It’s been a long and hard past few months for everyone due to COVID-19. A lot of us felt like we had to work extra hard just to complete things we would normally do anyway, and that is completely understandable. As a result, for PhD students, many of us feel like we should take some time off to relax and recharge for the upcoming academic year. I completely support that. But the summertime can be a great opportunity to catch up on work and plan ahead for the next year. I think it is wise to use these slower months to your advantage.
1. Catch up on Research
With my viva out of the way and archival trips still uncertain, I am using the next couple of months to catch up on research by reading books for my dissertation and looking at other secondary sources that will inform my work. During the academic year, it can difficult to find the space and time to do this properly. The summer is a great opportunity to catch up on this front!
2. Organize your Sources
If you already have done some archival work like me, but your documents are not as well organized as they should be, use the summer to organize them and get them in shape. It can always be hard to find the time to do this, so if things are slower right now, this is a great productive task that will make future research and writing much more manageable.
3. Plan Ahead
The summer is a great time to define your upcoming goals and plan how you want to tackle your next steps. For me, I am thinking about what I want to accomplish next academic year for my research while I start to juggle teaching responsibilities too. Since I will be focusing on more things at once, planning ahead is crucial so I use my time well and can manage my workload effectively and efficiently. Especially during COVID-19, this can be a real lifesaver!