Announcing a time and place change without changing my PhD focus

Life happens while you are doing a PhD. I was to hand in at the end of the 2025 financial year, but I was nowhere near ready. We had a serious family issue that came up: something had to bend and that bend was my PhD submission date.

I now intend to submit by the end of November. This means I cannot graduate in Nhulunbuy this year and therefore will not be the first PhD to graduate surrounded by Rirrajingu.

When things were on track, I applied for my first post-doc job, thinking it would begin while I was waiting for editor corrections. It was part time, three days a week meaning I would have plenty of times to make corrections before submitting to the university, and then make corrections if assessment warranted it. After that I would stay part time in the post doc and continue with external supervision of Social Workers.

I was the successful applicant for that job and have negotiated working only two days per week until I hand in my PhD. I start today at MiWatj Health Aboriginal Corporation as the Research Projects Support Coordinator.

My time now will be extremely focused: two-day external work and five days focus on the PhD write up.

Life happens while you are PhDing. You don't have to go it alone. Join a group of Social Workers in research any Thursday afternoon at 4pm AEST. I could not have stayed as focused as I have if not for my peers who completely understood how our need to family does not change just because you are doing a Higher Degree by Research.

Peer Support Group for Social Workers in Higher Degrees by Research

Join us on Zoom: https://charlesdarwinuni.zoom.us/j/88683640673 

👵🎓 Megan Bayliss. PhD candidate: the psychoeducation and bibliotherapy pf Brene Brown.