workingtowardsthatphd

[workingtowardsthatphd]

1-year anniversary (of this blog) reflections:

It’s kind of crazy to look back and realise it’s been an entire year since I made this blog on a whim, just an idea that maybe it would help keep me motivated. Honestly, the anniversary would have passed unnoticed if Tumblr hadn’t reminded me. And while I’ve definitely been less active than I planned these past few months, I think, on the whole, it has done what I hoped: kept me a little more accountable.

When I first started this, I was working on an essay about religious affiliation within the IRA, while also struggling through my dissertation. Since then, I’ve finished both, graduated with a 1st class degree (!!), and started an MA in Historical Research at a new university, in an entirely new city. Through my MA, I’ve started to carve out a niche in American history, focusing on street children, their lives, their resilience, and their culture.

This blog has quietly grown alongside me: 217 posts, 222 followers, and a space that’s become a weird little anchor in my academic journey. It’s brought me into a community where I can watch others in similar positions, documenting, venting, thinking aloud, and connecting.

But I’ve struggled too. The shift into a less structured degree, juggling a part-time job, and navigating everything with my disability has been a real challenge. I’ve had to pause, restructure, and find new ways to support myself. I’m still figuring it out. But I’m managing. And my research has helped with that, because if those children could stay resilient, support each other, and build community while living under brutal conditions, then I can too.

Somewhere along the way, I also gained an academic hero: Vincent DiGirolamo. (If you know, you know. And if you don’t, go read Crying the News.)

I don’t know exactly what this next year will look like—academically, personally, or blog-wise—but I’ll keep sharing, however irregularly. Maybe some research notes, thoughts from the archives, reading rambles, or just small check-ins from the trenches.

To anyone who’s read along, encouraged me, or even just lurked: thank you. Here’s to year two. 🥂

[workingtowardsthatphd]

😭😭😭 cannot believe i've had this blog for a year now

taking this as a sign to make a reflection on all my achievements

[workingtowardsthatphd]

Reminder

It's okay if you didn't achieve the things that you worked hard for.

It's also okay if you did.

It's okay if you feel like you didn't try harder.

It's also okay if you did.

No matter what people say, you did your best.

If you didn't achieve the goal that you said you would, people will say "She didn't try hard enough"

If you did achieve the goal, they would say "She sacrificed too much"

No matter what, people will talk

So, be gentle to yourself.

[workingtowardsthatphd]

Heyy I am a highschool student ,very strongly suspecting Inattentive adhd. School is becoming impossible to keep up with 😭 and I don't have the resources or the support system to get formally diagnozed. My subjects are math ,physics , chem , english and Sanskrit. Soo please , if you could give me some adhd centred study tips , would really appreciate it :<) . Thanlyouu

P.s your blog is really chill and aesthetic 😊

im glad you like my blog and feel comfortable sending an ask!! I can do my best to answer :)

I also really struggled to keep up with work throughout high school and often also struggled with mental health in connection to that. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 10th or 11th grade, but wasn’t able to afford medication for a while, so i understand the lack of access. Unfortunately, without medications like adderall, it’s going to be hard no matter what you do. Here is:

Goose’s Guide to Getting Shit Done!

pomodoro method — I know everyone says it, but I do use it a lot. For me personally the typical 25/5 pattern doesn’t work because that period doesn’t allow me into a concentrated flow, so I do 40 min chunks and 5 or 10 min breaks. 40 or 45 is the sweet spot for me, where I can get into the flow but also not loose patience. Try different time chunks to see what works for you!

planner applications — downloading a agenda/task planner that syncs from my phone to my computer was a game changer for me. I personally use PowerPlanner, which is available on the AppStore (not sure where else), because it syncs with my google calendar and also has a web version. This is my digital all in one to put all my assignments on the due dates. It lets me sort by class and due date.

Google Calendar — you don’t necessarily have to use Google, I just do because it syncs across platforms for me. I find that planning out chunks of my day forces me to hold myself accountable and maintain patterns. For example, I have an event titled “wakey wakey” every morning at 7am, and a reminder to eat breakfast every morning at 7:30. This doesn’t mean that I do it every day, but I always have a visual reminder when I open my phone. putting in chunks of time as “academic weapon hours!” or even allotting specific assignments to a certain time helps me visualize the amount of time I have in a day and week.

sticky notes — even on a full nights sleep, I continuously forget things. I treat myself like I am a forgetful robot and place sticky notes in places that I will always see to remember simple tasks. Examples from my previous few sticky notes: “take out trash” “clean fridge” “worksheet 16 revise subjunctive” “Musee de cluny?” The objective is to kickstart my brain when I see them. I put them on my mirror so I see them when I do my makeup to leave.

co-working/panopticonism — aka, parallel play. I find that studying in public or near a friend helps me stay focused due to my own self-consciousness :) benefits of anxiety! studying in a public space makes me feel like I am being watched and judged, and I therefore self-regulate. even better is finding a situation where you know you can be seen but can’t see much else other than your work (hence the panopticon idea). There are apps and websites where you can join voice calls to co-work, and I am %100 you can find something similar on tumblr too!

that’s all I can think of for now, as I need to get to bed. Hope this helps!!

