• Question: How much time do you usually spend on your research?

    Asked by swhawking to Sam, Rohan, Nayeli on 21 Sep 2017.
    • Photo: Sam Parsons

      Sam Parsons answered on 21 Sep 2017:


      good question. A DPhil is a full time commitment, so I try to treat my DPhil as much as I can like a 9-5 style job, also so that I have a clear work and home life separation. Often that isn’t possible however, and I need to do some writing from home, or read a few papers over the weekend.

    • Photo: Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez

      Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez answered on 21 Sep 2017:


      9 to 10 hours a day, although sometimes I have to spend also time teaching or doing admin stuff.

    • Photo: Rohan Kapitany

      Rohan Kapitany answered on 22 Sep 2017:


      I work 9 – 5, and this is by choice (I’m a postdoc, and paid for my time). But in reality, my brain never stops working over ideas. If I want to relax, if I have to make a considered effort to go read a book or draw or something.

      But one way to phrase your question might also be, how much of your day is spent on doing things that are *not* research. Given that I work in a big university, it turns out that at least 1 hour a day (and sometimes much more) is dedicated to filling out forms, answering emails, talking to administration, and other things like that.

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