What I wish I’d known about academia

By Eliza.Compton, 29 June, 2023
Illustration of young woman and older woman side by side
Advice from scholars to their younger selves about career, teaching and research
What I wish I’d known about academia
Advice from scholars to their younger selves about career, teaching and research
Illustration of young woman and older woman side by side

Building a career as an academic doesn’t come with a clear road map, so what if academics could begin again knowing what they know now about sustaining motivation, teaching those first classes or thriving in a competitive research culture? This collection also gathers insight from the voices of experience on work-life balance, how to know if academia is right for you, being a good supervisor, and negotiating money and promotion.

Starting out in your research career
Resources
By dene.mullen, 27 August, 2021

Early career researchers can say no, too

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Early career researchers must master the art of saying no and not be too eager to please
Coming up with a series of questions for ECRs about each ‘opportunity’ as it arises can help them decide what is worthy of their time, says Lucas Lixinski
By Miranda Prynne, 1 February, 2023

Dos and do-overs: reflections on life as an early career researcher

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Image of a desk piled with papers
Reflecting on her time as an early career researcher, Edzia Carvalho looks back at the things she did successfully – her dos – and the things she wishes she had done from the start – her do-overs – to help others embarking on the same journey
Reading time
6minutes
Sunset in a car rearview mirror
Lessons from the classroom
Resources
young woman in pith helmet exploring the jungle
Money, promotion and defining success
Resources
wooden balls balancing on slats
By dene.mullen, 10 November, 2022

You can have it all, just not all at once

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Work-life balance in academia can be achieved, but it's not easy
It might just be possible to achieve a good work-life balance in academia, but it requires focusing on certain areas of your life and career at certain times, says Lucas Lixinski
Reading time
5minutes
How to set work-life boundaries
Resources
By miranda.prynne, 14 December, 2020

This is not normal: advice for stressed academics

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Advice for stressed academics on managing workloads
With the overhaul of teaching, soaring workloads, childcare demands and other challenges presented by Covid-19, many academics are at risk of burn-out. Psychology professor Jay Van Bavel outlines steps that stressed lecturers can take to manage workloads
smiling young male employee in meeting
Taking care of others – and yourself
Resources
Young black woman and older Indian man teacher