90% of PhD Students Regret Not Knowing These Things!

90% of PhD Students Regret Not Knowing These Things!

PhDs have a reputation for being something akin to an intellectual adventure. However, it can very quickly turn into an intellectual survival horror story. Based on conversations we had with several PhD students and graduates, around 90% of them are left with long-standing regrets that they wish to be rid of. If you want to pursue a PhD, or you have just begun your PhD journey, then these are things you need to be mindful of. Here are some things I wish I knew before PhD, brought directly by actual PhD students.

What Makes A PhD Frustrating?

First and foremost, you can't deny that a PhD is a really stressful endeavour, both mentally and physically. It is important to note that pursuing a PhD is going to be frustrating, so there is little you can do to completely get rid of the, stress aspect of your PhD program. However, you can make your PhD less stressful in certain ways we will discuss later. Here is how a PhD is incredibly stressful, both mentally and physically.

Goalpost Shifting:-

The thesis and academic research topics shift frequently, making it difficult for students to stay consistent. This can often lead to months of research and academic writing going to waste.

Isolation and Lack of Structure:-

Very unlike a traditional graduate or postgraduate course, a PhD lacks a standardised structure of classes. This can lead to loneliness and result in an inability to manage vast projects by yourself on self-directed time.

Imposter Syndrome:-

Some PhD students develop imposter syndrome, which basically makes them think like they aren't worthy of pursuing such a high qualification due to some personal inferiority complex. This actually happens more often than you think.

Funding Precarity:-

Financial stress resulting from low stipends or grant instability is very common. PhD students are often forced to juggle low-paying side jobs along with the unceasing demands of academic research.

Administrative Bureaucracy:-

Slow university paperwork, ethics approvals, and compliance requirements make students unable to concentrate on their research. If you want to know how to stay focused as a PhD student, continue reading.

Things PhD Students Regret Not Knowing

Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of PhD student regrets. We want you to know that there is a way you can make your PhD less regrettable, but there are also some aspects that can sap the joy that the word PhD brings to some people. Here are some things that PhD students regret not knowing.

1) The Awkward Truth Of Academic Supervision:-

Many students think that academic supervision is a transactional relationship focused primarily on research output, but it’s more complex than that. More likely than not, your professor will be focused on finishing the PhD program on time and aligning with the university’s standards instead of providing deep intellectual guidance. It would likely be your responsibility to initiate private mentorship conversations separately from your regular mentoring sessions.

2) The PhD Side Quests:-

PhDs are not a simple, individual course. It is similar to a job, and it’s a pretty demanding job; we’ll give you that. Many funding packages require you to complete your teaching duties, which can take up 10-15 hours of your time per week. Writing grant proposals and fellowship applications is good for practising academic writing, but they do take you away from the core focus of the research.

3) What It Feels Like To Do A PhD:-

PhD students seldom realise at the beginning of their programs that a PhD is not like an Indiana Jones-style adventure into the depths of knowledge. Instead, PhDs often feel like working on carving a giant statue on the world’s tallest mountain, and that too by yourself. PhDs are incredibly challenging and isolating, as they are very different from traditional courses.

4) A PhD Is Not A Golden Ticket:-

Sadly, only 5-20% of PhD holders are able to transition into permanent faculty positions worldwide. This should prove that PhDs are not a surefire lottery ticket that will guarantee a win. Most doctoral holders have to enter post-doctoral fellowships or enter the corporate world.

5) Unreliable Statistics:-

Students often make critical statistical and methodological errors in research, especially if their PhD is their introduction to research. Collecting and analysing data is a gruelling task; it becomes even more challenging when you count factors such as respondent bias, social desirability effect, and getting distracted from the core of the research question.

How To Stay Focused As A PhD Student?

Students often find their focus wavering while struggling to balance the heavy demands of a PhD. It is, however, not that difficult to manage your concentration even while pursuing something as taxing as a doctorate. Here is how to stay focused as a PhD student.

a) Establish Non-Negotiable Core Hours:-

Treat your research like a 9-5 job. Set a specific time period for yourself to solely focus on your research and nothing else. This is one of the best PhD thesis writing advice as it will help you stay focused and not work haphazardly.

b) Use The Pomodoro Technique:-

Work in concentrated bursts (25 minutes, for example) instead of long hours. This will allow you to work more productively in shorter periods of time and allow you to take short breaks (5 minutes, for example) in between.

c) Break Down The Thesis:-

Do not face the entire thesis at once. Our professional PhD thesis writing advice would be that you break your thesis down into multiple, separate tasks that you have to focus on individually. Focus on finishing one task first rather than trying to rush the entire thesis.

d) Schedule Non-Academic Time:-

It's going to sound rough, but try to block out some time for activities like exercising, personal hobbies, club memberships, etc. This will help in academic burnout prevention, as you will not have extra sources of exhaustion.

e) Find an Accountability Partner:-

Connect with another PhD student (preferably someone not from the same field) and check on their progress, too, once in a while. Peer pressure can be a powerful motivational tool if you use it the right way.

Simple Doctoral Survival Tips From Experts

We spoke to several PhD graduates and asked them for some tips regarding how students can survive their PhDs and endure through the struggle like a warrior. Well, they had very valuable insights to share, which will certainly help you not only in your PhD but in general higher education. Here are some simple doctoral survival tips shared by experts.

Quit Early, Quit Often:-

Do not go for perfectionism from the get-go. Try drafting your research papers, theses, and journals like an assembly line production. Draw terrible drafts first, and gradually improve them later on. This will help in academic burnout prevention, plus it will also save you a lot of time.

The 500-Word Rule:-

Commit to writing a small, manageable number of words each day. While 500 words is really not a large amount, you have to set a reasonable word limit for yourself so that you don't exhaust yourself in the process.

Create A Done List:-

At the end of each week, make a list of things that you have accomplished, not just things that were scheduled. One of the most important doctoral program success factors is your level of confidence in your own abilities, and that is only possible if you can track your progress reliably.

Protect Your Data Backup:-

Being a pessimistic person is not good, but it's wise to always assume that your hard drive will fail. Implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy (3 copies, 2 different formats, and 1 copy off-site) to prevent your data from being lost.

The Three-Person Rule:-

Lastly, never take advice from one person. PhD students should take advice from at least three people (not more than 5 people, however) to get various perspectives and diverse feedback. One person should not be the only one guiding your academic research.

Conclusion

In the end, it is important to remember that your PhD program shouldn't leave you riddled with doubts and regrets. Keep in mind that a PhD is stressful, and while there is nothing you can do to make it fully stress-free, you can try to make your PhD a more manageable experience. Here were some common PhD student regrets that many students often have to live with. It is advised that you take care of your physical and mental well-being throughout the entire program and do not compromise your health for academic titles. If you want more PhD preparation tips, feel free to connect with our experts at India Assignment Help.