“Everything is complicated if no-one explains it to you”
1-1 Support for PhD Candidates
Writing your PhD is one of the hardest things you will ever do as a writer. It is the longest, and most technically complex piece of writing you have ever done. PhD programmes might offer lots of training on research and methods, and your supervisor will be there to give you subject specific guidance. However, supervisors often comment on writing in a superficial or opaque fashion, leaving the PhD student to cast around in the dark. Crucially, time-poor supervisors will concentrate on the intellectual ideas of the thesis, but they probably won’t advise you on how to write your PhD. Vague comments about ‘voice’ or ‘level’ or ‘analysis’ not quite being up to scratch can leave students feel like they are just not getting it. It is unlikely your programme will offer an intensive writing course that offers both the practical and psychological support needed to complete this complex piece of writing.
Academic Coach offers bespoke PhD 1-1 support for precisely these reasons. This support can take the form of intensive feedback on your writing through editing, coaching via zoom on how to deal with particular issues you are facing on your programme, or with your supervisor, and how to get the best out of your supervisory sessions. Support is tailored to your particular needs which might be about planning your research or candidacy, or framing your intellectual contribution, or how to structure your thesis or chapters within it. Support can also address issues of procrastination, perfectionism and how to create a more beneficial and structured writing and research practice.
This service is for you if:
You feel lost or abandoned by the PhD system and need support navigating it
You need technical help on writing to improve your prose
You need help on a specific aspect of the PhD like the lit review or framing your original contribution
Your supervisory relationship has broken down
You need some 1-1 guidance and accountability
You have a particular learning style that would benefit from targeted and bespoke support
You suffer from perfectionism, impostor syndrome and procrastination
The mix of services and support provided are tailored to your specific situation after a free consultation. You can start and stop the support as and when you require it over the period of your candidacy. Academic Coach is experienced in providing help for students with dyslexia and ADHD.
If you are interested in tailored 1-1 PhD support, please email coach@academiccoach.info to see if we can provide you with the service you need, and there are coaching slots available. *Please do not purchase coaching hours without prior agreement of Academic Coach*. The basic starting cost is €120 per hourly session. Please enquire in your department, as many Universities will agree to pay for a short course of 1-1 coaching.
Where does this fit in our range of services?
PhD 1-1 support is usually complimented by the PhD Thesis Writing Course. Many of the questions that PhD students have can be answered through taking the course alone, so generally this is the place to start before 1-1 coaching, particularly if you need help with technical writing and editing, alongside establishing a writing habit. You may also like to join our Writing Sprints Club, which provides weekly accountability and access to free training resources.
“In my one-to-one coaching with Melanie, she explained to me the unspoken rules regarding the structure of an academic paper. I thought I already knew it, but it turned out I didn’t. She provided me with a map of how to write a paper, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence. She taught me how to self-edit, to be able to spot logical gaps that needed bridging sentences. She also taught me ‘hard rules’ about writing that helped me refine my writing style and editing my writing for clarity. Another underestimated aspect of Melanie’s coaching was that her reading of my text was solely focused on the structure, and not the content. This distinguished her comments from that of my supervisors, not getting lost in conversations about theoretical content. By being able to write clearly, it became easier to see where the quality of my arguments failed. Thus, while Melanie’s coaching focuses on the structure and style of writing, you simultaneously build better argumentation because of it.
Since getting Melanie’s help, my writing has progressed immensely. My supervisor keeps asking me “what happened?!”, and I just respond that ‘I learned how to write with intent rather than intuition’. I have already recommended Melanie’s coaching to all my PhD peers at my department, and I can warmly recommend it to you too.”
Testimonials
“When I first spoke to Melanie, I was confused about where my thesis was going, and the relationship with my supervisors had broken down. She was incredibly understanding, and gave me practical planning advice about finishing on time. The feedback Melanie provides is detailed and constructive, but also incredibly empathetic! Her knowledge of dyslexia has helped me make real progress, and with Melanie’s help, I have learnt how to make sense of my ideas. I have had moments where I needed to talk through ideas or decompress after a bad meeting, and Melanie has been fantastic at encouraging me and making sense of it all. I honestly don’t think I would still be pursuing my PhD if it had not been for her. I would recommend 1 to 1 support to anyone in need of understanding, practical advice, empathy, and humour. ”