Starting a Ph.D., This Might be Useful!

First of all, welcome to the club. Earning a Ph.D. degree is nothing but a training to churn you into a tougher and a smarter individual.  Been through the transformation, I credit it to be a phenomenal learning curve. After my experience, there were lessons learnt and this blog is a platform for a narration. I want to discuss certain essentials to help people do the roller-coaster ride which I completed in spite of terrible motion-sickness. I caution that the analogy of equating a Ph.D. program to a roller-coaster ride is only limited to ups and downs so please avoid looking for the speed here. Before even I attempt something like this, I should have a disclaimer. This blog is no recipe to earn a comfortable doctor title. These are thoughts recapitulated as I look back at my own personal stunt. This idea-assemblage is just based on a one off account (mine) and I won’t be surprised if it doesn't match opinions of many. However, I would appreciate to ensemble constructive comments and criticism from prospective readers.

Planning

Planning impacts lot of things that you end up with and a Ph.D. degree is no different. Plans can begin much earlier than you actually start the research program. For example, choosing a master thesis topic with a potential of being extended into a Ph.D. dissertation can easily leapfrog a candidate in front of others with little or no connection between their master’s and doctoral research. Other pre-planning decisions can vary from selecting an institution to applying for attractive funding and scholarships well ahead in time.  During the tenure, detail experiments, scheduling resources, vacations and personal time definitely help you reap rich rewards. Said all this, here comes the bitter truth, not everything goes according to the plan, so take care.

Enthusiasm

This persona aspect seems to be an indispensable part of some lucky souls. This breed in humanity is always upbeat and in turn the euphoria created give people unmatched benefits at the workplace. Examples include and are not limited to more interpersonal discussions, joint projects and brilliant ideas and tips from colleagues. I know enthusiasm if not from within is not easy to enact but keeping it back of the mind might just help.

Patience

Being persistent is a trait which I think is hardest to conquer. Even after completing a Ph.D., I am not even half enduring that I would like to be. I have been fortunate to meet very patient people who have always left me wondering and admiring. I know that advising people is easy, so playing a true opportunist I emphasize the importance of being patient. Though I myself realize, easier written than done!!!!

 

Research tourism

Well well well here comes the fun part of being a Ph.D. candidate. So part of a good wealthy institute, you should not miss any travel opportunity to learn good work and wonderful countries.  Networking, exposure and confidence building are some of the advantages people associate with research tourism. Other thing I want to discuss is the grants made available to young researchers at various scientific meetings. I myself was a proud grant holder at conferences in two different continents till the grant recipient meeting. Why only till the grant recipient meeting??? Because there I sniffed that the organizing committee still had money left to disburse!!!! Well I lost some self pride but have shared trend which can be utilized to your advantage. Successful grant applications not only add a line or two in our resume but also provide an opportunity to sell yourselves in the marketplace.

Document your sweat

Publishing papers, reports and preparing project documents is important to be in this business.  Imagining a reliable source available, you are sure to be overwhelmed by the amount of papers published in any field in a considerable time frame.  It is natural to be lost in sheer volume of data and claims people make in every new issue of every single journal. I feel if all the claims were directly applicable in the applied world then Mr. Branson rather than thinking of offering a guided trip to outer space should have been offering holiday homes on a far distant planet by now. Although the research publication volume is already colossal, it could be much higher if all the researchers were documenting their efforts intelligently. I have come across people with quality work but shy, lazy or not confident to send their work for review. Research in this case is self reviewed and disqualified for publication.  Avoid suffering from this syndrome. I have experienced that reviewer comments are beneficial even if the work doesn't match the journal standards and is rejected (I had so many of them, lost the count). Moreover, by documenting your research and sending it for review you learn what people actually want to read (this is a big secret that your boss might not know either). You should simply put your best effort and leave it for the learned world to judge. Following an iterative procedure you might converge on a much needed first publication. After this the road is relatively easy as you just learned the trick.

Boss handling and expectations

A kind boss is a luxury and a rare commodity accessible to very few and has numerous benefits difficult to list explicitly. If you are on the other side of the spectrum, you need to make things happen to be on the right foot with your boss. I say this because a bad equation with her has more chances of harming you rather than her personally. Let’s assume that you have a great boss possessing all qualities you desire and admire. However, boss might still be busy and it is absolutely normal for you to be the last person on her priority list. It is your duty to brief her regularly and keep her updated.  There is one big thing to remember here and that reads “IT IS MY Ph.D.”.  A burning aspiration to use your own brain and not becoming a paid slave is important. You are here to earn a degree rather than to collect a certificate by executing someone else’s instruction set. Please don’t even think of a spoon-fed baby diet to survive the day, if you need one, it is the right most indicator of being in the wrong trade. 

What next???

One dilemma that arises after a Ph.D. is about deciding upon the very important question of What Next? You need to decide what to do after you have accomplished this important milestone of being addressed with a doctor title. It is natural to have different wishes and aspirations like to stay in academia, work in the industry or to start something of your own. I insist here that planning again plays an important role and you should already start looking into options in the last year of research itself. This might not fetch you the desired objective but won't do any harm either.

Not a Bingo every time

With all the hard work you need to account for the luck factor besides intelligence and determination. If you are not getting the expected results, a well deserved break is highly advisable to replenish the energy levels. Make sure that any rough patch doesn’t impede you from enjoying somebody else’s success. Rather than sulking on personal failures, communicating with people and starting afresh with a much harder intent is really needed. With this never-to-die attitude there would be no prizes for guessing the host of a big bash to follow.

Some 1200 words are not sufficient to describe the experience and learning in great details. Here, I have only touched few minimums that a Ph.D. candidate can keep in mind. I am sure that all of us realize that things change with people and situations. Finally, you need best wishes and good luck to prove your mental strength and competence. Good Luck!