How to get your phd in less than 10 minutes

I wanted to start off on a lighthearted note so I thought I would share snippets from my presentation at Nerd Night Phnom Penh where I talked on "how to get your PhD in less than ten minutes". 

read. everything.

Fundamentally, you have to enjoy and even love reading to be able to earn your PhD stripes. Reading allows you to gain knowledge. When I was studying for my PhD exams, I had to read 100 books in three months or just over one book a day. Now, of course, you don’t have to read that much but the principle is that the more information you have, the more it will inform your thinking. 

don't read everything - skim.

Now, you may be asking yourself, how is it possible to read one book a day? The secret is to know what to read and know what not to read. For me this meant I started with the conclusions, went to the introduction and then skimmed the rest or looked into areas I didn’t understand. Doing this will save you time and you will get the gist of it. Afterwards, you can always go back and read deeper.

be curious.

I’d go as far as to say that curiosity is a pre-requisite for a PhD. But a PhD also cultivates it.  As you read and gain more knowledge, you can then ask ‘well, so such and such has been done before, but have they tried doing it like this?’ or ‘what if I apply what I learned in this field into this other field?’. 

be critical.

Source: xkcd.com

Being critical means not necessarily taking things at face value, looking for flaws in what it is you are reading or being told and, most importantly critiquing the findings using your own knowledge and common sense. Otherwise, you could conclude that cancer causes cell phones. 

there is no black and white. it's all grey.

You can look at it from either perspective but this principle is especially true in social sciences, where truth is not absolute and things are highly subjective. But in general, when you learn about history, society, and politics, you realize there are many ‘correct’ versions. The important thing is to be aware of as many as you can and then make up your own mind.

you should feel like an IMPOSTOR.

One of the most common afflictions for graduate students is that they feel like they are not smart or worthy enough to be where they are and suffer from Impostor Syndrome. And for many of us in our jobs or career, we may find ourselves thinking the same thing. If so, then congratulations, you are on your way to getting a PhD! 

no one will understand.

Whether it is because you “use big words” or that all you talk about is your research, or the amount of time you’re taking, no one will understand you and your plight (aside from other PhD students of course). Part of getting your PhD will require you to expect that people may not understand you. 

surround yourself with people smarter than you.

As much as the road to a PhD is a lonely one, it cannot be done (sanely at least) without great mentorship and support, such as your PhD supervisor. But even beyond that, it is important to keep and maintain company with those with more knowledge, experience and insights. They will not only help you by giving advice but will also become your shoulders to lean on. 

justify. everything.

One of the things I’ve learned is that in a PhD you have to build a case and justify why you are doing the research that you’re doing, why it is important, why at this location, region or village, why this theory and not another and on and on. As annoying as this may sound, it is very helpful because people will be able to understand and, more importantly, they will (might?) actually care. 

life will happen.

One of the more unique things about getting a PhD is that you’re doing it at a time, and age, where important life events will happen. Related to the last point, you may find that all of your friends are getting married or your partner gets pregnant or a family member falls ill. All of this makes getting your PhD harder. But there is one thing you can do…

fake it til you make it.

Have conviction. And be confident. Ignore those who are not contributing to your end goal. Know that you got what it takes to see it to the end. Even if you may not actually believe that yourself at times, do your best to act like you do. Because soon enough, you actually will.