How to become a good PhD student

How to become a good PhD student

This time, I share my personal take on what it means to be a good PhD student—five lessons shaped by my own journey, mistakes, setbacks, and growth along the way. The episode explores topics such as resilience, managing criticism, developing independence, making the most of your PhD years, and preparing yourself for opportunities before they arrive. Of course, these are simply my own reflections rather than universal truths. Every PhD journey is different. But I hope some of these lessons resonate with current PhD students, aspiring researchers, and perhaps even those of us who completed our PhDs long ago.

How to become a good collaborator

What makes someone a great collaborator? In this episode of Small Talk with Myself, I share some practical—and occasionally painful—lessons about collaboration from academia and professional life. Inspired by a recent small talk I gave at the Australasian Transport Research Forum ECP/R forum, this episode explores the habits that make people genuinely enjoyable to work with… and the behaviours that quietly destroy collaborations. Along the way, there’s also a lesson from The Godfather, a Nobel Prize breakup between Chen-Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, and a reminder that academia is much smaller than it looks. If you’re an early-career academic, researcher, or professional trying to build strong collaborations without losing your sanity, this episode is for you.

Small Talk with Prof David Hensher

What does it take to build a truly distinguished academic career—and what advice really matters for those just starting out? In this episode, Professor David Hensher shares the lessons, insights, and hard-earned wisdom from his remarkable journey—speaking candidly about what it means to grow, succeed, and make an impact in academia. What struck me most in this conversation was his generosity—not just in sharing ideas, but in his genuine commitment to supporting early-career researchers. This was one of those conversations that stays with you. Thought-provoking, honest, and incredibly inspiring. And if you’re looking for practical takeaways—you’ll find plenty. In fact, I started applying one of his strategies immediately after we finished recording. Curious what it was? Make sure you listen all the way to the end.

How to become a good PhD supervisor (Part II: Dos and Don’ts)

This is Part 2 of how to become a good PhD supervisor. I'll share 4 dos. 3 don’ts. And one uncomfortable truth about PhD supervision most people avoid talking about.

How to become a good PhD supervisor (Part I - The What, the Why, and the Who)

In this new episode, I explore a question that many academics eventually face: What does it really take to supervise PhD students well? If you have ever wondered: * What type of supervisor you are—or want to become * How to select PhD students carefully and avoid unpleasant surprises later then you may find this episode useful.