A summer in the life of a PhD student

As you read in my update post, summer was busssssyyyyyy. By next month, I should be back to posting monthly life updates, but I thought it would be better if I combine the last few months!

JULY:

• I began redrafting my probation report. SURPRISE, SURPRISE – there were many spelling mistakes!
• I continued transcribing archive documents–something I’ve learnt this year is that THIS TAKES FOREVER.
• I dislocated my knee (not work-related but it definitely impacted it!).
• I wrote a piece for the brilliant First 100 Years project. Check it out here.
• I worked on a paper for an upcoming August conference.

  Working in the sun, still humming ALL the tunes from @JamieMusical last night. It was SO much fun, I’ve never heard my ma cackle more + Emmeline Pankhurst got a name drop which made my suffrage history loving heart VERY happy! pic.twitter.com/dFRZnFJiNH

  — Laura Noakes (@lauranoakes) July 6, 2018

AUGUST:

• I continued redrafting my probation report. Told you it took me FOREVER!
• Ditto, transcribing.
• Ditto, PhD reading.
• I also directed a panto:

• I also attended and presented at the wonderful annual WHN conference in Portsmouth. It was such a wonderful event, full of super interesting papers and a suffragette sing-a-long.

SEPTEMBER:

• I attended and chaired a panel at the CLC conference. Weirdly, chairing a panel was super stressful and nerve-racking! Almost more so than delivering a paper!
• I prepped for AND PASSED MY MINI-VIVA! EEEEEEK! This means that I was upgraded to PhD status and my research was approved. Cue celebrations:

  Blurry happy photos coz I PASSED my PhD mini viva AND my car didn’t break down on my way home! pic.twitter.com/F3YUwMq3SR

  — Laura Noakes (@lauranoakes) September 11, 2018

• AND, finally, I wrote a paper for and presented at the OU FBL Research Festival!

  Laura Noakes on connections between law, legal practice and suffrage #OUFBL2018 pic.twitter.com/5kdUT4qBsK

  — OU Law School (@OU_Law) September 24, 2018

• Alongside this, I did more academic reading, transcribed more documents, and emailed archives.

SO, I’ve had the most amazing first year as a PhD student. It’s been challenging at times, but always rewarding. I’m really looking forward to where my research goes in the next two years!

Laura Noakes (@lauranoakes) is a PhD student at the Open University School of Law. This story was published on October 1, 2018 on Laura’s blog, ‘The Portia Post’ (available here) and has been republished here with her permission.