Solo Session: How your PhD Changes Each Year?

Students and Graduates!

Your PhD can feel like one long stretch of work, but the truth is that each year demands a different kind of focus. In this late-night solo session, we explore how each year of your PhD changes.

1st year: First supervisor meetings, literature review, early chapter drafts, research methodologies, research training and probation.

2nd year: Case studies, reviews, recent publications add-ons, demanding supervision feedback, first conferences.

3rd year: Write-up year, dissertation submission and viva voce preparation.

4th year: Optional year if you haven't gather everything yet!

Whether you're starting out, midway through, or staring down the viva, this gives you a clear map of what to expect and how to pace yourself.

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Bibliography:

• Higginbotham, D. (2026, May 21). What is a PhD? https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/what-is-a-phd/
• Tippett, J. (2025, April 24). What is a PhD? Find a PhD. Retrieved May 24, 2026, from https://www.findaphd.com/guides/what-is-a-phd
• UNESCO launches report on higher education trends. (n.d.). University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260513111529544

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello students and graduates, welcome to PhD Launch, the podcast of late night talks in which PhDs have a drink and talk about their research topics. PhDs. Each year you embark in your research with new experiences, objectives, tasks, reviews, and meetings with your supervisors. You have the opportunity to make your final observations before submission to prepare for the Viva Volke and then the corrections. And finally, you reach the greatest moment of submitting your dissertation for that prestigious degree and doctorate title you've worked so hard for. Every year of your PhD, full or part-time, is a new adventure where you'll have your moments of struggle and success to share with your family and friends. They celebrate it with you in style, as if there was a bank holiday dedicated to every person with a doctoral degree. And you know what? It does feel like one. As I mentioned over my last sessions at PhD Launch, the PhD degree is all about resilience and thorough research, where you dedicate yourself to at least 4 plus years of your life. Picture this. You're talking with your family members and PhD peers about how your PhD is elevating your research skills. Then someone might ask you the following Is each year of your PhD different or are they all the same? Perhaps you have or not thought about it, but how would you respond to it if they asked you that question? Since around 2% of students are enrolled in a PhD, I'll share with you what each year of your degree means. For this late night talk, I'm only covering full time because I was enrolled for four years. The first year is the introduction to your PhD degree. Once you proposed your research project and enrolled, you'll be invited to have your first meeting with your supervisors to discuss your first steps for the next three months. This includes a literature review, a draft of your first chapter, presentation of research methodologies, research training and workshops, and a probationary meeting after 9 months into your first year. This last characteristic is compulsory in the UK as it'll determine whether you're able to continue with your research. The whole first year of your PhD is quite like the foundational steps to project management designed to test your research capabilities and ensure you're primed and ready to build a solid argument for your dissertation project over the next few years. The second year is the peak of your research. You'll be immersed in finding case studies to build your arguments and results, as well as having some chapters ready to present to your supervisors. You'll also review your previous analysis by updating them with recent publications and the opportunity to showcase your findings

Welcome To PhD Launch

SPEAKER_00 3:16

at conferences, congresses, and seminars. This second year of your PhD is about progress, where your findings and arguments are around 50 to 60% completed. However, your supervisors are challenging your research many times, encouraging you to revise and refine your initial ideas thoroughly while keeping up with your research writing. Time management here is crucial as you navigate throughout this year of your dissertation. The third year is the final year, and it's all about fine-tuning your written research, submission, and the viva vocal. You're spending countless hours revising and polishing every single chapter, introduction and conclusion, and preparing the oral exam where you discuss your whole thesis argument with an internal and external examiner. This is also the time when your supervisors will give you more feedback to review and summaries of your analysis. And you might even of adding another case study, which can be risky

Are PhD Years All Different

SPEAKER_00 4:28

and cost time for the submission, even though it can add more depth into your dissertation. In case of not reaching the word limit yet, you'll have a fourth year to update your research for the final submission. And if you have time to go to a networking event or a conference to present your research, go for it. Starting your PhD full-time is an exciting step forward, embarking on a three or four year journey packed with research, experiments, case studies, supervision feedback, and revision. If you're going part time, which is usually 6 to 7 years, the story

Year One Foundations And Probation

SPEAKER_00 5:13

will probably be identical alongside your life demands. Thank you all for tuning in. It has been a pleasure.