The Last Lap | PhD Update

I am near the end of my third year as a PhD student…which means things are about to change. In this post, I’ll explain my rough plans to finish my PhD.

A brief update

The past few months have been steady work (and planning, which I’ll get to later). No fireworks, just enjoying the journey. This week was more exciting: I gave a talk at a workshop in the Isaac Newton Institute. From Monday I’ll be back working behind the scenes, but today is a good time to share an update.

Length of the PhD

PhDs in the U.K. last 3 or 4 years. I started in October 2021, so I am almost at the three-year mark. I am extremely lucky that my scholarship guarantees funding for the fourth year. From the start of my PhD, I always planned to use that funding. I intended to do the optional fourth year unless I had a reason not to. So in October, I will start my fourth and final year as a PhD student.

‘Finishing’ a PhD

Earning a PhD requires some steps. This is how it works in Cambridge. First, you submit your thesis (a large, book-like, document with your all research). Your examiners read your thesis before your “viva” (viva voice examination), happening 1-3 months after thesis submission. In the viva, they ask you about the thesis and your research. If all goes well, they agree that your research is good enough for a PhD degree. Usually, this is subject to “corrections”: changes or additions which the thesis needs. The most time you have to make them depends on whether the corrections are minor (3 months) or major (6 months). If your examiners are happy with your corrections, the process usually finishes when you submit a hard-core (physical) version of your thesis. I have skipped a few administrative steps, but I think at this point one is eligible to graduate and obtain the PhD title.

My timeline

I am hoping to submit my thesis in the spring of 2025. I have a specific date in mind, but for now, I’ll keep it private. The plan is to have my viva early that summer. Then I can work on corrections during the summer. My funding expires at the end of September 2025, exactly at the 4th year mark. (Or earlier if I finish the process before.) After that, I better find a job….But the important information here is that my target submission date in the spring is less than a year away….which means I have to start writing!

The road to submission

The topic of writing a thesis deserves a post on its own (after I write it!), but here is a summary of the process. The thesis is made up of chapters. Most of the research for these I have already ‘done’ but I need to write it and present it clearly and nicely. So for each chapter, I send a draft to my supervisor, she gives me feedback on it, I implement it, and send it back…repeat, until we’re happy. To finish in time for submission, this process happens in parallel for some chapters. For example, now I am working on a new chapter while she’s looking a draft of a different chapter. This requires a bit of synchronisation: over a month ago I made a plan of what to work on each week…until submission.

Final feelings

I have enjoyed the freedom of pursuing different projects during my PhD, but now it’s time to “lock in”. It’s slightly scary, but also really exciting. Right now, it’s similar to a track race when the runners hear the bell. The last lap is about to come. You feel everyone getting a bit nervous, moving around to get a good position for what’s to come.

I hope to keep sharing updates here…but if I don’t, you know what I’ll be working on.

Maria