Grad School is Hard, but.....: Recent Episodes
Dr. Katy Peplin
Grad School is Hard, but….is a podcast from Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD. It's for anyone trying to be a human and a scholar, here to help you dive deeper into how your brain and body work best, and experiments to try to help you find your way through the hard work of grad school.
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This episode is one of the most streamed about how to keep motivation up in the long middle of a project!
The middle of the project, well, it can be messy! But if you're in the middle - of a project, a term, a month like AcWriMo - well then this is the episode for you. I'm talking all about strategies for you to try to help bring a little sparkle into that mess!
Mentioned in the podcast is Duolingo! For the full transcript, and lots more, check out the podcast website!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This week's episode is from the awesome The PhD Life Coach, which host Dr. Vikki Burns describes like: Whether you're a PhD student or an experienced academic, life in a university can be tough. If you're feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, or out of your depth, the PhD Life Coach can help. We talk about issues that affect all academics and how we can feel better now, without having to be perfect productivity machines. We usually do this career because we love it, so let's remember what that feels like!
In this episode I talk about how I'm being kind to myself this week and how you can too! It's short but includes some important reflections on what we need to believe in order to take decisions that are right for us in the moment. Hope that you're kind to yourself this holiday period!
Get the transcript here!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This episode is one of the most streamed about how i break up my day in a flexible way!
if time blocking (aka writing in your calendar, "dissertation 10 am to noon") always felt arbitrary to you - then may i present the three chunk method? this is what i use for all kinds of different schedules to help balance out work on various projects, and take advantage of that mythical "flexibility" we all say we love about being a scholar!
get into it!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This week's episode is from the awesome The PhD Life Raft Podcast! This is the podcast for you if you are currently doing a PhD; are working with PhD students; or just living with someone who is on a PhD journey. The PhD Life Raft focuses on sharing insights and experiences around common issues like anxiety, procrastination, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance. Host Dr Emma Brodzinski talks to students, supervisors and experts in the field of wellbeing and mental health who share actionable tips and additional resources. Doing a PhD is tough. The PhD Life Raft is here to help you get through.
This week’s guest is the amazing Gilly McKeown AKA @neurodivergent_researcher.
We begin by talking through the twists and turns of Gilly’s own story; and her spirit of curiosity will be an inspiration to anyone who is still trying to find their ‘thing’.
We then talk about her own late diagnosis of Autism and self-diagnosis of ADHD and the possibilities and challenges she faces as a neurodivergent scholar.
Gilly shares some of the strategies that she has found useful and promotes finding community as a way of accessing information and support.
Here are some of the references Gilly recommends:
Twitter -
@drmbotha
@autisticscienceperson
@jacdenhouting
@katybenson20
@desirjones
@kaydenstockwell
Instagram -
@actually_aspling
@notesfromthephysicslab
@sara_theadhdacademic
Facebook Groups -
Neurodivergent Graduate Students
Autistic Researchers Researching Autism
You can contact Gilly here:
Instagram is neurodivergent_researcher
Facebook is that too
Twitter is gemckeown1
Website is neurodivergentresearcher.com
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This episode is one of the most streamed about how task managers can help you offload some of the buzz in your brain!
whether you put all your tasks in a notebook, app, or on the back of various receipts, many of us want some sort of system to capture all that we need to do. task managers will do you one better by storing that information, and sending it back to you when you can actually take action on it. simply put, your brain cannot hold it all - so why not give it some help??
learn all about task managers in this week's episode!
mentioned in the show:
bullet journal
asana
trello
clickup
todoist
monday.com
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This week's episode is from the awesome The PhD Life Coach, which host Dr. Vikki Burns describes like: Whether you're a PhD student or an experienced academic, life in a university can be tough. If you're feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, or out of your depth, the PhD Life Coach can help. We talk about issues that affect all academics and how we can feel better now, without having to be perfect productivity machines. We usually do this career because we love it, so let's remember what that feels like!
What do you do when you feel disappointed, stressed or overwhelmed? These are such common emotions in academia yet most of us don't really know how to respond to these emotions. In this episode, I'll guess what you probably do at the moment when you're experiencing an emotion you don't like, and suggest some things you do instead. Emotions are part of the human existence and we can learn how to look after ourselves a little more.
In this episode I mention the emotion wheel. There are loads if you search online but here's one I like - https://www.purewow.com/family/feelings-chart - and get the transcript here!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This episode is one of the most streamed about how not every piece of advice will work for you!
