Question: What is the hardest part of writing a PhD?

Ceri Brenner answered on 14 Jun 2011:

I have to say that it’s getting started-that’s the hardest bit for sure. Before I had a written anything, I had proper work paralysis for like an hour ha. I was just sat at my desk, looking at a blank page, thinking ‘ah, where do i start? there’s so much to do’. But then if you break it down into chapters and then the chapters into sections, it’s not as daunting. you’ve just got to be strict with yourself and work to a timetable-pretty much the same as revising for exams i guess. Once you get going, you find ‘your flow’ and the work starts slotting together. There are tough days where you can’t figure out what the data is telling you, but then I sit down with my supervisor and he steers me back on the right path, it’s really good to discuss science with people as you tend to get to a conclusion faster.