Life Update and Q&A
Summary
TLDRIn this candid Q&A session, Ruby shares her significant life updates following her time at Oxford. Initially planning to pursue a PhD, she ultimately decided to withdraw her application due to mental health concerns, emphasizing the importance of timing and personal well-being. Instead, she is embracing a 9-to-5 job that offers new experiences and challenges. Ruby discusses her writing projects, future plans, and the joy of being back home with her family. She also reflects on her favorite Oxford moments, her evolving relationship with writing, and her appreciation for the simple pleasures of life, including her newfound love for tea.
Takeaways
- 🎓 Ruby initially planned to pursue a PhD at Oxford after her Master's but ultimately decided to withdraw her application.
- 😟 She struggled with her mental health during the lead-up to her dissertation, prompting her to reconsider her academic path.
- 💼 Ruby accepted a job that allows her to gain experience outside of academia, providing a refreshing change in her routine.
- 📝 She plans to reapply for her PhD in the future when she feels more prepared and certain about her research interests.
- ✨ Ruby emphasizes the importance of taking the time to reflect on one's goals, especially for significant commitments like a PhD.
- 📹 She is currently balancing her job with personal projects, including consistent YouTube content creation and writing.
- 📚 Ruby is working on multiple writing projects, including a middle-grade book and a dark academia novel, while striving to return to regular writing habits.
- ❤️ She expresses gratitude for being at home and the support she receives from her family during this transitional period.
- 🌟 Ruby shares insights on adult life, highlighting the need to maintain curiosity and wonder, akin to that of childhood.
- ☕ She reflects on her journey with tea, noting her late start in enjoying it and her ongoing relationship with her favorite tea company.
Q & A
What prompted Ruby to consider pursuing a PhD?
-Ruby initially had no plans to pursue a PhD, but during her time at Oxford, she developed a passion for her studies and decided she wanted to continue her academic journey.
What led Ruby to withdraw her PhD application?
-Ruby withdrew her PhD application due to concerns about her mental health, feeling that she wasn't in the right place to commit to such a significant undertaking at that time.
How did Ruby feel about her decision to withdraw from the PhD program?
-Although Ruby found it difficult to make the decision and initially felt conflicted, she ultimately believed it was the right choice for her mental well-being and future academic goals.
What type of job did Ruby accept after withdrawing her application?
-Ruby accepted a 9-to-5 job, which provided her with a new experience outside of academia and allowed her to gain practical work experience.
What projects does Ruby plan to work on this year?
-Ruby mentioned that she has some fun projects lined up for the year, which she likely wouldn't have been able to pursue if she were doing her PhD.
How does Ruby feel about balancing her new job and her creative projects?
-Ruby finds it challenging to balance her new job with her creative projects, including her YouTube channel and writing, but she is hopeful that her routine will improve over time.
What are Ruby's current writing projects?
-Ruby is currently working on a middle-grade book and a dark academia novel, both of which she intends to rewrite because she isn't satisfied with her progress on them.
What advice did Ruby's therapist give her about approaching adulthood?
-Ruby's therapist advised that adults should strive to retain the wonder and curiosity of childhood while focusing on the positive aspects of being an adult.
What was Ruby's favorite experience at Oxford?
-Ruby's favorite experience at Oxford was the Burns Night Celebration at her college, where she enjoyed traditional ceremonies and the overall atmosphere of the event.
How has Ruby's relationship with tea evolved over the years?
-Ruby did not like tea until she was about 17 or 18, but her appreciation grew after trying a pumpkin tea from Bird & Blend, which eventually led her to explore various types of tea.
Outlines
📚 Ruby's Academic Journey and Career Decisions
In this video, Ruby shares a long-awaited life update and answers viewer questions regarding her plans post-Oxford. Initially aiming to transition from her Master’s to a PhD at Oxford, Ruby reveals the difficulty of her decision to withdraw her application. After grappling with mental health challenges, she recognized that it wasn’t the right time to pursue a PhD. Although she had invested considerable effort into her application, she ultimately chose to accept a job opportunity instead, marking a significant shift from her academic focus. Ruby expresses excitement about her current 9-to-5 role, which offers a refreshing contrast to academia and allows her to gain valuable experience. Looking forward, she plans to reapply for her PhD in the next year or two, feeling more certain about her research interests. Additionally, Ruby discusses her ongoing writing projects, including a middle-grade book and a dark academia novel, which she hopes to develop further as she seeks to balance work, YouTube content creation, and her PhD application.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡PhD
💡Mental Health
💡Application Process
💡Career Change
💡Writing Projects
💡Adult Life
💡Oxford University
💡YouTube Channel
💡Creative Balance
💡Tea Culture
Highlights
Ruby initially planned to pursue a PhD immediately after her Master's degree.
