PHD IS A LONELY JOURNEY

"PhD is a lonely journey, others may walk it with you, BUT nobody can walk it for you"

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Have you ever heard this before?

Yes, this is the situation that you have to face for all Phd students. Eventhough you have a good friends and familes that always give their full support along your phd journey, BUT you still feel lonely in your journey to get your scroll. In your journey to get your "Dr"

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Why this should happen?

Phd is a journey about you and your research. Your research will give a new contribution to the knowledge in your area. Your research is yours. Only you will understand your research. Not even you supervisor, family and friends. Its only you understand it well.

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Yes, i admit, even though you have a good support system during your phd journey, who always understand you....BUT to finish this journey, you have to finish it by yourself. If we are blur or stuck, yes we can seek their opinion. And yes, maybe one of them can be a good advisor to you, But they will not help you in your research 100%. Because they will not understand 100% about your research. And..oh! Even though they are understand it and you trust them, but the fact is still NOT. Because you have also consider either their philosophy is same with you. It not, how they want to drive you in the same way with you?

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Phd is very complicated. Its not depends on how clever you are, BUT how clever you are to manage and control yourself in order to achieve the success that you want. Thats why, the meaning behind success is sacrifice, tears, survive and blood. You have to sacrifice everything! Families and money absolutely.

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How you want to beat your loneliness during your phd journey?

1. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy with your research. If you are not feel so, you have try to find the answer for this question : "Why I want to do this research?"

If you have enthusiasm towards your research, you will reduces the level of loneliness in yourself.

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2. Reward yourself. Dont over focus. Sometimes we want to catch up the due date. But, dot forget about yourself too. If you dont this, i am worried, one day you will burnt out with your own research. Go shopping, movies, hang out with friend, do what ever you like as long as you can reward yourself and soon after that you can back to your research with more energetic.

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3. Always discuss with your supervisor. Why he/she be a supervisor? Because he/she have a phd experience before you. With he/she experience, he/she can advice you about the shoud and shouldnt that you have to do during your phd.

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4. And, the last but not least, dont keep your research too secret. Tell everyone about your research. That what attend conference and seminar also good for you to networking and communicate about your research. Dont have a feelings that someone one to copy your research. Sarcastic! Unless, he/she steal your tesis and copy one by one that you can say its "liar".

So, for those who want to start their Phd journey, welcome to the lonely world. Day by day, you will feel that, life is all depends on you. Feel it. Experience it.

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Sorry for the messy and "rojak" post. Sometimes, it is easy to write in english more than malay. Just do whatever you feel comfortable and happy right?

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Ok, back to my research mode now!