The Ph.D. journey can be a pretty daunting experience with lots of twists and turns along the way.   "The Ph.D. Game (V2.0)" takes inspiration from the original "Ph.D. Game" believed to be written by someone within the Jenner Institute (hence V2.0 - quite a few squares have been added!!!) and looks at the Ph.D. process as a whole.  

The game takes you through the various different stages we would expect to see in a Ph.D. journey, such as the title proposal, literature review, data collection and analysis, the write-up, the viva voce (meaning "live voice", the oral exam), the possibility of being rewarded with an M.Phil. and the final award of the Ph.D..   Think of it as a as a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ way of thinking about the kinds of experiences doctoral students go through and the potential challenges they face.

All the hair pulling is there.   There will be times when you wonder whether you did the right thing, you might feel a bit down, your life partner feels pushed aside and there might be times (apologies to those non-drinkers out there!) when the beer monster strikes as you try to work things through!   And yes, some decide to take that lucrative job rather than complete the Ph.D..

It is hard work, but it can also be very rewarding.   That feeling of producing an original piece of research that advances knowledge in your chosen field is unlike any other. So, don’t be put off! Just remember to plan out your work, communicate with partners and family members so they know where they stand, and try to make time for activities other than research.

The game should help you to think about the process more positively and bring some light-heartedness to times that can be particularly challenging.   I hope that, as a result, Ph.D. students will face a more enriching experience. You never know, that square 39 event (not based on true events of course!) might just come along and rescue you!!! :-)

For more content related to the Ph.D. adventure, by all means click on any of the links at the top of the page.   This will hopefully give you guidance on the Ph.D. journey more broadly, the viva voce (oral exam), writing and submitting papers and ways to go about explaining what a Ph.D. is to your dumbfounded friends and relatives.