If you have ever taken the advice of your advisor, that productivity book that everyone raves about, or even from a coach like me and it straight up didn't work - this is the episode for you. I'm talking all about why it can be so hard to figure out how other scholars are working, and why what works for them might not work for you. Plus three experiments to help you find some strategies that do work for you!
Read the transcript here, and if you're liking the show, please consider rating and reviewing it to help other people find it!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This week's episode is from the awesome Grad Girl Wellness Podcast, a podcast designed to inspire and highlight the stories of women of color in graduate school who are prioritizing their overall health and wellness as they pursue higher education hosted by Angela! Enjoy!
On this episode, we talk with Cydnee aka @cydneeclarke, a third year doctoral candidate in Global Leadership and Change about grief in graduate school. This is a topic many of us have experienced but for which there is little data. While there are studies about the experiences of undergraduates, the is scarce information about graduate students as a whole and even less about underrepresented groups within the grad student population.
On this episode, we discuss:
-What we want from institutions
-What we can do as graduate students to support one another
-Tips on how to advocate for yourself to your institutions
Articles referenced:
Varga, MA. A Quantitative Study of Graduate Student Grief Experiences. Illness, Crisis & Loss. 2016;24(3):170-186.
Varga, MA, Bordere TC, Varga MD. The Holistic Grief Effects of Bereaved Black Female College Students. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. December 2020.
Varga, MA.; McClam, T.; Hassane, S. Grief Experiences Among Female American and Arab Undergraduate College Students. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, [s. l.], v. 72, n. 2, p. 165–183, 2015.
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
This season of Grad School is Hard, But...I'm featuring my awesome colleagues and the greatest hits from the first three seasons while I am out on parental leave! This episode is one of the most streamed about how to come back to work after you've been away!
whether it was a vacation you looked forward to all year, or an unexpected break from work, coming back to your desk after time away is not as easy as it sounds. i give you two strategies for combating the dislocation that can happen, all through the lens of jet lag!
resources:
blog post on shut down routines
blog post on unexpected time away
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
so, you've realized that your advisor doesn't meet all your needs - now what?
this podcast has three steps to help you move through the sticky feelings when this important relationship doesn't feel aligned, and how to move through that.
make sure you check out the first episode of season three, building a team of mentors, for practical steps to keep this process going!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
i talk a lot about sustainability - but how do you know if you're working with a sustainable schedule? i give my top warning signs that your schedule will eventually bury you alive, and even better, ways to build in some flexibility and space in this week's episode! get into it!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
i am delighted to welcome back dr. lauren saunders, VP of editing and research at Dissertation Editor, for this bonus AcWriMo episode! this episode, all about what academics can learn from creative writers, is just the jump start i needed to get a little more playful and have a little more fun with my writing. i hope it can do that for you, too!
learn more about the Dissertation Editor's book, PhDone at their book website, or grab a copy for yourself here: Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Amazon, or connect with dr. saunders (Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn)!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
have you ever looked at a word so long that it ceased to have any meaning? has that ever happened to you on the scale of a paragraph, paper, or diss chapter? this week's episode has a variety of resources and strategies to help you make your writing "strange" - to get some distance from it so you can see it clearly. there isn't always someone else around to read our writing - or time for them to do so even if there was - so these tools can come in handy for all of us!
mentioned:
otter ai
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
i am so excited to welcome dr. vikki wright to the podcast as a special AcWriMo bonus! this episode is something that i return to all of the time - how to get on with it when that feels impossible. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!
from dr. wright:
We all have times where we need to get on with writing our thesis/paper/promotion materials/grant, but we're not. We procrastinate, we tell ourselves we don't have time, we worry that we're not good enough, when really we want to write it! In this episode, I'll help you uncover the 7 thoughts that are stopping you getting on, and 7 thoughts that you might want to think instead!
Dr Vikki Wright (nee Burns) helps PhD students and academics feel better, get their work done more easily, and build lives they enjoy again. She is a twice-certified life coach, and combines these skills with her insights as an ex-Professor and supervisor with 20+ years experience of academia. She provides one-on-one coaching, online workshops for PhD students and supervisors, and an innovative coaching membership programme for universities. You can get to know her more on Instagram and YouTube (@thephdlifecoach), Twitter (@drvikkiburns) and on her podcast, The PhD Life Coach. When she’s not walking, she loves aerial silks, paddleboarding and walking her rescue Labrador Marley.
