1st Gen PhD student

It was particularly challenging growing up in an environment where success often favoured those with street smarts. Despite this backdrop, my parents emphasized the importance of education, making good grades a non-negotiable expectation in our household. Having had the fortune of attending a reputable primary school and a somewhat questionable high school (classified as a former Group A school at the time), I found myself coasting along in academic mediocrity. Despite sporadic moments of excellence in my work, I chose to ignore them until the realization of my impending relocation plan. With renewed determination and a final push, I committed myself wholeheartedly to my studies, recognizing that the pursuit of street dreams was just that, “dreams”.  

Fast-forward 11 years, and I found myself eagerly accepting an unconditional offer letter to pursue my doctoral degree. As a first-generation PhD student, achieving this milestone filled my entire family with pride. While basking in the joy of this prestigious opportunity, I came to the realization that none of my family members could provide the unique support needed, having not experienced this stage before. In the initial weeks following my admission to the program, I struggled to articulate the nature of the research I was about to undertake. Despite this, I deeply appreciate the support they conveyed during that time. Reflecting on the past two years, I feel better positioned to share insights about my journey on this PhD, highlighting some of the key aspects and how I felt they measured up as I experienced them. The key PhD milestones used as reference points are Research Form 1 (RF1) at 3 months, RF2 at 12 months and thesis plan stage at 24 months. I recognize that experiences may vary for other first-generation PhD students, and this account is by no means intended to be a definitive guide for everyone on this path. 

PhD phases

While it feels like most of the experiences thus far are not pleasant, I would not trade this opportunity for anything else. This project has been professionally developmental and also a real character-building exercise. I love the skills that I have picked up along the way and the amazing friendships that have blossomed in the bounds of collective suffering. I would highly recommend this path (along with the non-academic routes) to those who enjoy challenging their abilities to the maximum. It is worth it.