Thread by @PeaseyPeter, Yesterday my PhD corrections were accepted! Obvs, I'm stoked and am hugely [...]

Yesterday my PhD corrections were accepted! Obvs, I'm stoked and am hugely grateful to my examiners, supervisors and institution for all the support.

It took me 6 yrs.

Theres a lot of judgement about timescale of completion, & this

is a challenge to that attitude. 1/

When I began part-time, I was the sole carer for my grandmother (who helped raise me as a child). She was a stroke victim with dementia. I was also working as a waiter. Im a first gen uni goer from a poor family & self-funded my PhD, so I had to work to eat, pay fees and rent. 2/

In this time, my nan had to move home to somewhere suited to her needs, so I arranged the sale of her house, the purchase of a flat, the move & the adaptation of her new home whilst doing the PhD, working 40ish hrs a week as a waiter, and caring. It was busy, to say the least. 3/

My nan was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer shortly after this, so we then went through the horror of palliative care arrangements for an (understandably) scared human. She moved again - first to a hospital and then to a home, all arranged by me. Eventually she died. 4/

After her death, we had the sale of her flat to handle, arrangements for her funeral to make and, of course, a lot of emotional processing to go through. I fell off the radar for a spell PhD wise, & I remain forever grateful for the support my supervisors gave me at this time. 5/

My nans death meant I inherited enough money to go full-time with my PhD and quit my job, relying on savings to fund my education/project. However, I had a lot more to learn than time to do it. My UG education hadn't equipped me to do a PhD. The process remained a mystery. 6/

It took me time to learn a lot of what many PGRs come equipped with. My pre uni schooling wasn't the strongest, and so adapting to the act of research & writing was a serious challenge - both personally and intellectually. Imposter syndrome was (& is) deep-set. 7/

Efforts were made to address this knowledge/skills gap by my supervisors and others, but it took time and investment to catch-up with my peers. I know I'm not alone in this struggle, frequently seeing others in a similar position. Keep at it. You can & you deserve to. X. 8/

Next, my partner had a mental health crisis. I'm not ashamed of what they went through but won't detail it here as its not mine to discuss. There were police and hospital calls/visits before a period of privately funded voluntary institutionalisation which saved their life. 9/

The money I had had to fund my PhD vanished in a necessary act to save my partners life. I'll never begrudge that - ever - but it meant that I now needed to work. Thankfully, there was pleanty of teaching going (& I love this), but it obviously ate up time and focus. 10/

The accumulative effects of all this 'stuff' impacted me greatly, & so I too became depressed & anxious, having a fairly profound wobble of my own - the worst I have ever experienced. This was right around my deadline which I of course missed, aranging an extension. 11/

Finally, the pandemic struck during my corrections period. With the increased teaching workload, my partner potentially contracting the virus, & the global atmosphere of fear, I again needed more time. I think we ALL needed more time/mental space, right? 12/

My point is this - the time it takes to complete a PhD or any qualification isn't the whole story.

Ever.

If we remain judgemental about it then we promote a culture of perceived & performed "excellence" that is potentially exclusive & harmful to all. Its another barrier. 13/

I KNOW I have had it easier than many during my PhD process, coming in with a selection of sociocultural advantages others do not have. That I could afford to do it at all or had the confidence to undertake it in the first instance speaks volumes to this privilege. 14/

Neither am I sympathy seeking. Rather, I want to address this stigma as BS. We cannot meaningfully support & empathise with UG or PG students if we do not challenge cultural norms in our own work environment, nor can we make academia more accessible and equal. 15/

I pledge to never romanticise my PhD experience or hide the fact that it took me 6yrs.

The time it took is not a reflection of my capacity/potential as a scholar but of my circumstances and history. It was hard, will be & is harder for others, & I will be open about that. 16/

I won't perpetuate a culture where "hard-work" is falsely represented in outcomes that are inherently more difficult for people with certain circumstances & histories to realise. I won't hide the time it took me out of shame or an attempt to better my career. 17/

Carers & parents may take longer. Those with less privileged pre-u ed may take longer. Those with ill health may take longer.

If we're serious about making academia more accessible, we need to drop the stigma, recognise contexts, & continue to talk about our own experiences. ♡

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