Getting over the Mid-PhD Slump

When I started my doctoral studies in 2009 I was highly motivated, excited and also intimidated by the task ahead. I was also pretty unprepared; I had little real understanding of what a PhD was actually like and what lay ahead. I never took a break from my studies and have been used to an extremely high turnover of work and reward since the age of about 7. I was completely unaware that a ‘mid-PhD slump’ even existed, and was entirely unprepared for one.

In my first year I kept up a high intensity, committing to daily timesheets and allowing myself weekends and evenings off. My mantra was to treat my studies like a ‘9 to 5 job’. The main problem with this philosophy is that unlike normal jobs, doctoral study involves carrying the burden of your own work-rate, conscience and future career twenty four hours a day for a minimum of three years. I saw little reward for my work with few submissions or grades, and the more I learned about my chosen topic, the less confident I felt about the theoretical impact I could make.

As time went on isolation, lack of reward and daily social contact took its toll. Over the summer of 2012, in the midst of Olympics Fever, I was stricken by malaise. I couldn’t concentrate on my work, I felt stressed, unconfident and came to resent having to wake up and face my computer screen. This feeling lasted for a couple of months and was a truly challenging period in both my studies, and my personal life.

I was forced to deal with my own problems. Family and friends tried to support me, but there were some things I had to do to help myself – things I wish I’d known sooner. Eventually I took a break; abstracting myself from work finally allowed me to regain my enthusiasm and generate fresh ideas. Then I tried to find ways to reward myself: I kept records of hours worked and words written as a way of reminding myself of the progress I was making. I sought out regular stimulation through academic seminars, sport and socialising. I also spoke to my supervisors who encouraged me to change my focus.  Most importantly, I opened up about my problems and sought help.

I am now weeks away from the end of my funding, and am closing in upon the final draft. Though I have faced difficulties along the way, I will never regret being given three years to develop my ideas and indulge my passion. Nevertheless, knowing that a lull in my work could happen, and having the knowledge of how to deal with it would have made my life easier; I hope that by sharing my own knowledge I can help others going through a similar experience.

What is a ‘slump’?

Troughs and dips in doctoral study can take a variety of forms. Anyone, no matter how motivated, confident or capable, can suffer them. First of all you need to recognise you are in a rut. Some key indicators:

•  Lack of motivation
• Sense of isolation
• An urge to give up and get a job
• Inability to get out of bed
• Distraction and procrastination
•  Mood swings
• Writers block or lack of ideas
• More serious forms: mental health issues such as depression or anxiety (seek out professional support straightaway)

Tips to tackle the slump

1. Take ‘ownership’ of it

You are not the only one to experience this. Actively seek out help, support and advice. Your university provides this, but also talk to friends, family or healthcare professionals. Doing nothing is rarely the answer. 

2. Take a break!

If it’s not happening, don’t force it! The number of PGR students I’ve met who don’t take holidays is frightening. Changes of scenery and breaks will allow you to recover your energy, and help reignite the passion for your work.

3. Talk to trusted family, friends, peers or your supervisor

Many people have been in the same position before; tap into the knowledge which they have, whilst also venting your own frustrations and emotions. 

4. Find ways to motivate and reward yourself

• Timetables
• Blogging and social media
• Publishing reviews/articles
• Set deadlines
• Keep word counts

5. Stimulate your brain

Try reading outside of your discipline, watching films, listen to music, exercise, join discussion groups and attend seminars and conferences. Your brain needs looking after and working out. You might find that reading a newspaper will suddenly set you thinking. 

If this advice helps one person through their studies I will be happy. Though it is an immense privilege to be able to study for a doctorate, the three year (or six year part-time) ride can be a massive challenge. Some people are confronted with problems too great and never finish. It is important to arm yourself with the skills and support to be prepared. 

In kinder moments my friends remind me that it takes great resilience to wake up every day and motivate yourself. Remember that in spite of the jokes, your friends will respect your commitment and drive, and you will feel a sense of achievement like no other when you finish. There is light at the end of the tunnel, so stick at it! 

Interdisciplinary Workshop: 'Empire In Peril: Invasion-Scares and Popular Politics in Britain, 1890-1914' at QMUL

Dr Kim Wagner and I are holding a two-day event on 14-15 November 2013 at Queen Mary, University of London in Mile End. This should be a fantastic  opportunity to discuss the political, cultural and social history the period before the First World War through the lens of the 'invasion scare'. 

If you have an academic interest please find the 'Call for Papers' notice below. 

For anyone who is fascinated by pre-war British society, please do come along. Public lectures and panels will be held with some major academics in their field providing insight into the latest research in this field.

Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested!

