Thriving in Part-time Doctoral Research: PGRs share what they love most about part-time research
Photo: Book: Thriving In Part Time Doctoral Study - Jon Rainford and Kay Guccione
Part-time study carries its own set of challenges, risks and rewards, which are often distinct from those experienced by full-time researchers. In addition, it can sometimes feel like the wider research environment is geared toward full-time study, and consequently not enough light is shone on all the positive facets of part-time doctoral researchers’ experience.
We invited part-time researchers from across the University to help us change that by sharing all the things they love most about their part-time doctoral experience. Researchers really took the time to reflect deeply on their part-time research practice, and how they have been able to successfully navigate the unique circumstances of part-time doctoral work.
Their contributions were enlightening, inspiring, and encouraging, and open a fantastic discursive space which provides us with a close look at this sometime underrepresented area of research practice.
This is what they said:
“I love part-time study because it allows me to take my time and have a better perspective on my research, as well as keeping some time off academia, which can be overwhelming sometimes! If you are not in a hurry to finish, I would strongly recommend doing your PhD part-time: I think it leaves you in a better position at the end for whatever project you decide to take on. ”
“I changed from full-time to part-time study halfway through my PhD and it was the best decision I ever made. Both in terms of having a happier, healthier relationship with academia, but also for personal and career development. I loved having the breathing space around my research to rest, do something fun and see my friends and family more often. I also ended up working part time to explore other career opportunities without the need for a PhD. Everyone is on their own timeline in life, and there is no need to rush through your research. Do it at a pace that feels right for you! ”
“My favourite thing about part-time doctoral study is the sense of perspective that my study gives to the rest of my work, and that my work gives to my study. Reading and thinking about abstract ideas in my field at 7am one morning, and then working with real people, problems and opportunities in that same field at 9am that same morning brings a wonderfully rich reflexivity. Theory never has the opportunity to drift into vague abstraction, and practice is protected from becoming utilitarianly expedient. As such, my commitment to both is strengthened, and I see both my work and study in brighter colour. ”
“What I love most about being a part time researcher is that it allows me to continue with my job as a career’s adviser (which I love) and then I get to put the ideas and theory from my studies into practice in school. This keeps me motivated and enthusiastic as I can see in real time the difference my work could make. ”
“I love that part time study allows me to spend some time with my lovely baby boy as he grows and develops. Getting to see his wee smiling face on my days away from PhD work leaves me feeling invigorated and motivated to give my research the time, commitment and dedication it deserves. For me, part time study gives me the best of both worlds! ”
“I looooooove being a part-time student! I actually started my PhD full-time and following a conversation with someone who had changed to part-time, I decided to give this a think and took the step. Changing to part-time has only led to positives, in my experience. I have been able to get into many creative hobbies alongside my doctoral research, and work in various research roles within and outside of academia. It’s somewhat indirectly prevented me from comparing myself to others, which has had a positive impact on my mental health, and when the PhD work is not going well, it doesn’t feel like the world is ending as I can direct my attention to other projects and quickly gain the awareness that there is more to life than a big word document. ”
“Part-time study has been amazing for me. My previous doctoral work in education was derailed by medical disabilities which have since made it difficult to re-engage professionally. I have found academia, like the world, is often difficult to participate as a person with disabilities. The part-time asynchronous program design provides flexibility of when and how I engage in my studies as my wellness and disabilities allow, this has provided the opportunity for my success in my first year of studies. My passion for the field of education has never waned, however my focus has needed to shift in regaining and maintaining new levels of wellness. Part-time doctoral work provides the space I need to focus on my wellness while pursuing my learning and career in education. ”
“I love being part-time, because it allows me to engage with my subject over a longer time-scale. I have more time and space to think about what I am doing, what I need to read, what data to collect and how to present it. It also means I can build relationships with colleagues, including my supervisor, over a longer timescale – I know I will be around for a longer time and that gives me a sense of permanency. All these things mean I am forming a deeper relationship with my research area. Being able to work alongside has also given me financial flexibility and stability and I don’t feel the pressure to ‘find a job’ that I see with my full-time peers. ”
“I love that I can continue my journey in education whilst working full-time. Doing a PhD is something that I thought I would never end up doing, however with support from my employer and a part-time option available at the university, I thought ‘it’s now or never!’. I work full-time as a researcher in a public sector organisation, and being able to carry out research in an academic setting alongside my work has added so much depth to my development as a professional researcher. It can be very difficult at times to manage the workload alongside my full-time job, but I will forever be grateful for the opportunity and the endless ways that this PhD has added to my knowledge, resilience, strength and character. ”
“What I love about a part-time studying is the fact that my studies relates to my work and it inform my practice in numerous ways. Being a part-time student allows me to have a good work life balance and can still pursue other parts of my life and spend quality time with my family. ”
“The three things I like most about being a part-time researcher is it has: given me more capacity to reflect on my research over time; felt less of a tread mill than fulltime study; been easier to integrate it around the rest of my life and the rest of my life into it.”
