Should I pursue a PhD or not?

Over the next couple of blogposts, I will be discussing the process of applying for a PhD programme and sharing from my experience. However, let’s first of all talk about whether a PhD is worth pursuing or not. Pursuing a PhD does sound like a nice idea. People tend to respect those who have PhDs. Being called Dr. So-and-So is nice except when there is a medical emergency. However, if you talk to anyone who has completed a PhD or is currently working on one, they will probably tell you that it’s been a gruelling process. Hence, you should probably think carefully about it before deciding to pursue a PhD.

After I finished my undergraduate degree, I spent two years out of school pursuing various things including teaching math to secondary school students and learning how to cook French and Guadeloupean cuisine. During this period, as I reflected on what career path I would like to pursue, I realized that I would like to pursue a career that allowed me to combine teaching with research and writing. Academia beckoned to me. My PhD journey has been full of ups and downs but because my decision to pursue a PhD was backed by strong reasons, I still feel like I am on the right path even during the valleys.

How do you decide whether a PhD is for you or not? Here are some things to think about:

1. It is important to understand that a PhD is very different from undergraduate and Master’s Programmes: In undergraduate and Master’s programmes, the focus of your educational experience is largely on learning what is already known. In a PhD programme, you are expected to create new knowledge and add something new to what is already known. As a PhD student, you are charting an uncharted path which can be terrifying at times. You also have to learn a lot of things on your own.

2. Talk To PhD students and those who have completed a PhD: There is nothing like learning about the experiences of people who have experienced something before jumping into it. It should give you an unvarnished perspective of the PhD process.

3. Take some time between undergraduate and postgraduate studies: When I was an undergraduate student, I remember one of my Teaching Fellows mentioning that she had noticed that people who had entered into her PhD programme straight out of undergraduate were more likely to get jaded and drop out during the PhD process compared to those who had not. After hearing this, I decided not to apply to enter into PhD programmes immediately and I am glad that I did. The break between my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees allowed me to pursue other things and reflect on whether a PhD was for me or not.

4. Get some research experience during your undergraduate, master’s degree or some other way: This is a good way to find out whether you like the research process which is largely what the PhD is about. While I found writing my undergraduate and master’s thesis challenging in some ways, I generally enjoyed the research process and felt that it was something that I would like to do in the future guiding my decision to pursue a PhD.

5. Have a good sense of what area of research you would like to pursue during the PhD: You’ll hear certain people say you have to be very passionate about an area of study before you pursue a PhD. I think that is helpful but not necessary. However, you should be interested enough in the subject to be able to bear thinking about little else other than it during the 3 to 7 years that you will be pursuing your PhD. I knew that I was interested in pursuing research related to human capital development and economic development and that guided my decision to apply to a PhD programme.