This is solely my own personal experience in pursuing PhD and does not represent any organisation or other related parties.  

From PTM to PhD Candidates and…finally a PhD Holder

10 KEYS TO SUCCESS

1.            Family Support

Before embarks on a PhD journey, ensure that your family supports you.

Means:

You already figured out how to handle and operate your family while you are doing PhD

Get the blessing & permission from your spouse, mother, father

Inform your kids and siblings

My tips:

• Avoid informing the big family member (except the one that you can trust & feel comfortable with) as the more people know that you pursuing the Ph.D., more stress you will feel especially when they asking when are you going to finish.
• Do not state ‘I’m on study LEAVE.Saya tengah CUTI belajar’. The word LEAVE and CUTI have a bigger impact than study/belajar and end up people think that you are available 24/7/365 and you will be the one who runs the errands etc…yeah..because you’re on LEAVE right?

2.            Passionate Area of Focus

Pick a topic that you like and bearable …for at least 4 years

Means:

Ideally, before you start applying for PhD or be a PhD student, you should have a topic in mind (NOT A FINAL TITLE, BUT JUST A TOPIC) so from there, your supervisor can guide to the next direction and shape your IT OPERATIONAL thinking into an academic THEORETICAL thinking

My Tips:

• You should start read/get involved/do own research of your own interest when you are still working in the organization.
• This will provide you with a tremendous advantage when you are doing the PhD later, the people you involved in the IT project earlier, the professional certification that you gain while working, the ‘networking’ that you have established will be very useful in your study later. TRUST ME!

3.            Change of Mindset

Have a clear intention why you study.  Be mentally prepared to become the student again. And this time MATURED STUDENT

Means:

You must set your mind that you are now in knowledge seeking journey.  Every money spend is for you to study, not to relax.

If you are a boss in your workplace, now you have no post at all. You are at the lowest rank in the university.  Be humble and keep your job grade, age, distinction elsewhere

Change your way of thinking too.  Most of the PTM think for solving a project and visualize a running prototype as the end product of PhD.  Not necessarily in PhD.  You must be able to think deeper than that. Something abstract and sometimes the product is not tangible at all.  But it is still worth a PhD because you have acquired a new knowledge in that area.

My Tips:

• Do you PhD because you want to seek the knowledge of Allah (‘Kerana Tuhan Untuk Manusia’).  If you intend to further study just because you want to break free from a day job and have a long leave, please forget about it.  Your study journey won’t be blessed and as smooth as you expect. Trust me!
• Meet and seek advice from PTM that has been and is in this Ph.D. journey.  Ask what is their Ph.D. all about and what is the end result and the contribution/significant of the research.  Then you will have a clear expectation of PhD
• Make as many friends as you can during your university years. This includes your Ph.D. friends from your faculty or other faculties too.
• Also get to know and be nice to all the academician and admin staff in your faculty.  Your life in University will be merrier and easier by knowing them.

4.            Time

Be very selfish of your time.  Every second is precious, do not wait until you are ready.

Means:

Make sure in the first semester you study you have the Gantt chart of whole Ph.D. process (at least in general).  Make sure you put it somewhere that you can see it every day.  Make a habit to schedule everything in google calendar/ical etc. Not just your Ph.D. study, but also your spouse’s important events/outstation, your kids’ activities, your family activities (be selective and only the important one).  So you must plan ahead how can you achieve the Ph.D. deadline without abandoning your family.

My Tips:

• I make my Gantt Chart as my notebook wallpaper and consistently update it.  I sync my google calendar with my husband so he knows all my study activities
• Be selective in time you spend.  Choose only those benefits to your study and family.  Some habits/hobby need to cut off
• Limit your ‘co-curricular activities’…concentrate more on curricular=PhD Study
• As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, do plan your family matters wisely.
• If you do not have maid or helper, don’t expect to keep your house clean and sleek as those good old days.  For these three years of  Ph.D: Do cook simple meal (save lots of your time in preparation and shopping), only throw a feast on special occasion, clean house as usual but no need to be too squeaky clean, opt for minimalist solution (attire, food, handbag, shoes, make up) Its really rescue you from lots of hassle.

5.            Stress Management

Please manage and alert the symptom of stress.  If you feel so, seek help.  Again do NOT start a PhD if you’re not in stable mode (e.g mental, health, money, family).

Means:

PhD is like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes you feel happy, sometimes stress, sad, angry, mad, frustrated.  So you must have strong mental and physical to face it.  Take care of your health and your emotion. It is not worthy to get sick or fight in the family just because of the PhD problem (sometimes you not even notice it).

My Tips:

• Go for vacation.  With family members, with kids, with friends or just re-honeymoon again and again. Then you will come back with a fresh mind.  My case, every semester I presented my paper in conference overseas, and it also an excuse for a holiday too
• Find a hobby that can calm you but not taking too much of your precious time.  I enjoy my stress-free time watching movies. (Only one movie at a time. Pick only the best movie)-Avoid following the drama series (you can get carried away with that and take most of your precious time)
• Pray a lot.  Pray hard, Pray consistently, Pray on time
• Recite Quran everyday-Solat Taubat, Solat Hajat, Solat Dhuha
• Do lots of good deeds and be generous. You always feel calm
• Always believe there is always light at the end of the tunnel

6.            Self-Discipline

You must have strict self-discipline in doing PhD

Means:

In the first year, motivation will drive your Ph.D. progress

But in the second, third year and so on…only self-discipline will ensure you make a progress in PhD

My Tips:

• Always keep a log book.  Write everything related to your Ph.D. Ideally just a book (hardcover).  Start with semester 1 and so on. Keep the book and always refer to it.  Your discussion, your accomplishment, your idea, others idea, to do list.
• Plan your Ph.D. work (the details) once a week…and stick to it.
• Have a dedicated workspace/corner/study area for your Ph.D. work

7.            Technological Readiness

Master all research tools, a research database of your university and other research sites

Means:

Please have good skills with:

MS Words (headings, table of content/navigation/drawing figure etc)

Bibliography apps: Endnote/Mendeley

Graphical apps (if needed): Visio etc

MS Powerpoint: good design in slides, tips, and tricks while handling the slide during a presentation

Atlast.ti/Nvivo: Tools for qualitative analysis and fast track of writing the literature review (I go for Atlas.ti because it is cheaper)

SPSS, SEM AMOS/PLS: tools for quantitative analysis…depending on which analysis you adopt in the research

FB DSG, google scholar, research gate, linkedin, academia

All databases subscribed by your university-must know how to use it. (Ask the librarian for demo)

My Tips:

• PTM has the advantage of ‘celik IT’, so it is better to explore the apps on your own and there is a lot of online guide over the internet.
• Attend and pay for training at a higher level or advanced class only.  Unless it is free, do attend it even though it is basic and make sure to ask lots of questions.

8.            Love of Reading and Writing

PhD require lots of reading and writing

Means:

You MUST LOVE READING and WRITING.

Read articles in your own area (your area domain/your area specialization/your PhD is solving)

Read articles on research methodology (overall paradigm, strategies, methods (QUAL & QUAN)à the data collectionàthe data analysis)

Read articles related to the chosen theories (theories and the origin of the theory)

Read other theses too (in your area and other areas that related to your study)

Make sure by end of sem 2, you have master the foundation of your area.

Make sure by sem 3, you have the knowledge of all the main research method and how to conduct it and who are the Gurus of that method.

Start writing early, Chapter 1,2,3 at least. Don’t worry and feel frustrated because the content will always be changed. But! Do not scrap the old version of the writing because you might want to use it again in the future.

My Tips:

• I organize my articles according to the theme and area.  Always rename your articles file. Use Mendeley auto rename facility.  Do not do it manually as Mendeley can rename as many files as possible according to keys selected. (Author_year_title.pdf)
• I put a target on how many articles I must complete in a week/day. At least 5 a day/ 35 a week/ 140 a month
• I summarise the related articles in a matrix table (just using MS words and draw the table/or can use MS Excel)
• I save my writing file as thesis_yymmdd.docx (thesis_20170125) and so on
• Don’t be afraid and hesitate to write a paper.  Start as early as Sem 1 or 2 if possible and make sure you present it in a conference and get it published.

9.            Ability to Handle Criticism

Be open and be ready to accept critics

Means:

Critics are good. It means people are interested in your work.  They only critics your work, not you as a person. So do not feel down or sad too much. Accept the critics.  Filter and select only the one that is applicable to your study and try to employ it in your research

My Tips:

• I am really looking forward to getting the critics.  Both good critics or bad critics are valuable to me.
• Moreover, my area of research is new in Malaysia and my supervisor also does not have much knowledge in it. So I have meet many experts, get their view, attend and present in many conference and have a fruitful discussion with so many people.
• Be humble and opens to critiques. The opinions are really worthy for your study and you always gain more skill in communication.
• Plus, it makes you become mentally stronger than ever.  Advantage, you also can handle viva superbly.

10.         Compatibility with Supervisor(s) and university

Get to know your supervisor and university inside out.

Means:

Do a comparison and study each university, faculties, and supervisors in your area of interest.  Check the study mode, rules and regulation, area, facilities, environment, expertise…and choose the one that suit your area and your life at best.

My Tips:

• Please choose a university that has a suit you best.  The location (either you want to be in the city or away from others), the distance from your home (as long within the same state OR maximum normal driving time (one way ) is not more than 1 hour, it is consider OK), check the uni regulations (thesis language), the convocation, the rules to submit the thesis (journals and the ranks etc).
• If possible get to know your potential supervisor, have a discussion and select the one that you can suit best.  Also, pray hard May Allah to provide you with the best SV for you.
• SV is your Guru and boss, always understand and respect your SV.  Keberkatan dan doa restu guru amat penting dlm menuntut  ilmu.  Jangan sakiti hati guru.  Sentiasa jaga air muka guru.
• If you have some other opinions which is against your supervisor view, do listen to what SV said first, then you explain and justify yours. And keep on discussing until both are clarified.
• Do not hold any grunge against your SV.  If you are sincere in a study, insha allah Allah will ease the way.