The struggles of a PhD Candidate
- TheStudentForLife
- Mar 7, 2021
- 3 min read
Regardless of the field, your age, etc, being a doctoral candidate is not an easy role. Between the time commitment, revisions, committees, conferences, you name it, it'll impact you in some way. Not to mention the being a year in of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the journey to becoming a doctor is not meant to be an easy one, so I'm here to talk about my struggles as a PhD candidate.
Literature Review
I'm not a big reader (never have been), and since I've been on this PhD journey, we know that the constant reading of potential supporting peer-reviewed journal articles and textbooks happens almost on the daily. For myself, working a full-time job which has it's days that mentally drain me, reading is the last thing on my mind. A lot of the time, I'm not able to focus on reading or reviewing if it's during the work week, but I am working to do better. Here's how I've been making it work for me:
Give myself a mental break for an hour or so.
Dedicate a set time to read literature and take notes. I use my iCal and a desk calendar that provides my daily breakdown, so I know what timeframes I am to step away and do something calming (I.e., walking Jade on the trails, sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine)
Within that dedicated time, remove all distractions. I tend to listen to Damien Escobar, a violinist, as I read or write and it helps me concentrate.
If it's a struggle, don't be hard on yourself. Step away and come back to it when you're mentally rested.
Committee Meetings
As a candidate, I stay in contact with my dissertation chair, and every few months I meet with my committee if I need to present. But I am also a member of the Black Doctoral Network committee to help plan networking events and review workshops. The multiple meetings can be exhausting, but they are so rewarding to see my dissertation progress, as well as the progress the BDN makes with its conferences and events. Luckily for me, my Chair, my committee, and my peers in the BDN all understand what comes with being a candidate and can understand the challenge in time commitment and exhaustion. So, in the situation where I feel completely exhausted or burnt out, I won't attend the meeting but will follow up. Don't beat your self up if you're emotional and mentally exhausted to do a meeting, many will understand. That's where the role of boundaries comes into play. Be sure to stick with them and stand your ground, your mental health and well-being is more important.
Late Nights and Early Mornings
Listen, I haven't had late nights and early mornings like I have while working on my dissertation since undergrad. Some days are good days, some are bad. There are moments where I break down and cry because I'm so exhausted and feel like it's never-ending. But then, I remember how my research will make an impact, how others are cheering for me and tell me how proud they are, so that's additional motivation that gets me through and helps m keep pushing. However, if I don't have the energy, I will give myself a day or night off and won't feel guilty about it. My rest is how I function properly, how handle my daily tasks at both jobs and complete them correctly and on time. So if you need rest, take it, even if it's a nap.
Exhaustion
Being an adult is exhausting enough, but when you throw in everything that comes with being a doctoral candidate, that's a whole different level of exhaustion. For those who have families, other commitments, I absolutely adore you, your drive, determination, focus and strength. I only have to worry about myself and my animals, but watching those with different circumstances than mine is absolutely admirable. However, I'm sure they have moments where everything can be too much and the exhaustion is REAL. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a day where you can step away to rest and recharge. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of the others you help or care about, or achieve the goals you've set for yourself.
I try to be as transparent as possible during my doctoral journey, but I hope this blog post provide some insight of my struggles as a doctoral candidate and realizations when handling them.
- Candace (@TheStudentForLife)
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