My research project is an Industrial Cooperative Award in Science and Technology (Industrial CASE PhD), which is fully funded by three bodies:

• the Government – Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• an industry partner – BAE Systems
• a university – Loughborough University.

What I enjoy most about studying for a PhD is the amount you get to learn each day. Unlike a normal job, consecutive days in research study are very rarely the same and as a result, each day provides a new learning opportunity, whether it is teaching undergraduate students or learning to use new software, to running experiments or speaking to experts in your field at conferences or meetings with industry. Almost every day you stumble across new information which answer questions you hadn't previously thought to ask.

I can only speak from experience, but the two biggest differences from my undergraduate to my PhD are the lack of daily structure (or routine) and the corresponding increase in responsibility. The motivation at undergraduate level usually originates from wanting to obtain an acceptable degree mark, whereas postgraduate motivation requires the want to become an expert in your area of study.

Each day of studying for a PhD is likely to be different depending on how far through the course you are. The earlier days are likely to involve lots or reading and knowledge acquisition, as well as software and hardware training. There may be sequential days where you are sat at a desk, however these are likely (particularly with an industry-led PhD) to be offset by days spent in a lab hardware testing. I have had many days out of the office meeting and presenting to project sponsors and potential industry partners too. Whilst each day is likely to change from the previous, there are always opportunities to improve yourself as a professional.