by nurazaliah | Apr 1, 2018 | PhD
Original article from ScienceMag
http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2017/01/how-handle-grad-school-doubts
By Maggie KuoJan. 23, 2017 , 12:00 PM
Maybe your experiments for your Ph.D. project haven’t panned out this week—or this month, or even this year. Maybe you feel like you’re spending long hours in the lab but not making an important contribution. Perhaps the frustration you see among postdocs trying to figure out their next career steps is making you question the degree’s ultimate value. Or maybe seeing your nonstudent friends bring in salaries far above your stipend and move up in the corporate world has you wondering whether pursuing a Ph.D. is holding you back.
For many, frustration, burnout, and uncertainty are typical parts of the growing pains of getting a Ph.D. (and simply of being in your 20s and 30s). And many scientists have wrestled with feelings like these and gone on to complete their doctorates and establish successful careers. But for some, these concerns may hint at something deeper: Maybe getting a Ph.D. just isn’t the right call for you.
If you find yourself struggling with these kinds of feelings, you need to figure out which camp you fall into so that you can decide whether you should keep pushing forward or seriously consider exit options. The process is tough. But regardless of what you ultimately choose, putting time and thought into these difficult questions will help you move forward with purpose and confidence.
Assessing your options
Angst is a common part of the Ph.D. training process for many students, and it has been for years. Mary Ellen Lane, associate dean for curriculum and academic affairs at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, says that the anxieties she hears from current Ph.D. students are similar to the concerns she and her peers had as cell biology doctoral students in the late 80s and early 90s.
To figure out whether you can categorize your feelings as “that’s normal” or “this is about something more,” you need to talk to people, career counselors advise. Talking to your peers, students ahead of you, and people who have earned doctorates in your discipline can help you realize that many others—including those who have successfully completed their degrees and moved on to satisfying careers—have had similar thoughts at one point or another. “It’s not just you,” says Anna Ballew O’Connell, director of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has advised graduate students for the past 10 years. “Everyone has trouble communicating with their PI; everyone feels that their experiments aren’t working and wonders if they’re good enough.” For some, knowing that doubts are natural may be just what they need to quell their uncertainties and confirm that they want to continue with their Ph.D. plans.
But if knowing that struggling is normal doesn’t calm your anxieties, or if the high points of research haven’t outweighed the failures and rejections, reflecting on the value of the Ph.D. for your career and life goals can help you critically evaluate whether pursuing a doctorate is time well spent, career counselors say. Think deeply about what you really want to do with your career, and whether you need the Ph.D. to do it.
In some fields, having a Ph.D. will give you greater opportunities for career advancement; in others, the degree doesn’t matter as much. If you want a career doing research, for example, you’ll climb higher with the Ph.D., says Lane, who was a biochemistry and cell biology professor at Rice University earlier in her career. If you see yourself leaving the lab in the future, the calculation is different. Over her 14 years of providing career advice, Lane has seen many students who wanted to eventually move into nonresearch roles in industry, such as in business development or customer service. They were able to find jobs—and well-paying ones, she adds—without a Ph.D., and to use those first jobs as entry points. Informational interviews with people and employers in the fields that interest you can help you determine how necessary the Ph.D. is for entering and advancing.
Depending on your comfort level, expressing your concerns to your thesis adviser can also be helpful. Your adviser could provide reassurance that you’ve only hit a rough patch, or an honest discussion about your career goals could lead to negotiating a plan to finish your thesis so that you can graduate and move on.
In many cases, however, advisers themselves turn out to be the source of students’ doubts, or at least contributing factors. Frustration with an adviser due to, for example, conflicting expectations or working styles, or a student feeling that their progress is being held back by an unavailable adviser, is a common source of trouble that O’Connell and Lane help students address. Approaching your adviser in these instances can be awkward and tense, but it frequently resolves the issue. “I sometimes feel like two-thirds of the problems that are brought to me disappear with the first conversation between the student and the adviser,” Lane says.
In other cases, changing labs may be the solution. Doing so midway through your program may feel like a setback, but the fresh start has been the right fix for students who see value in the degree. And even though the research is new, it’s not really starting over. Many of the lessons and skills learned before the move will still be applicable in the new lab, and changing labs doesn’t necessarily lengthen a student’s time in the program by much.
If you aren’t comfortable reaching out to your adviser, consider turning to other university personnel—such as your program director or manager, a member of your thesis committee, or career counselors at your institution’s professional development office—who can offer advice and refer you to the resources you need to move forward. For instance, they may help connect you to other students who have gone through similar experiences or point you to on-campus activities, such as student clubs or internship opportunities, that can help you determine your next step. If you feel depressed or stressed, your university’s mental health counseling services is another important resource. Speaking to a counselor can help you figure out whether your Ph.D. studies are the primary contributing factor and strategize about how to handle those feelings.
Seeking career advice and counseling from various sources can be useful at any time, and throughout your training, O’Connell says. Having a support network is critical for weathering the trials of graduate school. But the tipping point for when you really need to see someone is when your work is affected. If you’re making more mistakes than usual, you’re avoiding going into lab, or your anxieties are causing such emotional distress that your sleep and relationships are impacted, for instance, it’s time to start making use of the resources your institution has to offer.
In the end, the goal of this self-reflection and information gathering is to come up with an action plan or put together options that you can choose between so that you come out of this period of doubt with resolve. Spending the time to do so will help you make an informed decision, not a reactionary one or the one that takes you down the path of least resistance. Regardless of the outcome, the important thing is that you’re intentionally choosing a path, Lane says. If you choose to stay, it’s because you’ve decided that you can build a better career if you get your degree and you are committed to finishing, not because you couldn’t find something else to do. And if you choose to go, it’s because you’re leaving the program to pursue something more worthwhile to you, not because you’re running away.
Deciding to leave
The decision to leave a Ph.D. program—even if you know that it’s the right move for you to pursue your ultimate career goals—can be emotionally fraught, O’Connell acknowledges. There’s a loss of identity, especially in students who have been planning to be Ph.D. scientists for many years. There’s also the feeling that you didn’t cut it, compounded by the feeling that the time you spent training to become a scientist might now be for nothing. Be kind to yourself as you’re dealing with these feelings and figuring out your next move, she advises. You also need to dispel the lingering what-ifs and mentally accept your decision, Lane says. “If every time something bad happens in your life and you’re looking back and saying ‘Oh, this wouldn’t have happened if I stayed in grad school,’ you’re not going to have a good life,” she says. “You make a decision that you’re not going to regret your choice.”
It’s also important to recognize that the time you spent in your Ph.D. program—and the effort you put into making a thoughtful decision about leaving—was not wasted. There’s a lot of value in figuring out what you want to do, O’Connell emphasizes. Plus, you’ve gained valuable skills and experience that are relevant beyond science and research, Lane says. By troubleshooting experiments, you’ve learned how to solve complex problems. From giving seminars, you know how to propose arguments and present information visually. You can work in teams, and take in and synthesize knowledge. “These are really transferable skills,” Lane underscores.
What matters in the end is you: The decision to leave was right for you. “It’s is a valid decision. The Ph.D. is not for everyone,” O’Connell says. Your time in the program “means you learned something about yourself, and you made an informed decision, and that is totally OK.”
by nurazaliah | Feb 23, 2018 | PhD
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.
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