Create your own unique path

During my struggles as a PhD student, I realized something very important.

No two researchers are the same and no two research journeys are the same, even though academic aspirations could be similar among researchers. What I am going through, what I am experiencing, is unique.

I cannot compare my progress with anyone else’s. I need to have MY own goals, which could be completely different from my fellow researchers’.

We all have different paths. Mine included dropping out of my first PhD, working for a while, and registering for another PhD in a different institution.

I cannot compare my path with somebody who didn’t go through the same steps, because it would only lead me to self-pity and depression. I cannot despise my path either, because it has helped build my character and confidence.

I chose to embrace my path and make the best of it — this has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

This story is an extract from on an article written by Elodie Ekoka, a PhD student at the Wits Research Institute for Malaria, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and guest author for Editage Insights. The full article is available here.