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Thinking About Things
I write about the realities of PhD life, research methods, and navigating academia on my Substack newsletter. From practical advice on PhD applications to reflections on the research process, I aim to make academic life more accessible and less intimidating.
Latest Posts
Maths should not be scary
15 July, 2025
In the social sciences, there seems to be a pervasive phenomenon among young scholars and students: the fear of numbers. This phenomenon is often perceived as an insurmountable obstacle for people with a qualitative background and sometimes prevents promising young students and scholars from exploring new ways of doing research, breaking boundaries (personal and academic), and doing their best work.
You cannot force yourself to have good ideas
November 1, 2024
You are in the first few months of a new project (perhaps your PhD or your master’s), and you are trying to come up with a good idea. You tell yourself that it cannot only be good, it has to be groundbreaking. A thoughtful exploration of creativity, perfectionism, and the research process.
Applying to PhDs in the UK
August 9, 2024
It seemed as though everyone else who was applying knew exactly what to do, exactly who to talk to, which programmes to apply to, which courses to take during their master’s to have the most competitive CV. A comprehensive step-by-step guide for social sciences applications.
Why methods courses will change your life
May 10, 2024
[…] Like many others, I wondered: why on earth would someone sign up for a master’s in Methodology? But most importantly, what does a master’s in Methodology entail?
How to ace your next job/PhD interview with ChatGPT
January 26, 2024
After shedding tears on my keyboard while typing 1000 times “interview questions” in the Google search bar, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great to have a personal assistant with endless free time, and trained on 45 TB of data. A practical guide with useful prompts for interview preparation.
How do I approach a potential supervisor?
December 26, 2023
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, I think that, ultimately, admission committees are looking for two things in your research proposal: