• How to

    How To Ask Your Supervisor to Read Your Thesis

    If you’re considering applying for a PhD in your chosen specialisation, the first thing you should do is decide on your thesis. Once you’ve done that, the next step is to get that thesis looked at by your chosen PhD supervisor. This can be an intimidating thing to do; you’ve…

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    How Can a Mentor Assist Your Academic Career?

    Can a mentor turbo-drive your academic career? We expect so much from our mentors, but formal workplace mentoring schemes can be disappointing. Much like a good marriage, there does need to be a certain chemistry between mentors and protégés (or mentees) for it to last beyond the first date. What…

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    Government Subsidies and Student Loans in Australia

    This article provides a brief overview of the various Government subsidies and student loans offered to those undertaking vocational education and training (VET) or tertiary studies in Australia. Study Place Types There are two types of places at Australian universities and higher education institutions: Commonwealth supported places (CSPs) and full…

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    Dangling Modifiers and How to Correct Them

    Dangling modifiers often go unnoticed and can be tricky to correct when detected. Indeed, even some editors-in-training leave dangling modifiers in their work! What is a dangling modifier? A dangling modifier is a phrase that modifies a word that is not in the sentence (though it might be implied) or modifies…

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    Do I Have to Buy My Required Readings?

    There are a lot of expenses involved in being a student, and I’m not just talking about that large double-shot latte you grab every morning on the way to class. Seriously though, on top of uni fees, transport to and from uni each day, and general living expenses, each new…

  • How to

    Crowd Funding Your Research

    Although perhaps more familiar as a method of funding computer game development, medical bills or the production of new gadgets, crowd funding is increasingly being used to fund academic pursuits, including scientific research (Vachelard et al. 2016), arts projects or even salaries for individuals. In times gone by, great artists…

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    Conferences with Kids: A Hidden Cost for Academic Mothers

    I remember attending conferences as a child-free PhD student. I’d fully commit myself to every session; I’d have meaningful conversations with people at lunch; I’d stay out late talking science (and other things!) with my colleagues at night. Conferences were the highlight of the academic year. They were an exciting…