PhDamn

PhDamn Podcast

Having a PhD is an accomplishment but it's not without its ups, downs, smiles and frowns. Join us damned doctoral divas to discuss all things PhD without the professionalism. If you're also a damned PhD student, want to become one or (for some unfathomable reason) want to reminisce on your time as one; listen in!

  1. 06/27/2025

    Episode 30: Damn, I have to teach?!

    Teaching is an important job that acts as a vehicle to a knowledgable, well-skilled society. So what happens when you're a tired, underpaid, overworked PGR who just gets thrown into a teaching position? In this episode, the PhDamn divas talk all things teaching in academia - from prep, to pay and to our own philosophies. Abbreviations: PGR - Postgraduate Researcher GTA - Graduate Teaching Assistant/Associate

    1h 22m

  2. 04/25/2025

    Episode 29: Damn, I don't believe my own findings?!

    It's been a minute, but we're back! This week, the Damned Divas talk about the ups and downs of analysing data and writing thesis chapters. From analysis during fieldwork, to mish-mash methods - we laugh, we vent and we sigh. What's your analysis and writing process? Let us know in the comments!

    1h 23m

  3. 12/24/2024

    Episode 28: Damn, are PhD students financial 'Loss Leaders'? (featuring Charlotte)

    WARNING: This episode contains moderate rage. Things get spicy as we continue our deep dive into babyfication - aka infantilisation - in academia. This time, we’re joined by our fabulous friend Charlotte, who brings her unique insight as a local authority practice-based PhD researcher. Together, we unpack what it means to be "babyfied" in academic spaces in the UK, from the way PhDs are conceptualised by universities and how we're dubbed by senior staff as "[financial] loss leaders". Some of the keywords and abbreviations we used: ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council who fund PhDs in these disciplines GTA - Graduate teaching assistant Local Authority - local government responsible for providing services in the area of the UK that you live in PGR - Postgraduate researcher aka a PhD or research masters student RTSG - Research and Training Support Grant REF - Research Excellence Framework Learn more about Doctoral Local Authority Fellowships here: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-doctoral-local-authority-fellowship-dlaf-guidance-notes-round-4

    1h 34m

  4. 12/13/2024

    Episode 27: Damn, am I a student, an employee or just a BABY?!

    Have you ever felt like you're treated as "lesser than" in your PhD experience? Well have we got the episode for you! This month, our Damned Divas talk about our experiences with infantilisation (or babification) in academia. With an ever so slight deviation on the saga that was Lakshmi Balakrishnan's masters degree, this is likely our longest rant! Comment your experiences of infantilisation wherever you're hearing this podcast. :) Chapters: ​43 - Examples of how we're infantilised​04 - You're not supposed to be here​15 - F*** you, pay me!​51 - Doing the admin of academics for free​29 - Our control over when we submit our theses​01.52 - Lakshmi Balakrishnan​22.34 - Lack of adequate office space

    1h 35m

  5. 10/25/2024

    Episode 26: Damn, am I a red flag?! - The Flag Game episode

    In this episode, we dive into some hypothetical PhD scenarios and label them with red, yellow, or green flags. From dodgy supervisor behaviour to panicking over harsh feedback, nothing is off-limits. And of course we like to tussle, so be prepared for heated discussion! Whether you're navigating the smooth or stormy seas of your PhD journey, we hope you laugh, relate, and maybe even rethink your own academic red flags! Comment your red or green flags below!

    1h 12m

  6. 10/11/2024

    Episode 25: Damn, we're in our third year?!

    What does a year of fieldwork do to a person? In this episode the damned divas explore just that through our favourite method of conversation; object elicitation! We reflect on the ups and downs of the past year while speculating about the future of our PhDs.

    1h 22m

  7. 08/23/2024

    Episode 24: Damn, are we... disabled?!

    Ever wondered what it's like to do a PhD while have a neurological disability? This episode, the PhDamn ladies speak about our relationships with disability, from the way we define it to our experiences with our university's disability support services. Listen in! Useful tools that we referred to in the episode that you can use (whether you're disabled or not): Talk Type - dictation software that is sensitive to niche terminology and has dyslexia-friendly features (https://talk-type.com/dictation-software/) MindView - mindmapping software that integrates with multiple other apps and organises citations (https://www.matchware.com/education-mind-mapping-software) Scholarcy - summarises academic papers, book chapters and reports, organises your reading, has enhanced notetaking software and recommends more papers to you based on your needs (https://www.scholarcy.com/) Glean - a notetaking tool that records classes and events; combines transcripts, notes, audio and slides (https://glean.co/) Text Help Read&Write - a literacy support tool that uses text-to-speech and specific highlighting tools. Perfect for those who are dyslexic, neurodivergent or speak English as a second language (https://www.texthelp.com/en-gb/products/read-and-write-education/)

    1h 37m

  8. 07/19/2024

    Episode 23: Damn, dissemination isn't procreation?

    Have you thought about the various ways in which you can disseminate your research? This week the damned divas explore the sexy etymology behind the word 'dissemination' and speak about the ways we would carry it out in our own PhD research.

    1h 20m
See All (31)

Trailer

About

Having a PhD is an accomplishment but it's not without its ups, downs, smiles and frowns. Join us damned doctoral divas to discuss all things PhD without the professionalism. If you're also a damned PhD student, want to become one or (for some unfathomable reason) want to reminisce on your time as one; listen in!

Information

  • Creator
    PhDamn Podcast
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © PhDamn Podcast
  • Show Website
    PhDamn