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
have you ever noticed that when you work in a library or a coffeeshop, or do chores with your housemates, that you get more done? that magic (if it isn't caffeine) is called body doubling. this week's episode is all about this gentler accountability tool, where you can practice it virtually and in person, and when it might not work for you!
mentioned:
my community (join for just $5/month!)
focusmate
the flow club
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
i am THRILLED to introduce you to Dr. Allen Roda is CEO of Dissertation Editor, and co-founder of its British counterpart Thesis Editor. He's also co-author of a new Best Selling Book titled PhDone: A Professional Dissertation Editor's Guide to Writing Your Doctoral Thesis and Earning Your PhD. and to share this bonus AcWriMo episode! so you are interested in working with an editor - but what does that mean, exactly? listen as dr. roda explains the different kinds of editing that editors provide, and how it fits into the dissertation process!
learn more about the Dissertation Editor's book, PhDone at their book website, or grab a copy for yourself here: Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Amazon!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
sometimes, we breeze right by a tool because it seems like an extra step - but i'm here to encourage you to not knock reflective writing until you try it! this week's episode has reasons why you might want to use it, ways to try it out, and variations to play with! get into it!
mentioned:
AcWriMo 2023
Reflective Writing Guide
morning pages
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
whether you're planning for a sprint week, AcWriMo 2023, or another burst of focused work, i'm here with five steps to a sustainable, action-packed time. avoid the common pitfalls and set yourself up for satisfaction and rest!
resources mentioned:
AcWriMo 2023
LifeAt
Focusmate
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
as a coach, i feel like i should be able to push through pretty much everything - that's what i help people with every day, right? but lately, i have been a capital G Grump - and this podcast episode is about how i work through that. if you've been feeling the weight of the world, this is the episode for you.
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
have you ever had - objectively - a decent day, but it still doesn't feel satisfying? i talk all about stealth expectations - and how they might be impacting your work and relationships - on this week's episode!
mentioned:
ATLAS OF THE HEART
Sign up for AcWriMo 2023 here - a month of completely FREE resources to support your academic writing!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
"just break that [insert scary huge] task into smaller steps" - it's evergreen advice but in my opinion, it's some of the hardest to implement. i talk about why, and give you a few new things to try when you're looking at a monster of a task!
AcWriMo 2023 is coming - sign up for FREE here!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
some seasons, i have to work a little harder to keep my head above water. in case you're having an overwhelming season yourself, here are three (easy-ish!!) things you can try, today, with no extra equipment or software. get into it!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
i am THRILLED to introduce you to dr. lauren saunders, VP of editing and research at Dissertation Editor, and to share this first of its kind expert episode! i know that when i was writing my dissertation, i felt like the only person who could help me was my chair, which led to many a moon where i made things harder for myself. had i had this episode then, i would have understood that writing centers, people in other disciplines, and editors could help me too. listen in if you've ever been curious about what it's like to work with an editor - i know i learned a ton!
learn more about the Dissertation Editor's book, PhDone at their book website, or grab a copy for yourself here: Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Amazon, or connect with dr. saunders (Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn)!
Grad School is Hard, But...is a podcast by Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD! Stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter and get my free webinar on using templates to jumpstart your writing!
if time blocking (aka writing in your calendar, "dissertation 10 am to noon") always felt arbitrary to you - then may i present the three chunk method? this is what i use for all kinds of different schedules to help balance out work on various projects, and take advantage of that mythical "flexibility" we all say we love about being a scholar!
get into it!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Get your FREE working more intentionally toolkit here - and get signed up for my newsletter where you'll hear all the latest Thrive PhD news!
welcome back to season three of the podcast!! this season, i'm demystifying all the stuff that makes grad school hard that you might not know about, and this week, we're talking about mentorship!
i don't know about you, but i got a lot of advice and gave a lot of thought when it came to building my dissertation committee, but no one really ever talked about building a mentorship network beyond that. so, if that's you too - this week's episode will tell you all about why you need a team, how to evaluate what you already have in terms of mentorship, and how to build strength in the areas you need.
use this free worksheet (download the PDF here) and the reflection questions i share to get started!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Get your FREE working more intentionally toolkit here - and get signed up for my newsletter where you'll hear all the latest Thrive PhD news!
just a quick note to say that i'm practicing what i preach - going on a little summer sabbatical from the podcast! season three officially kicks off september 5, 2023 - but feel free to stay connected with my newsletter until then!
