Natasha Ashley discusses the challenges and strategies of navigating a part-time PhD amidst a demanding personal life, contrasting it with full-time study, and offering practical tips for achieving success without sacrificing well-being.
person sitting on library floor studying

Part-time vs full-time – different paths, same destination

The part-time PhD journey is a very different rhythm to the full-time one. Full-time students can immerse themselves fully in their research world, often spending whole days reading, writing, and thinking deeply without interruption. Part-time students, however, must weave their research into an already full life - balancing careers, families, and personal commitments. Progress can feel slower not because of ability, but because of capacity. Managing work and studies requires intentional structure: using evenings for smaller, focused tasks, weekends for deeper writing, and holidays strategically for big milestones. The key is consistency, not speed. Many of the same tips apply to full-time students - setting goals, staying curious, writing early, and taking care of your mental health - but for part-timers, these habits become essential rather than just best practices. The challenge is real, but so is the reward.

I read for my PhD as a part-time student, starting in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and submitting in May 2025. Whilst doing so, I worked a full-time job at a university and at a scottish events and entertainment company. I learnt a lot along the way and wanted to share some of these learnings with future and current part-timers, but there are also plenty lessons in this for full time PhD students. I did my PhD out of a passion and love for learning, spurred on by two master’s degrees – one at the University of Edinburgh and the other at the University of Pretoria. I loved research and wanted to pursue this further.

Managing work and study – time and task management tips (for part-time PhDs)

  • Use weekday evenings for small, focused tasks. After a full day at work, deep thinking might be difficult. I used my evenings for things like coding, transcribing or light editing of things like appendices/ methodology re-writing etc.
  • Reserve and use weekends for deep work. Full Saturdays and Sundays are best used for writing and editing larger sections such as findings or discussion chapters.
  • Write and then edit, that was my motto. Get it down on paper and make progress, don’t agonise over every word when you first write up. I also kept a ‘bin’ document where I dropped tables/ paragraphs that I was deleting or removing from the thesis – useful to have if you need to add something back in. I wrote everything as early as I could and then spent a few months editing it – it worked for me!
  • Use the winter and autumn months wisely, the longer evenings are ideal for focused work and can help free up your summer. I dedicated most of the autumn and winter nights and weekends in my final year for all the writing and editing.
  • Use annual leave and bank holidays strategically. A full day for writing or editing can make a big difference. I used all the bank holidays in April and May for final editing and it made an enormous difference.
  • Understand that sacrifice is part of the process. You will miss events and gatherings. Be intentional about which ones you attend and which ones you skip. Time is precious – divide it up carefully.
  • Avoid comparison, the full-time PhD experience is very different, their timeline and energy levels are not yours. Focus on your own path and activities, slow and steady. Full-time students get to immerse themselves in the PhD. Part-timers have to weave research into a life already overflowing with commitments. It’s not just slower; it’s different. Momentum is harder to maintain, so you have to design habits and routines that keep the research alive week after week, even if progress feels tiny
  • If you can’t attend classes/ info sessions drop the PGR office an email or wait for slides to be shared, actually watch these. I have learnt a lot about the Viva from watching Viva prep videos from the Business School.
  • Read emails from the University (sounds silly but many folks don’t read emails and miss key info), lots of helpful tips and insights are shared. If you can’t attend class then make sure you keep aware of deadlines, annual review requirements and what is expected of you.
  • Remind the PGR office that you are part-time. Sometimes they ask us to attend/ do things that are for full-time, and it just takes a reminder to have a discussion about what applies for part-time.
  • Set deadlines, as a part-time student, deadlines are helpful and important. Set goals like finishing a chapter by x date or completing coding by a specific date.
  • Break your goals down into bite sizes, set annual, monthly and weekly goals. If you can, set daily goals/tasks too. Be flexible if you miss them and make up time on weekends. Weekends are for deep work and weekdays are for smaller tasks e.g. tidying up your references.
  • Use conferences and annual reviews as deadlines. I found that preparing for these events pushes you to write and can help shape chapters later. It can shave off months of work later down the line to have some foundational writing already done earlier in the process.
  • Early writing is helpful down the line. Writing up documents/papers for your annual review or for conferences in your first or second year can be reused in your final thesis. It saves time later.

Tips on staying sane and keeping motivated

  • Have a hobby,for me this was running & work! Find something that distracts you and gives your mind a break. Reading for a PhD should not consume your entire life. It should mostly be something you enjoy and that enriches your life.
  • Allow for change in your research, where you start and where you finish may be very different (it was for me!). That is normal in most research so give yourself room to grow and adapt, don’t fixate too much on one idea. Be willing to let things go, I had to let go of a huge part of my work but in the end it was better for my research.
  • Keep perspective, the scale of the work may feel overwhelming, but it is manageable if approached piece by piece, little by little, step by step; it is totally achievable. Focus on the small steps you can take, and the little things you can control. With time, these will add up and suddenly you will be close to submitting!
  • Remember the goal. I like to walk past McEwan Hall during graduation season and visualise my own graduation, what I’ve been working towards!
  • Exercise is important for mental and physical health. Edinburgh is a beautiful city all year round and is great for walking, running or any outdoor exercise.

Working with your supervisors

  • Be proactive, don’t only wait for your supervisors to contact you, take initiative and stay curious. This is a two-way relationship, and it is also up to the student to lean in.
  • Engage meaningfully, ask questions (big or small), listen to feedback, and invite your supervisors into your process. They are walking this journey with you, but you need to allow them to guide you.

Building confidence

  • Speak and present often (even if you really do not want to). Grab any opportunities to present your work and to ask or answer questions,the more you practice, the easier it becomes. Know that most people are nervous to speak in front of others, so embrace the nerves.

Data management and research tips

  • Transcribe and analyse as you go. Don’t leave it all until the end of data collection, especially part-time. Doing a little each evening will prevent a backlog and help you feel like you are progressing.
  • Manage your references, use EndNote or other software to help you track your references and avoid it becoming unmanageable later on.
  • Use autumn and winter evenings to work through data (coding and tidying) and chip away at tasks regularly. You’ll thank yourself later.
  • Create a Viva preparation document or presentation to collect your thoughts, reminders, and rationale for your decisions (i.e. Why you chose to do certain things).
  • Use OneDrive and edit everything on the cloud, it allows you to edit from wherever you are.

Life tips

  • Explain the journey and milestones to help your family and friends understand the scale and demands of your work. It makes it easier when you need to say no to things/events. Some sacrifices are necessary, and good communication will help others support you better.
  • Balance is essential, make time for rest, hobbies and a social life. A well-rested mind works better. A part-time PhD is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • Make your own traditions to mark milestones and celebrate your achievements. After every annual review or presentation I would go down to Portobello and walk along the promenade and get an ice cream.

You’ve got this!

Remember there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if it sometimes looks like the glow of your laptop at midnight. Keep going; one day you’ll be standing in McEwan Hall, wondering how on earth you managed it all - and smiling because you did. You’ll realise that every late night, every sacrifice, and every moment of doubt was worth it, and that the person who crossed that stage is stronger, wiser, and far more resilient than when the journey began.