🎓 studying for a PhD. Some days we really have this kind of strength.

🎓 studying for a PhD. Some days we really have this kind of strength. Seeing this picture, I laughed, but it looked good enough to match the life of a graduate student. We have a big tire in front of us called “Thesis”. Inside are Literature Review, Research Gap, Methodology, Data Collection, Analysis, Writing, Revision, guidance from mentor to Final Submission. But what we have each day is sometimes just a small blow from ourselves.There are a few lessons that I would like to share with graduate students. Don't try to complete the whole dissertation in your head at the same time If we think at the same time today that we have to read it all, we have to find the gaps, we have to collect the data, we have to analyze it, we have to publish it, and we have to finish it in time. What runs out before the event is usually our own strength. You can split the big task into smaller tasks and answer, “What does this week have to end?” Not just, “I'm working on my dissertation.” Reading a lot doesn't always mean finding research gaps.The literature review does not aim to show that we read a lot, but to know what we know, what we don't know, and what we don't know is important enough to study. Why? If we don't answer these three stories, we may not have a good research question. Unclear research questions are exhausting every step of the way afterwards. A lot of times the problem isn't statistics, it's not writing, it's not slow storage, but from the beginning, it's not clear “what do we want to know?” When the question is unclear, the research method is unsteady.Collecting information, not knowing what to answer, and finally having to come back and solve the task repeatedly. Don't rush to collect data just because you feel you have already started working. Collecting data early does not mean ending early. If the research form, instrument, sample size variables, or analysis plan is unclear, many of the data collected may not be able to answer the research questions. The best thing to invest in before collecting data is to design the work well enough to answer the questions we set up. Data doesn't speak for itself, we need to know what to ask from it.Complex statistics do not automatically result in higher quality work. Good analysis must be consistent with research questions, study patterns, and the nature of the data. It is important to distinguish between “what the data shows” and “what we want the data to show.” Being solved by a mentor does not mean that the job has failed. A good dissertation rarely has a complete first edition. Editing is part of the academic process. It is important not to just solve the circled sentence, but to try to understand thatWhat problem is the teacher pointing out behind that sentence? Because once we understand the principle, we will not repeat the same mistake in the whole book. Do not disappear from the mentor when the work is in trouble. When the work is not walking, it is best to talk. There is no need to wait for the work to be completed. Then, meet the teacher, bring the problem to talk with information about what has been done, where it is stuck, and think about what options are available. Help solve the problem faster than being silent for several months and then come back with a bigger problem. Don't measure progress by fatigue; measure it by what's done. Sit at the computer10 hours does not mean 10 hours of progressive work, let's change from “today's dissertation” to “today's three objectives” or “this week's 20 articles will be summarized and evidence tables completed”. Measurable work will allow us to see ourselves moving forward. Finally, I think graduate school doesn't test who is the best or who can endure the longest torment. But it is training us to learn how, when there is a problem too large for us to complete at once, we ask questions.How to isolate problems, how to find evidence, how to act systematically, and how to improve from mistakes. The big tire in the picture, no one will blow once and it's full. The thesis is the same. No need to get everything done today. But every day should know where to fill the air and what to fill it for. This is what I think is one of the most important lessons of graduate school. : Assoc.Prof.Prof.Prayat Phuwaratanawith Dean of Graduate School, Naresuan University # Graduate Student Life # PhD # Thesis # Research# ResearchGap # PhDLife # GraduateStudent # GraduateSchool # Graduate School # Naresuan University