Top Tips to Finish Your PhD Faster

Trying to complete your PhD? It can be tough, trust me, I know! I finished my PhD in urban planning several years ago now, managed to do it quickly, in under 4 years, whilst (mostly) maintaining my sanity! These are some of the things that really helped me stay on track:

Ensure you build a strong support network around you. Doing a PhD can be lonely, you are working on a unique problem and are the only one who truly understands your work.

Having a support network of peers who are also carrying out research or those who are further along in the process can be invaluable and a great source of motivation. During the inevitable tough times, their insight and support will help get you over the hurdles and moving forward again.

Take control of your project by setting regular goals with associated deadlines and map out the steps needed to reach them. Break down larger goals into smaller manageable ones and choose a reward for when you meet achieve one of your goals, especially one you are struggling with.

What would motivate you to finish that chapter? An extra day off to relax, a new pair of shoes, a favourite dessert?

Consistently digitize your references from the very beginning of your #PhD using your chosen reference software, you will be so grateful you did when you are writing up – such a time saver!

Ensure you have a good supervisor and invest time in building a positive working relationship with them. You will be working with them for several years and they can be the key to the success (or failure) of your research. Take steps to improve and address any issues with the relationship.

I have known several students who have changed supervisors and/or academic institutions because of a poor supervisor and gone on to finish successfully. Do what it takes to ensure you have the right guidance and support you need to get your #PhD completed.

Get regular feedback from your supervisors to keep you on track. Short and regular submissions can be a particularly productive approach.

Check your work thoroughly before submitting for feedback – your supervisor’s time is limited and so ensure you maximize the time they can spend guiding your research rather than correcting superficial errors such as typos or grammar.

Create a regular routine for working that you can realistically stick to. Treat it like a regular job. If you are full time – what time will you start each day? If you’re part time what time slots can you carve out each week? A consistent schedule will particularly help on days when you don’t want to work/write – it will help you just sit down and start.

Avoid going off on tangents. Once you have narrowed down your field to your specific research question, keep your razor-sharp focus.

It’s really easy to get hugely side-tracked by the myriad of interesting and related topics that are not your research question, and your time will soon be swallowed up. More is not always better (that goes for word counts too!).

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it – where are you stuck? If you need support with perfecting the English in your draft, seek out the help of a proofreader, such as A to Z Proofreading. If you need practical help with a technique, seek out someone to mentor you, even from a different department or institution.

Best of luck with your #research. I hope you have found these tips helpful. If so, please consider sharing this post! Thank you.

Dr Helen Phillips

A to Z Proofreading