She applied for her PhD in December after spending the Christmas holidays working on the application.
Ruby was accepted into the PhD program at Oxford, which was her dream university.
Despite her excitement, Ruby faced mental health challenges that influenced her decision to withdraw her application.
Ruby struggled with the emotional weight of withdrawing her application after being accepted.
She plans to reapply for the PhD in the future, feeling she rushed her application process.
Currently, Ruby is working a 9-to-5 job three days a week, which she finds enjoyable.
Ruby discusses the challenge of balancing her job, YouTube projects, and planning her PhD application.
She is working on a middle-grade book and a dark academia novel but is not satisfied with her current drafts.
Ruby emphasizes the importance of maintaining childhood curiosity while navigating adulthood.
Her top choice for a PhD program remains Oxford due to its resources and academic environment.
Ruby is currently reading 'Fortnight in September' by R.C. Sherriff, which she describes as charming.
She expresses gratitude for being back at home with her family and highlights their strong relationship.
Ruby recalls her favorite Oxford experience, the Burns Night celebration, as a memorable event.
She shares her late introduction to tea, starting with jasmine tea before expanding her preferences.
Transcripts
hello it's Ruby and today I'm going to
be doing a very long overdue Life update
and Q&A um I've got so many questions
since leaving Oxford about what my plans
are for this year what I'm doing next so
my initial plan for this year had been
to do PhD um and I applied for it back
last January so finished first term and
spent basically the whole of the
Christmas holidays working on my
application for my PhD um it was like
every single day I was working on it
when I started Oxford I had no plans of
actually even doing a PhD like I was
going to do the Masters and then I
didn't know what I was going to do after
that but I wasn't planning on going into
Academia and then when I was at Oxford I
was like oh my gosh I love this so much
I really want to do a PhD and so I
started working my PhD application and I
submitted an application in December
ready to start in September and then and
literally I didn't talk about any of
this I'm really sorry all of this is
quite new but um I then got accepted
onto the PHD program at Oxford which was
crazy mind-blowing so my plan had been
to go straight from my Master's into my
PhD and the whole way through the year
that's what I thought I would do but
obviously here we are in October and I'm
not at Oxford I'm um in Step working
basically like this was this was one of
the hardest decisions I think I've had
to make um because doing the PHD and
staying in
Oxford was the most appealing thing and
it makes me giddy with with excitement
like as I as I think about it now it
makes me excited it makes me me um like
I and part of me really really wishes
that I was there in Oxford at the moment
but ultimately in the final month before
my dissertation was due my mental health
was just really not in a good place um
and I was really struggling with my
mental health and I was looking towards
the future I was looking towards like
doing the PHD um in September and I just
didn't feel like I could do it um
considering where my head was I just
didn't think it was the right idea
and so I made the really difficult
decision to withdraw my application um
which I still kind of can't believe I
did I put off doing it so so much like
I'd sit down in the evening and I'd say
okay I'm going to with my application
tonight and then I just wouldn't do it
because I was so on the fence about it
and the idea of withdrawing an
application like when I've been accepted
into my dream University felt so like
ridiculous so this is my
application uh that's here's my Master's
application and then here's my Dill
congratulations on completing your offer
um but I'm actually going to withdraw it
I spent such a long time on the
application for my defa over the
Christmas holidays like it was very
intense thought about it so much and I'm
going to withdraw my application and
reapply next year or in a couple of
years instead um just because I don't
feel like now was the right time to do
it and I think I Rush my application too
much got a job light up which I've
accepted which means I w't be able to do
the anyway um but I've been putting off
doing the actual withdrawal of my
application because like part of me
can't believe I'm actually withdrawing
it by withdrawing application you're
confirming no longer should be
considered for a place you will not be
able to apply to the schooles again in
the admissions Cycles this is like
permanent I
know um and then it's asking me to
[Music]
withdraw crazy like I don't know and
just like all of the information coming
through and everything and I'm getting
all of these emails from Oxford saying
that we can't wait to welcome you and
like part of me is excited and wants to
go and just wants to accept the offer
but I know I know in my heart that it's
like a bad idea and that I shouldn't I
just know you know when you kind of you
have a gut sense and I don't often go
with my gut I usually go with my head
but I'm really trusting my gut on this
one and I feel like there have been so
many signs that I shouldn't I shouldn't
