This is How PhD Programs Crush Students Mentally and Physically

Pursuing a PhD is a dream for many students. PhDs are often celebrated for being the peak of academic achievements; however, there’s a lot more to the fancy degree than graduation photos would suggest. Whether you pursue Harvard PhD programs or PhD programs from your local university, it is guaranteed that your PhD will be absolutely gruelling. The mental and physical strain that students experience in a PhD program often drives them to the brink of giving up. You might be wondering why this happens. After all, a PhD is a highly desirable degree, and if it’s really that troublesome, is it even worth it? In this blog, we will learn how PhD programs wear students down, and it’ll be up to you to decide whether you are prepared to take on this challenge or not.

Are PhD Programs Even Worth It?

Let us settle an important debate first and foremost: Is a PhD program even worth the effort? Well, that’s on you to decide, but there are definitely some reasons why so many students pursue PhD programs all over the world every year. Here are some of the advantages of choosing online PhD programs.

Immensely Valuable For The Academic Sphere:

 A PhD grants you direct entry to positions like tenure-track faculty, professorships, and mentor roles in industry profiles. A PhD also grants you the license to become a genuine expert in your field and shape the knowledge base of your area of expertise. Lastly, PhD programs let you amass all the skills that are considered the pinnacle of expertise in your field.

Serves As A Trade-Off In The Industrial Sphere:

Industries often hire people with doctorates to serve in positions like data scientists, R&D scientists, consultants, and policy analysts. These positions are often rewarded with much higher salaries than people with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees can earn.

Final Verdict:

If your career objectives are fast-paced and focused more on quick wealth accumulation rather than intricate skill development, then a PhD program is not worth it. However, an online PhD program is absolutely worth it if you require the title for further academic progression. Plus, you can get certain opportunities that are only available to PhD holders. 

What makes PhD degree programs So Stressful For Students?

Whether or not a PhD program is worth it or not depends on your objectives, but if you do choose to pursue it, be prepared to face the challenges that any other PhD student has also faced. There are many reasons that make PhD degree programs challenging and stressful for students. Let us discuss each of the major reasons and their remedies in detail in the following sections.

1. Why Choosing The Wrong Supervisor Is A Fatal Mistake You Should Avoid

One thing students do not take into consideration all too often is that choosing one’s supervisor can make all the difference. Often, students think that a good lecturer would also make a good supervisor, but that’s not true at all. Remember that a supervisor is not just an academic guide, as they also serve as your mentors, gatekeepers, chief editors, and the sole arbiters (when you are about to submit).

Now, there are many reasons why a professor could absolutely turn out to be disastrous for you. These reasons include incompatibility, conflicting personalities, negative attitude, or a mismatch in working styles. However, whatever the case may be, it is a scenario that you should absolutely strive to avoid. There are some ways you can make your PhD programs easier by choosing the right supervisor.

How to choose the right supervisor for my PhD?

Interview their Students, not just them:-

Speak directly to the students of your supervisor, and if possible, interview their previous mentees. This will give you an idea of how compatible they are with your learning style.

Assess Management Style:-

See for yourself whether you are more comfortable with a hands-on approach or a hands-off approach. Based on your personal requirement, make the final decision.

Review their Completion Rate:-

If you can access the university’s data or the supervisor’s CV, check how many students they have helped finish their doctorates.

Establish Communication Protocols:-

 Before officially commencing the PhD program, establish a clear communication channel between yourself and your supervisor.

2. PhDs Are Usually Students’ First Exposure To The Academic Game

For most students, PhD programs represent a sudden shift from base-level academia to the entrenched and deep academic game. Most students enter from a master’s program, and while a master’s program is undeniably not an easy obstacle, the PhD is definitely a whole lot more complex than that program.

The rules of a master’s program are simple: attend classes, complete assigned readings/assignments, and give exams. A PhD, on the other hand, is not nearly as straightforward. You are a fully autonomous scholar with (generally) full control over how the program progresses. You have to deal with the nuances of funding applications, grant proposals, conference politics, and self-directed research.

Here are ways you can adjust better to the academic game:

Audit Advanced Seminars:-

Try to attend non-mandatory seminars that focus on grant writing, ethics approval, and intellectual property. This will help you get more used to the norms of advanced academia.

Formalize a Peer Support Group:-

Build a small, confidential network of other PhD candidates in the same field that can act as a reliable support group for you. You can discuss progress, politics, and mental health struggles with them, as having people around is definitely something you need.

Shadow a Post-Doc:-

Ask successful post-doctoral researchers to assist you in your program. They can be contacted informally as they have just survived the PhD process and can offer unfiltered, valuable insights.

Treat the PhD as a Job:-

 Don’t spend all your time working on your PhD. Take breaks in between, find time to relax, and establish a timely schedule that will help you manage time and boost productivity.

3. The Expectations Weigh Heavy On The Students

Even students in online counseling PhD programs are not safe from the insanely heavy expectations that they have to deal with. Many students suffer in silence because their peers (especially those who aren’t pursuing PhDs) believe that they are pursuing such an esteemed academic endeavour that they naturally form inflated expectations. Unfortunately, you can’t lower people’s expectations; however, you can healthily deal with them.

