u/calmhoneybee

Hi everyone

I’ve recently come across a PhD studentship that I’m really keen to apply for. It’s in an area that I’m becoming increasingly interested in and would genuinely love to develop further, but I don’t have a huge amount of insight yet into the research area, academic language, or what makes a strong proposal in this field.

The proposal deadline is in 20 days, and I’m currently working full time, so I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to figure out how to approach this, especially as I’ve never written a PhD proposal before.

I saw someone online mention that it can sometimes help to ask potential supervisors if they’d be willing to share a recent grant proposal or successful application so you can understand the structure/language and “recycle” parts of the style/format. But I’m not sure whether that’s actually common or acceptable in academia, particularly when applying for a university studentship (which I think this is?).

I’d really appreciate any advice on:
- how people approached their first proposal
- what’s realistic to achieve in 20 days while working full time
- whether asking to see previous proposals is normal or inappropriate
- any resources/templates that helped you

Thanks so much, feeling excited about the opportunity but also slightly panicked.

Hi everyone, I’ve been feeling a bit stuck when it comes to reflecting on clients and cases. I notice that my reflections often return to a few core themes, and I’d really like to stretch my thinking further and reflect more broadly and deeply.

I know there are reflective models out there, but I think what I’m really struggling with is expanding the breadth of my awareness & being able to make wider links, consider different perspectives, and think about additional factors that may be influencing a case.

I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or has any tips, resources, or approaches that helped them develop richer and more expansive reflections?