PhDisabled: 3rd Year Week 1

Desk Wars, Days Off Drama and Mental Marathons

Photo by James Pond on Unsplash

This is the end of my first week as a 3rd year PhD. I’ve always meant to keep a blog about doing a PhD as a mature student with chronic illness. I’m starting late, but the third year is always the most dramatic anyway, so let’s see what happens. For reference, I study Classics, my specialist subject is Ancient Magic, and I am a disabled student with PTSD/CPTSD.

I can’t quite believe I’m actually here. Two years ago, three years felt like forever. At the end of my very first week, while thinking I was pretty calm and on top of things, I developed an aura migraine and went blind in one eye. That’s a great thing to tell incoming students on their induction: “it’s so stressful, expect to go blind at some point.”

This is a tough start to the year. I’m editing my last analysis chapter, and currently look like I could finish on time. My panel would like to have a polished draft of the complete thesis by June 2020. I might actually make that, if I’m smart about it. Cue lots of research on how to eliminate procrastinating and getting shit done while still attending therapy sessions and not falling apart.

Desk Drama

For third years where I am the big change is desk assignment. After two years of ‘hot-desking’, if we asked for it, we are finally assigned our…