Phases of a Ph.D.
It is always right to call the time you spend in your Ph.D. program a marathon. Even though Ph.D. students have a lot of skills and experience, it requires more than that. Patience, stubbornness, and dedications are the be-all and end-all of this long run. You go through different phases during the journey, similar to taking a long road trip. At the beginning of your road trip, you are so excited and happy to explore new places. When you get tired of driving, you have numb legs and start questioning whether taking this trip was a good idea. But when you reach the end, all feelings turn into a “you did fairly well!” moment. Ph.D. students go through similar phases with their thesis. Here are the prevalent stages.
1. This thesis topic is great!
At this stage, you see everything through rose-colored glasses. Your lab seems perfect, your office is as clean as your future, and your advisor sounds like such an understanding person. Projects seem doable. Don’t worry; it is the honeymoon of your Ph.D. It will not take long.
2. I am disappointed!
It is the stage that you face with reality. Everything is not perfect anymore. Experiments don’t work, funds are not coming, and your advisor is such an annoying person. Things do not go as you planned. You finally start to lose faith in what you are doing.
3. I made a huge mistake!
At this stage, you start to get confused if you follow the wrong career track. You begin to consider quitting since you realize your thesis proposal is not good enough. You become self-critical and doubt your knowledge of the thesis topic. Your advisor is not getting any pleasant. His/her expectations seem unrealistic.
4. I will be in the driver’s seat!
After much questioning, self-doubt, criticism, anxiety, and more coffee than one can drink, you reach a stage where you take all the control. The previous steps trained you well to handle various situations. You can now lead your own research. You know how to communicate with your advisor. If necessary, you know how to fight with your advisor. You become stubborn and keep going. You now know how many chapters your thesis will be.
5. I am gonna graduate!
This is the ultimate stage every Ph.D. student desire to reach. I am in the last year of my Ph.D., and now I feel I have already reached that level. It brings you maturity and peace (actually, you earned it by completing all the stages above). You become confident about your thesis, project, and publications. You start to feel like you are good at what you do and deserve the doctoral title all the way. Now, it is time to reap the harvest.
We grad students survive on coffee. If you want to support me, you can always buy me one.
