Product Description

This book guides you through doctoral study from the student's point of view - the challenges, pitfalls, and ups and downs that you're likely to encounter in the course of your PhD. It not only explains what a PhD involves, and how you might tackle one, but also offers insights into the actual experience of life as a PhD student. The Companion tells you what to expect, and what not to expect of university departments. It tells you about the messy reality of doing a PhD, and it tells you in bite sized chunks that you can chew over on the way to college! Over and above what your supervisors and university may have to offer, "Your PhD Companion" will help explain all kinds of things that no one ever seems to tell you - and you don't necessarily know to ask.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #166385 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 164 pages

Review
"'a great book...very comprehensive, covers issues that are not covered in other books, such as the relationship with your supervisor.' 'I was a bit shy looking for a book of this kind (not a fan of How To...s), but...it turned out to be a most excellent find! As friendly as the book is, it's honest and uncompromising, I appreciate that...Apart from hair-tearing PhD students, I'd also recommend the book to prospective PhD students.' Reader reviews"

From the Author
As its title implies, Your PhD Companion is a friendly guide to doctoral study. It addresses you as an equal, doesn’t assume that you’re a well-organised swot, but appreciates that you’ve got a life outside of research. So while it covers topics such as relating to your supervisor, how to structure a thesis, or how to get a desk and computer in your new department, it also covers life outside the university – and the different ways in which your doctoral study and your personal life can get tangled up.

In effect, Your PhD Companion is like a handy guidebook to accompany you on your doctoral journey. Like a travel guide, it is a source of independent information and advice, that does not simply restate official facts and procedures – which you can get for free from official sources – nor try to be a substitute for detailed expert opinion – which you will need to get in person anyway. Rather, Your PhD Companion provides some basic information about your destination, and an impression of what the journey is like along the way, that may stimulate interest in going there in the first place.

In doing so, like a travel guide, Your PhD Companion offers the benefit of experience from those who have been over the road ahead of you – as fellow travellers in a challenging territory, and not just as hosts who have already ‘made it’ there. It tries to tell things the way they are, rather than just the way they ought to be. It appreciates the ups and downs of travel, and not just the value of arrival.

While the book's advice is aimed with serious intent - and is based on hard-earned experience as well as conversations and interviews with over thirty PhD students - its informal style also mixes in snippets of interesting PhD histories, allegories and anecdotes, with an occasional cartoon. Rather than being yet another PhD book you feel you OUGHT to read, Your PhD Companion is the kind of book you might WANT to read - and keep with you on your doctoral journey, for reference, insight and inspiration.

About the Author
Dr Stephen Marshall and Dr Nick Green both gained their doctorates in 2001, and are currently teaching in universities. Stephen is based in London N3 and Nick is based in Edinburgh.

Customer Reviews

What a Gem!
I was a bit shy looking for a book of this kind and apprehensive towards investing in it (not a fan of How To...s), but I was down and it had a student-friendly price tag. It turned out to be a most excellent find!

The book material deals with (the less explored) PhD related issues from its conception to delivery. It is not the only book of its kind to promise to divert the reader towards the murky areas of the PhD world that are not readily illuminated by other sources (university, department, supervisors), but this one does so in such a warm, human and humorous way, that I quite forgot about its How To roots. Unexpectedly, it reads like a piece of fiction. I was much amused by the tone of the narration and the scattered anecdotes on famous people, it does help to digest the (many) parts that deal with serious and sensitive project issues. The authors are clearly fresh from their own scarring experiences and I found myself coaxed into to assessing my own situation honestly and seeking their advice. As friendly as the book is, it's honest and uncompromising, I appreciate that. Things are now moving on for me, but I continue to find it useful on different topics (quite the companion). Apart from hair-tearing PhD students, I'd also recommend the book to prospective PhD students (at that stage I didn't get half of the sound advice presented here), past PhD students (I am sure we'll all laugh at it afterwards), and everyone else for a plain good read.

to know about realities of PhD life
I found the book very interesting and helpful for understanding the nature of PhD life and the realities in it. The writing style is informal and the writers comment on issues more from their understanding rather than refereing to other sources. Some short memos about some famous people and how they have got their PhD makes the reading more exciting and the reader more eager to continue. However the book is based on the experineces from UK educational system and assumes that the interest of the reader is in UK universities.The book mentiones many practicalities in this respect to do research and being a PhD student in UK. However the book avoids discussing about how the research should be conducted or suitable research methods to use. Through reading the book I have a guess that the writer's own research area are in the field of Business and Management and their comments as I see are at least very valid in the area of Business and Management.

excellent book
This is a great book, it is very comprehensive, covers issues that are not covered in other books, like relation with supervisor. It is quite a helpful guide to survivie the hardships of doing a PhD. It is very well presented, well written, and amusing as well as informative.