do the def this year so I'm going stick
stick with my thoughts okay 3 two 1
submit are you sure you want to withdraw
your application for def
English I don't know why it feels so
such a big deal okay
yes withdrawn around the same time I was
also offered a job and so I basically
made the decision to not do the PHD this
year and instead to work this year and
then
next year to apply for a PhD um so I'm
kind of in the process at the moment of
putting together my application again um
and I also think it was a really good
idea to wait because my application has
changed and I just feel like more
certain about what I want to study which
is important and I kind of rushed into
it a little bit and I don't think you
should do that with PhD application
because obviously it's three whole years
of your life that you're dedicating
towards this one thing and so I think it
was the right decision that I made
ultimately even though it was a hard one
and that brings us on to this year so as
I say I've got 9 to 5 3 days a week and
I'm really enjoying it so far um it's
like incredible fun I also do like how
it's very different to Academia and it
feels like a break from Academia but
also I'm gathering good experience and
it's really nice to kind of get
experience working a 9 to5 because jobs
that I've had in the past have never
been 9 to5 in person and this is so it's
very different and I'm enjoying the
challenge of it even though it is and
can be quite training yep so that is my
life update um and I'm not going to
answer some question questions um I feel
like there was like kind of a lot there
it's also cool because I've got some fun
projects lined up for this year and I
probably wouldn't have been able to do
those if I were doing PhD it's funny
because I do feel like so busy at the
moment um like over the summer I had
such a restful summer because I was so
burnt out after doing the master's
degree but now I started my job and I
just feel like it's really hard to like
balance everything at the moment um and
so I'm really trying my best to keep on
top of creating consistent YouTube
videos stationary company and then job
and PhD appli
and I'm hoping that my routine will get
better going forward because it's been a
little bit ha Hazard but I think it's
going to get better I'm sure it will um
question number one do you think you
will still be an influencer in 20 years
I would be very surprised if I was what
are you writing fiction SL novel wise um
this is a really good question and um
I've got to say that writing has really
fallen on the Wayside recently um I
meant to write all summer and then I
didn't because I was really burnt out as
I say um so at the moment though I just
kind of turned back to the writing
projects that I had on the go beforehand
and I'm currently working on a middle
grade book and also a dark Academia
novel and I've been working on these
both for quite some time um but I'm
still not happy with them and so yeah
it's kind of like an ongoing process and
I'm about to start a rewrite of both
like I want to write them entirely again
because I'm not happy with them so
that's where I am and I'm really trying
to get back into consistent writing
again because I really fell off as I say
how do you find yourself in an adult
life I think the important thing about
approaching adult life is to still
approach it with the Wonder and
curiosity that you have when you're a
child I hate that so many people lose
that my therapist said something really
insightful and so I'm going to share
with you um she said it's so funny when
people grow up they tend
to like lose the good parts of being a
kid and gain the bad parts of being an
adult as opposed to focusing on the good
parts of being an adult and then trying
to retain the good parts of being a kid
and I think that's what we should all
strive to do
where are you thinking of applying for
your PhD my Top Choice where I really
want to study is Oxford um because I
loved Oxford so much and I love all the
libraries and there are also resources
there which will be really really
helpful with what I want to study what
are your favorite books what are you
currently reading I've got a whole video
on like my top 200 favorite books which
really I need to update at this point
because I filmed that two years ago and
there are at least like 30 more that I
could add um what I'm am I currently
reading at the moment though I'm reading
fortnite in September by RC sheriff and
oh my gosh it's so good it's basically
like the most slow paced and mundane
book a little bit like die over with
nobody but more Charming it's this
family that's going on their yearly
family holiday they take it for 2 weeks
every September and they go to the same
Seaside place and it's just like going
through the motions of a family trip and
I love that nothing really goes wrong
like it's not like there's a big plot
twist or anything it's just like the
Simplicity and the beauty of a family
trip and um it's so wonderful are you
doing a yearly planner next year yes
that will be coming in December which is
very exciting and so it's basically like
the academic planner but it's instead um
like running from January to December
and the spreads aren't quite so academic
so it's tailored more for people who
aren't in education but you could also
use it in education how is it to be back
home I'm really enjoying it um and I
really like being at home um like I love