Best wishes,

Patrick

Revision and Examination Techniques: Advice for History Students

It's coming to that time of year for all history students. Easter Holidays are usually the time where people suddenly realise that exams are fast approaching. I know when I was going through that hellish time that I would have appreciated some advice from somebody who made it through.

This is the summary of a workshop I deliver to my students. The truth is there is NO SIMPLE ANSWER to how to write the perfect history exam. If there is one thing to take away from this post, it is that you need to be prepared for the specific task ahead of you. A revision strategy will give you confidence to go forward and tackle what can seem an impossible task.

In my finals I went teetotal for two months. I got fit and healthy, distracting myself from stress by running, the gym and socialising as much as possible outside of my revision hours. I made sure my timetable was strict, but achievable, and stayed honest to it. In the end, I did OK. I passed every exam with marks I was pleased with relative to my own goals. I was satisfied that I could have done nothing more to reach my potential. That way I knew whatever mark I got would be reflective and I would have no regrets. 

Its certainly not the only way, and who knows what difference the healthy lifestyle really made. What I do know is that these things can help to focus your mind, prevent procrastination and keep you going. Any plan or strategy is better than not having one!

This is not an all-encompassing exam guide, so make sure you get all the help you can from your home institution. 

Best of luck to all those poor students!

Please leave any comments below - If people want to share their experiences, worries and ideas that would be great.

Outline

1. Revision Skills 

2. Exam Preparation 

3. The Exam 

4. Q&A

Revision Skills: Techniques

• Strategy:

o    Timetables – exam dates, times, allocate revision times, and allocate relaxation and fun too!

o    Know your task – plan out your revision in advance

o    Balance revision based on weighting/importance of each exam

o    Mix it up – keep it diverse and focussed

• Techniques:

o   What type of learner are you?

o   What has worked in the past?

o   What didn’t work?

o   There are a huge variety of techniques: e.g. Mind maps/Spider-grams, Colour-coding, re-writing, lists, simply reading, diagrams etc. See Andrew Marszal's Daily Telegraph article and BBC's Student Life page.

Revision Skills: Past Papers

• Get to know the past papers THOROUGHLY – Know what to expect
• Don’t predict questions

o    Focus on topics/themes that come up regularly

o    Has your tutor been focussing on certain themes through the module?

• “How Many Topics Should I Revise?!”

o    Be realistic with the number of topics you choose

o    Be logical! – number of questions per paper, number of topics in the module, how many do you have to answer

• Practice writing answers – both under pressure and in your own time
• Practice exam plans – do lots of example plans for questions – think out the structure of your answers 

Revision Skills: My Own Approach

This is not an tick list for you to follow - it's simply how I revised for my finals. It was very much tailored to the way I thought worked best for me.

• Stage 1: Timetabling

o    Decided on how many topics I needed to revise

o    Worked out how much time I had for each topic

o    Allocated per day, per hour revision for the next 8-10 weeks

• Stage 2: Learn and Gather

o    Went through notes – re-wrote and gathered the good stuff

o    Extra research on each topic – historiography, names dates etc

o    Collated files for each section – easily accessible

• Stage 3: Revise

o    Go through stage 2 notes – re-write, revise, summarise

o    A3 paper – Side 1 – rough spider gram putting information into relevant sections – went through each topic first

o    A3 Paper – Side 2 – Final Detailed Spider-gram – using colour themes, and visual information

o    Learned the spider-grams – how much can I write out in rough?

• Stage 4: Exam Practice

o    Untimed written essays

o    Timed essays

o    Last minute: Practice question plans – bullet point notes

o    All the time keep referring back to spider-grams

Revision Skills: Basic Principles

• Do not ‘question spot’

o    This NEVER ends well - Revise broad topics instead.

• Engage in ‘active’ revision:

o    Reformulate and re-organise material to refresh its meaning in your own mind.

• Look for material ‘types’:

o    e.g. historiography; examples; case studies with DATES

• Try to read something new:

o    Markers will be delighted to see you refer to relevant material not already discussed in class. This will really set your paper apart and reinforce what you already know.

• Healthy body=healthy mind

Exam Preparation

• Keep to your strategy – have confidence in it
• Healthy Body=Healthy Mind:

o    Eat well – greens etc. – but not too much, too soon before exam

o    Drink water; take water with you

o    Don’t force sleep – sleep when tired, behave normally

o    No BOOZE – alcohol damages your memory.

• Check mitigations procedures:

o   Many Universities have a 'Fit to Sit' policy - find out what the rules are for you

• Remember that panic is counter-productive

The Exam: Getting there

• Check the University website first:

o    Make sure you know where you are going and what day and time you need to be there!

