PHDGRIND
The unofficial survival guide to the PhD — funding, advisors, writing, defense, and the mental game of grad school.
From checking whether a stipend covers the rent and gauging how long your funding will last, to planning a dissertation writing pace, counting down to the defense, budgeting a conference, and estimating your h-index, PhDGrind pairs free, hands-on academic calculators with plain-language guides and a reference museum. Survive the grind, and finish.
PhD & Grad-School Calculators
Free tools for the logistics of a doctorate — stipend vs cost-of-living, funding runway, dissertation writing-pace planner, time-to-defense countdown, conference budget, and a citation & h-index estimator.
PhD Stipend vs Cost-of-Living Calculator
Turn an annual stipend into a net monthly figure and set it against rent and living costs to see the surplus or shortfall, coverage ratio, and rent burden
PhD Funding Runway Calculator
See how many months your savings and stipend last against your expenses — the net monthly burn and whether your funding is sustainable or running out
Dissertation Writing-Pace Planner
Turn a word-count target and a deadline into a daily pace — the words per week and per writing day you need to finish on time, plus how far along you are
Time-to-Defense Countdown
Count down to a defense or viva — the days remaining, weeks plus days, approximate months, and the Mon–Fri working days you actually have to prepare
Conference Travel Budget Calculator
Total the real cost of a conference — registration, flights, lodging, meals, and extras — then subtract a grant to see the out-of-pocket figure
Citation & h-index Estimator
Compute your h-index, i10-index, and total, mean, and peak citations from a list of per-paper citation counts — paste the numbers and read the metrics
Museum of Academia
Wander an illustrated museum of the world that shaped the modern doctorate — the history of universities and the academy, landmark scholars and their works, the scientific method and the tools of research, and the traditions and regalia of academic life, each in its own gallery, so you can get to know the story behind the degree: how the institutions came to be, how knowledge is made and checked, and where the rituals of graduation come from.
Tour the museum →From the Blog
Honest guides to the PhD — funding and stipends, working with an advisor, writing and surviving the dissertation, preparing for the defense, publishing and citations, and staying sane through the mental grind of grad school.
Dealing With Phd Stress: Practical Applications and Benefits
Phd Mental Wellness: Practical Applications and Benefits
Phd Productivity Strategies and Implementation
Graduate School Survival Strategies and Implementation
Phd Study Tips Strategies and Implementation
Crafting a Personalized Self-Care Framework
Keep Learning
Plain-language explainers on graduate education and the research process, academic life and publishing, and the study and writing skills a doctorate demands — everything you need to dig deeper and keep moving toward submission.
Visit the Learn hub →