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Officially submitted my PhD thesis yesterday - the most intellectually challenging but rewarding thing I've done. Sharing my top 10 tips that helped me get to the finish line, and maybe something will resonate with you! #PhDChat @McGill_IPN
Organize. Prior to writing your thesis, set up a roadmap and define weekly goals up until your submission. I found the entire thing to be really daunting so I needed to break it down and convince myself I had enough time to do everything 1/10
Anticipate roadblocks and be flexible about the deadlines you set in #1. You can’t force writing some days and life will happen along the way. I actually aimed to finish my thesis 2 weeks before my deadline to give myself that buffer if I needed it 2/10
Know your non-negotiables and honour them. The days I skipped doing things that were really important to me to get extra work done were my most miserable days. My non-negotiables were running, yoga, and dance. And taking Sunday afternoons off 3/10
Treat yourself. Give yourself little rewards along the way. Like a glass of wine at the end of writing a thesis chapter. Or buying one (or two, or three- who’s counting?) chocolate chip cookies from your favourite bakery 4/10
It’s ok to let it out and just cry. And lean on friends or your partner. And binge netflix. And watch movies on a weekday. There’s no judgment 5/10
Read a book FOR FUN that has nothing to do with science 6/10
Delegate. It’s ok and actually probably recommended to start delegating tasks. I was notorious for saying yes to almost everything during my PhD. But the reality is, you’re likely leaving the lab soon. Best to take advantage of this transition period 7/10
Give talks. It’s refreshing to get feedback from others in person, because chances are it’s been you, your laptop and a coffee shop for many weeks, day after day. Not to mention it’s great practice for your defense 8/10
Wander. Speaking of coffee shops, explore your city. This is the one period of your grad studies that you’re not really expected to be in the lab. I’m incredibly fortunate to live in Montreal, aka cafe central. Thesis cafe map attached! 9/10 
Savour the writing process. You’ve made it really far and now you get to take the lead, interpret all of the work you’ve done and propose future directions for the next generation of trainees coming to the lab. Enjoy it and happy writing! 10/10
(and more generally, that has nothing to do with your dissertation)
