Stepping into any senior year program is a daunting task; most specifically, if we talk about the PhD, it is obviously on the top of the list of complex tasks. However, there is nothing unfair because the more effort you put in today, the more relaxing life you will be living ahead with all the luxuries of this world.
Though at many points in the bumpy ride of reaching the end of a PhD program, you will think of quitting in the mid-way due to the emerging challenges coming your way. The most common and enormous challenges faced by the PhD students are listed below;
1- Stress
When entering the PhD degree program, students witness many things they haven’t experienced before. The large scale projects and a considerable amount of assignments come knocking on the student’s door. Though all the assignments are equally important for the PhD degree program, one needs to attend to all the tasks to carry academic grades. The pressure coming on the head regarding the daunting tasks makes the life of students disturbed. So, mental disorders start to occur. Academic stress is not easy to handle. Still, it is often manageable by lending help such as lending PhD Dissertation proposal help.
2- Isolation
This is the main drawback of getting into the PhD program. You will be primarily working on the big projects alone or with a few partners. Also, the long projects occupy the majority of your time. So you will have to miss out on all the fun, meeting your friends, going out for parties, performing sports, this all would not be possible with the lengthy assignments on the head. Though to say sane, it’s essential to balance the social and work life, but it is only achievable by a few students.
3- Risk of conflict between the supervisors
This is the common problem that most students face when opting for the PhD degree that the chances of conflict with the supervisors increase. This happens because the supervisors assigned on your head to view your assignments and give the feedback are sometimes your friends or the person from the same level. Therefore, it is difficult to accept and apply any changes when instructed by such a supervisor. This is the point where the majority of conflicts might take place.
4- Funding concerns
Paying for the entire PhD program might become a daunting task, as it needs a lot of investment because, in most countries, the PhD degree program is quite expensive. The students who get enrolled in such a program usually go for the funding to pay for their courses but still are concerned about the other expenses that occur in-between because the funding are only limited to the course fees. Still, you need to take charge of other emerging expense like when you feel the need to buy dissertation in mid of the degree program.
5- Time Management
The difficult task makes it impossible for the students to manage their time smartly. Sometimes they get a minimal amount of time to study, and sometimes their study occupies all the time. As a result, they get very little time to work on their curricular activities, which is also an essential part of student’s life. Remember that time management is critical to ace your PhD with good grades. Because since the time will be perfectly managed, you can work on the assignments with peace of mind.
6- Lack of support from the institutions
Every other institute has its own set of rules and phenomena’s. Many universities believe in providing the ultimate support to their students in acing their careers. They provide workable workshops, attractive sort courses and forever availability to assist the children. While on the other side, some universities do not offer any other support.
7- Doubt about the personal support
Getting support from educational institutions is not enough. Still, a student putting his immense efforts to work through the degree of PhD needs personal support, which is a collective word for friends and family and anyone close to student and become their support on the hour of need.
8- Comparison
This problem is self-created, which destructively affects a student’s life. When students compare themselves and their own performances from that of their colleagues and the batch mates makes them face depression by lacking behind. The stress of lacking behind and depression makes it difficult for the students to survive during their PhD program and work productively.
9- Concerns about future career
The students always have this thought in mind that what their career would look like when they invest their entire time in studying these years and not doing any job along with due to the lack of time. However, the students should not be concerned about it. After completing the PhD program, there will be gazillions of employment options knocking on their door.
10- Level of motivation
At every step in a PhD program, the students start feeling demotivated to take the next step due to the more complicated challenges waiting for them. The other reason for not being able to maintain the motivation level is due to the lengthiness of this degree program. (Sverdlik, A. et al).It is tough to invest at least 3 continuous years in completing such a complex ride. When things are not going in your favor, and you think about losing yourself and feeling the extent of demotivation, then you should consider taking a break in between. A single long break is not as effective as the short breaks in between are. The short breaks after every small interval fuel up your energy and help you stay motivated towards the work.
Conclusion
If you are already a PhD student and going through the problems mentioned earlier or think of getting yourself enrolled in the PhD program. These problems might seem a hurdle for you to cross, so close your eyes for a second and take a deep breath, and speak to yourself, “I CAN DO IT” with saying and repeating these words, the motivation inside you will be stagnant, and even the biggest hurdle in front of you will seem like a small one. Remember one thing, the PhD degree does not require you to work harder, but it requires working smarter. So, set an intelligent working strategy to reach the end of the PhD with a remarkable performance worthy of praise.
References:
Sverdlik, A., Hall, N. C., McAlpine, L., & Hubbard, K. (2018). The PhD experience: A review of the factors influencing doctoral students’ completion, achievement, and well-being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13(1), 361-388.