may your next few weeks be restful and fun!! see you soon!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
of course, i want everyone to take completely work-free time off this summer. but the reality remains that summer is often some of our most precious time as scholars. so how do we balance the immoveable deadlines of work with the very human, very necessary time off that can also come in the summer?
this episode has some of my best tips for negotiating boundaries, setting schedules, and dropping into focus mode quickly! enjoy!
mentioned:
summer camp
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
whether it was a vacation you looked forward to all year, or an unexpected break from work, coming back to your desk after time away is not as easy as it sounds. i give you two strategies for combating the dislocation that can happen, all through the lens of jet lag!
resources:
blog post on shut down routines
blog post on unexpected time away
summer camp!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
i have never felt jealousy like i did the day i heard about research notebooks.
but my jealous can be your gain - learn all about why keeping a notebook might help you develop more insights into your research process! i give flexible examples, and reflection questions to help you see what things you might want to record in yours!
resources mentioned
dr. raul pacheco-vega's everything notebook
LaTeX example
Notion example
the community
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
it should be a smooth progression right? you start as a grad student, and you emerge as an expert! a doctor! a colleague!!
but why does it feel so bumpy? let's talk about all the reasons why you might feel like a superstar one day, and a trash racoon the next - and things you can do to soften the bumps, too!
and sign up for the FREE webinar on turning confusing feedback into effective edits - i'm hosting dr. bailey lang and i'm so excited!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
i'm not sure what came first - my passion for notebooks and pens, or my reliance on those tools when i feel stuck and overwhelmed with my writing. this week, i'm talking all about the benefits of going pen on paper - to slow down, to be less linear, and to get unstuck! if you've been waiting for an excuse to get out the good notebook and your favorite pen, wait no more!
resources:
summer planning workbook - she's free!
summer camp - enrolling now for the rest of the summer!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast! And if you are user pcynde, you won this month's free session! Email to claim!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
in today's episode, i am going to encourage you to think seriously about your summer plans....no, not all the reading you'll do, or writing you'll get caught up on....but your hobbies. and i'll give you a bunch of research-backed reasons that hobbies might be one of the ways that you can make your life - human and scholarly - more sustainable!
resources:
Rest by Alex Soojung-kim Pang
summer camp
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
Get your free summer planning workbook here - get a more spacious, fun, and supported summer!!
lately, i've been asking people to define not just the tasks they want to focus on - but how they'll know when that task is done. and it's a LOT harder than you might think it is! this week's episode gives you two strategies for figuring out doneness, and debunks a PERSISTENT myth about how other people know when they're done. get into it!
referenced:
summer camp
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
everyone says they're trying to stay on top of the reading - but is that possible? and if so, how do you do it???????????
this week's podcast is all about reading - how to manage it, how to plan for it, and how to think about it so it doesn't bury you alive!
resources mentioned:
episode on citation managers
AI tools for mapping citation networks
summer camp
oliver burkeman on reading piles
his book four thousand weeks
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
what's like new year's eve, but even MORE if you're a scholar? the first day of summer - or any time when you're released from other jobs and "get to" focus on your writing!
however, summer can be a trap! and if aren't careful, you can end the summer even more exhausted than when you started - so listen in for my top three strategies for planning a summer that gets stuff done, but not at the expense of your health and well being.
plus find out about my new summer camp - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off!
resources:
summer camp
PS! if you are user "DakotaPlains" you won a free session with me! email at hello@thrive-phd.com to claim your free session!!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Summer Camp has officially kicked off!! Learn more about it here - and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off any sliding scale level or payment plan!
outlines can be frustrating - how do i know how to structure an argument that i haven't written yet? this week's episode talks about the two things i think an outline ACTUALLY does for a scholarly writer, and how to use them alongside drafting for more support. these aren't your high school roman numeral outlines!!
resources:
blog post on outlines!
workshop with dr. henry on may 10
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
I am so excited to be hosting Structure as a Path to Sustainability with Dr. Kate Henry on May 10 - a one stop shop for overcoming overwhelm and lighting the way towards completing your next self-directed writing project. Enrollment is open now! My newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about all the new stuff (and the sales) so hop on the list here!
if there was a pantheon of academic how to books, this one would be at the top - but the reasons i love it so much might not be the ones you think! tune into this week's episode to hear which book basically acted as the seminar in academic writing i never got in graduate school!
resources:
the book i recommend (no spoilers!)
