PhD: Illusions, Disenchantment and Magic

This presentation uses Kermit, the Frog’s ‘The Rainbow Connection’ as a talking/thinking tool in order to throw a quick backward glance at a recently completed PhD.  While it has been claimed that rainbows are just illusions, Kermit reflects on what keeps people to continue ‘star-gazing’ in spite of disenchantment. In this presentation, we take a look at how one may be able to navigate between the disillusionment and magic of doing a PhD. Through an informal discussion/question and answer, I propose to discuss the following points:

• How to finish a PhD, get published, and acquire higher education teaching experience in three years.
• Is PhD only about being smart or is more about working seven days a week from eight till faint.
• Why writing up always takes longer than you think.
• How to use ‘PIREPs’ (it means Pilot Reports in aviation lingo) to manage PhD turbulences.

Dr Mabelle Victoria has recently completed her PhD with the Open University.