Question 1

What does it mean when a PhD student says 'I'm almost done'?

Accepted Answer

'Almost done' in doctoral researcher language typically means they've started thinking about starting. Add 2–4 weeks to any timeline estimate. The Grad Student Translator can decode this and other common phrases.

Question 2

What does 'I've been doing a lot of background reading' mean?

Accepted Answer

This usually means productive procrastination — reading tangentially related papers rather than writing. It's a genuine part of research, but often used as a buffer when progress has stalled. Common across PhD candidates and postgraduate researchers worldwide.

Question 3

How do I know if my doctoral researcher is actually making progress?

Accepted Answer

Ask for concrete deliverables with specific dates rather than status updates. 'Working on it' and 'making progress' are vague — ask for a draft section, a figure, or a results summary by a specific date.

Question 4

What does it mean when a research assistant emails at 2am?

Accepted Answer

Late-night emails from postgraduate researchers signal either a deadline-driven panic session or an attempt to demonstrate work ethic. Either way, no response is needed until morning — and that's fine to establish as a norm.

Works for every type of researcher