Settling in will be a very different experience depending on whether you have stayed on at the institution where you did your undergraduate degree or moved to a new one. There are additional challenges if you are studying in the UK for the first time or if you are returning to academia.
Most institutions now have inductions for new researchers which are designed to help you with settling in. Use this opportunity to ask lots of questions about all aspects of being a postgraduate researcher. You will need to find out about practical things like where the mail is delivered, how maintenance grants are paid and where the coffee is served.
Early on concentrate on building a supportive network and getting to know as many people as possible. Invaluable people to know include the departmental secretary, fellow researchers, support staff, librarians, technicians, research staff and academics. You will also want to devote time to developing your relationship with your supervisors.
If you are moving somewhere new it is also important to devote some time to building up a social network. Achieving the right work/life balance will help you as you progress with your doctorate. If all you do is work you will burn out before you reach the end of your doctorate.
Salina Abdul Rahman09 February 2009 at 05:08 PM
permalinkreport this comment
I have been in the uk for the past 3 months.I have 4 children including 8 months baby so it is really difficult to manage my time with labwork and children.I wish that the university includes in a family student visa, one visa for the babysitter/helper that we can bring from our country. At least they should consider seriously about this since we paying a lot to come and study in uk and also far away from our home country.