Thread by @DrPetra

I am going to tell you that you were lucky. You worked hard and you supported your mum when she needed you. But you were still lucky.

It's okay (and good academic practice) to acknowledge that even if we're really struggling that luck makes a difference. Always.

It took me much longer to make SL. Not because I wasn't smart, or hardworking. I was very sick. I miscarried three times. I had difficult pregnancies and births. I lost my home, pets and relationships. My department imploded (nothing to do with me). Luck, or lack of it, matters.

I've had more setbacks than most but I still have many privileges. I've faced discrimination and problems, and been very fortunate. If I can't differentiate between all these I'm a poor advisor to others seeking academic careers

You should know my #ResearchCompanion message by now but if you don't it's 'who am I bringing in? who am I leaving out?'

The 'I did this so you can too!' or 'I did this all by myself, no luck, no privilege' does everyone a disservice.

Academic achievements at a young age can be impressive but they may obscure barriers faced by marginalised scholars; the existence of mature scholars; and that different universities have different criteria/standards for promotion (e.g. a SL at one uni wouldn't be at another)

All of which is unhelpful because it makes everything into a competition. It's not enough to publish,you have to publish loads in top journals; grants aren't enough unless they're millions;lectureships only count at certain unis;lecturers are 'better' than other academic staff 😢

We should be proud of our achievements and celebrate them, but not at the expense of others or without acknowledging the things that benefitted us along the way. It's possible to share these along with our struggles. Makes for a more inspiring and relatable story.

At 26 I was self funding my PhD having asked for yet another extension because of chronic illness and several surgeries plus a miscarriage that coincided with my long term relationship ending and losing the home I’d bought and my pets while falling deeper into debt and depression

Even within all that and the barriers and bad luck that had preceded my PhD (parents divorcing, poverty, undiagnosed learning disability, crappy school experience and the kind of boyfriend you use university as an escape route from) I *still* had some lucky breaks and privileges