downloadable guide to running your own writing group
join the community for just $5 a month!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
I am so excited to be hosting Structure as a Path to Sustainability with Dr. Kate Henry on May 10 - a one stop shop for overcoming overwhelm and lighting the way towards completing your next self-directed writing project. Enrollment opens soon, and my newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about all the new stuff (and the sales) so hop on the list here!
making decisions can be really hard - and when you're a scholar, a lot of your choices are important, and they all have the same level of urgency. menus are one of the best ways i have found to reduce overwhelm, and provide structure with flexibility - learn all about how i use them in this week's episode!
resources:
a blog post on menus
information about decision fatigue
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
I am so excited to be hosting Structure as a Path to Sustainability with Dr. Kate Henry on May 10 - a one stop shop for overcoming overwhelm and lighting the way towards completing your next self-directed writing project. Enrollment opens soon, and my newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about all the new stuff (and the sales) so hop on the list here!
in no universe do i want to be perceived while i do this, but....my dance party breaks are one of my best kept secrets. and if you tend to live brain first, and not notice until much too late that your body could use some care, body focused breaks might just be the tool for you! listen to this week's episode for more on this fun way to break up your day.
mentioned in this week's podcast:
episode on pomodoro timers
the Thrive PhD community
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Thrive PhD Summer Camp is coming - and if you want to learn more about it, sign up for the waitlist here! My newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about all the new stuff (and the sales) so hop on the list here!
everyone loves to recommend a pomodoro timer (including me!) but this deceptively simple tool actually does NOT work for a lot of people, tasks, and brains. let's get into this controversial classic - and some alternatives - in this week's episode!
resources:
pomodoro technique
congratulations to rmeaso for your review of the podcast! reach out on my website to claim your free session - and if you want a chance to win one next month, please rate and review the podcast!! thank you so much, it really helps!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
Thrive PhD Summer Camp is coming - and if you want to learn more about it, sign up for the waitlist here! My newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about all the new stuff (and the sales) so hop on the list here!
okay before you flee this podcast, hear me out: emailing your supervisor more regularly actually reduces anxiety most of the time. listen on for my best tips on how, when, and why you would want to do such a thing!
and if you want to answer those kinds of questions in a community of people who get it AND will cheer you on (plus lots lots more) for $5 a month, check out the community: https://www.thrive-phd.com/community
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
a tool that costs zero money, but is rarely encouraged, and can have radical benefits if you implement it....it's a cut off time at the end of the day. this was one of the hardest things i did as a grad student, and it can still be a tricky thing, but nothing has made a bigger difference for my sustainability. listen to learn all about it!
and if you're looking for a routine to help support your cut off time, i have your back on the blog!
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
whether you put all your tasks in a notebook, app, or on the back of various receipts, many of us want some sort of system to capture all that we need to do. task managers will do you one better by storing that information, and sending it back to you when you can actually take action on it. simply put, your brain cannot hold it all - so why not give it some help??
learn all about task managers in this week's episode!
mentioned in the show:
bullet journal
asana
trello
clickup
todoist
monday.com
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
i make very few recommendations about things i think all scholars should be doing.......but citation managers are one. listen to this episode to find out my reasons why - and learn my favorite piece of software to use (hint, it's free!!) for this. you truly cannot imagine the amount of information you will need to keep organized as a scholar - citation managers are a key part in dealing with that, and can really help you out!
resources mentioned:
zotero
mendeley
endnote
comparsion chart
step by step tutorial for zotero
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
Welcome to Season 2 of Grad School is Hard, But...where I give you all my best tools to make things a little less hard. To kick things off, we're talking about non-linear word processors. If you've ever done any of the following: completely lost where you were in the document; scrolled up and down for seeming minutes, trying to find where you left off; got completely confused; duplicated text; moved things around that you shouldn't have; gotten really overwhelmed, trying to start at the beginning; mixed up versions; mixed up drafts; then maybe a non-linear word processor is the way to go.
Mentioned in the episode:
Scrivener
Notion
Evernote
Obsidian
I am giving away one FREE 45 minute session with me a month to anyone who reviews this podcast on Apple Podcasts! Leave a review and I'll announce the winners in the last episode of the month, and in my newsletter! Thank you so much for helping to spread the word about the podcast!
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
Okay, okay - I've given you 16 episodes (so far) of things that are hard, questions to help you dig deeper, and experiments to try....but now, you can watch me walk the walk and actually take myself through the process.
