Co-working program for doctoral students

Co-working sessions are regularly organized by doctoral students under the motto: "Working together - getting ahead together". Saskia Ketz from the doctoral student representatives spoke to Jelena Bleja, Merlin Stampa and Christopher Brumann about their experiences with digital co-working at Fachhochschule Dortmund.

Jelena, you are a research assistant and are doing your doctorate at the Business Studies department - can you briefly explain how the joint meetings work?

Jelena:
Yes, of course. The co-working sessions generally take place in cooperation with the doctoral student representatives. These offer the advantage of working in a structured yet individual way. We always meet regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 17:00 to 19:00 and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 09:00 to 12:30 via Webex.

First, we briefly discuss what everyone has planned for the co-working session and then get straight to work. While working, everyone plans their own breaks. I usually follow the Pomodoro technique, but everyone can do it however they like. Shortly before the end of the session, we switch our microphones back on and discuss how the session went, where there were challenges, etc.

Merlin (research associate and PhD student at the Institute for the Digital Transformation of Application and Living Domains (IDiAL)), what are you working on specifically?

Merlin:
That varies. A specific daily goal often arises due to approaching deadlines for publications or similar, but at other times you are much freer. I've mostly been programming in the last few months, but I'm currently focusing more on my dissertation again.

Christopher, you are doing your doctorate at the Department of Computer Science, to what extent does co-working help you with your doctorate?

Christopher:
Working together and formulating my own goals in the group gives me the commitment to want to achieve them. I use the time more productively, while my awareness of my own way of working is sharpened and I am also trained to realistically assess problems and the effort required to solve them. In general, co-working helps me to set realistic goals and achieve them.

Are there any of your own projects that are particularly suitable for working on during co-working?

Jelena:
I plan projects into the co-working session that are important and at the same time challenging for me personally. This includes, for example, continuing to write a section of my dissertation that I somehow got stuck on and need a fresh start. But basically, I would say that a wide variety of projects are suitable for co-working. However, it's best to choose tasks where you can use an extra boost of motivation.

Christopher:
That can be anything from writing academic texts to software development to (self-)organization.

Merlin:
I would like to agree with the previous speakers* - you ultimately have to find out for yourself what is particularly suitable for the sessions. But, like Jelena, I would also recommend tackling more challenging tasks here. The moral support you get from each other often makes your work noticeably easier, and it's not uncommon for the exchange of ideas about the difficulties you've experienced to lead to fresh, helpful ideas.

Why did you decide to take part and be there so regularly?

Jelena:
I think it's good to have specific dates in my calendar that I've blocked out exclusively for doctorates. Overall, I find the co-working sessions very motivating and I like the exchange and mutual support. The sessions also help me to focus more and therefore be more productive. I have the feeling that my dissertation is positively influenced by this.

Merlin:
It has simply proved its worth. During the long period of working from home due to the pandemic, it was really good for me mentally to be able to talk to like-minded people on a regular basis. And since I also quickly realized that I often get a lot done in these sessions, the decision to stay involved was pretty easy.

Christopher:
At first, I found the concept exciting and was interested in learning about it and trying it out. I stayed because it had a positive effect on my productivity and allowed me to regularly exchange ideas with other doctoral students.

Merlin, the co-working project has now been running for six months. What are your conclusions so far?

Merlin:
10/10, gladly again!

Christopher, you are in the final phase of your doctorate. Do you have any advice for those who are still at the beginning of their doctorate?

Christopher:
The pandemic has shown it very well: Always have at least one alternative plan in addition to your project plans. Uninfluenceable external factors can suddenly change your entire plan or you may be faced with problems for which there is simply no solution. In this case, it is good to be able to react quickly to changing circumstances.

What do you wish for the future of co-working?

Jelena:
I would like the co-working to continue for a long time and for there to be more exchange among doctoral students at Fachhochschule Dortmund as a result. Because you often find that similar challenges arise despite the different disciplines.

Merlin:
In addition to the online meetings, I would also find occasional face-to-face sessions interesting. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there myself, but Christopher and Jelena reported very positively about it.

Christopher:
Many more productive hours, a good exchange and new participants.