PHD Year Two – Done!

The first year of my PhD was full of refining my research plan, rewriting most of it, and conducting interviews for my empirical article known as Article 2. I also started a systematic review known as Article 1.

During the first half of 2024, it was sometimes a struggle to balance full-time work and a PhD. The systematic review that had started well was put on hiatus and the little focus I was able to have, was given to the empirical study. The highlight of the Spring was my first international conference in Madrid and my very first poster presentation. That week in Madrid gave me a lot of confidence as a doctoral researcher and on my chosen path. I was super wired during the whole week with all the interesting people and discussions from morning till evening. I did end up getting sick after returning home to China, but it was definitely worth it! Special thanks to the Turku University Foundation for funding half of the trip expenses!

Besides funding the trip, the foundation also gave me a 6-month grant to focus on my research from July to December! Getting funding, even for a short time, was an important milestone for me. Not only for financial reasons but also to gain confidence from the fact that others saw my research significant as well.

During the Summer and Autumn of 2024, lots of things have been happening in terms of my PhD.

• Finished the full draft of Article 2 which is ready for submission next month.
• Finish quality appraisal for the systematic review (Article 1), the draft has 2000 words so far and coding is almost done.
• Article 3 research plan was done and interviews started in early December
• In August I saw my supervisors again in Turku and attended a writing retreat in Helsinki, with excellent networking and fine dining
• Besides May in Madrid, I also presented my research in Hong Kong (June) and Shenzhen (November)
• In December I visited my alma mater where I did my BA and MA, meeting with future Chinese teachers to introduce my research and experiences as a Chinese teacher

Speaking of the third article for my PhD (which is article-based), I got the exciting news that it was accepted as a book chapter for an exciting project that will be published sometime in 2026. The project inspired me to change the direction of that article and provides me with a clear schedule as well, something that I appreciate greatly.

At the end of the year, I still have not secured any funding for 2025 which creates some anxiety. However, I got good news from the Turku University Foundation and my own PhD program that they will give me travel grants for two important conferences next Summer, given that my abstracts will be accepted. If all goes well, I will be traveling to Norway and/or Austria!

Now at the very end of 2024, I am happy with how this year turned out and the experiences I have had. I feel more confident in my own research and pursuing an academic career. Looking forward to 2025, January will be a busy month with multiple funding deadlines, and planning to submit my empiric article before the Chinese New Year holiday.

During the Spring, I look forward to completing drafts for both Article 1 and Article 3, also will be attending on a couple of PhD courses. Autumn would then be used for editing, more courses, and starting to write the PhD summary. I am manifesting to graduate in 2026!

Thank you for following my 2024 and wishing everyone happy holidays and funding for 2025!