I have found the midpoint of a PhD a dangerous no-man’s land. Far enough away from the start to have lost the initial enthusiasm and naïve optimism, and too far from the end of the marathon to take advantage of the ‘last push’ energy that carries many of us through. In that lull of second year, I searched for some sort of guidance or programme that might allow me to find a way through, and found the WSG mentoring scheme. Given how busy my supervisors were – both on research leave – this seemed a good way of marking my progress and of getting guidance.
I was quickly assigned Vicki as a mentor, and have since found our meetings incredibly affirming and helpful. Removed from the formal setting of the traditional supervisor-supervisee relationship, and comfortable in the knowledge that Vicki wasn’t judging my progress, the relationship felt much more like a partnership. The usual power dynamics felt distant from our casual and encouraging chats, and Vicki seemed just as willing to learn from me as I was from her. She asked questions from interest, not just to test my knowledge, and I didn’t fear not knowing the answers. She helped me through writing and editing my first chapter for publication, and through a funding application, but more importantly, she helped me navigate the unwritten rules of academia – what was acceptable to ask, how would a certain request be viewed, what were the expectations in a given situation. I found this invaluable, and it’s something that I think the scheme is really disposed to. Having someone who’s been there before, who has asked the same questions, and in whose presence you feel no pressure to perform, has been of huge benefit.
Vicki’s guidance steered me through an odd phase, devoid of landmarks, and helped me further in navigating academia, and as such has set me up well for the last stage of the PhD, and hopefully for the next steps after that. I think the mentoring scheme – with a mentor like mine who eschewed the traditional hierarchy of mentor and mentee – can be a rewarding and helpful experience with tangible benefits for both participants.
Women's Studies Group 1558 - 1837 