[workingtowardsthatphd]

Minty's Study Tip's - No. 4

Take proper breaks! I cannot stress this enough. It will allow your brain time to rest and help the knowledge solidify in your brain.

I volunteer in my school's library so I often see people studying, an they often use the Pomodoro method which is so good and useful but when they get to their break they just sit and scroll. I cannot emphasise this enough - THAT IS NOT A PROPER BREAK! YOU ARE NOT RESTING!

Do not check your emails, start scrolling or any other screen related things, give your eyes a break!

Here are some things you could do - stand up and do a quick fie minute stretch routine, grab a quick snack, walk some laps of the room, go to the bathroom, fill your water bottle. make sure what you are doing is actively recharging.

[workingtowardsthatphd]

lost in a world of forgotten books

[workingtowardsthatphd]

my sibling recently said that writing their coursework is like chewing concrete and it is great phrase. i think we should incorporate it into daily language. no my essays are going fine, why do you ask?

[workingtowardsthatphd]

coffee + ancient greek ˖˚⊹ ꣑ৎ‎ (or pics from study sessions that i never posted)

[workingtowardsthatphd]

“it'll all be worth it in the end,"

[workingtowardsthatphd]

23/01/2025

Driving back for the weekend this afternoon, as I have nothing on tomorrow, so a short working day.

To do:

Finish Reading Secondary Sources (7)

Meeting at 10.30

Start Reading Primary Sources (43)

Post package

Done:

Coffee: ☕

[workingtowardsthatphd]

:)

Studyblr !! Reblog with your handwriting (pretty please) !!

I like seeing how people write

[workingtowardsthatphd]

22/01/25

Switching up my strategy, because I'm going home this weekend (for my birthday!!) and so I am going to try and get all the reading done before then, so I can just write.

To do:

Finish Secondary Reading for Media Essay (13)

Read Primary Sources & Choose Photos for Focus

Laundry (if the room is available today :/)

Meeting at 3.15

Done:

Reading: 6/13 (I'm gonna call it half way, because a lot of the ones I read today were very long.)

Skimmed and organised Primary Sources into written by/written about.

Coffee: ☕

[workingtowardsthatphd]

21/01/25

I'm well aware I missed like a week's worth of these but oh well.

Got up nice and early this morning, came into uni, realised i had forgotten to bring my folder with all my notes in, so plan one is shot. Moved onto plan two: reading. Read one paper and have lost all motivation. But anyway.

To do:

Submit Reflective Essay (need to wait until we're ready to submit the group project first)

Reading Secondary Literature for Media Essay (15 waiting in the drive for me)

Find Primary Sources for Media Essay

Writing full first draft of America Essay.

Laundry

Done:

Find Primary Sources for Media Essay

Submit Reflective Essay (need to wait until we're ready to submit the group project first)

Started Secondary Reading

Coffee: ☕

[workingtowardsthatphd]

I got it back, but uhhh

someone needs to teach this man some work/life balance.

module leader said he would get my draft back to me by friday (today). It is now 4.50 and nearly the end of the working day. can i, theoretically, send him an email that just says "simon. where is my draft."

[workingtowardsthatphd]

I don't know where it was that I saw someone say the word 'that' is almost also superfluous, but I want to offer them my greatest thanks for helping me cut down on the word count every time I write an essay 🙏

[workingtowardsthatphd]

module leader said he would get my draft back to me by friday (today). It is now 4.50 and nearly the end of the working day. can i, theoretically, send him an email that just says "simon. where is my draft."

[workingtowardsthatphd]

15/01/2025

Oooh boy, I'm not sure how long it's been since my last update, but again some very intense days at work and a minor chronic illness flare up (likely due to said intense days at work) have happened, so I was a little busy. Anyway.

To do:

Film & record interview for group project documentary.

Read: Consuming History, historians and heritage in contemporary popular culture.

Write reflective essay for group project (1000 words)

Finish reading Riis: How the Other Half Lives & take notes

Read the 4 book reviews I still haven't done.

Done:

Film & record interview for group project documentary.

Read: Consuming History, historians and heritage in contemporary popular culture.

Finish reading Riis: How the Other Half Lives & take notes

Read book reviews & took notes.

Made a plan for the reflective essay, comprehensive enough that writing it should be relatively easy now.

Coffee: ☕☕☕