Fearful of taking up a Ph.D.? Here are 5 myths about it you need to dispel right now

The pursuit of education goes on till you transcend the boundaries of academics and contribute your original thoughts to society, in other words – a Ph.D. But several aspirants are skeptical about investing their precious years in writing a post-doctoral thesis and defending it after.

The root cause of this skepticism lies in the fact that there are many widespread rumors about Ph.D. If you are someone who has come across some incredulous, insurmountable information about it then chances are that you too have come across a myth. But don’t you worry; in this article, we are going to be debunking myths about Ph.D. and establishing the underlying fact.

1. Spending long hours in the lab
   This one has to come from the movies! It is a myth that while pursuing your Ph.D. you will have to live in the lab. Of course, there is going to be research work and lab assignments but that does not mean that you have to spend your life in a lab. You should ask your favorite professor about how they finished their Ph.D., they will recount those days fondly.

   Similarly, even if you pursue your Ph.D. diligently, you will still have time to lead a fulfilled life and go out with friends and loved ones. And if your seniors are telling you stories about how cramped your schedule is going to be, chances are that they are just messing around with you!

2. You need superior genius-level intellect to get a PhD

   Writing a post-doctoral thesis does require a tremendous amount of creativity, intellect, and research work. But it also requires planning to accomplish all of that. And planning is the one thing that you need to get right, all others will follow suit. Pursuing a Ph.D. also requires the ability to be able to stop thinking when the time comes.

   If you are obsessed with a difficult task, you are likely to make it all the more difficult. You don’t need to be an era transcending genius to get a Ph.D.; all you need is proper planning and the ability to work with sincerity.

3. Your supervisor is your overlord

   Remember, you are not in school anymore. You are working to become an independent researcher and you need to approach your task as such. Your supervisor is there only in the role of a guide and you should treat him/her as such. Try to show initiative when it comes to finishing assignments and completing projects.

   Approach your supervisor only when you require guidance or you have completed some assignment and have results to show. In the long run, when you have completed your thesis and obtained your doctorate, you will be thankful that you had this independent approach to your work.

4. A Ph.D. means that you have to know absolutely everything

   No, that is not true. Education is a lifelong endeavor and there is no point at which you know everything about your field. There are always new things, concepts being added to a topic. Having a Ph.D. means that you have mastered all skills required to attain a doctorate.

   All your education up to that point was making you ready for it, once you enroll in a Ph.D. course you will have time enough to fill up any gaps that you think you have in your knowledge. You will have a good few years in front of you to raise yourself to the standard that you think you should be at.

5. Publishing papers is for those who have finished their research

   Again, it is a false statement. You don’t need to have completed your research to talk about what you are working on. As long as you have spent some amount of time on your project and done some research on it, you can travel to conferences and talk about it. Traveling to conferences is always a good idea as you get to meet other researchers who might be able to add to your field or provide a spark of creativity.

   As long as the world keeps moving forward, there will never be a stopping point for researchers. So don’t beat yourself up if you are a little behind on your thesis or if you are still to find any positive result from your research. When it comes to a Ph.D., everything goes.