My supervisor once told me that undertaking a PhD is like running a marathon – it’s more about endurance and perseverance than intellect. My seniors told me that a PhD should come with a health warning, that I should brace myself for the worst. My parents wondered why I was putting off a full time psychologist job to undertake something that won’t necessarily result in a pay rise. Having just past my first year milestone, I often reflect on my reasons for undertaking a PhD, and what it means to me. After all, in the past year, I’ve had my fair share of health hazards – sleep deprivation, non-existent social life, irregular meals, and low self-esteem (supervisor tells me my work is very undergraduate) to name a few. But, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the world’s best in Alzheimer’s disease research, to push my creative and intellectual capacities to limits I never knew I had, to really make a difference in a field I’m passionate about, and come to the realization that I have an amazing support network. In my often sleep deprived state, I find myself being grateful for this rare opportunity to indulge my interest in neuroscience, psychology, and cognition. So even with all the hazards, I can safely say that I’m loving it, and I’m certainly having fun. And there's a lot that's been done for less.
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