I began my postgrad journey in May 2014 working on sediment accumulation into the River Rother (South Downs, UK), where I was given the best start to a PhD that I could ask for by getting straight into the field! I’m now just past my first major milestone, the Advanced Post Graduate (APG) registration process. The APG process requires that you complete an induction to the University and put forward a project proposal to the Research Degrees Board (RDB) to prove you have a workable project to the standard expected for a PhD. After a lot of hard work it would seem the RDB are confident that my project is worthy of a PhD, and I have been awarded APG status, phew!
I’m roughly eight months into my PhD and the project is now well established. I’ve got a steady rhythm going with my fieldwork and lab work over a two month routine. I go out to collect samples from my sites along the River Rother once every two months and then process and analyse those samples before my next trip. This doesn’t always work out perfectly as of course I have other work to be getting on with, however we are beginning to get some interesting results which I am keen to present at conferences. As my PhD is joint funded by the South Downs National Park Authority, I am required to attend their conferences and events to publically discuss my project, findings and join in discussions with locals about problems they are facing and possible solutions to the sedimentation of the river. I have so far attended the Arun and Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT) workshop on soil erosion in December 2014 and I will attend the conference ‘Embracing the Future’ in July 2015. This conference is for students studying land use in the South Downs.
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| ARRT workshop field visit (Photo from ARRT Trust) |
I have all this work going on whilst also working towards the milestones that need to be passed to achieve a PhD at the University. My next big milestone will be the transfer from APG student to PhD. For the transfer you are required to have two chapters written up, deliver a presentation and take part in a mock viva. Although this seems way off into the future, I am trying to get a comfortable amount of this work done to ease the inevitable stress closer to the deadline! So wish me luck, I’m going to need it!
