The first half of my PhD was quite a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings. I learnt so much about myself and my work and truly developed personally and academically.
Spring 2020, I was half way through my first year that we went into lockdown which really affected my mental health and work. Plans had to be changed as travel to Thailand, where I was supposed to carry out fieldwork, was no longer possible. The first few months of lockdown was very difficult, however, I slowly managed to come up with a plan B and get back on track. I ended my first year on quite a low and feeling very unsure about what the rest of my PhD would look like and if my plan B would work and be enough.
Slowly but surely, I started to find my feet and realised the feelings I had were totally normal and most people go through it when they start a PhD. My supervisor was VERY supportive and I started feeling more confident in my abilities. At the end of my first year, I finished the first-first authored manuscript, the draft of my systematic review and made a start on my ethics application.
Life can throw many curve balls at you, whether that’s a minor barrier or a global pandemic. I learnt to adapt to situations by creating alternative plans through systematic methods and be patient when such situations occur. My time management skill also climb up. The work load involved in a PhD really hit me hard! There’s multiple things to be at one time so it’s imperative to develop strong time management skills. I am grateful that I am flexible and open minded to change.
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