Shakespeare PhD student — Wendy Armstrong

As a distance learner, Wendy balances her time between managing the administration for a fruit farm in Kent and studying for a PhD in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute, part of the University of Birmingham

Why did you choose to study a PhD at this institution?

I have always been familiar with the Shakespeare Institute. I used to attend public lectures there many years ago. This is also where I took my Masters.

I approached a professor I already knew with an idea to see if he thought it had potential. Luckily, he did.

How relevant are your previous degrees to your PhD subject?

My first degree was a Bachelors in humanities with classical studies at The Open University. Half of my third-year study was a heavyweight module on Shakespeare, not because I particularly wanted to take that study further, but because I had a lifelong interest in and knowledge of Shakespeare's works. I thought I would enjoy a module that engaged so readily with my own interests.

Although my PhD is not specifically on Shakespeare, this module helped me to formalise my writing style on this subject and to become familiar with the mechanics of Shakespeare study (or the study of any Elizabethan literature), referencing and research.

My Masters is directly relevant to my PhD, which was born out of my MA dissertation. One of the modules I took inspired me to do some initial reading, which developed into a powerful interest and eventually formed the basis for my dissertation.

How did you find a suitable PhD supervisor?

My supervisor for the Masters dissertation, although normally engaged in editing Shakespeare, had recently edited one of Anthony Munday's plays to which Shakespeare had contributed.

After my MA was finished, I asked him if he would be prepared to supervise me for a PhD editing some of Munday's prose work and he was very interested in the project. After I had secured his agreement, I applied to the university and was accepted.

What are your main study activities?

The vast majority are desk-bound. I have had a few excursions, such as visiting specialist libraries to examine original documents, and a short stay in London with a map and a camera to visit important locations in Munday's life and the places mentioned in his pamphlets, but otherwise it is mainly reading and writing. Having said that, as an editor, the scope of my research is as wide as Munday's choice of topics.

I have researched all sorts of things from judicial proceedings to Elizabethan obstetrics to the manufacture of the harpsichord musical instrument.

Munday also writes a lot about English history, so I have had to research his source material, which has entailed much digging around in sixteenth century chronicles. I also have to be aware of when he is copying someone else, and find out who that person was and what his relationship was to Munday. This research appears in my commentary on the pamphlets, but I have also had to learn the literary requirements and correct procedures for presenting the pamphlets in a modern edition, together with all the official descriptions of bibliographic information you would expect to find in a reference copy of any Elizabethan document.

How have you funded your PhD?

I have received a Doctoral loan from Student Finance England.

What are the most challenging aspects of studying at this academic level?

As a distance learner, I sometimes struggle getting hold of the obscure books I need. I am a member of my local university library, which happily supplied all my needs up to a point, but now it's getting a bit of struggle. Although, that would probably still be the case if I lived on site in Birmingham.

The other problem that comes with distance learning is staying focused, and that is all the more difficult at PhD level because the nature of the work does not have the regular flow of essay writing that comes with other degrees.

The university does have a framework of needing to supply written work for supervision every two months, but there is (necessarily) no requirement as to what I have to supply, or how much. The project is so massive that it would be easy to become lost in it if you allow yourself to lose focus on what you are trying to achieve.

How have you managed working while studying part time?

I am fortunate in that I am self-employed, so I have more flexibility than many others in my position. My husband and I run a fruit farm, for which I do the administration. I have to divide my time, setting aside certain days to work in the office and certain days to devote to study.

The work is very seasonal. I have much more time in the winter than I do during harvest. My supervisor became acquainted with the ebb and flow of my day job and is perfectly happy to accommodate it (and enjoys trays of apples whenever I visit Stratford), so this has not been too much of a problem.

What are your career ambitions?

I would like to have a paper published. In an ideal world, I would like to work in an academic environment, but I think that is unlikely because of my age. I am in my late-fifties, with no consistent background in academia, so I think writing is probably going to be my only outlet after the PhD is done. My husband will retire soon, and I'm sure one of my three children will make me a grandmother before too many years have passed, so I think my ambitions must remain just that.

What advice can you give to others thinking of studying a PhD?

• Choose a subject you are passionate about. A PhD takes a very long time and there will be periods during which your relationship with your subject will be sorely tested. Make sure you love it. The drop-out rate for PhDs is very high, so you would be wise to choose a topic you cannot bear to leave.
• Have people you can talk to. This is easy when you live on campus, but it's a lot harder for distance learners. It really helps if you can chat to someone about what you are doing. This could be a fellow student (always good for university gossip), somebody you know who has already done a PhD, or someone who has just studied at home before and knows what a drag it can be. Whoever it is, make sure you have a sympathetic ear somewhere.
• Understand what you will be sacrificing, especially as a distance learner. A PhD costs a lot of money and a lot of time. There will be occasions when you have to buy books instead of theatre tickets, or you have to work on a difficult chapter instead of going on a day out. It is a major intrusion on your life, time you will not get back, and its impact should not be underestimated. The reward lies in the achievement of a qualification that few people attain, but that must be weighed against the price you will pay in every sense.

Find out more

• Explore 5 routes to getting a Doctorate.
• Read about 5 challenges faced by PhD students.
• Consider postgraduate study at the Shakespeare Institute.