This Fall marks the beginning of year 4 (!) of my PhD.
I am often asked what advice I'd give my younger self as I began my long graduate school journey. Three hard-earned, important lessons I wish I would've known before I began:
1. Prioritize yourself and your health over everything else. Burnout is real. You can offer more to the world, to your work, to your loved ones when you are properly cared for.
2. Ask for help often and unapologetically. Your community wants to see you succeed - whether you need a hand with staticistical analysis or a dog sitter or a shoulder to cry on, ask.
3. Work to recalibrate success. Process is so incredibly valuable while pursuing a degree. You will learn so much and do so much and meet so many inspiring, passionate, brilliant humans. Cherish the process, journey, connections, and friends. Products can be important and valuable too, but if you put all your stock and success measurement in that basket, you are sure to miss the truly rewarding aspects of your degree.
Be kind to yourself this Friday. You're doing great. 💙
