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I decided to go for a PhD, what should I have in mind?
The decision to invest in a PhD should be thought through at length. It is not just a matter of 3 (or far more years) of exclusive dedication to one area of study, but a choice that will affect the whole life of the future doctoral candidate. Many hours of research and study, preparation of articles for journals and congresses, networking, not to mention peer pressure, university and supervisor’s pressure for the delivery of results and ultimately the thesis and own pressure to keep up with everything.
“It is preparing for a long project that is very different to any academic work done before”, explains Alicia Peña Bizama, Life Tools Programme Manager at the University of Reading. Psychological problems aren’t uncommon, actually the risks of developing common psychiatric disorders is very high — it’s no surprise that evasion rates are also high.
The postulant to the doctorate must have in mind some things before starting the
Endeavour but, above all, says NUS Post Graduate Representative David Evans, one “come into PhD research with realistic expectations”.
- Prepare yourself psychologically
Keep in mind that you will spend many hours pasted to books, computers, in meetings with the supervisor or even in laboratories, interviewing people, analysing…
