I've just started and I don't know where to begin
What to set up in your first weeks so the rest of the PhD has something to stand on.
In short
Start here, today. Write a one-page note to yourself titled “What I know about my project today”. Include your topic in one sentence, three questions you're curious about, and three things you don't yet understand about how your program works. This takes about 20 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 6 steps done
Find the rules of your program
Download your program handbook and graduate school regulations. Note every deadline that applies in your first two years: coursework, annual reviews, comprehensive exams, proposal, ethics. Put them in your calendar today, even the ones that feel far away.
Have an expectations conversation
Ask your supervisor for a meeting about how you'll work together. Agree on how often you'll meet, how fast each of you usually replies, how they like to receive drafts, and what they'd like to see from you by the end of the first term.
Set up three simple systems
A reference manager such as Zotero for every source from day one. A folder structure with automatic backup. One place where tasks and decisions live, such as the Decision Log and Waiting-For list in this app.
Choose a small first output
Pick something you can produce in six to eight weeks: a two-page summary of the main debates in your area, an annotated list of the ten most cited papers, or a short concept note. A concrete output turns reading into progress.
Meet the people around you
Introduce yourself to senior PhD students in your group. Ask what they wish they'd known in their first term. Their answers are often more useful than any guide, including this one.
Start a weekly rhythm
Every Friday, take 30 minutes to look back at the week and choose three outcomes for the next. This habit matters more than any planning tool.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You have a topic, or the start of one, but no sense of what the first month should produce.
- You're reading widely and feel busy, yet you couldn't say what you've achieved.
- Everyone else seems to know the unwritten rules of the department.
- You aren't sure what to ask your supervisor, so you don't ask much.
Why this happens
Most PhD programs give you a lot of freedom at the start and very few deadlines. That freedom feels good for about two weeks, and then it starts to feel like fog. Nobody is telling you what a good first month looks like, because it varies so much between disciplines and supervisors.
The fix is not to plan the whole PhD now. It is to set up a few foundations, agree on short-term expectations with your supervisor, and give yourself something specific to produce in the next six to eight weeks.
Worth a look (6)
- ZoteroA free reference manager. Set it up before you collect your first paper.
- The Thesis WhispererInger Mewburn's long-running blog on doing a PhD.
- How to Get a PhD, by Estelle Phillips and Derek PughA classic, practical handbook on the doctoral process.
- Shut Up & Write!Free writing sessions, online and in person in over 80 countries, where you write quietly alongside others for a set time. It's a gentle push when you keep putting off your thesis.
- FocusmateBook a short video session with another person, say what you'll work on, then work quietly side by side. The free plan gives you three sessions a week.
- Time managementVitae's guide to managing research time, with simple techniques like logging your hours, separating urgent from important, and working back from deadlines.
When to bring someone in
If you still don't know what is expected of you after a month, ask your graduate coordinator or program director. Many departments also run orientation sessions or peer mentoring schemes for new doctoral students.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify