A week as a PhD student
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- I filmed a week of my life as a PhD student in atmospheric physics at the University of Exeter. Here's what I got up to!
If you have any questions about stuff I did please do ask in the comments below! Though I'm going to say in advance that I am NOT an expert on graduate school applications.
Next vlog: • Another week as a PhD ...
Oxvlog: / oxvlog
My singing/chapel choir video: • What I sing every week...
Studying livestream: • UNIVERSITY STUDYING LI...
If you want to learn more about chapel choir you can like us on facebook: / exeteruniversitychapel...
Music used:
Solar Flares by Silent Partner
One More Chance by Otis McDonald
Nunc Dimittis (Truro) by Philip Stopford ( / university-of-exeter-c... )
Good Morning by Lakey Inspired ( / good-morning )
Feeling Good by Lakey Inspired ( / feeling-good )
Gear used:
Canon G7X: bit.ly/simonvlo...
Micromuff: bit.ly/simonmuff
Joby Gorillapod and ball joint mount: bit.ly/simongor...
Premiere Pro
Thanks to all my friends for putting up with me filming all the time!
--------- II ---------
I am Simon, a fourth year PhD candidate at the University of Exeter. I upload videos on bits of science which are relevant to what I do, and sometimes just because they're really cool.
My twitter - / simonoxfphys
My facebook - / youtubesimon
My instagram - / simonoxfphys
Does anyone else think it's kind of strange how nowadays people just record themselves daily and upload on RUclips and, we, as random people, watch and keep up with the daily life of this guy we will never even meet. Very crazy what we've come to as far as means of entertainment and interaction.
xxHockeyMonkey92xx Yeah the way social media & vlogging etc have grown so rapidly is crazy and incredible all at the same time.
I think about this a lot! Sometimes when you take a step back and look at what you're doing, managing a RUclips channel, you can't help but find it strange. The way I see it, it's just an extension of traditional media types like interviews in a magazine or on tv, just taken to the nth level. Makes you wonder what comes after this!
SimonOxfPhys Yeah, the creativity it has brought out in people is amazing. New sub here, I like your channel its very cool. 👍
K xo Aw, thank you!
SimonOxfPhys You're welcome!
things you do in a week is equivalent of what i do in a year
Kamil Hakim this is true for most of undergraduated student like us
not to be pretentious but this is genuinely a classic in the genre of the university vlog
WOAH. A PhD student and a RUclipsr. I am impressed!!
Jomie Hospital also does some choir, which may seem easy but requires real dedication and more work than you'd think
Jomie Hospital this was my first thought as well hehehe
Yawaaaa bisaya!!! Inday !!!! Hay salamat naa koy kauban na bisaya diri nga channel hahahahha
Yeah some docs do youtube not only him.
It is very difficult to juggle the two for sure! One video a month at a push is torture
An interesting use of RUclips, and a great insight into your life. This from a long-time fan and subscriber. The video was very well produced, so many good moments of your week.
Thanks, and thanks for sticking around for so long!
A W 2 i agree
Just got this randomly recommended again and am now contemplating watching this whole "series" all over again. I watched it back in 2016 when I had just stated my physics degree one year prior. You gave me the first insight into graduate school and where no small part in me continuing and pushing through the hard parts.
I am proud to say that I am now also pursuing a PhD. in physics and can relate with so much of what you are saying.
This is where it all started.
I started studying Mathematics and Physics this year and I love seeing what your week's like cause hopefully I'll be doing a PhD at some point in the future.
Good luck and have fun !
Good Luck! =)
Lucia Montes is it hard? like from 10 how much is it?
T Bayer I'm only on my first year so it's all quite easy so far, but I never really found maths difficult, so it might depend on the person
First year is largely just A level stuff + a bit to make sure everyones on the same page. It gets interesting later =)
As a high school student I'm used to writing around 5 page essays and I can't even imagine how much content and effort you have to put in the 152-200 page thesis! Hope you get your PhD soon!
The amount of things you pack into one week Simon!! Keep the vlogs coming!
Jessica K ask aebbsrs gt were waiting waitingwvrDT
Aww - tear. You're making me miss my PhD years. I finished in December 2014. Believe you me, you will miss every second of the trip that is a PhD. Three and a half years of total, mad, psycho, painful, extreme intellectual self-indulgence. It is so crazy that only when you come out of the tunnel can you look back and realise how insane the whole thing was. I was so done with it, I'd curse myself and wished I had never started every 3 seconds, but the day I submitted my 95,000 word thesis I felt like I had lost a limb. Looking back now, best experience ever. Enjoy it!
PS: the viva is the most anti-climax thing ever. You build up so many expectations over 3 years, and imagine to feel amazing when the examiners call you doctor for the first time. But its like fancying somebody for ages and fantasising about them, but then realising they are the dullest person in the room when you finally get to speak to them for the first time. :-)
asmrfoodieuk helped me incredibly. I got my first 'researcher' job when I was still in my third year. As soon as I completed, I got a Lecturer job which I did for a year an a half. Now, two years after completing my PhD I became a Senior Lecturer in my field at a different university, make just under 50k, am about to publish my first monograph. I understand that many aren't so lucky, but for me it was very useful and helped me get where I wanted to get quite quickly. Don't get me wrong, it's bloody hard work. It is insanely hard in fact. But if you are in it for the right reason, hard work won't scare you.
A Phd is only helpful if you do it in the sciences/in engineering, OR if you are 100% determined to stay in academia. I have a PhD in the humanities and I've been unemployed for 2 years now after being trapped in adjunct jobs with low pay for ages. I wasted pretty much all of my 30s chasing the dream of full-time employment as a lecturer - never happened. And now, most non-academic jobs I apply for I don't get because I'm supposedly "overtrained" or whatever. DO NOT do a PhD UNLESS you 100% KNOW you have what it takes to survive in academia (mostly: no private life, no problem with constant rejection, no illusions about academia being some fairy tale community where people work together in harmony), unless your degree is something like engineering or similar, where a higher degree is actually seen as an asset and not something suspicious that might make you "too smart". Otherwise, it is a waste of money. I do not regret my PhD because I made amazing friends, but I regret being too naiv about my employment chances after I finish. Should have left academia immediately and done more practical work in the real world!
@germankiwigal Absolutely spot on. But even in the sciences/engineering, a PhD has a very limited shelf-life, becoming obsolete within 10 years, and initially is of extremely limited use in the real world; most science/engineering jobs can be done by intelligent, motivated technicians without even an undergraduate degree. Companies generally want trustworthy people prepared to stay with a company long term, so the training isn't wasted on them. I don't believe you're rejected because you're "over-trained" but because you lack the necessary experience they're looking for, and long term attitude.
But there are other options available to you such as teaching and especially tutoring. Even here, teaching is a talent and skill that takes years of experience to develop, and not all PhDs have the social skills to interact with their pupils confidently.
sphinx333 Biochemistry student, soon to start my Master's.... Can't wait for PhD hell 😅😂
Writing is one of my favorite hobbies, but wow... 95,000 words.
Omg. All the PhDs around the world salute you for putting this up. It's so nice to know that PhDs aren't all smooth-sailing, and that you also take on side projects/hobbies while doing it! Hi from Perth, Western Australia!
I'm about to finish my Ph.D course in Astrophysics. Man, I can't wait. Because when I finish, I'll go apply for a position at JAXA
Good luck with finishing up and writing your thesis!
SimonOxfPhys Thanks very much
AlphaCentauriusX have fun doing research for the rest of your life and making a shitty wage.
+colbymchenry the position I want at JAXA is over 10000000円 a year. I wouldn't call that a "shitty wage"
Hahaha, riiiggghhhttttttt. I don't know anyone with a PhD. which makes even a million. Including professors who work at Harvard and MIT. Hell the Nobel Prize award is only a million, which isn't jack shit into today's world for the amount of work it requires to receive the Nobel prize or to get a PhD. You won't be making $10 million dollars... you may want to look back into that wage. I just think you'll be putting in a lot of work for what you think will be an awesome and rewarding job. PhD is a very stressful career, considering any school will fire you if you don't bring in any grant money, since the school typically gets half. So you always have to have research going on that's significant. Then there is fighting to be first author, how fun is that!? With the amount of work you'll be putting in, you truly could make that salary of $10 million doing something else like real estate.
Bloody hell. You might just be the busiest man in the whole of England.
Negative Kelvin: seems legit 😂
Thomas B lmao too good
New theory maybe
plot twist, the answers were right, its a paradox!
Actually they could be right in a mathematical sense if the equation is quadratic you get positive or the same negative result. Could be that his code converges to the negative solution.
If you inverse the distribution of particles in lower and higher energy states such that the higher energy state is more occupied, yet in fact get a negative absolute temperature.
I love how he talks to us like we understand anything he's saying, is it just me thats nodding my head muttering "yes, physics, stratosphere, tree to student ratio, yup, code, chapel, jesus"
Every couple of months I come back and rewatch this series and I always enjoy it. As a current PhD student (quantum physics ftw) even though these videos are old it's nice to see this struggle through someone else's eyes and feel less alone.
Brand new PhD student here! (6 months in) Love watching this and seeing what other PhD students do 🙈
good luck :x
How is your PhD
@@comedyandentertainment5972 I’ve finished now and am currently a researcher ☺️
It's very inspiring, not only the video, but also the comments below. As a third year PhD in engineering, it's a great relief to see other PhDs life! Subscribe!
Hey man greetings from Chicago. You live a pretty balanced life style with work and a little bit of fun. Im an ex community organizer and recent science convert. Im looking to get into an astrophysics program. I do indigenous martial arts as well as study meso american codexes. And also work on music. And have my job. I feel like i try to do too much sometimes and i end up out of balance. Your video proves its possible to do all the things you love all the while keeping a smile on your face. Right on brothah!
I woke up at 1:30PM, ate a bowl of cereal, and played video games.
Andrew Burnette 😂nice
Yeah.there is someone out there like me.except that I woke up little late at 5:00
Casey's style!! Great video and good luck man
Glad someone picked up on the style haha! Been watching so many of his videos recently, I think it rubbed off in a big way
You do more academic work in a week than I've done in the past year as an undergrad....
fuck i wish i was as productive as you.
you can be! why not?
peace lover Hard to be productive when you just *can't* feels like you're being sucked into a pit of mud and everything you try to pull yourself out sucks you back in. If you do manage to get out it's beyond exhausting, before you just fall back into the pit and struggle to get out once more.
Privian
I see two possibilities here:
- You are depressed
- You aren't interested in the subject whatsoever.
Most productive person I have ever seen in my life. You're an inspiration to me to get off my lazy butt and actually start doing things instead of just procrastinating. Felt like I just needed to comment this.
Dear Simon,
Thank you for sharing a piece of your PhD life. I'm also in the last year of my PhD on atomic physics and just let me say that the speech you gave around 10:00 uplifted my spirit, which I didn't know I need it. I'm gonna stop procrastinating now (which means I will no longer see the rest of the video, sorry!).
Thanks for the inspo, man!
All the best,
he's smart and attractive too. guys like this gets me going
bruh
Kexx Petit Actually more people don't care about intelligence
ryeofoatmeal The last thing she cares about is intelligence.
1) It's who can provide the best gene(attraction)
2) He's smart( Potential for high income/resources).
Thats what she subconciouesly meant.
But what if he's smart and UGLY fat old? Oh, now the smart doesn't sound so good now, does it?
There's nothing wrong with being a bit shallow during the first stages of mate searching, physically attractive = good genes. You're pretending that you wouldn't prefer an attractive smart person over a less attractive smart person.
Love how i'm procrastinating my entire coursework by watching this video.. it's worth it though!
I've just started my Ph.D. in Computer Engineering with a focus in Soft Robotics. The candor in these videos is so refreshing! Thanks for posting them :)
This guy's favorite game = Life
It's so odd and entertaining seeing places which I see everyday in your vlogs! I'm a first year student at Exeter College hoping to go to either Oxford or Cambridge (whenever I can finally make my mind up). I'm loving the PhD videos and I enjoyed the EGU vlogs. Keep up the good work and best of luck with your PhD!
"Are you enjoying Simon's video?"
Fucking loving it mate -cit.
This is amazing. You are literally my favourite youtuber. So motivating ^^
Essentially: Damn code, why is this code not working, stupid coding problem, quire, damn code...
my camera died
*Choir
ＱＵＩＲＥ
The mature manner in which you reacted to your programming issue made me laugh so much! You're awesome :)
After watching this, I can surely say that it looks like you enjoy creating / editing videos FAR more than you enjoy Atmospheric Physics, Singing, or Tennis.
Totally agree tbh haha
I'm rewatching the whole playlist, Let's see if Simon still looks at new comments from very old videos lol. Thanks a lot Simon for all the work ethic you have helped me build.
man i wish i was as driven as you
Nicholas Steinlage Why can't you be? Set goals, get up early, take a shower and work towards them until your super tired.
Thank you, I know I'm not who you were replying to and you didn't say very much but your reply is going to help me.
Dear Simon,
This was another fantastic video of yours! I just wanted to say I love your videos and used to watch them over the past couple of years whilst doing my A levels and I found them very motivational and useful and the advice from them helped me achieve 5A*s at A level in the end! Thanks! :)
Aniket
Woooo congrats on the A levels, that's amazing!!
whaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! youuu goinggggg oxford or cainbridge?!?!
Cambridge*
Mohamed Maxamed hahah no I'm studying at Imperial College London
still amazing! hey wanted to ask for some advice please tell me some of your wisdome i need some tips youve learnt im currently in A2 and wana go oxford bad, btw did you reject oxford or caimbridge? if not why dident you get in mann you worked hard for that dont they realise!?
Very motivational.
Wow super interesting. You're really juggling a lot in your life right now haha
Been rewatching all your videos and now this is the icing on the cake! Hope i can meet you one day.
Me too! Would love to go to some vidcons and conventions in the future :)
Man, I've just done my E&M final yesterday, and am so glad I don't have to touch that stuff again. Then, i see you going for a PHD in physics. Jeepers
PhD student From Australia! Loving the Content thanks heaps!
Ahh, thank you Simon, I needed to get on with some university work of my own, and your vlogs always get me feeling extremely motivated, if you could keep em' coming for the next 4 years of my degree I would be v grateful :)
Life of a physicist - "My code doesn't work and I don't know why", wait a minute ...
Sercan A wait a minute what 🤔
... that sounds more like a (bad) computer scientist.
I simply find it funny that a physicist sounds more like a (bad) computer scientist. Malfunctioning programs are the problem more times than the physics being studied.
Just because a computer scientist can't figure out why his code isn't working, doesn't make him a bad computer scientist! That's the name of the game!
Whenever you write code, and it doesn't work, you keep at it and figure out the missing link. Then you experience the epic win of programming whenever you do. :)
Sercan A If that’s what a bad computer scientist sounds like, then I guess there are no good computer scientists.
Didn't understand a majority of the stuff you discussed relating to your PhD and thesis but it's entertaining watching people talk about their passions so I enjoyed the whole video. Your editing and film techniques are really good btw.
I've really missed videos like this, really hoping you do more in the future. Preferably not during exam season though because passing my degree is something I'd actually like to do :L
Alexi Draven Iya babe
this guy is so genuine, im subbing
Can you do more of these. Its nice to know I'm not alone grinding through school lol motivating indeed
Good luck! I'm in 3rd year currently researching and analysing data using code for my dissertation, so I'm glad to see that there's another person in this universe who understands the life of researching & making code! Haha
ahhh!! loved this!
