Postgraduate students picked up some motivational tips for their studies from a medal-winning Olympian.
Sarah Winckless, who won bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics and was world champion in 2005 and 2006, came to DMU to run workshops and talk to PhD students about how they can manage their studies.
Four lecturers and researchers at DMU – Dr Catherine Flick, Dr Matt Jones, Dr Laurice Fretwell and Dr Louise Dunford – also came along to answer questions and offer advice as part of a panel session.
It was organised by DMU’s Graduate School as part of a new series of events being run alongside the university’s current researcher training package.
There are about 750 postgraduate research students at DMU, of whom around 100 study overseas.
Louise Oldridge is studying women’s career progression for those who are carers for her PhD. She discovered a love of HR during her first job in museum administration and went on to study a master’s while working. Four years ago decided academia was for her. “I’m loving it,” she said. “It can be quite hard because you are on your own but today has been incredibly useful.”
Virginie Viel, who is studying a PhD in Music Composition, said: “I think what I learned was to keep my focus on the research - keep in mind what’s really important the reason why I decided to do this, because with all the work sometimes I forget the happiness of having the chance to be studying this.”
Ekele Ochedi, PhD in Architecture, said: “I have been encouraged about my PhD.”
Sarah said the key to motivation was to be kind to yourself and to keep doing something every day which took you a step closer to your goal.
She said: “I have a great belief in human potential and what I am hoping is that the students will think about things a bit differently, but also so they know that they will have support and that they are not alone.
“There is an inertia of motivation that we all have to combat and every long effort [like a PhD] has hard parts and it is all about moving forwards, or getting knocked down and getting back up."
Posted on Thursday 12 February 2015