
{"id":2906,"date":"2019-06-11T10:33:59","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T10:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-personal-reflections-of-a-first-year-phd-student\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T07:56:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T07:56:02","slug":"10-personal-reflections-of-a-first-year-phd-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/10-personal-reflections-of-a-first-year-phd-student","title":{"rendered":"10 Personal reflections of a first year PhD student"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">After finishing the first year of my PhD program, I spent all summer trying to reflect on what the heck just happened. I was exhausted, depleted, and thought I would bounce back to being myself after a 2-week break. When I couldn\u2019t pinpoint these reflections in the first month, I was frustrated. When I couldn\u2019t figure it out the week before I was heading into my 2nd year, I was even more infuriated! Until it hit me \u2013\u00a0I wasn\u2019t able to reflect on these learnings until I actually saw the changes in myself during the first week of my 2nd year. And as soon as I started to discuss this with the incoming PhD students, I was able to articulate these reflections and learnings more clearly.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">So now I would like to share with you 10 personal reflections from my 1st year as a PhD student:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>1.\u00a0You will change \u2013 but for the better<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">I still don\u2019t know how to explain this one in depth (because I am also still experiencing it) but it is one of my biggest ah-ha moments. During the year, I took in so much knowledge through text, observation, and action. I am getting even more clear on the person I want to be, not only in academia, but also as I go about my daily life in the world.\u00a0It is also showing me the people who I want to have around in my life. I am changing. My relationships are changing. But I think it\u2019s for the better.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>2. Imposter Syndrome \u2013 it\u2019s real, but you are not alone<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">With an abundance of knowledge thrown at me from professors and other students, I found myself thinking: I don\u2019t know that author, I should have read that article, I wonder when they will find out they accepted the wrong person. Until a guest speaker came in and said, \u201cYou are simply becoming more aware of what you don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Not a lot of people even get to the point of learning this information \u2013 so kudos to me for taking a stab at it. And secondly, that is what I am here to do \u2013 learn. Not to know everything right now. So I learned to be okay with being a student again and to learn, not to be an expert.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Oh! And most importantly \u2013 I found out that every other PhD student is feeling the exact same way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>3. You will be pushed \u2013 be brave and get uncomfortable\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Grad school is difficult. There have been challenging materials and opportunities that pushed me out of my comfort zone. But I embraced those opportunities, I didn\u2019t run from them. Some went well, others didn\u2019t. I was uncomfortable and I was brave. I let myself approach these opportunities as a learner and as an observer\u2026 and wow did I ever learn.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>4. Build a relationship with your supervisor and other faculty members \u2013 get involved\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Building a relationship with my supervisor and other faculty members is probably one of my most favourite memories in my 1st year. This takes time, should not be rushed, and required me to be my true authentic self. But if they asked me to be a part of something, no matter how small or big, I got involved and all I had to do was just be myself.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>5. No matter how busy you are, sleep \u2013 it will help<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Grad school is busy. I felt as though I needed to wake up early and go to sleep later just in order to get things done. But in fact, most of the time, if I slept when I needed the rest or went for a walk when I needed to clear my mind, I was much more effective. I know this may sound simple but please remember to sleep \u2013 you need it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>6. Guilt \u2013 let it go\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">If by chance I did get a break, whether it was an hour before bed or a few hours on a weekend or an entire weekend off to celebrate a friend\u2019s wedding, I felt guilty for not working. There is always something you can be reading or working on. But these breaks are important too. I am still trying to work on letting go of this guilt, but it\u2019s important.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>7. Anxiety and excitement can feel very similar\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">I have mentioned my anxiety a few times now on Scholar Culture. I mostly see it as a weakness and something I am trying to get rid of \u2013 which I know is not healthy and I am still trying to shift this mindset. But it is so interesting how I could feel so anxious and yet so excited at the same time. There is a quote by Danielle LaPorte that I love and sums this up well, it goes something like this: \u201cYou can be really really terrified and really ready at the same time.\u201d Even though I was anxious, it didn\u2019t negate the fact that I am not exactly where I want to be.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>8. Build a relationship with your colleagues<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Building a relationship with my colleagues is similarly one of my favourite memories of my 1st year. Not only are my colleagues just the best but they are the only ones who truly know what I am going through. Having them as a sounding board, to bounce ideas off of, to listen, and to hold each other accountable has been a saving grace.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>9. Don\u2019t sweat the small stuff \u2013 sweat at the gym<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">If I had an opportunity to exercise, I took it. This may be going to the gym, a walk, yoga, or a spin class. Whatever made me feel good and got my endorphins up, I did it. I wasn\u2019t able to do it all the time but when I did, I never regretted it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b>10. Reflecting is important, so is being creative<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Lastly, reflect. I always took the time to meditate and reflect on what I was learning. Even if it was for only 30 minutes after a class, I took that time to remember the main ideas. I also reflected on what I was experiencing, emotionally. This has helped me now, in order to look back on my 1st year with joy and encouragement. It is also<i>\u00a0slowly<\/i>\u00a0building confidence in my abilities, and I am learning to trust myself.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">And on a similar note \u2013 create. Sometimes I was bored of reading and writing all the time. Allowing myself to create opened me up to looking at things in different ways. As Einstein said, \u201cCreativity is intelligence having fun.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive\" title=\"Default Title Text\" src=\"http:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/10%20personal%20reflections%20of%20a%20first%20year%20PhD%20student%20image%201.jpg\" alt=\"Default Alt text\" data-file_info=\"%7B%22fid%22:%228591%22,%22view_mode%22:%22default%22,%22fields%22:%7B%22format%22:%22default%22,%22field_file_image_alt_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22Default%20Alt%20text%22,%22field_file_image_title_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22Default%20Title%20Text%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Btextfield%5D%22:%22%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Bvalue_field%5D%22:%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%22%7D,%22type%22:%22media%22%7D\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in 0in 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Now, I\u2019m curious to hear what your reflections were from your 1st year? Were there any similar to mine? Comment below! I would love to hear them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>Christine Streeter (<\/i><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScholarCulture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>@ScholarCulture<\/i><\/a><i>) is a second-year PhD Student in the School of Social Work at Carleton University. This story was published on September 27, 2018, on Christine\u2019s blog, <\/i><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/scholarculture.com\"><i>Scholar Culture<\/i><\/a><i> (available <\/i><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/scholarculture.com\/2018\/09\/27\/10-personal-reflections-of-a-1st-year-phd-student\/\"><i>here<\/i><\/a><i>), and has been republished here with her permission.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After finishing the first year of my PhD program, I spent all summer trying to reflect on what the heck just happened. I was exhausted, depleted, and thought I would bounce back to being myself after a 2-week break. When I couldn\u2019t pinpoint these reflections in the first month, I was frustrated. When I couldn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":33313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2414],"tags":[2666,2454],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-2906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-researcher-stories","tag-phd-life","tag-researcher-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 personal reflections of a first year PhD student<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After finishing the first year of my PhD program, I spent all summer trying to reflect on what exactly happened. 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