Working Towards that PhD

(currently undergrad) Cal, history student, 21, uk. she/they

[workingtowardsthatphd]

welcome back to my studyblr!

(a new introduction now that I am starting my MA in the next week! this is an update for those of you who are already following me and an introduction for any new people!)

☕ about me!

Cal, 21, UK, she/they

 ☕ studying!

Master of Arts - MA, Historical Research (Sep 2024 - Jul 2026)

 ☕ hobbies!

reading, writing, ice skating (I'm hoping to pick that back up while doing my MA), & baking!

 ☕ what do I post?

general tips for uni life, daily updates, general thoughts.

 ☕ tags:

#cal talks #ask me #dissertation #postgrad #study tip

feel free to send me any questions about both postgrad and undergrad life, I am here to help!!

[workingtowardsthatphd]

📜 june 06

🗂️ today’s focus:

catching up on the annotated bibliography paragraphs that I have not been keeping up with. planning out the rest of the month (finishing secondary reading, and gathering a further list of primary sources)

🕰️ what i did:

3x annotated bibliography paragraphs. gathered a list of the secondary reading I want to do (and I am going to try so hard not to add to this, as I need to focus on the primary sources)

📌 notes/thoughts:

from the notes I made after undergrad to help me with masters, keeping up with the annotated bibliography after I'd made the notes was top of the list. I reallly should have done that!

🌙 tomorrow:

☕ brew:

just a bottle of coca-cola today :)

[victoriansecret]

Eighteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenth ceeeeeeeeeeeentury <- the long 18th century

[p-inpterodactyl]

It is so easy for me to forget that I love doing this work. Studying, reading, thinking, writing. And yet when I make the time and sit myself back down at my desk I fall in love with the process all over again. Gentle reminder to myself to keep making time for my own thought projects

[fluorescentbrains]

citationless behavior

[heavensenthousepet]

you learn something new everyday. unless you're a historian. then you learn something old

[workingtowardsthatphd]

📜 may 05

🗂️ today’s focus:

I read a few more horatio alger books over the weekend at work, so i need to make notes on the bits i highlighted. (x4) and i need to continue going through the newspaper clippings i've made and make notes on them.

🕰️ what i did:

notes on all the alger books, started reading two more, but i think i have enough quotes for now.

meeting with my dissertation supervisor, discussed the patterns i've noticed so far.

📌 notes/thoughts:

🌙 tomorrow:

☕ brew:

one (1) coffee

brown sugar milk tea 🧋

[thewhimsicalarchives]

When they underestimate you is when you can fight back the hardest- mind over matter, stay focused on the goal 💖

[workingtowardsthatphd]

📜 may 01

🗂️ today’s focus:

actually make the notes from what i've read so far (people vs john butler; 2x horatio alger jr books) read some more horatio alger.

🕰️ what i did:

made notes on john butler - a court case over a news-stand obstructing the street. does raise the question of who has the right to the streets. notes on alger 1 - adrift in new york. notes on alger 2 - paul the peddler read alger, ragged dick.

📌 notes/thoughts:

alger's got a very formulaic way of writing, and some characters that seem to appear in most stories, especially the man who was once a poor boy, like the 'hero' and is now rich.

🌙 tomorrow:

☕ brew:

brown sugar milk tea (iced)

[romanceyourdemons]

proposing a new historical framework called “the very long nineteenth century: we’re still in it”

[workingtowardsthatphd]

📜 april 30

🗂️ today’s focus:

horatio alger jr (reading through some of his novels to get an idea of contemporary views on street children) finishing notes from yesterday laundry

🕰️ what i did:

went to work this morning, so i got my steps in :) read "paul, the peddler"

📌 notes/thoughts:

guys, i hate to say this, but alger is not a good writer. these books have some very useful quotes but reading them is mentally equivalent to hearing nails on chalkboard.

🌙 tomorrow:

take notes from people vs john butler (read yesterday) more horatio alger jr

☕ brew:

coffee (trying to cut down on caffine as i'm taking adhd meds, but I didn't take them today, so we're good)

[workingtowardsthatphd]

Weds 29th April 2026

Welcome back, it's been a while!!

To do:

Finish reading through People vs John Butler (1878)

Make notes on the patterns found in analysis photographs from the NCLC

Make notes on People vs John Butler

Starting reading through some of the 80 (!!) newspaper clippings I have gathered and add them to the spreadsheet.

[workingtowardsthatphd]

so. i have been put on adhd meds and hopefully that will sort out my *gestures at everything*. and i will be able to make this blog a little more active!

[awkwardxbatman]

easiest way to write a paper on literally anything :

1. leave your intro and conclusion for the end, I mean it don’t try to write your intro until the end, just trust me.

2. figure out your main point and get at least three defensible (credible) reasons to argue that point.

3. start your body like this:

introduce what you’re gonna say. Provide evidence (citation). Connect it to the bigger picture. Show your understanding. [add in transitions for fluff]

-> sentences for each if you need your paper short, paragraphs for each of you need your paper long

4. then rinse and repeat

5. need to add in other sections like a rebuttal or gaps in the literature? do the same paragraph format :

intro sentence. main discussion (citations as needed). connection to bigger picture. show your understanding.

6. now write your intro :

first get the readers attention, idc how just hook em. what the hell are you talking about? why does it matter beyond your main point? what do you want the reader to be thinking about as they read your paper? what is your main point? summarize your evidence.

-> again sentences = short, paragraphs = long & transition statements for fluff.

7. the conclusion is basically the introduction but ordered differently and use different wording - you can literally just copy and paste what you wrote in the intro, use a thesaurus and rewrite it.

What the hell were you talking about? what evidence did you give? what was your main point? why does it matter in a broader scope? What did you want the reader to think about?

[p-inpterodactyl]

Reblogging so I can find this teaching high schoolers to write next year

[workingtowardsthatphd]

WORST possible student experience is getting stuck in a class with a man who won't stfu

[liones-s]

one of the most boring lessons I’ve learned is that when a task feels overwhelming, you just have to start doing it. Even if you’re not sure how to do 90% of it, look for one small component that seems close and start there. Sometimes it’s reading one article on the topic, or searching one related term, or literally just googling how to do the task. Do anything other than thinking about it. The process of working on a thing inherently makes it less scary.

[workingtowardsthatphd]

got a meeting with my dissertation supervisor today, and I'm going to try out a form of accountability, so every meeting I have a page in my notebook for "what have I achieved" and "what will I achieve by the next meeting" to be agreed upon with him.

I'm hoping this will keep me on track and stop me from going down rabbit hole that are not going to help with the final product.