A Day in the Life of a PhD student at Huddersfield Business School
Badiah Eljahimi
PhD researcher in Economics
Hello, my name's Badiah Eljahimi, and I'm a PhD researcher in Economics at the University of Huddersfield.
This is my first blog, and I would like to share what I usually get up to as a PhD student at Huddersfield Business School! I hope this gives you an idea of what a typical day might look like as a researcher. I’ve completed a master’s degree at the University of Huddersfield and I'm now in the final year of my PhD journey. Outside of research, I’m interested in walking and horse riding, and I love volunteering and supporting people.
How I start my morning
5:00 - I’m an early bird so I usually get up early, energized, and eager to start my new day. I grab my coffee and sit in front of my computer, start reading and answering emails and have a look at the plan that I’ve already planned at the end of the previous day for today, then I start studying right away until it's time to go to the University.
7:30 - I get ready to catch the bus to the Uni. However, I like to get off in the town centre first because I enjoy walking around the town as it relaxes me before starting my busy day.
8:50 - I get to campus and buy a croissant with a cup of coffee from STARBUCKS in the Student Central building. While enjoying my coffee, I flip through the financial, market and economic news, then go to my teaching session, learning and teaching in higher education course (LTHE). As a Postgraduate Research (PGR) student, the University of Huddersfield awarded me this fantastic opportunity to make my teaching practice more effective and fulfilling. I joined LTHE to enhance my pedagogical knowledge and skills to improve my teaching, learning, and assessment practices. It’s a professional development opportunity to gain professional recognition for my teaching from the widely recognised organisation Advance HE.
University of Huddersfield Campus 11:15 - My teaching session ends at this time, so I leave the class and head to the library, trawl between the bookshelves and collect some resources related to the teaching session that I attended. I usually head to the Postgraduate Study Room on floor five in the University library, grab a seat, switch on the computer, and start reading and writing a section of the course assignment.
Huddersfield Business School Lunchtime arrives
12:15 - It's lunchtime. I usually go for a short walk to the canteen area and enjoy lunch with my friend. Sometimes we grab our lunch at the water channel side next to the Business School to sit in the sunshine and enjoy our lunch. Having a relaxing lunch helps me feel energised for the afternoon ahead.
How I spend the afternoon
1.15 - I go to my office (PGR Office) and make my coffee. There is a great kitchenette in there, so if I fancy a coffee at any time, I can make it quickly with no need to shut down my computer and leave my office (hard study needs plenty of coffee)! I then start my work such as running statistical software (STATA or EViews) to get results and populate spreadsheets/ data analysis or writing a section of my thesis.
PGR office space 16:15 - At this time, I typically like to read. Being a researcher means I need to consolidate my thinking. I go back to the economic literature related to my topic, looking for various methodologies or arguments to enhance and develop my research skills. Of course, along with the coffee on my desk, I usually try to figure out a solution, write down notes and then write a draft.
PGR Study room What I get up to in the evening
18:15 - If I’ve not made great progress, specifically, for statistical work, I usually extend my study time for a few more hours at my desk, doing more reading and searching seeking appropriate solutions or carrying out alternative statistical commands to get better results. Lastly, before shutting down my computer, I check my emails again, refresh my study calendar and write notes of things that I could not complete today and must do tomorrow. I find this very helpful as it allows me to structure my thoughts and workload effectively.
21:15 - After a long day, I usually get home starving and ready to eat a hearty meal! I go to the kitchen to prepare my dinner; usually, I cook Libyan soup, it’s easy to prepare and healthy. Moreover, it saves both my time and effort! Where I can keep it in the fridge for several days, which is a real bonus. I don’t need to cook every day (cool!). If there is some soup in my fridge, all I do is heat it and enjoy it while watching TV. I find that watching TV is a good way to recharge my brain and feel relaxed after hard study. Alternatively, I order a takeaway dinner online for a treat.
Libyan soup Time to unwind
22:00 - It’s time to socialise over Skype with my family or distant friends. I usually finish my day by laughing! I read an article titled ‘What happens when we laugh?’ on the BBC website, which showed how laughter can boost our overall health; so, I use funny jokes while talking to my family or friends encouraging them to make the conversation more comic. According to this article, “When we laugh, our immune system is strengthened. It increases our production of antibodies and cells that fight disease.” I realised that laughter makes me less anxious or depressed and provides me with a humorous outlook on life, so I use humour to deal with stress and cheer myself up, which really helps me throughout life.
22:30 - I switch off my racing mind and go to sleep. Alternatively, if I still can’t sleep, I grab a book from the bedside table and start reading, surprisingly, before finishing reading the first page of the book, I usually fall asleep!
Wrap up
Here, we have reached the end of the typical day journey in my life as a postgraduate researcher. However, please bear in mind that there are various activities you can do over your course as a PhD researcher, and no two days look the same. I hope you found this helpful in understanding what your day might look like as PhD student at Huddersfield Business School. I found my PhD to be extremely fulfilling and I’m excited to see what the future brings once I graduate.
To find out more about research degrees, please visit the research degrees homepage.