Are you just starting a doctorate, or a long-term project? Three or four years is a long time in anyone’s life, and a PhD is a difficult...

It’s the start of term in the UK and whilst there is a buzz of excitement around campus, there is also a sharp edge to that excitement;...

I discovered the value of clearing my inbox a few years ago after a bereavement. I returned to work and sat at my desk feeling totally...

Continuing this series about planning, I’m trying decide if I need to explain what mind-maps are, or just need to convince you about...

Lists are a great short term management tool. They seem to belong to the old advice, never put off until tomorrow what can be done today....

As I said back in January, this one is simple. The more complicated the matter the easier it will be to deal with by talking rather than...

Our names are important. They represent who we are. I’m told that I am good at remembering names. And I am. But I wasn’t always. Too often I meet people who have a variety of negative responses to remembering names, ‘Oh, I’m useless at remembering names!’ said with shame, embarrassment, bravado, as matter of fact, or trivialisation of any need to remember or use names at all. Underneath all of this is often a wish to be good at using people’s names. But that’s all it is; a wi

You might think notebooks are old-fashioned, but this top-tip goes includes using note apps effectively too.

Here’s another piece of advice that I received as a novice researcher, from Dr Karen Carpenter: Plan on a Friday, not a Monday. My...

Some years ago I was joined in my department by a colleague who was setting up a new programme. It was quite a large job and she had lots...

Have you broken your New Year’s Resolution about being more organised? Don’t beat yourself up. Becoming more organised takes a bit of...

Are you thinking of getting more organised in the year ahead? The good news is that you're not alone. Becoming more organised is the...

Some years ago I met two PhD students who’d recently very successfully completed Masters degrees and had been selected to go on to do a...

My bicycle journey to work at the University, dodging students as they leap about in excitement is a challenge. They slow down as they...

Judging at yesterday's Research Showcase at the University of Nottingham @UoNgradschool was a real privilege. Interesting and engaging...

There is a lot of advice out there, (including some from me) but when I read this quote recently in the Times Higher Education...

I was facilitating a conference training event recently and was rather surprised by how few people had business cards, especially more...