Reflecting on what BruynChild has taught me — and where we go next
by Cherene de Bruyn
PUBLISHED: 6 July 2026 on Substack
This month, I will have been writing my Bruynchild Substack for a year. And honestly, I couldn’t be prouder. When I started, I wanted to create a platform that could inspire students, give advice on academic life, and make a difference, even if it was only to one student. And while I didn’t get to write and post weekly as initially planned, I did come back - when my PhD allowed- to put pen to paper. I am also immensely grateful to my 37 subscribers. Thank you for sticking with me.
In this anniversary month post, I wanted to reflect on my initial purpose for starting a Substack. And now, a year later, also think back on what I have learned from this Substack journey and identify areas for renewed change.
What have I learned
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Substack has definitly ignited a desire in me to not only become a skilled science writer but also to write more curiously about the academic life.
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Writing for such a broad and very silent audience can be daunting, and AI gives an easy escape. But sticking with it, I have become comfortable with hearing and reading my own voice, including the many misspelled words, the strange analogies, and the broken prose, because it is authentically me.
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Writing is a craft, one that I am learning and hopefully mastering a post at a time.
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I have learned what times of day I write my best. I can confirm it’s either early in the day or late at night. In between, I struggle. There are just too many distractions.
What is next
From the start, the original purpose of Bruynchild was to create a platform to provide students, from all walks of life, with “reflections on learning, growth, and the academic life”. A year later, I still believe in this purpose. But I would add just one more thing: resilience. The last academic year has taught me to be tenacious and gritty. There have been many ups and downs, and I’m excited to share what I have learned about being buoyant and strategies to stay resolute in your own academic pursuits.
To achieve this purpose, I set out on two missions:
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Mission One: To explore the realities and challenges faced by students conducting research in higher education.
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Mission Two: To share practical tips, personal reflections, and honest conversations about what it means to pursue a doctorate.
In the next year, I want to tackle these two missions with more gusto. Not only will I be finishing up my PhD thesis, but I will also be making the transition by the end into (hopefully) a postdoctoral research position. I am sure this final year will be filled with as much excitement and growth.
As I start to prepare to transition from doctoral student to early-career-researcher in higher education, I am also setting my sights on other spheres of academic life like teaching. From the reading and reflection I have done in the past year, I am more convinced that to (really) succeed in a PhD and beyond, it starts with preparation and development of key skills during undergraduate studies. This includes being able to read and write properly, knowing how to use notes to think, developing oratory skills, and mastering referencing. To equip students with the necessary tools to develop these skills, I will be adding a third mission to BruynChild’s manifesto:
- Mission Three: To develop short academic guides for students that can support their success.
I hope that you, dear reader, like me, are excited for the awaiting hurdles and barriers that will make up the final stretch of my PhD journey. I’m eager to see what I learn, how I grow and the researcher I develop into. I’m sure that by the end I, like you, will come out much stronger on the other side.
If you are new to Bruynchild. Welcome. I hope you stay with us, learn and grow with us, but most importantly, I hope you stay curious and stay kind.
Begin again — staying the course.
BruynChild