Dementia Researcher Blogs3 Okt 2023

Rebecca Williams - Starting a PhD: How to Know Nothing

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.

Embarking on a PhD journey can be an overwhelming experience, filled with complex discussions and a feeling of inadequacy among seasoned academics. In this blog Rebecca provides a heartfelt account of grappling with the pressures and expectations of academic life as a newcomer. From her early struggles of feeling ill-equipped to the surprising advice she received from her supervisor, Rebecca explores the idea that "knowing nothing" is not a sign of failure but an integral part of the learning process. She argues that this sense of unknowing is essential for understanding the depth of a subject and propels one to learn more effectively. This blog serves as both a candid reflection and a reassuring guide for anyone stepping into the often-intimidating world of academia. It's more than just a tale of survival; it's a testament to the ongoing journey of learning and growth in scientific research.

Find the original text, and narration here on our website.

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-starting-a-phd-how-to-know-nothing/

Rebecca Williams is PhD student at the University of Cambridge. Though originally from ‘up North’ in a small town called Leigh, she did her undergraduate and masters at the University of Oxford before defecting to Cambridge for her doctorate researching Frontotemporal dementia and Apathy. She now spends her days collecting data from wonderful volunteers, and coding. Outside work, she plays board games, and is very crafty. @beccasue99

Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(716)

Dr Lindsey Sinclair - What Sport Can Teach Science

Dr Lindsey Sinclair narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.Is time invested in something really time wasted if you don't win? A comment overheard at a rowing regatta set Lindsey thinking ab...

29 Jul 6min

Rahul Sidhu - Weightlifting and Creatine on Brain Health

Rahul Sidhu narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher.Does lifting weights actually protect your brain, and is creatine the brain supplement the gym world thinks it is? Rahul goes through what...

28 Jul 9min

Dr Ajantha Abey - Research Habits I Wish I’d Started Earlier in My PhD

Dr Ajantha Abey narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher.There are already about a thousand blogs telling you to pace yourself and embrace failure. This is not one of them. Ajantha has writte...

26 Jul 18min

Dr Clíona Farrell - An Alzheimer’s Cabaret

Dr Clíona Farrell narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.After a long week at AAIC in London, Clíona swapped the conference hall for the Bloomsbury Theatre and a one-woman cabaret called Un...

22 Jul 6min

Dr Connor Richardson - Small Vessel Disease: A Quiet Driver of Dementia

Dr Connor Richardson narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher.Ask most people what causes dementia, and they will reach for amyloid and tau. But there is another contributor sitting behind al...

22 Jul 7min

Professor Louise Serpell - Football, CTE and the Science Protecting Future Players

Professor Louise Serpell narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.As excitement builds around the 2026 World Cup final, Louise examines the darker side of the beautiful game: the relationship...

19 Jul 7min

Beccy Owen - When Experiments Fail: Staying Positive in Research

Beccy Owen narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.Every researcher knows the sinking feeling of an experiment failing after days, weeks or months of effort. In this blog Beccy talks about h...

9 Jul 8min

Harriet Greene - How I Found My Way into Dementia Research: Give to Gain

Harriet Greene narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.Harriet wrote her first essay on Alzheimer's at 15. What followed was not a tidy line to Oxford. She missed medicine by one mark, took ...

9 Jul 8min