• Don’t start comparing revision/knowledge with friends

o    This will only worry you and its too late to change anything

The Exam 

• Read the whole paper first (don’t forget to turn over…)
• Think on your feet

o    Do not write a pre-prepared answer on autopilot

• Planning: 
• Allocate time for planning

o    Structure is essential – like any essay – make a plan and stick to it

o    Allow time at the end to check and change

• Try to write legibly
• Don’t start comparing answers afterwards – its too late to change so why worry each other?!
• Celebrate when it’s over

Summary

•  Before the Exam:

o    Know your Task – STRATEGISE!

o    Plan and divide into manageable chunks

o    Know your own approach

o    Look after body and mind

o    Practice the SKILL of exam writing

• In the Exam:

o    Don‘t Panic! Keep Calm

o    Read thoroughly

o    Think on your feet – ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!

o    Time Management and Planning!

Michael Gove's New Draft History Curriculum

A brief note: if you are interested in history, and care about the education of our children think carefully about the proposals for a new historical tradition. 

People should read the actual draft curriculum which is available here: 
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/h/history%2004-02-13.pdf

Also see the contributions of teachers and historians in favour: 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/15/history-teaching-curriculum-gove-right

And against:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/feb/18/history-teachers-learn-face-facts

The link below takes you to a parliamentary petition which explains the objections of many academic historians and history teachers as follows:

Keep the history curriculum politically neutral

Responsible department: Department for Education

We strongly object to the government’s proposed new history curriculum and want it to be scrapped on the following grounds:  

1) An almost exclusively British history course encourages insularity, needlessly narrows the horizons of pupils and is a poor preparation for later life.  

2) The content of the course is impractical to deliver, dry and likely to disengage pupils from history. 

3) The proposals have been made without adequate consultation with professionals.  

4) The use of the education system to promote a nationalist political agenda will stop history being a vehicle for teaching critical thought and is an assault on academic freedom."

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46338

Please readers do your bit. History is a vital element in forming the identities and perceptions of young British minds. Do something to prevent the subject becoming politicized, boring and inward-facing.

Legacies of the British Empire: David Cameron in Amritsar

Some interesting points have arisen out of David Cameron's recent visit to India. Ostensibly this was an affirmation of the 'special relationship' between India and Britain, but was also clearly an attempt to drum up arms deals between the two countries. 

The Amritsar Massacre, 13 April 1919

During the visit Cameron visited the Jallianwallah Bagh memorial in the City of Amritsar where, in 1919, hundreds of civilians were shot during peaceful political meetings at the command of a British officer, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer. The massacre resulted in scandal - though not complete disgrace for the British officials in charge - leaving lasting resentment among many in India. Dyer was eventually found to have been in breach of his orders by a British legal commission (the Hunter Commission) and was relieved of his command. 

Opinions in Britain by no means universally condemned the act: Dyer was offered a golden pension of £26,000 raised in a public appeal to save a 'hero's' reputation. Meanwhile, though the Hunter Commission did find Dyer's actions to have been in the extreme, the majority report did not condemn him to a satisfactory level. It was only the minority report, provided by the three Indian lawyers sitting for the commission, which went as far as to morally condemn Dyer. There was no monolithic British condemnation of the act in Britain, as Cameron claimed last week. For many in Britain, Dyer remained a hero who had stopped an imagined conspiracy in the Punjab. Indian nationalists would never forget the massacre, and for Indians today Amritsar is remembered as a national symbol of unity and sacrifice.

This event has been hugely contentious in British and Indian historiography; even into the 21st Century debates continue about the 'necessity' of Dyer's actions as a result of a state of chaos in the Punjab as proposed in Nick Lloyd's, The Amritsar Massacre: The Untold Story of One Fateful Day (2011). Nigel Collett and others have sought to prevent such dangerous revisions of what they perceive to be a shameful event in Britain's history (see the reviewers debates between Wagner vs. Lloyd, and Collett vs. Lloyd.)

It is commendable that in Britain we are able and willing to engage in lively academic exchange about the nature of the British Empire; I would thoroughly encourage any budding student to delve into the imperial past. However, our Prime Minister, along with many in the public sphere (Niall Ferguson for example), seems prone to make crucial errors in accounting for Britain's past.

David Cameron rightly called the Amritsar 'shameful' and invoked Winston Churchill's own description of it as a 'monstrous' act. However, in the same visit, in an outburst of sickly patriotism, he splurged:

"There is an enormous amount to be proud of in what the British empire did and was responsible for. But of course there were bad events as well as good events. The bad events we should learn from and the good events we should celebrate."

This - I believe - is an error. We cannot simply look at the Empire and take pride in the 'good' whilst condemn the bad. There is a danger that by claiming the 'good' bits for our national pride we cause vast offence to many nationalities, which cannot be undone by our declarations of disgust at the ugly sides of empire. Furthermore, the 'good' of Empire is entirely inseparable from the bad by its very nature. As @Sjgray86 so rightly pointed out on my Twitter feed, 'It is also pointless - by whose yardstick are we measuring?'

