A PhD is like a full-time job

Sharon Bolanta (@Shayrunn) is a PhD candidate in the Republic of Ireland, at the University of Limerick. In this story, Sharon shares interesting snippets and experiences from her PhD journey so far.

This story was published on October 9, 2018, on Charlotte’s blog, Wandering Thoughts (available here) and has been republished here with her permission.

Since starting my PhD two years ago, I’ve often had people ask me, “So are you in school or are you working?” And I often find it hard to answer.

So, today I hope to give you a glimpse into my experience as a PhD candidate so far. But first, a little background.

I graduated with a B.Sc in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry in 2016. To be honest, a PhD had never been the goal. I just wanted to graduate, get a Master’s and get a job afterwards. But life doesn’t always go as planned!

Fast-forward to the October after my graduation. I started my PhD at my host University. Like anyone starting anything new, I was excited! I thought I would be making a ground-breaking discovery in two years and graduating in three and a half. I had everything planned out. It’s funny looking back now because I am in the third year of my PhD and I haven’t made any ground-breaking discoveries; in fact, half the time I’m asking myself, “What am I doing here?”

The thing about a PhD is that there is no quick formula for getting things done. You go into it thinking, “I’m smart. I’ll be fine.” But what you don’t realise is that being smart isn’t the most important quality required to get a PhD.

Want to know more about Sharon’s PhD journey? Read the rest of her story here.