That's right - this podcast has been feeling HARD for me the last few weeks - and I use my own system to get to the bottom of that stickiness, and do something about it. If you have ever wanted to see the tools in action, this is the episode for you. I get vulnerable, I get honest, and I talk about what I do when I start to avoid things, and how I have learned to stop before it goes full on shame spiral.
Plus I let you in on what this podcast will look like when I get back on February 28!
Mentioned:
The Way of Integrity
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
One of the most common requests from new clients: Katy! Help me focus more! I want to be able to work for more hours a day!
This podcast episode is all about the hard truth around whether or not we have limits (spoiler: we do) and how to work with them, not against them. If you want to stave off burnout - this is the episode for you!
Mentioned:
march madness!
historical context for time limited days
If you want to spend March making sustainable progress on your writing, with the added excitement of challenges, fun, and prizes, then March Madness is for you! Sign up for FREE here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
I used to live a nice, peaceful life where I made a cute little to-do list in the morning, and then I spent the day checking things off, and then once it was empty, I felt so good! Maybe I never had that - but it sounds great, doesn't it?? Staying on top of what you need to do and when is so hard as a grad student, but this episode has some comfort that you're not alone, and importantly, three things you could try today to help with that overwhelming feeling of a list that keeps getting longer, no matter what you do...
Mentioned:
ToDoist
Clickup
Notion
To do list variations!
If you want to learn more about how to work (and not work) more intentionally as a scholar, my toolkit is completely free and here for you! Sign up here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
The question on almost every mind I encounter is why is it so HARD to know how long things wil take? As a scholar, you'll be asked to do a LOT of self-directed work and it's really hard to plan and adjust if you can't estimate how long something we'll take. We'll talk about how this shows up, and why some of the most common advice (add in buffer time) can really backfire. Get into it!
Extra resources:
Support for the middle of a project
Clarity over momentum
Commitments over deadlines
If you want to learn more about how to work (and not work) more intentionally as a scholar, my toolkit is completely free and here for you! Sign up here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
After nearly three decades of actively attempting to think my way out of anxiety and other nervous system concerns, I am here to report that it is hard! And it is especially hard to manage our nervous systems in a world where there's never enough time to do it, and we all believe that we'll feel better ONCE the work is done. This episode is about going body first to support our scholarship - because sometimes, our brains can't do it all.
Resources mentioned:
Window of Tolerance
Box Breathing
How to complete the stress cycle
Burnout book
If you want to learn more about how to work (and not work) more intentionally as a scholar, my toolkit is completely free and here for you! Sign up here, and you'll also be on my newsletter list for weekly pep talks and all the latest news in the Thrive PhD universe!
Why is it so hard to stop for the day (or the week)? One of the big benefits of academia is setting your own schedule so.....why do so many of us end up with a "feel like I should be working all the time, crash on the couch" schedule? This week's episode is all about figuring out how to stop for the day so that you can break (or at least, soften) the push/crash cycle that we all get caught in sometimes! Enjoy!
My writing groups - one of the most popular things I do as a coach all year - are enrolling right now. To learn more about them - including about the sliding scale pricing and monthly payment options, click here! We kick off January 11 for eight weeks of writing education, support, and accountability to get your writing practice off to a solid start in 2023!
Oh wow - the first and only podcast episode about goals to be released in January! But, for real - scholarly goals are NOT like other, more concrete goals. Learn more about why, reflect on how goals have helped (or NOT) you in the past, and then stay tuned for three of my most popular strategies for setting goals that actually move you forward without destroying your will to live.
Mentioned in the episode:
good better best goals
seasonal resolutions
writing groups
My writing groups - one of the most popular things I do as a coach all year - are enrolling right now. To learn more about them - including about the sliding scale pricing and monthly payment options, click here! We kick off January 11 for eight weeks of writing education, support, and accountability to get your writing practice off to a solid start in 2023!
What can be so hard about a break between terms, vacation, or other kinds of time off? You'd be surprised! Let's get into what can make these times so hard, and how to plan for a break that is both restful AND useful!
See you in 2023! Sign up for the newsletter so you're the first to know about my new writing groups, and get my free working more intentionally toolkit while you're at it!
Has your day ever been completely off the rails by 10 am? Do you have a tendency to abandon ship at the first sign of distraction, or stick with a task that's going nowhere way longer than you should? Resetting when we lose focus is so hard - but this week, I'll share all my best strategies for getting to the bottom of why it's hard for you, and things you can try to rescue some of that time back and work on purpose.
