Freja Gomez | RESEARCH & MAMAHOOD

Today was a difficult day in my PhD 💔

With less than four months until submission, I’ve decided to change how I approach supervision for the remainder of my PhD.

It wasn’t one meeting or one disagreement that brought me here. It was a series of experiences that made me reflect on what supervision should look like, what independence actually means, and how much ownership I have over my own research.

I know supervision is complicated. Supervisors have different expectations, limited time, and their own academic responsibilities. And I know that becoming an independent researcher means learning to make difficult decisions yourself.

But I don’t think independence and support should be opposites.

I’m proud of the research I’ve done. I’m proud of the questions I’ve asked, even when they haven’t been universally welcomed. And I’m determined to submit a thesis that reflects the researcher I’ve become.

I’m sharing this because I suspect I’m not the only PhD student who has experienced the complicated side of supervision.

If you’ve been there, I’d genuinely love to hear how you navigated it.

This only relates to my Danish side of my PhD and I will continue with updates meeting on my Australian part.

#phdlife #academiclife #phdjourney #researchculture #jointphd