We Asked A PhD Student What It Really Takes To Get That ‘Dr’ Title
Because getting to call yourself "Doctor" would be beyond awesome.
Are you considering taking your higher education all the way to “Doctor” status, but aren’t sure if you’ve got what it takes?
To gain an insight into the process, we interviewed Ben MacLean-Rizkallah, a PhD student at Monash University. After over three years, he’s finally on the verge of submitting and completing his thesis.
Uni Junkee: For a bit of context, what is your PhD about?
Ben MacLean-Rizkallah: My PhD is in the field of Astrophysics, specifically I’m analysing and studying the chemical abundances of stars using stellar spectra, in order to track and study their evolution.
What are the phases of a PhD?
It’s different for everyone in each field. Often, people will think of their PhD in more personal terms (because the PhD journey is a very personal experience) – the initial learning phase where you know nothing, the “valley of shit” where everything goes to hell in the middle, and the frantic writing up phase at the end (the big push).
How does doing your PhD differ from the undergraduate and postgraduate study you’ve done previously?
Everything before a PhD is guided. In undergrad, every project has been done before, every question has been answered before. In Honours (just before PhD) you get a taste of the unknown, but are very much held by the hand.
The journey of a PhD takes you from a barely-past-undergrad who knows a few things to probably the world expert in your little field of research. And while you always have backup, no one holds your hand!
There are no grand revelations, just years of hard work eventually adding up to something worthwhile.
How long did your PhD take?
I am around two months away from completion (frantically writing phase!), and will submit at the three year and three month point, which is on the earlier side (typical PhDs in Aus are three and a half to four years).
And did you have to work on it 24/7 in that time?
There are periods of busy (e.g., yearly report time, preparing a paper for publication, organising conferences, etc.), and times of quiet (sometimes you just have to spend three weeks making dozens upon dozens of boring plots).
In my experience, no matter how hard you work or how many plots you make, research takes however long it takes (usually twice as long as you expected). Rushed science is bad science, that’s why it takes three years.
Do you hate your thesis by the end?
The way that late-stage PhD student talk about their theses, you would certainly think so!
Maybe some genuinely hate their thesis, but I have developed something of a love-hate relationship with it. I’ve loved investing so much of myself into it, and I am very proud of what I have achieved. But I also hated the struggle at times, and that most of the questions will still be unanswered at the end. But that’s just how science works: there are no grand revelations, just years of hard work eventually adding up to something worthwhile.
What parts of doing your PhD did you enjoy?
1) The moments when I make a discovery (even just a little one). For just a little while there is something fascinating about the Universe that no one else on Earth knows except me, and I get to share it and increase humanity’s knowledge of the Universe.
2) It’s cheesy, but the friends I’ve made. Three years gives you plenty of time to get to you know your officemates, and supervisor.
3) I’ve learned a lot in three years. Not just about stars, I’ve developed a huge variety of transferable skills that will benefit me inside or outside academia. For example, I have had four (going on five) research papers published in international scientific journals (these make up my thesis). You learn how to write right!
What made you want to complete a PhD? Work, personal interest?
When I finished Honours and had my first paper published, I got a taste of real science (as opposed to lectures), and I knew I would regret not continuing. How could I turn down the opportunity to study the Universe?!
While I will be leaving astrophysics (academia/research) when I have completed my PhD, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It has made me a better researcher, communicator, problem solver, and leader. I’ve learned technical skills that will be valuable in almost any field. And I’ve been able to contribute to humanity’s collective scientific knowledge. What more could you ask for in three years time?