Posted on by ncubekn

Behind the scenes of a typical life of a PhD candidate

I have always understood the concept of multitasking, but holding an umbrella in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other hand, filming a video and looking out for traffic while rushing to an early meeting was not an activity that I had never dreamt of. This is how my day started on the day that I filmed a vlog, capturing a day in my life as a PhD student.

From my experience, PhD students within various fields are not the most open individuals. It might be quite a challenge to figure out what we get up to daily. With this in mind, the SAYAS 2021 blogging team decided to film vlogs to show you what a typical day as a PhD student looks like.

As I alluded to in the vlog, typical student, PhD candidates doing research degrees do not have to attend classes (a privilege I really appreciate), However, the day is typically packed with various activities. These differ amongst candidates in different fields of research.

Additional to the activities shown in the vlog, I have a few extra things that I get up to on and off campus. As the year proceeds, activities in the lab get busier. Mainly, I embark on collecting data for my own PhD studies, and this entails conducting experiments in a sterile cell culturing environment. On such days, I occasionally spend very long hours in the lab, as some of these experiments run for a long time. After collecting this data, I prefer to analyze and compile it immediately on campus. However, with the advent of lockdowns introduced us by the novel coronavirus, working from home has become a norm, and I therefore, conduct data analysis and other activities from home.

Although teaching junior students is in integral part of many PhD students, conducting these lessons from home is an activity we quickly had to adapt to as Universities transitioned to online teaching platforms due to the restrictions associated with the pandemic. Thus, in addition to continuing with research activity at home, a substantial portion of my “working from home” time is spent preparing and conducting online lectures and tutorials.

It is very fulfilling and interesting to share your research findings with peers within your field, and this typically happens in conferences, both within the country and internationally (look out for a blog later in the year, where I will share my experiences from these conferences). Part of my time is usually spent preparing for such conferences, but with current restrictions this is unfortunately currently halted.

You may be wondering, what about the social life? Well… although I do have social activities here and there, spending long hours doing what you have a passion for (scientific research in my case) feels like social activity, and I hence, do not feel deprived of the ‘normal’ social activities. Certainly, our experiences as various PhD candidates differ amongst each other, as we are individuals with different personalities and life experiences, but I hope the vlog gives a glimpse into the human element of our often closed off lives.

Posted on by Maseteditshego

Trying to make it all look normal: A day in the life of a Masters student

Trying to make it all look normal: A day in the life of a Master’s student: Ditshego Masete

My walk to university from where I stay could count as my exercise for the day. It takes about 20 minutes usually, but if I’m running late it takes as little as 10 minutes. If I do it that fast, I need to have a face cloth with me to deal with all the sweat, and no one wants to start a day with a shirt that is soaked in sweat. The 20 minute walk takes me to the main gate of the university, and I then need to walk a further 8-10 minutes to get to the library. By the time I get to library I am exhausted, but I still get my research done.

The library is where it all happens. It opens at 8:30 and by 8:15 every morning, Monday to Friday, I am at the library doors waiting for them to let me in. It always feels like I am an executive. The security lady who opens every morning knows me by my first name, by now. So, we exchange greetings and I proceed to the post-graduate cubicles. A small room in which I stay cooped up all day long while scratching my head and staring at my laptop. That is before the COVID-19 pandemic of course.

And that is the thing. My research is desktop-based. I do not have to go to the field to gather data, or to the lab for experiments. I am a Master of Arts in Literature student. I read novels and philosophically and scientifically interpret them, situating their narratives in the existing contexts of humanity. It all sounds easy I know. But no, it is not as easy as it sounds. There is a lot of reading that happens before a chapter of my thesis can be produced. As a literature student, the selected novels I read for a study are my primary data, the journal articles, critical theory, interviews and other material are my secondary data.

Now with COVID-19 everything is different, as you can imagine. The library is closed as it is seen as a closed space that could easily become a hotspot. That means there is no need for the walk. It also means a drop in productivity because I stay in my room and try to do my work. While I am working I see dust on my kitchen counter I get up to clean it, then I see a spider I get up to take care of it, you can imagine the constant distractions when I am at home. But I think the most important thing worth noting is even with these distractions  I am not like the other researchers whose work came to a complete halt because of COVID-19 because all I need is a table, chair, my laptop and a bit of internet and then I set the house on fire.  

Yes, we have normal lives like everyone else. It is not easy, but it is very exciting.