“Being a part-time doctoral researcher has allowed me to gain various professional experiences alongside my PhD and to better understand my interests. Experiencing both the academic and the non-academic world helped me make an informed decision about my post-PhD career plans. ”
“I am not a newcomer to part-time study having completed my undergraduate degree over 5 years with the Open University. I find that being a ‘part-time’ doctoral researcher allows me to fit in all of those other important aspects of my life – family (young and older) and charity work. Part time research allows me to be very flexible with my time, but my work space is sacrosanct! No-one is to touch it. Being a part time researcher means I live at home, away from the university, which can be challenging to my identity – am I really a doctoral researcher? But I remind myself that all doctoral researchers are often quietly in ‘their own space’ in the university buildings so I hold my head up for a few seconds and remember and then put my head down again into a book – after all, my thesis won’t write itself. ”
“I am a single mum of two young children and my husband died during my studies. Being part-time along with a very supportive group has enabled me to continue with my studies at a pace which allows me to also look after my children. The longer time has allowed me to consider submitting ethics proposals and develop aspects of my project that would have been impossible otherwise. When you are juggling family life and academia, studying part-time makes it easier to fully focus on work when at work and family when at home as well as giving me some flexibility when I need it. I would say that part-time working has been essential in my situation! ”
“There are two things I love about my part-time study. The first is that I get to begin my day twice every day! My day begins when I get up for work in the morning. It begins again when I sit down to work on my Dissertation. The second thing I love relates to regeneration. I am often tired and emotionally drained after a day’s work. Sitting down to work on my dissertation puts all work related issues out of my mind and I become rejuvenated through focussing on my Dissertation. ”
“I’m absolutely loving my journey so far! Returning to full-time study was not an option for me, as I’m in my early fifties now and I have a plethora of work, caring and other personal commitments and obligations. However, part-time Doctoral research presented me with the opportunity to pursue a lifelong ambition of engaging in critical research on a topic which is close to my heart, without compromising my other commitments. Yes, it’s challenging, yes it’s difficult, and yes it’s exhausting at times, but I know that if and when I complete my research, it will be worth every single minute of it! I get fantastic support from the University, and I try insofar as possible to participate in student life. In some ways, this has brought me back to my young manhood, when I read widely, went to lots and lots of music gigs, and generally embraced life with eyes wide open. I could not have done this if part-time research wasn’t available as an option to me. ”
“Being a part-time doctoral researcher has given me the freedom and capacity to explore and learn through about a topic I’m interested in without taking a career break or putting my employment on hold. The flexibility of my doctoral programme has meant that I can study, work, and, importantly, maintain a work-life balance – necessary for achieving the ‘marathon’ that is a PhD! I’m very lucky in that my work and my doctoral research complement each other well and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunities to apply learning and experience from study to work, and vice versa. Studying part-time has so far been an incredibly enriching experience, and I’m very much looking forward to the rest of my time as a part-time PhD researcher.”
“Part-time research for me,
Is an affair of the heart,
That consumes every fibre of my being,
My body plays out an extemporized interplaying dance,
Feet placed on Gilmorehill cloister,
Then, leaping across an in-between space,
The other side is everyday life,
Close friends, coffee and long, meaningful conversations,
Church, on my knees with hands clasped, ready to receive mass,
Work, hands setting up a rig and eyes navigating forms on a clipboard.
Friends embraced and kissed,
Then my body leaps back over the in-between space.
The taste of mass in my mouth and the smell of incense on my clothes,
Then my body leaps back over the in-between space.
The sound of a flight case closing and ink on my hands,
Then my body leaps back over the in-between space.
The interplaying dance,
Weaves a transparent weave, Across the in-between space.
The threads of each weave connect to my heart. ”
If you’re part of our part-time research community, and this has left you feeling inspired, why not join the conversation? Leave us a comment below letting us know how you feel about your part-time doctoral work.
If you’d like to read more about navigating the Part-Time Doctoral Experience, you can find the recent publication Thriving in Part-Time Doctoral Study, co-authored by our very own Kay Guccione, alongside Open University academic Jon Rainford in the University Library. I’d absolutely encourage all of you to take the opportunity offered by this text to really reflect on your own part-time research practice, and how you can successfully navigate the unique circumstances of part-time doctoral work.
If you’re a part of our wider research community, and this resonated with you, please get in touch and let us know!
