Being around a university is very different than spending time round a school. That’s pretty easy to explain, right?
Why research students make universities great
Of course there’s a buzz. We get to have cornflakes for lunch and pizza for our breakfast. We get to dress up as Smurfs on a regular basis and we can pull all-nighters when we need to. It’s this 24/7 environment that makes university such an important place to be – surely?
Nope. Not even a little bit. Well, maybe a small percent but at many, many unis around the country there is a hum of energy, a smell of something science-related in the corridors, there is creation!
Want to see what I mean? Take some time out to have a good look around and see what your fellow students are doing. You will see Freshers, you will see mature students, Masters’s students and academics. Who’s left? What about the other group of students who are very chilled out and who seem to be quite relaxed about the whole uni thing. Well, they are the research students, otherwise known as doctoral students.
Research students are the lifeblood of today’s UK universities. They spend 4 years, or more, looking in very great detail at theories, or concepts, or ideals and they create theses from which all humanity can come to their own conclusions.
Did you know that the research students at your university may at this precise moment be discovering the cure for cancer. Or developing special coatings for tanks. Or trying to make bra straps that don’t incessantly fall down. They might be trying to understand how and why dialects of north-east Yorkshire have died out, or getting a better grasp of the importance of the fan dance in geisha houses of 12th century Kyoto. One subject is not more worthy than the other. What we need to understand is that these amazing people are protecting our past and securing our future.
Research for research’s sake is one of the most important things our universities can do. We might discover something huge along the way, but to have the opportunity to ensure our places of learning are, in part, devoted to advanced academic endeavour is something we should remain proud of in the UK.
Research students can also generate huge amounts of money for the universities from the funding that their research can secure. It is often this funding that helps the rest of the institution survive. Have a look at what these guys are funding: www.epsrc.ac.uk . Fancy a look at what’s out there: www.findaphd.com and www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk
The next time that you get the chance to chat to a doctoral student, ask them what they are doing and what place it has in the world. Chances are, their reply will rock your socks off!