The advice below comes from the report "The Individual Study Plan" written by Mathilda Fredriksson and presented by SFS (The Swedish National Union of Students). You will find a link below to the report if you would like to read the full report.
- Start early and allow your ISP work to take some time. Sometimes this can be easier said than done. But the sooner you begin seeking information and planning your ISP work, the easier the process becomes.
- Familiarise yourself with the form, purpose, and concept of ISP in your
studies so you gain an understanding of what it is, how it is used, and what is expected of you.
- Be aware that ISP is a legal document regulated in the Higher Education
Ordinance.
- The ISP can be used as a planning tool.
- Talk to your supervisor. Your supervisor, and co-supervisor, should be
available to support you in your doctoral studies and is responsible, together with you, for the establishment of the ISP.
- Talk to other doctoral students who have progressed further in their doctoral studies. They have their own experience of recently writing and perhaps updating their ISP, and can hopefully give you advice.
- Ask to review other doctoral students' ISPs.
- Make it manageable for yourself. The ISP is an important document, but it is not meant for you to spend so much time, energy, and worry on it that you feel unwell.
- Some doctoral students are worried about or intimidated by potential legal consequences. Despite the ISP being a legal document, most of the time, for most of the doctoral students, there are no legal actions taken based on the ISP and in practice it is mostly used as a project management tool, and to measure the progress in your doctoral studies.
- Is anything unclear? Do not hesitate to ask!