Applying for a Ph.D... Scariness!

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I know there are more than a few of you here who have done, or are currently working on, a Ph.D.

So, I ask you:

What was it like submitting your proposal? I have about a month in which to compose mine, but I'm really freaking out about it. It's not that it's all that difficult, it's the fact that it feels like I'm deciding the rest of my life! I've had a conversation about it with my favorite professor, and she is helping to set me in the right direction, but it did nothing to ease my anxiety.

I know I'm making a big deal out of it when there really isn't any reason to, but it's like the movies with some scary creature glaring at me and snarling "Chooooose your faaaaaaaate!!" Me, I just stand there wondering what will happen if I choose the wrong one!

How did you make your decision? Was it difficult? Did you change your mind?

Are you glad you decided to do a Ph.D?

I just graduated last summer with an Ed.D from the University of South Dakota. By the time I had my proposal meeting I had worked on it for quite a while so my proposal went well. It was actually easy. I am very glad I did the Ed.D. I was very happy to walk across the stage at graduation. I hope you do well on you Ph.D. It’s a lot of work but you will do fine!

I am very glad I did my PhD.

I only know about biological sciences, but in my experience it's quite possible to do something different after you get your PhD. Your choice of a dissertation certainly doesn't eliminate other possibilities. It's just one of the steps you have to take to get your degree. I don't think it really eliminates other options if you want to do something different someday. I know scientists that are doing research that is *TOTALLY* different from what they did as a dissertation project.

If there is something wrong with your project choice, your mentor and/or dissertation committee will let you know. They are there to guide you, after all. In my experience, it's also often possible to change your mind after you choose a project. I knew several students in my graduate program that actually went to different labs and completely changed their field of study after doing a dissertation proposal. That obviously delayed their completion of the program, but it's not impossible to do.

If you've gotten this far, you'll do fine. It sounds like you are having the same fears that everyone has when they do a PhD.

I used to date a professor, so I heard about it from the 'referee' (or whatever it's called) side of it.

Supposdely you should have a mentor, or advisor on your thesis (sorry, I really should have paid more attention), who can help you with this. If there's someone like that, you should probably ask questions of them.

If you know who the referees are, you could look up their work, so you'd have an idea how to 'pitch' it. Probably not so far as to cite their work, but see what sort of arguments they make and see if they fit your work.

I never made it past the GRE, so I'm afraid I'm not much help.

I wish you all the best for your journey of PhD!! ! Woohoo...

My advisor is one of the top people in his field. He has taught epidemiology, psychology, sociology, and a number of other fields related to these. He only received on PhD. If he can shift his interests so widely, then you will also have the opportunity, but only if you earn your doctorate. For now, stay focused on earning your degree. Remember that most dissertations are garbage, so yours will probably end up being garbage too. It is only there to demonstrate your ability to conduct independent research. That's all. It does not decide your fate, and it does not prevent you from choosing other areas of interest in the future.

Really? Then why are we taking all the efforts to take PhDs for?

We do it because the process of earning a PhD is intended to provide an individual with a foundation of knowledge, analytical skills, and research experience that permit those who earn it to function as experts in their field. The dissertation is simply the primary vehicle by which those attributes are presented to the department. There is nothing that prevents you from expanding your knowledge or area of expertise beyond your dissertation. In fact, most of my advisors have done precisely that since earning their degrees.