8. PhD Survival Guide: Top Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier

If you are still working towards your PhD degree, this episode is for you!

In this week's episode, we dive deep into the challenges and opportunities facing early PhD students. From navigating idea generation to building key connections, Henrique and Rohan share their personal stories and advice for surviving and thriving as a beginner in academia. We discussed the messy behind-the-scenes struggles most students face but rarely discuss out loud. We talked about the importance of invest in yourself and be patient. How to deal with peer pressure and sometime self-pressure.

I wished I could hear discussions like this when I started my PhD journey and I hope you find it helpful too.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:13 - Rohan: The challenge of early PhD years - Being patient with yourself
• 6:25 - Henrique: How to deal peer pressure and/or self-imposed pressure
• 21:30 - When to build vs when to buy
• 27:40 - Celebrating small wins and taking all the help you can early on
• 34:10 - Ding's two stories on asking questions and reaching out to people
• 40:01 - How to keep oneself motivated.
• 44:49 - Pair up with peers in your field
• 49:03 - The Ira Glass quote on creativity and taste
• 51:00 - Project timelines across subfields

Leave a comment in the youtube video or email me at ding@dingzeyu.li