Spanopoulos Group

Your PhD is about the evolution of your mindset. It proceeds through personal research experience, mentorship and development of key skills. This is why PhD in STEM: - is NOT about a thesis (very few people will read it) - is NOT about finish your advisor’s project - is NOT about attending new courses - is NOT to learn how to use cool instruments (although it might be handy, it is of little help in a long run) Yes, some of it will help you get hired. BUT PhD should not be about this. ▫️ PhD is about personal development, creativity and problem solving in a highly dynamic research environment. First of all, it is about: - Becoming a highly critical and creative thinker - Learning how to think independently (against the local or global mainstream) - Learning how to “jump-start” a project and bring it to perfection - Discovering your strengths and weaknesses as a future leader - Learning from massive number of mistakes without big consequences - Learning how to accept failures and move on - Understanding the value of teamwork and collaboration - Publishing important studies and making discoveries (especially if you plan to stay in academia) ▫️ Of course, there are some “perks” that come with it: 1. Getting a good expertise in some field 2. Getting some idea about the world of academia and how things work there 3. Learning how to use fancy tools (microscopes, spectrometers, etc) 4. Learning how to write papers, etc etc But these are only bonuses. They should not be why you are pursuing PhD. ▫️ As a prospective PhD student, do NOT look for a supervisor who will be simply assigning tasks to you and tracking your project. Look for a good mentor and advisor who can help you develop YOUR leadership skills. A proper research environment and inspiration to pursue your dreams are the key ingredients. #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter #phdchat