A common observation would suggest that many students in psychology PhD programs realize that they are facing ‘imposter syndrome.’ This is the crushing feeling of not being good enough and thinking that they are frauds because they feel unworthy of the immensely high expectations people have of them. Don’t worry, as there are healthy ways to cope with the pressure of being a PhD student.

How to manage heavy expectations as a PhD student?

Focus on Completion over Perfection:-

 Your focus should be on completion rather than perfection, as chasing flawlessness takes up most of your time.

Establish Non-Negotiable Boundaries:-

 Treat your PhD like a 9-5 job and set boundaries such as having a fixed time for everything, including breaks. Do not forget to take breaks from time to time.

De-Personalize Feedback:-

Get clear, objective feedback from your supervisor and build your future learning strategies around your feedback to improve your workflow.

Find Non-Academic Validation:-

Seek out activities that can provide you with some kind of relaxation or a way to get your mind off things. These activities include exercise, volunteering, creative pursuits, etc.

4. PhDs Require Prerequisites That You Might Not Have

PhDs are not entry-level courses by any means; you need to have high grades to get into a PhD program in the first place. However, that also means that you are expected to have certain skills that you might not actually have. Also, keep in mind that PhD programs are ruthless by nature, as they do not test your practical and emotional prerequisites whatsoever. It is incredibly distressing to sustain oneself in a multi-year solitary academic endeavour, which is why you need to be on the lookout for not just skill development, but also your own resilience.

Here is how you can proactively bridge the skill gap in your PhD program:

Invest in Formal Project Management Training:-

Spend the first few days/months of your PhD taking courses or reading materials focused on Agile or Waterfall methodologies. Apply these principles to your research plan as fast as you can.

Pre-emptive Software Training:-

Identify the two or three most important software that your course requires you to master. Spend the first six months of your PhD getting used to this software, as it will help you later.

Seek Out Writing Workshops:-

 You can enroll in university workshops or online courses specifically focused on academic publishing or grant writing. 

Develop a Failure Protocol:-

Expect setbacks, prepare an action plan that you can follow once the setback finally happens. This might involve taking a break, talking to a mentor, and then immediately moving on to the next step or remedial measures.

5. Time Is A Scarce Resource For PhD Students

Probably the most immediate threat that students face in online PhD programs is that time always seems to slip out of their hands. PhDs are often a race against the funding mandate and the calendar, and it is often difficult for students to keep track of their progress while also managing time.

While the time allotted to a PhD student varies according to circumstances, usually four years is assigned to them. And students have to use that very same four-year period to perform their original research, gain new skills, and perform administrative duties as expected of them. The allotted time is generally not enough for students in PhD programs.

Here is how you can manage time as a PhD student:

Institute Time Blocking:-

Avoid multitasking; dedicate an uninterrupted hour or an hour and a half solely to one part of the task. Schedule this time block first thing in the morning when your concentration is at its highest.

Prioritize Thesis-Related Activities Only:-

 Evaluate every proposition carefully, including requests, invitations, or committee memberships. Only focus on activities that help you with your thesis.

Budget Time for Failure:-

Plan time estimates for every task. Try your hardest to ensure that you finish your work in the set time period only. Also, assume that you are going to fail, and thus, focus your attention on the task as hard as possible.

Track Non-Thesis Hours:-

 Track your time rigorously, especially on activities that do not further your thesis (eg, teaching, emails, and administrative tasks). Present your data to your supervisor and ask them how to reduce this time as much as possible.

How To Lessen The Burden Of Your PhD Programs?

Do not feel disheartened or discouraged by the fact that PhDs are challenging, as that is the entire point of a PhD degree to begin with. However, there are steps you can take to make your PhD programs much easier. Whether you are pursuing a PhD program online or offline, these tips will help you lessen the burden of your program and prepare in advance to brace for the challenges.

• Interview Your Advisor’s Students:

Get direct, uncensored feedback from the students of your preferred advisor. See if their teaching style is appropriate to your needs or not. Try to learn more about their management style, feedback style, and availability.

• Formalize A Peer Support Group:

 Create a small group of trusted confidantes to share your anxieties, experiences, tips, and insights. These groups are essential if you want to combat the stress and isolation that students in online PhD programs face.

• Prioritize Submission Over Flawlessness:

Remember the mantra: A good assignment is a finished assignment. Focus on completion instead of flawlessness. Only go for perfection if you have ample time to spend on refining your work.

• Get Objective Feedback:

Pressure your supervisor into giving you objective feedback that you should treat as a document of instructions. Make sure to closely amend any mistakes that your supervisor has highlighted. This will make your learning curve in your PhD program much easier.

• Learn To Say No:

Decline committee memberships, extra teaching duties, or non-essential requests that do not directly benefit your thesis and its progress.

• Close The Skill Gaps Early:

Dedicate the first six months of your online PhD program to closing the skill gap by mastering complex software and learning essential skills that are compulsory for your program.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important that we remember that pursuing a PhD program is not impossible, but it is certainly not an easy task either. There are challenges that you will face at every step of your PhD journey, but don’t let that dishearten you in the slightest. No matter whether you are pursuing traditional or online PhD programs, there is always external help available for you. If you need help with your PhD coursework or assignments, feel free to contact Assignment Help, and our experts will help you do your work like a pro!