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Thursday, 17 October 2013

So you think it is a competition?



Assalamualaikum & Hello All

Is PhD a competition? If it is, then what sort of a competition is it? Enlighten me please for I have been ignorant or non-competitive for the past 15 months or so. Oh boy, am I doomed? No no no...

Personally, I don't think that PhD is a competition in anyway or with anyone but you.  As mentioned in my earlier post, my stance with regards to PhD is about discovering my true potential, my true self, pushing myself to the edge and also about achieving the Self-Actualization stage. I never ever imagine that it would be a competition with anyone.
Why should it be a competition when;
  •       we have diverse working style,
  •       none of us are doing the same thing,
  •       we are all pacing at different speed,
  •       each and every one of us are we are steering through so many different directions and
  •        living our personal lives at the same time

I’d be dumbfounded and rather speechless when being asked questions that I myself don’t have answers for such as;
  1.   How come you are still doing that when I am already doing this? (Erkkk!seriously?)
  2.   Didn’t you start last year? Why are you so slow? (Is this is a gentle way of telling me that I am an idiot?) 
  3. Are you having trouble with your studies that you are not progressing as you should be? (So, your studies are trouble-free? Wow, you are so fluky, I am green with envy *puke*)

Like seriously, PhD is unlike Undergrad or even Masters (by coursework that is) where you attend classes, submit assignments and sit for exams. There’s a lot of competition going on while at that stage but not anymore, not at the PhD stage. The only competition that exists now is within you. How you strategize, how you achieve the objectives, how you overcome the obstacles and most importantly your attitude towards the whole PhD journey.
Last but not least, this is just my 2 cents. You don’t have to agree or disagree with me, no obligations. However I appreciate you taking time to read this post.

Thank You for your time

Miss F.

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