What do you think will be the most difficult aspect of being a doctoral student?

Isolation One of the most common problems for PhD students is the feeling of isolation. PhD candidates often work alone, having few, or sometimes no other people on their project, this while friends may be working in offices and in teams, enjoying a far more social side to the 9-5.

How hard is it to pass a PhD?

The PhD failure rate in the UK is 19.5\%, with 16.2\% of students leaving their PhD programme early, and 3.3\% of students failing their viva. 80.5\% of all students who enrol onto a PhD programme successfully complete it and are awarded a doctorate.

Do you feel like you are worthless as a PhD student?

Although at some point, many PhD students and postdocs will be made to feel like they are worthless, if this becomes a regular occurrence, it is time to take note. This may be combined with a feeling of guilt and worthlessness. It is important to remember your value as a PhD. Mistakes are normal.

What is PhD life like as a PhD student?

Life as a PhD student is not the same as life as an undergrad. You’re there for the academic experience, not for anything else. Don’t expect to be able to join clubs and have time to socialize or go to football games.

Is Your PhD taking a toll on your mental health?

This is the first indication that your PhD is taking a serious toll on your mental health. 2. Feeling hopeless, guilty, and worthless. Although at some point, many PhD students and postdocs will be made to feel like they are worthless, if this becomes a regular occurrence, it is time to take note.

Is it worth it to complete Your PhD on time?

It’s a win win for the institutions if you complete. To be fair, it costs an institution a lot of money for you to have the facilities to do your PhD, so completing on time allows them to get some of that expense back. It’s odd that most institutions ignore the mental health of PhD students given how much is at stake.