So, you are thinking about doing a PhD! This is a huge commitment, intellectually, emotionally, financially and personally. While many begin with excitement and ambition, not everyone will reach the finish line. Before you apply, let’s play a game called, “Is a PhD really for you!” Here I will go through all the common reasons PhD students don’t complete their PhD!
- Bad Supervision: Academic Tinder Gone Wrong
- Mental Health? We Don’t Know Her (But We Should)
- Financial Struggles: Broke but Brilliant
- Lack of Structure: Academic Limbo
- Unclear Career Goals: So… What’s the Exit Plan
- Life Happens: Plot Twists Galore
- Departmental Drama: Academia is a Reality Show
1) Bad Supervision: Academic Tinder Gone Wrong
If choosing your PhD supervisor feels like online dating, that’s because its kind of is! Red Flags? Ghosting? Vague feedback that makes you spiral into self-doubt. Yep. Poor supervisor is one of the main reasons students don’t complete their PhD. Staying motivated is hard when your supervisor barely knows you or your project exists! If communication is poor, it can lead to a lack of direction and growing frustration. This can leave students question their motivation to continue.
Tip: Before you start you PhD, ask your prospective supervisor about their supervision style. Are they hands on or hands off? Also reach out to previous PhD students or member of their lab to get an unbiased opinion!
2) Mental Health? We Don’t Know Her (But We Should)
Pursuing a PhD can sometimes be lonely. You are usually working on an independent project. There are days when your only friend is your pipette, or you spend all day staring at a laptop screen. Burnout, anxiety, and imposter syndrome are real, and they don’t knock politely before barging in. Isolation, lack of structure, and constant pressure can really take a toll on your mental health. If you don’t have mental health support, the PhD may become more than you bargained for.
Tip: Most universities have mental health support that is free for all students! If you feel like you need this, make sure to utilise these resources. Also make time to socialise, relax and for hobbies!
3) Financial Struggles: Broke but Brilliant
The stipend? Cute. Until rent, food, and the occasional existential crisis snack wipe it all out! Some PhD stipends really give all that, and students need to work extra jobs just to survive. This can slow down progress or wipe you out completely. Unexpected expenses or financial pressure can make finishing a PhD feel impossible.
Tips: If you want to earn extra money as a PhD, I recommend becoming a graduate teaching assistant. This is where you teach undergraduates and masters students. This can be lectures or seminars. These roles are normally easy to incorporate into your schedule, and they look good on you CV. For more ways to make money as a PhD student, check out this blog!
4) Lack of Structure: Academic Limbo
Unlike your undergrad or master’s degree, PhD degrees are often unstructured. No one is chasing deadlines for you, or telling you where to be and when. If you are not someone who can work independently, the open-ended nature of a PhD may be a struggle. This will be especially tough if you don’t have support from your supervisor! Some people may not realize this until it’s too late, causing them to withdraw from their PhD program. Having the freedom to explore your project is great… until you realize no one told you what your project is.
Tip: You are free to do the work at your own pace. However, I recommend setting yourself mini deadlines. This will help ensure you stay on track!
5) Unclear Career Goals: So… What’s the Exit Plan
Do you want to be a professor? Work in industry? Become a science communicator with a banging Instagram page? (Hi👋🏾). If the answer is “Ummm idk??,” that’s totally normal! But it is a good idea to start figuring it out early! Without direction, it is easy to get stuck in the academic maze. Without a clear post-PhD path, students can often feel lost. If academia is no longer appealing and they don’t know what else to do, motivation to finish can dwindle.
Tip: It is okay if you are not 100% certain about what you want to do post-PhD. But it is a good idea to make a list of possible careers you can see yourself in after you finish! Before you start your PhD it would be useful to research how a PhD would be helpful in particular careers.
6) Life Happens: Plot Twists Galore
People move countries. Babies happen. Loved ones get sick. You evolve. A PhD is long enough for several unexpected plot twists to happen. Sometimes those twists make finishing just not feasible. Halfway through, you may even realize you want a different life entirely! But don’t worry. That’s not giving up. That is adjusting the plot. Life doesn’t stop at your thesis!
Tip: Don’t feel too bogged down. It’s okay if you feel like you no longer need your PhD to be where you want in life!
7) Departmental Drama: Academia is a Reality Show
Let’s be real: some departments are petty, political, downright toxic, or all the above! If you are stuck somewhere that drains your soul of any joy you had, it’s okay to say “no thanks.” From power dynamics to turf wars over lab space, sometimes academia can feel more like a reality show than a research hub. A toxic culture can quickly drain enthusiasm and erode confidence.
Tip: Protect your peace! Seriously!
So, should I do a PhD?
Maybe! Just go into it with your eyes wide open! Ask questions, set boundaries. Choose your supervisor wisely. If you ever decide halfway through that a PhD is not for you, that’s not a failure; it’s another win for self-awareness.
A PhD doesn’t define your worth, your intelligence, or your future. But it will define how many niche fun facts you accidentally collect about your niche topic!
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