Left my computer on over the weekend so it could continue building the phylogeny I started putting together on Friday morning. Computer has obviously done a full restart over the weekend. Happy Monday, everyone.

Absolutely delighted to share that I've been awarded the Donald Lee Memorial Prize for the best research in a PhD thesis in Biology from the University of Leeds. Feeling very proud, and hugely grateful to all the people who've supported me on my journey so far.

I made it to the point where I got to wear the fun hat! Biggest thanks to @ThisSunOfYork for all the years of support and getting me to #graduation

I've been working on the same task for the last ~3 months. For the last 2 months I've genuinely believed every day that I'd finish the task "by the end of the day". This morning I have, in fact, finished the task. I haven't got a clue what to do with myself.

Thrilled I've got a job that allows me to experience new places, meet new people, connect with those I haven't seen for years, and listen to some great science. Thanks for having us #ACPD2023, Prague was wonderful.

Well, I finally made it! Enormous thanks to my excellent examiners who made the whole experience a really enjoyable one. And huge thanks to @tombennettlab and @ThisSunOfYork for the years of support. Looking forward to the next few years! #PhDone #PhinisheD #DrWalker

Me: Hey Word, I'd like to move this figure half a cm down the page, is that ok? MS Word: Of course! *Maintains eye contact while setting fire to the entire document*

PhD thesis-writing hack: leave motivational phrases where you can see them to keep you in the right frame of mind #phdchat #phdproblems #AcademicChatter

I don't want to suggest thesis writing is reducing my sanity, but no less than 2 hours ago I summed up my last 3.5 years of (plant) research as: "maybe it's a train rather than a car. Oh my god, it's a steam train". What's worse is at that point I thought I was brilliant.

Is it normal to Google your own papers every time you want to check them, or are other people organised enough to actually save the pdf somewhere readily accessible...?

Just in case you're having a bad start to the day, be grateful you didn't try to save yourself some time by modifying an old presentation, accidently deleting all the work you did yesterday, panicking and pressing save... #isittheweekendyet?

I've just registered for the final year of my PhD, and I think it's only just sunk in that I'm a) doing a PhD, and b) I'm going to have to write a thesis in the next year. #WhereHaveTheLast3YearsGone???

My supervisor set me a task that he (secretly) KNEW I'D FAIL. It's been driving me mad for months - yesterday I finally admitted defeat. We discussed all the things I've learned (lots). First time I've ever NOT felt like an imposter. #impostersyndrome #phdvoice #failtosucceed

For the first time in 4 years I've just cleared my email inbox. Granted I managed that by deleting the majority without checking them, but that's how this works, right..?