Looking back with PhD Candidate Zoé Perko

LolMyThesis. The themes of my thesis in a nutshell: Even when countries agree to open their borders, not everyone gets the same access—many barriers remain, but people often find creative ways to move.

It’s all about that space. The most important CRC concept is definitely refiguration. It helps me zoom in on how spatial conflicts emerge through clashing logics. Here, the concept of multiple spatialities also helped a lot, to understand how certain spatial logics of different spaces have emerged

Looking back, if I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was just starting my PhD, I would advise myself to make three backups. Yes, two can fail at the same time, for instance six months before handing in a dissertation. Trust me. Also: organize your literature properly. No, you won’t remember where you read that perfect quote you desperately need later. And finally, take time with your writing. Feedback is your friend. Even if you’re in a rush—pause, share, let it breathe.

A day in the life. A typical day as a PhD candidate looks like this: Last-minute alarm clock, hit snooze too many times, chug coffee, then power through from 9 to 1 or 2. After lunch, coffee again. Then food coma, and trying to be productive in the afternoon. But thankfully, it usually works out!

It’s all about the spatial arrangement. My ideal writing setting is a silent office, zero people, snacks and beverages within reach. But honestly, if I hit hyper-focus mode, I could probably write anywhere.

When you know, you know. Looking back, the most surprising thing about doing a PhD for me was that you bounce between “This is actually pretty solid!” and “Wait, what is my thesis even about?”—sometimes within the same week. What surprised me is how normal that is. Even if everyone else looks like they’ve got it all figured out, most are just quietly going through the same struggles.

Back to the future. The advice I would give other starting a PhD is this: New researchers should ask for help! Whether it’s with CRC concepts, paper panic, academic confusion, or a need for specific coaching—reach out to the MGK (graduate school) team, management office, or that one colleague who always seems to know things.

Author Bio: Zoé Perko is a researcher and PhD candidate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, working in the project “The Borders of the World II” at the CRC 1265. Her dissertation focuses on conflicts surrounding freedom of movement in South America, West Africa, and Europe, as well as on the counter-practices of migrants.