Reflections on My PhD Experience
/As I move closer to the last few months of my PhD journey, I can’t help but reflect on my overall experience as a graduate student. My journey has been filled with triumphs and of course some challenges; while this experience has been very rewarding, there are some minor things that I would have changed.
1. To take care of my overall wellness and health.
I can’t stress the importance of making sure you are putting your health as the number 1 priority. As a graduate student, there are of course time when you have essays due or have to run to a meeting. There were endless nights where I would work tirelessly on my comprehensive exams and proposal, making sure every detail was right. I would be a regular at the local Starbucks near my campus for my daily caffeine fix. I would fluctuate between either running on too little sleep or the complete opposite of wanting to oversleep, both were really bad options. Looking back I wish I took more time for my health. Some tips I suggest:
Go for walks. It is tempting to put in some serious hours in the library, but it can really help to distress if you just go for a brisk walk. My campus has a lot of beautiful greenery parks and benches just minutes away from the library. I would sometimes squeeze in a brisk walk as a break.
Make sure you have good sleeping patterns. I can’t stress the importance. Make a good routine and try to stick to it.
Eat and drink as healthy as possible. This is something that can be a struggle when you have endless food trucks, bars and coffee shops nearby.
Exercise! This is something I struggled with but now reflecting back on the last few years, I could have done better in this area. You need your body to be healthy, in return you will be overall less stress.
One of the drawbacks of graduate school is the competitive nature of it; we have to compete for grants, for jobs, for everything really. Nothing is guaranteed in the world of academia. You can work hours and days on a grant only for it to be denied. This is the nature of the job. This is something I struggled with and my self-esteem suffered because of it. This can really damper your experience and this negative energy is not at all productive. It is important to focus on your own journey and avoid any comparisons, this extra stress is not needed especially when doing the PhD itself is so demanding already.
Overall, this has been the most rewarding experience and I do not regret making the decision to pursue my PhD studies! I was full of doubts when I decided to accept my PhD offer, I was an elementary school teacher and I enjoyed my job. Pursuing my PhD made me realize that I can commit to something and finish it. To finish a PhD, you need something beyond the ability to write well and read, you need commitment. Commitment to get up and show up every day, even when all you want to is stay in your bed! Just remember to hang in there!
XOXO
Shukri
