Perspective

I think one of the difficult things about doing a PhD is keeping perspective. Your whole world revolves around your thesis, always your thesis. All you are thinking about is your thesis - for years. I fear, it is also some times the only thing that PhD-ers talk about. For instance, last night I was having a beer at the Beer House with a friend (well I was actually having some alcoholic version of cheap squeezey juice that was advertised as being the same as the experience of breaking on your bicycle and landing head first in hedgerows - I get overwhelmed with large menu decisions). We were discussing the colour of the decor, an innocent non-PhD topic, yet the conversation morphed into PowerPoint slide designs (entirely my fault, Em)... My laboured point is that the even when you aren't doing a PhD, you are thinking about it. 

Unfortunately, this makes PhD-ers a little self involved (disclaimer - that  is a massive generalisation all I can really attest to is that it makes me, as a PhD-er, a little self involved). When your fellow PhD-ers talk about troubles they are having, you are probably mentally thinking about how that could affect you, or whether it has any bearing on your own work. I have told many people (and STILL more EVERY week - how is that possible?) about having to resubmit and when one of those people is a PhD student, I can see in their eyes that all they are thinking is, "oh please don't let that happen to me", which is fair enough, I completely understand but still... similarly, when someone else is about to hand-in, amongst the "high-fives" and "congratulations" there is the "oh why isn't it me" yearning. 

We are frequently behind on general news items and getting really specialised in one direction frequently means you forget some of the more general concepts or under-graduate knowledge (or find that it was over-simplified and there are more exceptions to any rule than you realised). You are also probably more tentative about saying something confidently because you are all too aware of all the grey areas. The good news is that you are probably not dumber, you just feel dumber... Wait, is that good news?

This is from 'The Illustrated Guide to a PhD"

The thing is, in everything going on in the world, your PhD is just a small part of it, an important part of course, but since this is "Human Rights Day" weekend (in South Africa), I encourage a little perspective. Appreciate the fact that the PhD is the biggest problem in your world, because it is a luxury to be able to do a PhD. Get involved in your community, even if it is science open day type involvement. Listen to your friends. Listen to your family, and put YOUR PhD out of your mind when you do, because one day it will be over and you will still have to like yourself when it is and have people that want to (sincerely) "high-five"  you when it is your time to hand-in.



Disclaimer: I am unlikely to be practicing what I preach for the next bit. Unfortunately, I am on a little bit of a deadline, so please excuse me if I am COMPLETELY self-involved and obsessive/grumpy/cynical for the next little while. I really do still love you all...