Realistic accounts of the ‘PGR experience’, including the visceral anxieties we experience every day.
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall”—Nelson Mandela Giving up is difficult. Contrary to well-versed adages, ceasing to believe in yourself, someone else, an initiative, or goal is not simple. Throughout childhood and adolescence, perhaps there is a shift in …
“It is vitally important to help each other. No, we cannot walk in each other’s shoes, but we can walk side-by-side and support each other”—Michele Sullivan I enjoy being alone. I welcome cancelling plans. I embrace isolation. I champion independent projects. I am also under the illusion that I can …
As a doctoral candidate, I keep many ‘things’ handy at all times; for example, a laptop, an inky pen, a spare bit of paper, and…volatile mental health. An ambivert at heart, practicing social distancing and staying at home does not affect me as severely as others. As much as I …
It is Friday morning, before the “lockdown Monday” and I start planning my food shopping list for next week. I am planning to get some fruit, vegetables, chicken and beef. I go to the supermarket in the evening and the shelves where I was supposed to find those items, were empty, completely empty. My first thought was: …
Since the Covid-19 Lockdown was enacted, I have not given myself credit for the progress made towards my doctoral thesis. For months, I have been hyperaware of the daunting Annual Review that dictates my future as a University of Edinburgh postgraduate research doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology. Ironically, I have …
Let me introduce myself under these circumstances…My name is SiennaMarisa Brown. I am a doctoral candidate of clinical psychology through the School of Health in Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. I earned a bachelor’s degree from a small mid-Western university in the States. I achieved a master’s degree …
I am lucky to have a robust support system. My husband is my personal chef and mixologist. My cat snuggles with me and lessens my anxiety. My parents are my best friends and call me every day. My supervisory team is sympathetic to my inactivity and mental health issues during …
It is challenging to write about my real experience with the COVID-19 situation because every day is so different. I guess my overall lesson from this experience is to observe my mood and feelings and be compassionate with myself. Some days are more comfortable, and I have enough energy to …
Life has become centred around our flat and we have found a way to make it feel less like “being stuck” and more like a temporary challenge. I am lucky because I live with people I consider close friends. We all enjoy similar things and we have enough space in …
Like many, I have been mentally spiralling. Calmly panicking. Since locals started ‘panic buying’, I have been suffering from indefinite indifference. As many international students, my mind is preoccupied with mine and my husband’s wellbeing, as well as my parents’ in the States. Being an ocean away from my primary …
