The PGR Vice President, Laurence Coles, is highly driven and determined to make a positive contribution towards the doctoral experience of both current and future PGRs at Loughborough University. This will involve taking the lead on developing and supporting the PGR Representation Systems within each School and Department. The aim being to ensure that the doctoral experience is moulded by PGRs for PGRs.

Speaking about his appointment, Laurence is excited to see what the 2016/17 academic year holds. He plans to use his first-hand experiences as a PGR (Laurence is in the final year of his doctorate) and Representative Committee Co-Chair for the Wolfson School to build upon the successes of the former PGR Presidential Teams.

Laurence’s PG tips:

“Don’t underestimate the power of explaining your research challenges to anyone who will listen. Sometimes speaking out loud can help organise and articulate your thoughts clearly and enable you to make sense of an issue that previously you had difficulty with. Also, speaking to those external to your field of research can provide different perspectives to an idea/line of thought”

“The same can be said for taking breaks and getting away from your research. Play sports, watch a movie, go somewhere new at the weekend… anything that promotes rest periods and time for subconscious thinking can help refresh and recharge your mind. Also, be proactive and create a work schedule. This will help you to be more focused and efficient with your time.”