If you’re still deciding whether to study for a doctorate, or even if you’re nearing the end of your PhD and are thinking about your next steps, we’ve selected 10 articles that you really should take a look at.

They cover everything from selecting your topic to securing a top job when your years of hard graft come to an end.

14 essential PhD questions answered
Welcome to the ̽»¨ÊÓƵ PhD surgery with Tara Brabazon, professor of education at Charles Sturt University, Australia.

The PhD experience: this far, and no further
Five students on how doctoral study changed them and their futures.

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10 steps to PhD failure
Top tips on making postgraduate study even tougher (which students could also use to avoid pitfalls if they prefer).

How not to write a PhD thesis
If you want failure, this is your road map to getting there.

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Realistic expectations keep you on the path to a PhD
Isolation is part of the experience, but peer support groups and co-working can combat loneliness and quell students’ self-doubt.

10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you
There are some important dos and don’ts to bear in mind when choosing someone to oversee your doctoral thesis.

Me and my PhD supervisor: tales of love and loathing
Academics discuss how supervisors shaped their teaching.

How to get students through their PhD thesis
Tara Brabazon shares her 10-step regime for steering emotionally drained postgraduate students through the final stages of their thesis.

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Choosing a PhD subject
A well-chosen doctoral thesis will have a focus that can be explored in the appropriate time and built on in the future.

How to get ahead with a PhD
Postgraduates do not to realise how employable they are. Pat Cryer explains how to get a well-paid job.

Read next: visit the THE PhD advice page