REALISTIC DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PHD STUDENT: balancing the dissertation, teaching, & life vlog

Finding balance as a graduate student is something that I feel a lot of people talk about but don't actually show. Here is my attempt at making this balance transparent. ❤️
If you've ever wondered what a day in the life of a PhD student in English (Rhetoric & Composition) might look like, you've found the right vlog. I take you along for a full, detailed, up-close-and-person day in my life as I balance writing my dissertation (morning), grading/lesson planning (afternoon), and living my everyday life (cooking, cleaning, etc.). So grateful for this flexible schedule that this time of graduate school (post coursework and post exams) allows.
Want to collaborate? email me @ [e-mail]
FAQ:
- 6th year PhD candidate (ABD) @ IU Bloomington
- Undergrad in English @ UF Gainesville
- Studying rhetoric + composition
- Originally from Miami, FL
- Instagram: @sarah__fischer
- TikTok: @sarahfischerm
- Twitter: @_sarah_fischer_
- Email: [e-mail]
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Leave a comment! I try to respond to all of them :)
#gradschoolvlog #weekinmylife #dayinmylife #phdlife #indianauniversity #productivevlog #productivedaysinmylife

[@pagewelker]

As a Master’s student in Rhet Comp and a first year English instructor, I absolutely love these videos AND the conversations about your dissertation. Would you ever think of doing study with me videos?

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Yay! Love to hear this! Thank you so much!

[@teaspoones]

I really liked seeing this day in your life. As a fellow PhD student I always think these videos are so interesting and make me feel less alone. Thank you!

[@MauraBrennan]

Totally agree that the flexibility of making your own schedule post-comps is incredible! Glad you're making the most of it and prioritizing balance!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

The flexible schedule is the bestttt perk of being in the dissertation phase

[@gracecalkins6154]

I just found your videos and I LOVE your vibes :). I’m a PhD student in stem and it’s so interesting how different our programs are. Love seeing what you do for research and teaching!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Thank you so much!

[@DiamondLover1]

As a very ambitious first year undergrad I appreciate videos like these a lot as they give me an idea about what my future could look like if I go down a PhD route! I know I have time lol but it's nice to have this platform to gain insight. Glad to have found you and excited to watch your other videos!

[@iyeshafranklin1046]

I absolutely love these as a fellow PhD student, working a full time job, and being a adjunct professor it’s a lot but I love these so much

[@jamieb2289]

I love the glimpses into your day and your process. I'm a phd stusent and the youtube grad student community (gradtube?) is helping me feel connected to other phd students even though we all have such different schedules. Your podcast assignment sounds so fun, I bet they love getting the chance to do something out of the box and creative!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

I love that you feel connected because of youtube!

[@rachelkmartinez617]

An ergonomic assessment might be useful for your at home set up. We just had one at work and it totally helped me adjust my at home set up. Since you write on a computer a lot and use the stand for your laptop you have to sort of keep your arms raised and there might be a way to adjust so you aren’t straining your arms/wrists/hands. Loved this vlog ❤

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

YES. I have another keyboard that I used to use when propping my laptop up, but I'm so used my laptop keyboard, so it slowed my writing down. But watching the clips back makes me fear for my posture and long-term health :') Researching a better set up is one of my summer goals!

[@KaelynGraceApple]

you have the cutest sneeze I have ever heard!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

hahaha :')

[@valleygirlfantasy1407]

If you were ever so inclined I would just love a very meta video about your vlogging process...like a vlogging vlog. It seems really interesting in regard to your research but would also be so fascinating and helpful to would be academia vloggers (like maybe me lol)!

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

omg this is so interesting! I know Catherine Manning created a video kind of like this... I shared it with my students in the class I taught on vlogging last summer!

[@MiaRTV]

I posted a grad school vlog because you inspired me!💜

[@shaffroncity]

Omg I love your sweater from your mom!! Mom sweaters are the best quality

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

thanks so much!

[@loiscassels8966]

I’m 70 and I still have a cardigan my Mom knit for me. I call it my “at home” sweater and I just love it. ❤️🇨🇦

[@jadareyes6553]

I love Bria Collects Stories here on youtube. Her vlogs are lovely. She's a history grad student

[@bluegreenpurpleS-ur6oi]

Omg a little quite live stream "study with me" Would be soo cute

[@hawasaleh9159]

Hey Sarah! Love the new vid, was wondering if you could make a video on writing your letter of intent for a phd program straight out of undergrad? Currently a senior in undergrad freaking out about how to craft one 😵‍💫

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

I made a video about writing personal statements for grad school a few years back! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJbXiZ6eerWoj8Usi=bDfjjDmXgpiGS0Qa

[@ParisStrange]

I love the whole “Gradtube” movement

[@ruebennomura9143]

Yoy brrn busy alot of your life but love your realistic day on this video

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

thank you!

[@HewlettBelle-x6d]

Wilson Angela Clark Jose Hernandez Sarah

[@Naijagirlinabuja]

New subscriber here ❤

[@thecountrybird8524]

How many hours do you spend on your dissertation?

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

In this day in my life, I spent about 3 hours on my dissertation. But it varies from day to day! Some days I spend 5-6 hours, and some days I spend 0!

[@mbergie1313]

Really random question, but how do you cite the videos you plan on using as evidence in your footnotes/bibliography? Do you also include timestamps? Do you link to the videos? And how do you deal with the potential deletion of the original video? My academic interests are so removed from modern technologies for the most part (classical archaeology) that I’m fascinated with how you would deal with these things

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

To be completely honest I have not started building my works cited page yet because that is a problem for future Sarah 🤠 but in text, I use time stamps and I also plan to include links. In a perfect world, my dissertation would be a video project where I could directly engage with/remix the original videos. I do fear the original videos getting deleted (and this is something I’ve talked about with my advisor). It’s been suggested to me to keep downloads of the original videos on an external hard drive, but I question the ethics of that. So it’s something I’m still mentally working through and hoping for the best!

[@mbergie1313]

@@SarahFischerVlogs no no I totally understand! That would be very cool if you ended up making a video project! And yeah saving the videos does feel a little weird…totally more ethically gray than taking snippets for reference in a video. But good luck! Your project is very interesting!!

[@도먀노래]

Rodriguez Helen Garcia Melissa Moore Angela

[@yvonneflatcher7450]

Miller Nancy Lee Kenneth Rodriguez Sandra

[@PinkDiamond7777777]

Bless you $\times 4$. :)

[@KiplingBrady-h9n]

Lewis Carol Brown James Miller Frank

[@halimabelhadad8987]

Can i join your dissertation writing group!??

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

I wish it was open to everyone! Unfortunately, since it is a group put on by IU's writing center, the students in it must also be IU students.

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

If you are an IU student, send me an email!!

[@halimabelhadad8987]

@@SarahFischerVlogs unfortunately I'm not, thank you anyways 🙏☺️

[@mansoor3159]

My comfort youtuber As Always Sarah💖💖😭🥹😭and I am always always looking forward to your vlogs so so much and I will support you so so so so much

[@SarahFischerVlogs]

Thank you so much