this episode, we discuss how rewarding and challenging these different tasks can be, why they are important, and how PhD researchers are compensated for doing them.