# PhDemi ## Posts - [PhD hot takes as a 2nd year PhD student](https://phdemi.com/phd-hot-takes-as-a-2nd-year-phd-student/): I filmed a TikTok video discussing my PhD hot takes and thought it would make for a good blog post (I’ve not updated this blog in AGES). So, let’s get into it! 1 – It’s ok to work on the weekends I heard a lot about the poor work life balance within PhD students, working 60 hour weeks and working weekends. I’m still big on work-life balance but I think in some ways, we have gone the other extreme of strictly working 9-5 hours for a PhD. As much as the working hours fit a 9-5, the kind of work […] - [everything you should do as a 1st year PhD student](https://phdemi.com/everything-you-should-do-as-a-1st-year-phd-student/): The PhD life is interesting. You start off in a world knowing very little and are constantly warned about how much harder it will get. No one really prepares you for how the 1st year of a PhD goes. So let me be the one to give you the low-down, on things you should aim to accomplish in your 1st year. Disclaimer: PhDs vary greatly by topic and supervisor. You don’t have to do all these things in the 1st year. It’s more of a guide to help you approach the PhD. 1. Organise regular meetings with your supervisor Your […] - [PhD productivity isn't real](https://phdemi.com/phd-productivity-isnt-real/): I’m 3 months into my PhD. I’ve watched maybe every YouTube video on how to be productive as a PhD student. Luckily, there’s only like 8 videos. A lot of them share advice that’s akin to treating a PhD like a 9-5 job. The problem is, a PhD is not a 9-5 job. The difference between PhD’s and 9-5s. As someone who’s only worked a 9-5 for a short amount of time, I might be slightly misinformed. But my experience of 9-5 work is working through a set number of tasks. It’s very output-focused, production-based. You have deliverables to complete and are […] - [How to write a literature review](https://phdemi.com/how-to-write-a-literature-review/): You want to write a lit review (See what I did there?). But you don’t know where to start. I got you. It can be quite overwhelming. Don’t stress. I have a 5-step method to help you write one, based on my experience writing my lit review. Let’s get into it. 1. Write down 5 atomic topics An atomic topic generally exists in one field. Examples of these are: With these atomic topics, we will be able to find papers and resources that fit into them. The goal of this step is to identify the underlying pillars of your dissertation. Each one of these […] - [Why you need to do a literature review](https://phdemi.com/why-you-need-to-do-a-literature-review/): Lit reviews are long. It’s a lot of work. It’s so easy to put it off to the last minute. I did that for my dissertation last year. Big mistake. Here’s why you should do a lit review beforehand. You can discover what’s already done This is the most obvious takeaway. It’s a lot easier to approach your project when you know what’s already out there. It also saves you time from reinventing the wheel. You don’t want to spend ages on your project only to find out someone else has already done it. That wouldn’t be motivating. You find […] - [What is my PhD about? (in simple terms)](https://phdemi.com/what-is-my-phd-about-in-simple-terms/): I’ve written academically about my PhD, but I feel for it to be useful, the average person needs to understand what I’m doing from a more foundational standpoint. So, my PhD title is: Safe listening in music venues: scalable technologies for citizen science and knowledge building. In simple terms Safe listening in music venues is to do with providing an environment where people can go to music venues and enjoy them, without dealing with the aftermath of loud sound exposure. Many of us are aware of how loud music venues are. Some of us actively avoid them due to their […] - [Why I chose to do a PhD](https://phdemi.com/why-i-chose-to-do-a-phd/): This is my first post on this page. I created this page to share my PhD experience and document the things I’m learning on my PhD journey. I figured the best place to start with this blog is to share why I chose to do a PhD in the first place. For starters, I’m in my 1st year of my PhD in Hearing Sciences, and my PhD focuses on building scalable technologies to foster safe listening in music venues. In simple terms: I’m researching how to make music venues safer for people to attend without them damaging their hearing due […] ## Pages - [Blog](https://phdemi.com/blog/): PhD Journey Insights PhD Insights Explore our gallery for essential tips and tricks to enhance your PhD journey. PhD Insights ”This blog transformed my PhD journey with invaluable tips and a supportive community.” ”The advice here is practical and relatable, making my research experience so much easier.” - [Home](https://phdemi.com/): Blog [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)