When one embarks on the doctoral journey, they are not thinking about PhD problems. Most PhD students are just excited about being able to develop deeper insights into a subject they are passionate about and consequently acquiring a doctorate. That being said, it’s also quite common for this initial excitement to dissolve into feelings of anxiety and inadequacy. While some students try and build upon their existing research skills, many find themselves ill-equipped to deal with the varied PhD problems that they encounter along the way. Here, we discuss these common PhD problems and throw some light on how to address them effectively.
Among the most recurring issues that PhD students or even early career researchers face is feeling isolated, battling extreme stress, discovering they may have chosen a wrong topic, or facing compatibility issues with assigned supervisors. Then there are other PhD problems like learning how to manage time effectively in order to undertake extensive reading, analysis, and research but also write their PhD thesis. Knowing that you are not the only one grappling with these challenges can be comforting. Reading about the PhD problems and understanding how to overcome them is a great first step if you have just begun your journey to a PhD degree or are considering starting one.
Being lulled into false complacency. It usually takes 3-4 years till one obtains a PhD degree, and the assumption that many make is that there is sufficient time at hand to complete all that needs to be done. However, this complacency can be dangerous. Time management is a crucial element of the PhD process, and it’s a good idea to have a timetable for yourself that factors in weekly, monthly, or quarterly tasks with deadlines. This will be helpful to ensure an early start to the literature review process and clarifying one’s hypothesis or problem statement. As one proceeds on their PhD journey, there may be numerous unplanned assignments related to your study that can crop up, so be sure to allot sufficient time and flexibility for these as you create a timetable.
Feeling isolated is not uncommon. In fact, this is one of the most common problems that students face in the early phase of their PhD. Research, reading, and writing is usually a solitary task and as days progress a sense of isolation sets in; this can be unnerving. To offset this, try and actively engage with peers and close associates and begin networking through study groups. It can also be beneficial to take a break when possible to pursue your hobbies or simply spend time to reflect; this may help cheer things up and alleviate the stress.
Struggling to cope with a deluge of information. A swelling sea of knowledge exists on the internet today, with many resources for researchers being available in the digital format. Sorting through this information overload to find and read articles that are relevant and related to your research is one of the top PhD problems. In fact, this is a recurring issue throughout one’s research career. Students and researchers often spend several hours a week on research discovery and reading, but there is a way to make this more productive. AI-driven apps like R Discovery address these problems of PhD students by using your preferred areas of interest to curate a personalized reading library for you. With daily reading suggestions, smart summaries, sync with reference managers and a host of other smart features, this free app helps PhD students and researchers optimize their reading.
Doubting the choice of topic for your PhD. You’re likely to face hurdles or feel blocked when working on your research topic. This may cause you to question if the research topic you have chosen for your PhD degree is the right one. In fact, this is quite a common question among students and researchers and should not faze you. Instead of giving up, take time to connect with peers and other experts and get their perspectives on the topic. Brainstorming with them helps to boost your confidence and learn new perspectives or facets that you may have missed. Knowing more about what work other students or researcher communities are doing in the field or related to the topic you are pursuing can help reiterate your confidence in your choice or tweak your approach to produce more substantial research.
Tackling issues with PhD supervisors. A prominent part of the doctoral journey, it is important that every PhD student-supervisor relationship be one of support and mutual respect, which adds value to the topic of research. Building a good working relationship with PhD supervisors is critical for PhD students, who must know how to carefully balance and manage any differences in opinion. Spending time to understand and appreciate differing perspectives can eliminate any potential PhD problems with the supervisor. Always keep your supervisor in the loop regarding your progress even if he/she does not reply immediately. Keeping a conversation going is critical as it shows that you are investing precious time and resources to complete your thesis and research work.
Creating a well-written and structured thesis. Many PhD students are new to academic writing, and the process of creating a well-written and logically structured thesis is often a challenging one. An unfamiliarity with academic writing conventions and poor language can wreak havoc on attempts to effectively showcase your research in the form of a high-quality PhD thesis. Today, there are AI writing assistants that can help you overcome this common problem for PhD students. While there are many options online, remember to choose a tool that is designed for researchers and can provide comprehensive language and grammar checks as well as the more technical checks required before submission.
Students and researchers have a lot on their plate in terms of workload and deadlines, and dealing with these challenges can seem overwhelming. Take heart in the fact that you’re not alone in this struggle and look to smart tools to overcome some of the above mentioned issues and problems faced by PhD students and researchers.
