Today was a big day: I started my PhD!
Charlotte Chivers ( @cachivers) is a PhD researcher at the University of Exeter/Rothamsted Research. In this story, she shares her experiences and encounters on the first day of her PhD.
This story was published on October 3, 2018, on Charlotte’s blog, Rural Jaunts (available here) and has been republished here with her permission.
Today was a very big day: I started my PhD!
I decided to write a quick post about how my first day went to give other readers some idea of what to expect if they’re due to embark on a PhD; after all, there’s nothing worse than having that awful ‘fear of the unknown’ feeling!
07:00 AM
As I often do when I have an important day, I woke up with butterflies and nausea. I then carried out my usual morning rituals and packed my bags with notebooks and textbooks which I think may come in useful.
10:00 AM
Arrived on campus! I’m living in Bristol and studying in Exeter, so I had quite a long drive; luckily I have sorted accommodation here for two nights a week so I can minimise how often I have to commute. I fully recommend using Spare Room or Airbnb if you’re ever looking for a reasonably priced place to stay.
I prioritised collecting my Unicard and sorting a parking permit so that I could access everything I need at the University.
10:30 AM
I arrived at the building I’m going to be based in feeling very nervous and sweaty after hiking up a few of the hills found on the campus at Exeter. I was greeted straight away and given a building induction; this put me at ease immediately. I also met a few fellow PhD students, and was shown my office space; I am sharing with just two other PhD students, and it’s a lovely big room that’s only just been refurbished so I’ll definitely be happy working here!
Want to know how the rest of Charlotte’s first day turned out? Click here to read her full story.
