Some people compare the writing of a doctoral thesis to the arrival of a child. Although, obviously, the two processes have nothing to do with each other, many people see the PhD as a long project of great responsibility. In fact, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports estimates that doctoral studies usually last between three and five years.
However, depending on the circumstances of each person, the process can take a long time. For this reason, feelings of tiredness or stagnation often appear among aspiring doctors. In this post, we present you 10 tips to survive (successfully) the thesis. Take a breath and start writing yours!
10 Ideas To Cope With The Doctorate As Well As Possible
- Define the exact time that we are going to dedicate to the thesis. Before you start, it is important that you clearly mark the deadlines. For how many years are you going to do your doctorate? Having clear objectives will help you not to fall behind and reserve time for other activities (leisure, work, etc.).
- Choose a topic that motivates us. The doctorate involves extensive and long-term dedication. If the topic does not convince you, it is likely that you will perform less and go through stages of demotivation.
- Manage feelings of discouragement and stagnation. When you feel stuck, ask yourself what has led you to this situation and look for possible solutions.
- Establish rigid schedules. Like defining the years of study, knowing how many hours a day we will dedicate to the thesis is essential. Be strict on the schedule!
- Take care of the diet. Without eating right, there will be no positive results. The brain needs a balanced diet to perform. Don’t forget to play sports!
- Find a trusted director. The director is a key figure in the development of the thesis. Make sure you have compatible ways of working and encourage communication.
- Apply a systematic work method. Theses are very long research papers, so clutter can ruin all your achievements. Classify, review and order everything you need.
- Use a good bibliographic data manager. Bibliographic references must be submitted according to the established format. Make a list of all the fonts you use from the beginning.
- Seek new sources of funding regularly. Is your problem financing? Well, don’t forget to check out the public and private doctoral scholarships.
- Maintain contact with other doctoral students. If you talk often with people who are in the same situation as you, you can better manage feelings of stress and demotivation.
