We help doctoral students to finish on time and feel good along the way
A few words from the founder
We have had the privilege of meeting groups of researchers, supervisors, doctoral students and TA staff at Sweden's universities and colleges over the past twelve years. Together we have worked on the "how" or the work process itself. My colleagues at Finish On Time and I have shared new approaches and solid techniques, specifically tailored for the academic environment, to help you finish your academic work on time and feel good along the way.
Åsa Burman
Founder Finish On Time
Our idea
A research process is like embarking on an exciting and unknown journey. Our method creates an overview and gives you new approaches and tangible techniques for how to get to the goal.
We help PhD students, researchers and supervisors, as well as technical/administrative staff to finish their work on time and feel good along the way. We do this by providing courses in academic productivity and sustainable work practices. Our method is developed in collaboration with each group and is based on knowledge from the University of California, Berkeley, management consulting, and stress research. The method is described in the book Master Effectiveness, Reduce Stress and Finish on Time.
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During the last twelve years, we have given workshops at almost all of Sweden's universities and colleges. Over 10 000 participants have so far participated on these occasions. We hope to get the opportunity to meet you at one of your workshops!
Our workshops
Academic productivity
(half day)
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Workshop that gives you new perspective and hands-on techniques for increased academic productivity.
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Sustainable work methods (half-day)
Workshop that provides you with alternative approaches and concrete techniques for preventive stress management.
Academic productivity & Sustainable work methods (full-day)
Workshop that gives you alternative strategies and a toolbox for academic productivity and a sustainable work method.
Academic writing (full-day)
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Workshop that gives you well-proven tools for joyful academic writing and a deeper understanding of the psychology behind it.
The Doctoral Student Package (semester)
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Course that helps you finish your dissertation on time and feel good along the way. We work in small groups over the course of a semester.
"Booster Dose"
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We tailor a follow-up opportunity for a group that has already attended one of our other workshops.
“For me, it has had an enormous impact on my everyday life. I get more done in my working hours and no longer have to work evenings and weekends.”
Doctoral Student, Lund University
The Doctoral Student Handbook
The method is described in this handbook
The book contains productivity and stress management techniques applicable to the academic environment. There are exercises in each chapter that can be done together with others or on your own. The book has been sold to several different countries and all over Sweden.
Our story
Twice I have said the sentence – if only I had known this when I started my PhD – out loud to myself.
The first time was an early Saturday morning when 100 doctoral students gathered for a lecture on practical techniques for writing a dissertation. After three hours, I felt that my thesis experience had radically changed through techniques such as the 80/20 principle, working intensively for a shorter period of time, and taking weekends off for recovery. The techniques were so effective that I sought out the workshop leader for private sessions. This was at the beginning of the third year of my thesis work and I would have liked to have used the techniques even earlier…
The second time was when my project manager at the management consulting firm taught me to focus on the end product through various techniques. Imagine if, at the start of my doctoral position, I had already done exactly this when it came to the thesis...
The experiences resulted in the new concept Finish On Time, which helps doctoral students finish their thesis on time and feel good along the way. We want to spread the knowledge about the techniques to you and your doctoral colleagues so that you instead say: how glad I am that I found out about this just when I started my PhD!
The demand-control-support-model
We work with behavioral change so that you both finish on time and feel good along the way!
For a work situation to be interesting, but still reasonable in scope, a good balance between demands, control and support is needed. Unfortunately, the working situation of many doctoral students is characterized by too great or too unclear demands, little control and a lack of support, which is a breeding ground for stress. At Finish On Time, we help you with how you can work actively with demand-control support and thus influence your work situation in a positive direction. We work both with behavioral change and change of thoughts so that you feel good during the thesis writing!
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