Testimonial Lili Gonzáles Hernández

My name is Dulce Liliana González Hernández, but everybody calls me Lili. I was born in Mérida (Mexico). I have a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology (UANL) and a master’s degree in environmental systems with a focus on water resources (Tec de Monterrey). I have always been interested in biological and environmental sciences; however, I wanted to complement my research with a social component. This is why I started to work on climate change perceptions to facilitate household climate change action.

In my case, I applied through a scholarship from the Mexican government (Conacyt). When starting my PhD trajectory, I felt that people were not interested in helping me. However, as time passed I realized that you have to ask for help directly. This might sound strange for people living in the Netherlands, but people in Mexico tend to help each other out, even without asking. Therefore, bottom line, if you need help then explicitly ask for it and if you want to help someone, first ask!

During my PhD trajectory, I often encounter cultural differences. I think anyone coming to the Netherlands should be aware about “Dutch directness”. Now, I’m quite used to it and I even think I have adopted a bit myself. However, in the beginning I was quite surprised by it. Another thing that stands out is planning (way) in advance for appointments, social events, and basically everything. So now I have a “casual dinner” with friends scheduled 2 months in advance.

Besides the weather getting on your nerves at times, Groningen life in general is pretty good in my opinion. It’s a beautiful city where one can grab their bikes and be at their destination in ten minutes max. The city has an atmosphere of ease, where everybody seems happy.

As for PhD life, well it’s been an intense experience to say the least! In my first year, I spent most of my time reading and learning. During my second year and third years I completed my fieldwork and started writing my papers. My last year has mostly been limited to extensive writing sessions. I have to say though that throughout all this the process I have always relied on the support of my supervisor.

Additionally, I have a group of friends that have been a great source of emotional support. Looking back, I felt it took me a long time to shape my ideas and therefore my research, nevertheless, each PhD trajectory is different and everyone has their own struggles. The most important thing in my opinion as PhD candidate is to maintain a work-life balance.