Pursuing a PhD? Questions to decide if a PhD is for you

Pursuing a PhD

Pursuing a PhD or a job is always a question you might ask yourself at some point in your academic career. Let us create a scenario in which we shall use a very enthusiastic young researcher that is in the process of finalizing an undergraduate or master’s project. You are utterly thrilled at the prospect of being part and parcel of a marvellous world of scientific exploitation. All the projects that you have been involved in are going well so far, and you feel that you want to continue with your study; you are, however, not very confident if it is an excellent idea to pursue your Ph.D. Many of us have been in this position, and always wonder what the next big step in our lives should entail. We always try and find if it is a good reason to pursue a Ph.D. or a job.

In an era where undergraduate programs that take students 4 years to complete seem to be diminishing in value, most people are slowly starting to appreciate the purpose of doing Ph.D. related courses. If you are the kind of person that dreams of achieving academic prowess at the highest level, then this will most definitely be an appealing prospect to you. The challenge comes in taking all the steps and finally getting to your Ph.D. Most individuals feel that the pressure can be too much and decide to stop at the doctorate level. However, some people possess the mental ability and strength to go ahead and pursue their Ph.D. As much as it is difficult, I am convinced that having a strong desire to get it done will propel you there, and you will gain total satisfaction knowing that you are now a qualified professional.

If you look at the prospect logically and compare notes with other people that have had the pleasure to complete their PhDs, you will realize that this s not a comfortable journey. Statistics indicate that the number of people who are actually getting this accolade is an on-time rise even though academia related jobs are on an all-time low. Newly graduated professionals are not scoring positions in the field of academia as much as they used to. This may probably be a frustrating thing given the hours and years that individuals put into achieving their degrees.

Pursuing a PhD
Are you thinking about pursuing a PhD? Time to ask some honest questions to see if it’s a good fit for you.

Additionally, attaining that doctorate and pushing to the next level is not an easy task. Individuals in the UK are lucky enough that they can achieve theirs after 4 years unlike students that plan on doing a Ph.D. abroad. Other countries like the US and Canada are different, and you will be forced to toil for 7 of 8 years to complete your Ph.D. If we delve too much into the details of the time and sweat required, we may lose the entire purpose of the article. This is a significant decision to make and should be anchored on cogent reasons. You need to actually think so much about it and in the most critical way. To help you make a sagacious and long-term decision, I have come up with a few significant pointers that, if you follow, you may just make the right decision concerning your Ph.D. Let us get directly to it and explore the tips.

Do you want to do a PhD? Think about these questions. Employ these steps and answer the questions to see if this is the best path for you.

1.     Do you really need the doctorate in your future endeavours and career development?

Have you taken a chance to explore the opportunities that may exist for you before taking up the challenge? Have you ever thought of the reasons not to do Ph.D.? If your primary drive is not in the world of academia, you may not need to actually pursue your Ph.D. Many people never really appreciate this until they are halfway through, which can be quite frustrating. It is always really imperative to understand the reason why you are doing a Ph.D. in the first place. Conduct thorough research on what you plan to do in your future and leave no page unturned in your investigation. After all, it is your life that we are talking about, and you really need to make the most objective decision in this part of your life. Always know what your job options are in the future and just establish if a Ph.D. is really useful.

2.     Are you excited about the project? Are you passionate about the subject to spend 4-5 years on it day and night?

Like all other aspects of the study, it will be challenging if you decide to pursue something that does not trigger your interest. Since it is not so obvious what your interests are, it is always good to consider this before you embark on this journey. You need to take into consideration what you will be required to do an approach it with all your mind-power. You also need to consider how to do Ph.D. research and exactly what it will entail. If you find this prospect exciting, then this is the right path for you. If not, well then, take into consideration the time that you will spend in undertakings that do not excite you.

3.     Will you be comfortable working on the details of your Ph.D.?

In the process of your course, you will most likely be forced to take on tasks that you will need to handle on your own on a daily basis. To attain this, you need to establish whatever will be involved and prepare yourself psychologically. Many experiments are engaged during your course, and you really need to think about it prior to starting the course. In case you are working whilst doing a Ph.D., you can face very many challenges especially in regards of time. The life of many doctorate students is very lonely and is mainly spent in the labs and is seemingly not for the extroverted kind of personalities. For people that are doing Ph.D. at 40, it is even more difficult given the challenges that come with age.

4.     Can you relate well with your supervisor?

Many individuals will clearly tell you that this is the most critical question that you need to ask. It will ultimately affect your Ph.D. student lifestyle. Many individuals have had bad experiences owing to the fact that they were not able to relate well with their supervisors. This is an individual that can ultimately determine your success and failure, and you need to ensure that you and he are on the same page. You can always try and consult other people regarding the personality of your supervisor to determine if you will be able to get along.

5.     What is your response to failure?

As you pursue your doctorate, you will get the opportunity to learn that failure is part and parcel of any scientific work. As your part of your Ph.D. degree requirements, you always need to brace yourself for imperfections. You can make great plans, make perfect calculations, and use all the error reduction methods available, you may find a Ph.D. almost easy to complete. However, things never always work out as you may expect them to. You need to consider this fact and ensure that you are a person that can handle failure in a positive way.

Take your time to answer these questions and consider if you are capable of taking up a doctorate. As great as it may be to achieve this high accolade, it may not be for you and may eventually frustrate you. It is not always about the job that you may get! You need to consider your suitability for the program and ensure that it is meant for you before you embark on this journey.

Doing a PhD? It’s okay to hire consultants.

PhD candidates traditionally work on jobs while they study on their PhD. Whether you have a full time office job gaining industry experience, managing a team and owning a project, or you’re a teaching assistant, or part time academics, you may need help with your PhD. That’s why in the last few years, there is a considerable increase among doctoral candidates around the world to turn to custom writing services companies to get assistance with their PhD studies. It can be anything like proposal writing, the actual research or the final editing.

As you get older, you will have more responsibility either with career or family. Therefore, lack of time could become a real issue in actually finishing your PhD research. That’s why, it is quite common that many people drop their studies halfway through to join back to their career. We understand your effort, time and money you spend on every single semester studying your PhD. And this is still apart from the sacrifices you do financially or lifestyle wise (like working on evening or spending less time with your child). It would be an unfortunate event if any student doesn’t graduate at any level. This is where Peachy Essay and our services come in. We understand the complexity of the situation; and we are here to get it done.

We offer a wide range of Ph.D. services in any subject. There will be a dedicated PhD consultant along your side helping you in every step of your PhD journey. If you are looking to start a PhD or already a doctoral candidate, it’s worth to check out here:
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