PhD Life Blog: 17 Things You’ll Learn As A Ph.D. Student

PhD Life Blog; As a Ph.D. student, you will learn a lot about specific areas and a lot about being a person. You will learn to be creative, think outside the box, and listen carefully to the people you study and learn from.

You will learn that good research isn’t all about numbers or experiments. You will learn the value of being humble, kind and respectful of your colleagues, and open to feedback. You will learn that even for someone who loves science, one can sometimes lose sight of the purpose of all this hard work.

Here are a few things I learned while on my Ph.D.

These tips will help you navigate your Ph.D. journey as successfully as possible.

1. Be Confident

Be confident in yourself. If you have done your research and know why you are applying to a research program, be confident that you can do it. If there is anything you do not understand, then ask for clarification. If you have a paper to write, then write it. If you have an important meeting, then prepare for it. You have good knowledge and experience, so be confident and not let others put you down.

2. Take criticism positively

Sometimes you will receive criticism from others. It is okay to disagree, and it is fine to differ. However, it would help not to let criticism put you down. Do not let others think they are better than you. Always take criticism positively. Let it make you better.

3. Do everything you can to network

The network is everything. Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Do not worry about what you think the other person thinks. Building a relationship is hard, but it is worth it. You can connect with people in a lot of different ways. You can meet people through work, sports, and social gatherings. Just get out there and meet people.

4. Work hard

If you are serious about getting a Ph.D. in a particular field, ensure you do the necessary work. Ensure you do your assignments, read your reports, and submit your papers on time. If you are serious about getting a Ph.D. in a particular field, make sure you do the necessary work.

5. Get used to rejection

There will be a lot of rejection. There will be times when you have written a great paper, and it goes unanswered. There will be times when you have written a great paper, and it is accepted for publication. There will be times when you submit a great paper to a journal, and they do not reply. You will have to accept that rejection is part of getting a Ph.D. in a particular field.

6. Take breaks

It is important to take a break now and then. You are probably in Ph.D. because you are passionate about what you do. However, it would help if you took some time to enjoy yourself. Get out with friends, go for a run, go to the gym. Take time out to relax.

7. Take time off

Do not overwork yourself. It is important to take time off now and then to Recharge. Make sure that you take enough time off. You do not want to be constantly working.

8. Be proactive

Be proactive with your questions. If something in your readings or your research is unclear, ask questions. Always make sure that you ask questions if you are unsure about something.

9. Be passionate about your research

You are passionate about your research. You are passionate about your field of study. Make sure that you are passionate about your research.

10. Don’t give up

Do not give up, no matter if it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve. Even if you have been rejected a few times, keep applying. Even if it is 3 in the morning, keep sending out those applications. You never know what will happen. Life will be a lot shorter if you give up, and you might miss out on something amazing.

A Ph.D. journey is a long time. It takes time to do your research, fully understand the concepts, and even think about writing a paper.

11. Understand what you should expect

You will feel the world around you spin. Everything feels like it is moving in slow motion. You may feel like very few other people understand where you are coming from. While that may be true, plenty of people out there do understand.

Moving from a university to a Ph.D. setting can be quite daunting. There are going to be differences. You will feel completely lost or like you have the whole world at your fingertips.

The important thing to remember is that you are at the start of a journey. You have never been in this situation before. You have never written a paper or cleaned up an excel spreadsheet. You have never compiled a report. You have never experimented.

While the differences are big, you have much experience to draw on. You are young. You have a lot of free time. Use that to your best advantage.

Take advantage of that free time. Get yourself organized, learn to use excel if you need it and organize your life.

12. Doing the research

The keyword here is research. The research will allow you to produce relevant work that will matter to your future.

The research will vary from project to project. Some projects will be a case of finding out what information exists and using that. Other projects will involve more research.

Make sure that you know what your project involves. Make sure that you know what is expected of you. Get yourself organized. Make sure that you know how to research.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your professors, supervisors, and fellow students are all there to help you.

13. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Make sure that you prepare. There is far too much to miss if you attend a lecture without taking notes or work. The professors get paid to be there, and you want to ensure they get their money’s worth.

Make sure that you plan any assignments. Yes, you may have instructions, but remember that professors have other things on their plates. Make sure that you plan your time. Make sure that you leave time in the day to work on the assignment.

Make sure that you know what is expected of you. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in a presentation. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in a project.

14. Be respectful

You are not your professor. Your professors are people, just like you. They have lives outside of their university. They spend a lot of their time writing and refereeing papers. They have families. They have friends.

Treat your professors with respect. Get them excited about the project. Get them excited about what you are working on. Get them excited about you.

15. Get yourself organized

This is a really important thing. Ensure that you organize your university life and your work life.

16. Your university life

Make sure that you know where all your money is coming from, if it is coming from grants and scholarships, from sources of income like teaching or a stipend. Ensure you know how much money you are running out of each month. Make sure that you know what your deadlines are.

17. Your work life

Make sure that you know what your deadlines are. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in a project. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in a presentation.

Make sure that you understand what is expected of you. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in delivery. Make sure that you know what is expected of you in a meeting.

I know this was a short blog post, but I would like to lay down some guidelines if you like. I hope this article has been helpful.

Bottom Line

As a Ph.D. student, there are several things that you’ll learn. In this blog post, I have outlined 17 of the most important things you’ll experience as a Ph.D. student. These 17 things will teach you about yourself and help you grow. I hope this blog post has helped you better understand what a Ph.D. student is like!

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