Unsure and overwhelmed
Hello everyone! I am a full-time teacher, my field is in the Humanities. A while ago I started a PhD but it's been a long time since I worked on it and I need to resume very soon. At the same time, I took university entry exams and I was accepted in the School of Biology. I am really excited about that, as I wanted to become a scientist when I was a child but did not have the opportunity to do that.
I am considering resuming my PhD to finish within the next two years or so, then move on to my Biology studies. Of course, this is just a general plan and I don't know if it will work out.
The thing is, I feel tired and overwhelmed. I also struggle with chronic stress, and my memory is affected by that and by the fact that I am getting, um, old. Taking timer does not seem to help as much as I would expect, either.
Any suggestions on how I could tackle all that? I have thought about it and, apart from a "wait and see" attitude (which I hate, tbh), I cannot think of anything else.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Hi there. I am new to the forum but I have done university level studies for the past two decades (1.5 bachelors, master’s, PhD, EMBA plus multiple certification exams). Ask yourself the question, why do you study? What is your goal? A PhD really only matters to yourself. It does makes you see things in a different light. A PhD is attempting, and likely failing a lot, to study something totally new. Once completed, you do get to put extra letters after your name but it does not automatically give you a wonderful job and happy life.
if you want to learn modern biology, go for it! Think of a 5 year careers plan. What do you want to do? Why is this important to you? Can it be combined with your current doctoral studies, so you can start softly? It is possible to fully commit but not spend full time on things.
Please don’t see your age as an impediment. You will learn if you have interest. Adjust your expectations, do you want perfect grades on exam day or are you more interested in actually dive into topics that interests you?
As with research, keep asking yourself WHY? You are on the right track. It is your track!
@tallLand8630 Thanks for your reply! I am not aiming for perfect grades by any means. I actually studied Biology in a different department last year and I realised that aiming for perfect grades wouldn't get me anywhere. My doctoral studies cannot really be combined with my undergraduate studies, although I am thinking that taking a couple of courses per year in Biology might be a good idea.
Getting a PhD will help with my career. I also like research per se and, tbh, although I really enjoy Biology, because of my very little background in it, I can hardly imagine myself ever graduating. I have an amazing advisor, which is a rare find. I do have to admit, though, that I like Biology more interesting than the topic of my PhD and that I find both types of study challenging in different ways.