What I wish I’d known about academia

Advice from scholars to their younger selves about career, teaching and research

Illustration of young woman and older woman side by side

Building a career as an academic doesn’t come with a clear road map, so what if academics could begin again knowing what they know now about sustaining motivation, teaching those first classes or thriving in a competitive research culture? This collection also gathers insight from the voices of experience on work-life balance, how to know if academia is right for you, being a good supervisor, and negotiating money and promotion.

By Miranda Prynne, 19 June, 2023

How to find passion in your work – and sustain it

A team of colleagues celebrating a work success

A simple strategy to sustain passion and enthusiasm for your work by keeping big dreams in view while celebrating each small step

Reading time

3minutes

Starting out in your research career

Resources

By dene.mullen, 27 August, 2021

Early career researchers can say no, too

Early career researchers must master the art of saying no and not be too eager to please

Coming up with a series of questions for ECRs about each ‘opportunity’ as it arises can help them decide what is worthy of their time, says Lucas Lixinski

By dene.mullen, 30 September, 2022

As a black, female student, I wish I’d had a peer-mentoring scheme

Peer mentoring at university can make a difference to student confidence

Asking more experienced students to volunteer to help first-years navigate their university journey can make all the difference in terms of belonging and confidence

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 1 February, 2023

Dos and do-overs: reflections on life as an early career researcher

Reflecting on her time as an early career researcher, Edzia Carvalho looks back at the things she did successfully – her dos – and the things she wishes she had done from the start – her do-overs – to help others embarking on the same journey

Reading time

6minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 29 June, 2023

I’d tell my younger self that my chequered past would be my strength

With the benefit of hindsight, Anson Mackay re-examines their career path to see lessons in self-compassion and being their authentic self in collaboration and the classroom

Reading time

3minutes

By sara.custer, 28 June, 2023

What I’ve learned from a decade of working with a disability in academia

Meredith Wilkinson gives her younger self advice on climbing the academic ladder in an able-bodied world, but also calls for greater support for academics with disabilities

Reading time

4minutes

Lessons from the classroom

Resources

By dene.mullen, 20 June, 2023

What to do when your students don’t seem to care

Ayten Ordu outlines some of the strategies available to academics when students have lost their enthusiasm for lessons and lectures

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 21 September, 2022

Classroom management techniques you don’t get taught

‘Fake it till you make it’ is a useful motto for new university teachers facing a classroom of antsy students for the first time. Here are seven basic skills to master

Reading time

3minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 7 September, 2022

Switching career directions: lessons from the first year as a teaching academic

Image of a male teacher hosting a university seminar

The first year in a teaching role is challenging, particularly following the disruption caused by the pandemic, yet rewarding. Janine Wilkinson shares what she has learned

Reading time

4minutes

young woman in pith helmet exploring the jungle

By Eliza.Compton, 30 September, 2022

Ask for help: a survival guide for inexperienced academics

Illustration of young woman with pile of papers, laptop and timer

Research and teaching are two sides of the knowledge coin: creation and dissemination. How do young scholars learn to balance these fundamental roles?

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 1 December, 2022

When am I going to be found out? Tackling academic impostor syndrome

Impostor syndrome is common in higher education

Do you find yourself thinking ‘everyone knows more than I do’ or ‘I shouldn’t have got this promotion’? If so, Jo Clift has tips for challenging your impostor syndrome

Reading time

4minutes

Money, promotion and defining success

Resources

By Eliza.Compton, 21 June, 2023

How to find personal fulfilment after being a scientist

fish jumping out of one bowl and into another, career change

Academia encourages experimentation and innovative thinking. Why not apply these skills to finding a more satisfying job? Greta Faccio explains how she hit on her hybrid solution

Reading time

5minutes

By dene.mullen, 13 January, 2022

I took an alternative route to academic success – and I’m happier than ever

University academics can take risks to get to the top

I ignored senior management and marketing departments and experimented with making my work more accessible and interesting – it paid off, says Jonathan Wilson

By dene.mullen, 8 November, 2022

Salary negotiation – a guide for faculty members

Tips for university faculty on negotiating salary

In the age of inflation, increased competition and an emphasis on adjunct faculty roles, knowing how to effectively negotiate your salary is key

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 8 June, 2023

How to spin the plates of academic visibility, engagement and pleasing yourself

Spinning the multiple plates of being an academic

Think like a journalist. Think like a content creator. Think like a musician. Jonathan Wilson gives tips on getting ahead in your career without sacrificing personal satisfaction

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 10 November, 2022

You can have it all, just not all at once

Work-life balance in academia can be achieved, but it's not easy

It might just be possible to achieve a good work-life balance in academia, but it requires focusing on certain areas of your life and career at certain times, says Lucas Lixinski

Reading time

5minutes

How to set work-life boundaries

Resources

By dene.mullen, 22 September, 2022

The boundaries to set so your students don’t take over your life

As the role of university teacher evolves, a key workplace challenge is how to offer proximity without becoming a 24/7 bot service

Reading time

4minutes

By miranda.prynne, 14 December, 2020

This is not normal: advice for stressed academics

Advice for stressed academics on managing workloads

With the overhaul of teaching, soaring workloads, childcare demands and other challenges presented by Covid-19, many academics are at risk of burn-out. Psychology professor Jay Van Bavel outlines steps that stressed lecturers can take to manage workloads

By Miranda Prynne, 10 March, 2023

Good daily work habits for early career researchers

Colleagues laughing and having a chat over coffee

A collection of good daily work habits that will help early career researchers flourish, based on insight from a number of academics

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton, 31 May, 2023

One thing at a time: tips for making decisions

Illustration of young woman with tangled arrows representing decisions above her head

Academic life is rife with everyday choices that can sap your bandwidth. Here’s why this is exhausting and how to ease the load

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 3 October, 2022

Bad news, kids (and academics): the magical motivation fairy doesn’t exist

The magic motivation fairy does not exist for academics

Motivation for tricky tasks doesn’t just appear magically, but with these psychological tricks you can get yourself and your career moving, says Hugh Kearns

Reading time

4minutes

Taking care of others – and yourself

Resources

By dene.mullen, 29 June, 2023

Key knowledge to be a good manager in higher education

Academics are the most important asset for any university, though they are often the most neglected, making it even more vital to be a good manager, says Şerife Eyüpoğlu

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne, 7 June, 2023

Giving and receiving doctoral writing feedback

A female tutor speaks to a younger woman

Advice for PhD supervisors on setting out clear expectations and strategies for delivering effective feedback to their doctoral students

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen, 13 April, 2023

I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depression

I’m opening up because those of us hounded by mental health issues should not have to add fear of job loss and stigmatisation to our list of concerns, says James Derounian

Reading time

4minutes

Young black woman and older Indian man teacher

By dene.mullen, 28 February, 2022

Fool’s gold: career advice for young, Black academics

Advice for black and minority ethnic academics who are trying to make their way on the higher education career ladder

Freshly minted professor Jason Arday provides tips for aspiring Black and ethnic minority academics on how to safeguard themselves on the hazardous journey to the top

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen, 3 November, 2022

Looking for a tenured teaching job? I’ve got one piece of advice: get lucky

Pretending that academia is a meritocracy harms tutors and students

By reinforcing the myth of meritocracy, we perpetuate a system grounded in cruelty and false promises. It needs to stop, says David Webster

Reading time

4minutes