24
Project Management for PhDs est to plan well. The new work, for example setting up one’s own business, is usually fun and demanding. The key is to keep up the energy, not to lose your momentum.
‘The most difficult moment in the entire process is the switch from data col-lection to writing. Until then you can perform routine activities according to a protocol, but after that you have to independently translate the acąuired data into an interpretation of the primary research ąuestion. Then you need to en-gage in battle with that blank sheet of paper. As a supervisor there is very little you can do to help, incidentally, if people are unable to write clearly.
‘The best moment of all is the moment of the thesis defense. This is when you see the PhD students at the top of their gamę. I always cali them the night be-fore and tell them that I know what the challenge is about and that I know they will do a great job.
‘I would like to recommend to PhD students to work in a very practical way and to set a realistic but tight Schedule and stick to it. Set a finał target with various intermediary goals. You always have less time than you think you have. Do not be overly optimistic, and work a bit harder when you risk missing a deadline. Make surę you do not lose the momentum. And finally, science is increasingly becoming less of a solitary undertaking. Talk to others about your research on time. Also seek out the expertise of others and allow others to adjust your course where appropriate. Scholarship is also about communication.’