What Do Most PhD Students Do Wrong That They Realize Later On?
The journey to a PhD is often filled with unforeseen challenges and unexpected realizations. While the doctoral process is designed to mold and educate individuals, some common mistakes can significantly hinder your progress and long-term success. Here, we will highlight the most critical issues faced by many PhD students and their long-term consequences.
1. Focusing Excessively on Initial Decisions
One of the biggest mistakes many PhD students make is spending too much time and effort deciding what to do at the outset of the program. The core of a PhD is not about the new knowledge that emerges but the learning to learn. This skill is crucial because it will benefit you throughout your professional career and beyond.
Initiating a new area of study and learning the specialized vocabulary required to participate in a unique field is a repetitive process in any professional career. Initiating these processes too cautiously can mislead you into thinking that you must have all the answers from the beginning. This premature quest for perfection often leads to paralysis and wasted time, ultimately hindering your progress.
2. The Brutal Enculturation Model
The academic silo, often referred to as a department or program, enforces normatives or standards that new members must meet. These standards are critical for collaborative research, but the rigid enculturation model can also breed complacency. Those who comply but lack capability can often pass through the system despite their lack of notable achievements.
Some compliant yet inept individuals receive support from their overseeing professors or graduate school leadership due to their inability to challenge the system. These students might pass their seminars, bake pies for lab meetings, or perform other assistive roles without contributing significantly to their field or scholarly community. They might ride out obsolete projects that were initiated by others years ago, leading to a PhD without the ability to stand on their own feet as a PI (Principal Investigator).
3. Pursuing PhDs in Misplaced Career Goals
PhD programs are designed to transform competent individuals into those capable of meeting departmental norms. While some good graduates eventually move to more industry-focused or international research arrangements, many do not. Instead, they return to their previous jobs, essentially wasting their time and skills.
Compliant PhD recipients often struggle to find meaningful employment outside academia, facing widespread job market mismatch. Working in low-paying, non-rewarding positions, such as teaching at charter schools, can be disheartening, as the advanced skills and knowledge gained during a PhD program are largely unused.
4. Success Through Boundaries and Breakthroughs vs. Compliance
Not all PhD students aim for the same level of professional success. Some, like my family member in nuclear chemistry, find fulfillment by advancing human knowledge and technology. However, others may opt for more community-oriented roles, like teaching Montessori preschool, which can be a noble pursuit but may not fully utilize a PhD's potential.
While teaching at a Montessori school can be enriching and rewarding, especially for those invested in early childhood education, this path does not always align with the skills and knowledge gained during a PhD program. These skills might be underutilized, leading to a sense of wasted potential.
In conclusion, while pursuing a PhD can be an invaluable experience, it is crucial to understand that the journey is not about initial perfection but about continuous learning and adaptation. Recognizing and addressing common mistakes can lead to a more fulfilling and successful academic and professional career.