being at home I know that it's such a
huge privilege to be able to stay at
home and I feel very lucky I feel very
grateful that I can um and yeah I'm
really enjoying being at home I get on
very well with my family and I'm very
lucky to get on very well with my
parents and so um yeah I'm just really
enjoying being back after being like at
Uni last year absolute favorite Oxford
experience that's such a great question
I've got to say one thing I absolutely
loved was the burns Night Celebration
that we had at Jesus um and I went with
one of my closest friends we just had
such a great time like um was laughing
so much everything was just like and it
was also just like the most incredible
ceremony um it was all done
traditionally and um somebody came out
like shaking these I think they were
vodka bottles I'm not entirely sure and
then um they sang this poem by rabbie
Burns and um someone played a bagpipe it
was really really incredible and um just
like felt kind of unreal how's Lola
Lola's very good actually she's quite
poly today because she jumped up on the
side and ate a whole macro last night
but other than that she's doing very
well where do you buy your beautiful
stamps I buy my postage stamps from
Royal mayil direct you can just like
look on their special Collections and
they are all the same price as normal
ones so you should always buy special
collection ones
and my other stamps like press stamps I
love to get them from newly Bird that's
probably my favorite place but I often
buy them on eBay too if you could would
you live in the Victorian era no because
I was just so much wrong with life then
there are parts that I definitely
romanticize that's not to say that the
whole period can be romanticized um like
there were very very serious problems um
in terms of like discrimination
inequality and Healthcare Etc so no I
would not like to live in Victorian
period for people who love J now what
other books should they read that are
similar um you should try Rebecca by
dafhne deoria I would say that that's
the most similar one I'd also recommend
glass towns which is a graphic novel in
ired by the juvenil of Charlotte Bronte
have you ever been insecure about your
personal style um I have been because I
mean this is quite normal like I
wouldn't I wouldn't feel insecure going
out in this but in the past I have had
people say some semi- nasty things about
what I'm wearing when I was younger when
I was at school I did have some people
saying quite like semi mean things about
the things I would wear and that did
make me feel insecure but not to the
extent that I actually would change what
I would wear um um I mean sometimes I do
feel insecure if I go into a space and
I'm dressed very differently from other
people but I am quite comfortable with
it and um I very much believe in like
wearing things just because you like
them and so I think just like that
General approach is able to keep some of
the insecurity at they but sometimes I
feel uncomfortable definitely I feel
uncomfortable is it easy to make friends
at Oxford University what does life look
like there I found it easier to meet new
people than I did at ex and that's
because the classes are very small like
on the Masters we had 15 people I think
it was 15 in our cohort and we had
classes with those people so inevitably
you grew to get to know like the people
in your cohort and then separately from
that even without signing up any
extracurriculars you meet people in
college um because it's a Collegiate
system you've got all of these different
colleges at Oxford University and so I
was at Jesus and um like I met you just
meet people through your college because
you're seeing them around every day and
there aren't that many people per
college I think there were like 400
students in Jesus okay I'll answer one
more because I'm going up to London with
my mom and I will be late if I don't at
what age did you start drinking tea and
caffeinated tea so I actually really did
not like tea until I was about 18 which
is kind of crazy I can't believe I was
so no maybe 17 I was in year 13 which is
actually quite late I absolutely hated
tea before that unless it was jasmine
tea I like loved jasmine tea and I
started drinking jasmine tea when I was
eight um but that was the one that I
would drink funny enough it was bird and
blend that got me into tea um because
and this was back when it was called
like Sky Bird or something it used to be
called something else and my dad would
pass the shop every day on his way to
work and so he looked in the window and
he saw that they had a pumpkin tea and I
loved pumpkin so he he brought it home
he brought home this like pumpkin tea
for me and I tried it and I really liked
it and that's when I got into like tea
Beyond jasmine tea um so yeah which is
quite which is quite quite fun
especially because B blend is now my
favorite Tea Company and I've worked
with them and um released a tea with
them so very bizarre but I got properly
into tea I would say when I was about
like 19 like that was when I started
drinking tea religiously and a lot of
the time but anyway thank you so much
for watching this video um I hope
that you I don't I never like to say I
hope you enjoyed watching when it's Q&A
cuz that just feels weird but thank you
for watching and I hope that you have
more than just a productive PE
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