Karen  Ruebens PhD Archaeology 2013

Hi, I'm Karen Ruebens and I studied PhD Archaeology within Humanities at the University of Southampton.

We socialise a lot, which is an important aspect of doing a PhD because you can get quite isolated, so it was nice to have that community to support you.

Why did you come to Southampton to study?

I did my Undergraduate degree in Belgium, and I wanted to do a Masters that specialised in the Archaeology of Human Origins – Southampton offered the course that was closest to my interests.

What were the highlights of your time here?

I’ve really enjoyed being part of the PhD community, it’s a very tight international group; there are people from America, European countries and of course Britain. We socialise a lot, which is an important aspect of doing a PhD because you can get quite isolated, so it was nice to have that community to support you.

Would you recommend the programme to others?

The Masters course is quite unique in Europe, and for the PhD programme I think it’s important to find a supervisor that suits your interests. My supervisor has been great at guiding me along the way.

What are your ambitions for the future?

In October I’m starting a second post-doctoral degree at the Max Planck institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany.

What do you think about the teaching you received?

 
I liked the combination of having lectures and seminars, we had a lot of group discussions which really benefitted me because you have to defend your ideas and be able to argue your point confidently.

Describe your time here in 3 words:

GREAT RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT, GREAT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, TEACHING EXCELLENCE