Coming back and watching all of these now that I'm in the final year of my PhD
This was so cool. Well edited and v insightful :)
just watched this whole video, amazing that you worked with tom frank. following his videos for quite some time now and didn't know you teamed up. great work, keep on going.
your channel is what i was looking for
As a person who struggled through a U.S. associates degree (blame math) I have unreasonable amounts of respect for people who are successful and choose to get a Phd. I enjoy being in a career more than I ever enjoyed school but I always wish I'd been more "scholarly".
In fact, I used to think I was stupid because I wasn't great in school but being in the real world has proven that I'm actually quite smart. Luckily scholarly aptitude isn't everything but I still have mad respect for those who "get it".
It's impressive to see all your hard work, great job! I wish you success in your thesis!
~Meredith
You seem like a very cool guy dawg. Keep up the good work
Woow, it feels like just yesterday that I watched your video about your Oxford interview and you popped up in my recommended videos again. This was cool, man, thanks for sharing
Seems very interesting and you are definitely living a very busy life. I am reading these comments though and it's like "smart people, can't wait until I'm there" seems as if some of you think your better than another based on exam results or what you are studying. Even if you are a university student or a PhD student you are no better than anyone else. I myself had a "friend" in my final year of GCSE's get accepted into a top sixth form in my area. He said "I can't wait to finally speak to people who are actually intelligent" Some of these comments remind me of that. Don't be that guy. However if you are at university doing something you genuinely have a passion for then good on you. I haven't found my passion yet and I really don't think it's at uni.
+Pin totally agree - as is my #1 rule in life, don't be a dick!
cheers for the reply, sorry if it came across as negative. I like your videos and enjoyed watching this one, just some comments frustrated me.
Why is this so calming?
Just found your channel Simon and I find this video so inspiring!! Keep up the good work man!
Giving the computer the middle finger is my entire life at the moment. Vid is so on point. Hope you worked it out in the end.
You know he is making a PhD in physics when he is watching Hearts of Iron 4!
Woah, those harmonies are heaven!
Amazing video Simon!
the editing on this is stellar
Simon neistat, very nice video keep it up pal
I loved this! I'm currently working and SO miss uni :( I'd love to continue somewhere in England (I'm from Germany) because it appears to me that the quality is higher though the surroundings are more "attractive" (does that make sense? methods, facilities, etc. just seem more efficient in GB generally).
Also, you sound/look like a great guy :-) Good luck on the PhD!
I am doing my masters right now, super scared of doing a phd eventually as it is so much work but i'm determined to stop having self doubt ^.^ Thank you for sharing :)
So interesting to see a week in your PhD life. Exeter is beaut. The choir sample was lush too! Also, yes to hair issues while vlogging (I have exactly the same problem). Embrace the unruliness!
this was perhaps one of your best videos yet and i think it is quite remarkable that you can balance all of your commitments as you do. I would love you making your live streams more regular and I think you really must share your post box address you we can send you stuff.
I'd love to have a postbox! Unfortunately they are very expensive to run so until I grow a bit more as a RUclipsr I don't think it will be worth it
This is so fabulous. I am also a PhD student who manages a demanding extracurricular activity, a relationship, and a social media presence on top of research (and coursework, because I'm getting my degree in the US). It was great to see someone else doing the exact same thing. Hope your code works soon. :)
Thanks for the comment! What is your thesis in?
Neuroscience!
Your life sounds really stressful and busy. How do you get yourself to do so much work everyday? Coding, planning your thesis, choir, managing a blogging initiative. How do you do it all? I'm a med student, and I find it so hard to work hard consistently every day. Some days, I can work nonstop for hours and get a lot done. On other days, I literally do nothing all day. For example today, I got up at 10:30 AM, its now 8pm and I haven't a single thing productive. And you manage to do so much. I'm just so lazy. Need your advice
IWillDominate By practicing. I code everyday for 12 to 15 hours (in the summer holidays!) it's all about practice. You get used to it so fast, it's just like playing games. You don't realize you're doing much but in fact you are.
Giving you a big virtual hug because all the bits about codes not working and not knowing why had me like "OMG same" =)) >>:D
I'm glad I do history after looking at those equations
is history worth it? I'm going into collage and idk if I should take it further ?
