I'm a Dr now...

On 15 June 2023 I passed my viva... it still feels weird saying it, somehow not real. It has been 6.5 years in the making. When I first applied, I did not have kids, did not have a dog, did not own a house. I did not know Grounded Theory Methodology existed (I know, I know...). Now I have and do all these things. I finally get to swap my black-red-white University of Essex MSc gowns for the gold-blue ARU doctoral one at graduation events. What a journey it has been.

The run up to my viva has been short and at times stressful. At the moment of submission I knew I only had four weeks until the viva. My supervisor organised 4 mock vivas, with four different types of audiences (the last one was recorded as it was a public event, find it here), to practice answering questions. I felt myself get more comfortable and confident after every one, and I will be forever grateful for the support I was given by so many people. It really does take a village..!

I have some very minor corrections to make over the next couple of weeks, and then it is all over. I have some loose ideas as to what is next, and there are a couple of papers related to my EdD that now need writing. There are also a few spin-off paper ideas, and I have some thoughts on applying GTM to land-based HE teaching and learning research and student experience research. Plenty of stuff to be getting on with I guess.

My thesis will be available Open Access on various platforms when it has had final sign-off, keep an eye out here if you're interested.

All the best!

N.