There were those in India and in Britain who had called for a long overdue official apology for Amritsar. I believe - in spite of my political leanings and opinions of this terrible event - Cameron was right not to apologize, for these reasons:

1. Because he would have been hugely criticised for his apology as cynically garnering support for arms deals with India in some quarters;

2. Apologies now would seem, in my view to be 'too little, too late' for families of the victims;

3. Cameron is not in a position to represent such an apology from Britain anyway - I don't believe there is anyone currently alive who is;

4. The long list of imperial legacies for which to apologize would render whole exercise piecemeal and farcical.

There is little doubt that the majority living in Britain of 2013, if they knew enough, would feel a great sense of remorse for the many terrible acts perpetrated by our imperial ancestors. This I think goes without saying, and perhaps can explain why so few peoples around the world now treat UK citizens with any ounce of hostility.

Cameron should have met with the families who still feel hereditary hurt from the massacre of 1919. This would have shown to the people that feel the pain most that Britain wishes them to know that feel remorse. This would have done something to quell any lasting resentment. As it is, many in India were pleased that Britain had condemned the act, which is something at least.

My point is that we should continue to research, understand, debate and relate to the British Empire - in all aspects. We shouldn't seek to reclaim it from the history books, either the allegedly good or bad parts. It is not ours to claim, and we should join the rest of the world in viewing it as something from which we have moved on.

I am not ideologically averse to patriotism, but I think we should look to the positive aspects of our current society to draw national pride (Olympics 2012, Humanitarian Aid, Our civil society, etc.), not a society now alien to us. It's not about forgetting, or forgiving - only learning.

For two fine historical renderings of this event and its British perspectives see:

• Collett, Nigel. The Butcher of Amritsar: General Reginald Dyer (2006)
• Sayer, Derek, British Reaction to the Amritsar Massacre 1919-1920, (1991)  

And for a historiographical overview of both Indian and non-Indian works start with:

• Narain, Savita. The historiography of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, 1919 (New Delhi, Spantech and Lancer, 1998) 

Posted by Patrick Longson at 15:40

Journal of History and Cultures

A little update: Please check out and follow the Journal of History and Cultures. A great new post-graduate journal from people at the University of Birmingham. The first issue was released this month - a great mix of topics and well worth a read. http://historyandcultures.com/current-issue/

Blog Update: All Quiet...

The past few months have been spent busy writing away at my never-ending Thesis (out next October to all self-respecting retailers...), hence the lack of a blog post of any kind. I'll start my new teaching post in a week and a half which will provide another distraction, so in the mean time I'd just like to highlight a few news articles and subjects which have interested/concerned me over the last few months:

Young, Dumb and living with Mum

A recent piece in the Guardian highlighted the rising number of kids who are choosing to stay at home in order to save money during what are hard times, even for young professionals with university degrees and full-time employment. A strong sign of times of prudence and frugality. Might this indicate that a younger generation of people will be slightly more cautious about personal borrowing and credit? I hope so, but personal experience suggests that things may be otherwise.

Benefits-Cheats or Cheetahs?

Another interesting debate has surroumded the paralympics - with a clash of benefit-bashing versus pride and awe for amazing individuals. Several commentators and personalities commented that they hoped the Paralympic Games would change attitudes towards people with disabilities. It seems there is a growing hatred of people on benefits - 'demonising recipients as scroungers in mansions' - which has even stretched to an image of disability benefit recipients as lying about their health to stay off work. Its hard to say whether the games could truly change a saddening view such as this, and as Tony Judt's Ill Fares the Land (2010) suggests, this issue is neither new, nor is it fleeting.

Cabinet Reshuffle: Drawn a Joker?

Finally, the recent Cabinet reshuffle has thrown up some interesting results - and some concerning possibilities. Firstly, our new Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson has yet to deny or confirm with any certainty whether he is a climate change sceptic, while new Energy Minister, John Hayes is an outspoken wind-farm hater. Damian Carrington's twitter and guardian commentary provides fascinating reading on this subject, while guardian Science Editor John McKie has written an open letter asking Owen Paterson not to turn his back on climate change in such a crucial time. It has also been noted that during the ongoing US Presidential Election run-up, there has been virtually no mention of this summer's drastic melting of the polar ice-cap and the clear extremes of weather experienced across the globe. Doom-sayers aside, shouldn't the environment, whether you are pro- or anti-climate change, be at the top of the debating sheets in light of this? Concerning indeed that even when things clearly have taken a turn for the worse, the expected human reaction is slow in coming - if it comes at all.

Comment, as always, is compulsary...

Patrick Longson