Video on pom timers here - and episode on gamifying the middle here!
Don't miss the once a year sale at thrive-phd.com - everything in the store is 15% off until December 11! Sign up for the newsletter so you're the first to know about things like that, and get my free working more intentionally toolkit while you're at it!
So, you got up your nerve and asked for feedback on your work...now what?? It can be so hard to process someone else's thoughts on how, where, when, and why your work should change, and balance their suggestions with your own vision. This episode has strategies to help you move through that a little more efficiently, a little more gently, and hopefully with just a dash more empowerment.
AcWriMo 2022 is here! A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! You can join us all November long!
And don't miss the once a year sale at thrive-phd.com - everything in the store is 15% off until December 11!
Why is it so hard to ask for feedback on your work? And why is it sometimes even harder to get the kind of feedback we WANT on your work, when and how you want it? This episode is all about one of the biggest (and hardest) skill jumps a grad student has to make - going from seeing feedback as a grade, to seeing it as a tool to develop work.
A few resources on reading and evaluating writing, in case they're useful!
Different pedagogies of writing feedback
Responding vs. evaluating vs. grading
AcWriMo 2022 is here! A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! You can join us all November long!
And don't miss the once a year sale at thrive-phd.com - everything in the store is 15% off until December 11!
The middle of the project, well, it can be messy! But if you're in the middle - of a project, a term, a month like AcWriMo - well then this is the episode for you. I'm talking all about strategies for you to try to help bring a little sparkle into that mess!
Mentioned in the podcast is Duolingo! For the full transcript, and lots more, check out the podcast website!
AcWriMo 2022 is here! A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! You can join us all November long!
If you're anything like me, you used to be great at deadlines! Undergrad you might have waited a little long to get that paper started, but you always clicked into gear and got things in on time....and then you hit grad school. I get into why it's really hard to get the energy to push for a big deadline - any why the tools you've used before may not work like they used to, but most importantly, what you can do about it to push in a sustainable way. Enjoy!
AcWriMo 2022 is here! A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! You can join us all November long!
Has your project lost that sparkle? Are you just not excited about your work the way you used to be? Do you worry that everyone else is passionately in love with their research and you're the only one who has to bribe yourself to get to the desk?
You are definitely not the only one - and this episode goes into why it is so hard to stay excited about your work, and some things you can do to bring that spark back!
Transcript available here!
AcWriMo 2022 is coming - and it's going to be better than ever. A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! We kick off November 1, 2022!
If ever taken the advice of your advisor, that productivity book that everyone raves about, or even from a coach like me and it straight up didn't work - this is the episode for you. I'm talking all about why it can be so hard to figure out how other scholars are working, and why what works for them might not work for you. Plus three experiments to help you find some strategies that do work for you!
Read the transcript here, and if you're liking the show, please consider rating and reviewing it to help other people find it!
AcWriMo 2022 is coming - and it's going to be better than ever. A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! We kick off November 1, 2022!
In our second episode, we talk about one of the most important pieces of the way I work: collecting data about what works, and what doesn't in your work life. If you've ever thought "maybe I'd like to know where my time goes during the day?", or "what hours actually do tend to be easier for me to focus?" but stopped because that sounded really hard and vulnerable, then this is the episode for you.
Read the transcript here, and if you're enjoying the show, please rate and review to help other people find the show!
AcWriMo 2022 is coming - and it's going to be better than ever. A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! We kick off November 1, 2022!
In our first episode, we go with the obvious - how hard it is to get started. If you've ever been frustrated by how long it takes you to get going in the morning, or after a transition, or you start to tune out when people suggest that you start with the hard things, this is the episode for you!
Read the transcript here and if you're enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate and, and review to help other people find us!
AcWriMo 2022 is coming - and it's going to be better than ever. A free month of writing support and resources - all at a time of year when it is so easy not to write at all. Learn more and sign up FOR FREE at https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2022 ! We kick off November 1, 2022!
Grad School is Hard, but….is a podcast for everyone who is doing the hard work of being a human AND a scholar. On this show, I share questions to dive deeper into how YOUR brain and body work best, and experiments to try to help you find YOUR way through the hard work of generating new knowledge.
The first episode releases October 11, 2022 - but until then, get your free How to Work (and NOT Work) More Intentionally Toolkit at: https://tinyurl.com/ThriveToolkit
See you soon!