PhD: To regret or not to regret

Jolijn Sonnaert has a PhD in Linguistics. In this story, she talks about the confusion she experienced after submitting her thesis. She also shares the importance of looking forward, regardless of what has happened in the past.

After almost four years of struggling, today, I handed in my PhD thesis. In only a few months, I will be a Doctor in Linguistics. But I can’t help but wonder — what have I really got to show for now?

I did it. I finished the thesis! After hitting the “send” button on the email at 3 pm this afternoon, I went around the office and snatched up my lovely colleagues to treat them to ice cream. After all, this needs to be celebrated! Between the scoops of chocolate and banana ice cream, everyone asked me how I felt. I guess they were going for “proud,” “happy,” or “excited.” And I have to admit, I was jumping around for a bit. But after walking home from work, I now mostly feel confused. I guess I am just relieved. Not so much that I did it — that I actually really did it — but more so that it’s almost over now. I was listening to some happy music on the way back and thinking to myself — I should focus on the good stuff now!

I’ve been feeling really restless for a long time now. I’d love to go adventuring again; although I don’t think that’s really an option for me right now. But if it wasn’t for this PhD, I might never have stopped adventuring. Who knows which crazy country I’d be exploring right now!

What do you think? Does Jolijn finally regret her PhD or is she happy with her decision to pursue a doctorate? Read the full story here to find out!