{"id":88419,"date":"2018-07-13T16:41:49","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T14:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=88419"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:02","slug":"phdstudents-want-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/07\/13\/phdstudents-want-psychologist\/","title":{"rendered":"PhD students want their own psychologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

EUR\u2019s PhD students need better support and guidance. That is the message of the letter several Rotterdam doctoral candidates have sent to the new Rector, Rutger Engels. The letter was initiated by Laurie Slegtenhorst, a PhD student at ESHCC. \u201cWe are basically a vulnerable group, because we want so badly to prove ourselves in academia.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Laurie Slegtenhorst<\/span><\/p>

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The PhD candidates wrote to Engels that EUR\u2019s PhD students face an excessive workload, which constitutes a physical and mental health issue. \u2018Unclear and unrealistic expectations, unevenly distributed teaching duties and other duties, a bad work culture and integrity issues with regard to appointments\u2019 are some of the issues listed in the letter. Independent psychological support might help, but there is no such support for PhD students at the university.<\/p>\n

University Council<\/h2>

Earlier this year, Slegtenhorst brought up the lack of a psychologist for PhD students during a meeting of the University Council. \u201cI was looking for greater support myself. I\u2019m nearing the end of my contract, so I have to make a lot of choices as to what I wish to do after getting my PhD. What are my options, anyway? I wanted some independent support in answering these questions. I found it hard to get that support at Erasmus University.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delft University of Technology does have a psychologist whose sole duty is to support PhD students. Slegtenhorst thinks this has its advantages. \u201cWe do have student psychologists, but they told me after my intake interview that they have neither enough time nor enough manpower for PhD students. A social worker said, \u2018You\u2019re welcome to come and talk to me, but I can\u2019t do much with your problems. You\u2019re at work as you\u2019re supposed to be, and you are not depressed.\u2019 If I wanted help, I was told to find it off campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conversations with other PhD students at other faculties will result in many similar stories. \u201cWe are under a great deal of pressure to achieve and have a great workload. In addition, we have to embark on a major research project and start teaching. It can be quite overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018No one is cheerful every day of the year\u2019<\/h2>

Slegtenhorst feels that people should be more open about their problems or setbacks. \u201cNo one is cheerful every day of the year. Sometimes things just don\u2019t go your way. If you get stuck in that negativity, things will keep not going your way. You have to strike the right balance in that regard: be open [about what\u2019s going on], but don\u2019t dwell on it too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last few months Slegtenhorst has spoken to EUR\u2019s career development coach several times. \u201cShe took me through some exercises to determine what I want to do after [getting my PhD]. So we discussed questions such as, \u2018How are you feeling? What is causing you pain?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe taught me that you can serve as your own coach. How do you focus on positive thoughts, and how do you convert negative thoughts? You need to put in the hours yourself, but coaching can teach you a great deal. Without that coach, I would have felt very differently, and the work would have taken me much more time. I have a lot more energy now.\u201d<\/p>\n

A coach or psychologist can help you strike the right balance, the PhD student found after a few consultations. \u201cI was so glad to be able to talk to an independent party. I was also able to discuss personal problems with my career coach.\u201d However, she admits that that\u2019s not really what career coaches are for.<\/p>\n

Letter to Engels <\/h2>

Slegtenhorst is a member of a working group made up of seven PhD students, all of whom signed the letter to the Rector, Rutger Engels. \u201cWe want to map out for the Rector which faculties are offering the right level of support and which are not. Also, what is it we PhD students need? We want to examine that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slegtenhorst says that the conversations she has had with fellow PhD students show that the level of support PhD candidates receive differs from faculty to faculty. She hears many stories that are similar to her own. \u201cAn awful lot of PhD students suffer from impostor syndrome. They are afraid that they are too stupid, that they were hired by accident. They are surrounded by professors and other academics. It can be intimidating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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