Amazing! Eyes were glued to the screen! Keep up the good work Simon.
Caseys legacy will live here on youtube :)
ikr!!!! Simon's literally patterning Casey's vlog stlye
He is a big influence but the moment you change something its not a copy anymore. Its progress.
Casey`s Vlog style + PhD = Simon
Simon` Vlog Style + B = C
maybe we should write a code about it ;)
your editing is top notch! And usually I don`t find vlogs to be that interesting to me, but I really enjoyed watching yours..glad I came across your channel :)
Thank you for such a lovely comment!
Your voice is smooth as fuck, holy shit, my ovaries are exploding.
Nice video I can really relate to it especially the part with post it notes saying "The bigger I look into the problem, the bigger it seems to get." where you actually dont get anything done at all it seems that your mind is blank and just keep just staring at your computer as if answers will just pop out after doing it for long hours.
Haha how did you even get onto the conversation topic at 19:40. Made me laugh for some reason. I'd be great if you made more of these, they're really interesting and you edited it really well.
I know this is my third consecutive comment but this video was awesome. The Neistatesque style was great without copying him, and the editing/framing/music was very well done
I absolutely loved this vlog! So many funny moments😂
Your life is pretty crazy. i'm taking university physics mechanics studying for finals and i think its pretty crazy now, keep up the good work.
one casey dies, and another one is born...
Haha I wish! You can say that when I have 5+ million subs haha
I hope you are doing well. Thanks for coming back to RUclips!
Hey I wasn't gone that long!
WOAH! It’s super weird seeing someone vlog in my hometown.... I’ve been around the uni (mainly going to the theatre) a lot. This is just very very odd. I recognise where you are filming. This never happens!!!!
The hardest bit of a PhD is finding motivation to read and write. No one is there to tell you what to do, so if you get behind, it's basically your fault in the first place and your job to correct. You can be writing your thesis, then get sidetracked on RUclips and you've just lost half a day.
Bit of a strange request; but could you do a video on integrating differential equations in python?
You are so much more positive and have more time available than I expected a PhD student to have
Great insight. Thanks for sharing this! :D
Great video! Academic life is strange and quite challenging at times, but also super exciting and enjoyable :) It's nice to see you've found a balance between physics, singing, and RUclips. I'm in Alaska working on my Master's, so whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I have plenty of outdoor sports/activities to take a break from the lab.
Do you code in Python? Because I do and I literally want to pull my hair out every time I look at it
Yep, and I totally know that feeling!!
Hi Simon! Not sure if you'll see this, I hope your break away from everything has been helping with you mentally. I just want you to know that it's a yearly ritual for me to watch this entire series as I start studying again as I try to someday do a PhD myself! I've been watching for a few years, and while I'm still an undergraduate studying physics, your videos help push me to work hard!
This was good, an interesting insight and some good editing! Do you use Matlab for the computational work? I'm trying to get to grips with it at the moment for my PhD.
Thanks! I used matlab in my masters but I switched first to R and now to python for my PhD coding - personally I don't mind matlab but python feels more light weight and easier to use
I'm doing my PhD in Mathematics at Exeter and just entered my second year. I decided to watch your videos as I'm just coming off interruption and it's great motivation to start again and not be terrified by my PhD.
I love that you stopped to stroke that cat. I totally do that on my way to Streatham! Haha
Its cool that you sing in church :)
I swear I almost squealed when you said time to watch bake off!
Your comments on that dreaded hill made me laugh! I say that to everyone XD
shout out to pyron playing hoi4 21:39
It looks like my day, very busy, but I don't even remember what I have done most of days. Good luck with your PhD, it's a long way to go.
i am currently working on my master thesis, its related to image classification.i am currently stuck on my code,found a bug after working for 10-12hr for 5 days.And the result is i correct it ,and now i am trying to find an another bug as the results are not proper. Coding is frustrating. i share the same feeling for the code as u did
Your David Attenborough t shirt is going straight on my christmas list