I always knew the ​“P” in PhD stood for ​“Philosophy,” but I couldn’t help but wonder — how does a degree in biology, for instance, translate to a ​‘Doctor of philosophy’? Now, as I near the end of this journey and look back on the path I’ve travelled, I’m struck by how fitting that ​“Philosophy” part really is. 

It’s not just about research and data; it’s about the way the PhD challenges your thinking, reshapes your perspective, and forces you to question everything you thought you knew. 

Here are some of the lessons this transformative adventure has left me with:

1. You develop the mindset of a lifelong learner

You’ll never stop being a student after a PhD. It trains your brain to stay curious, to constantly seek new knowledge, and to not be afraid of the unknown. A PhD teaches you that there’s no shame in saying, ​‘I don’t know’ — because that’s an opening for you to start. It is all about developing the habit of questioning, exploring, and growing, a mindset that stays with you long after graduation.

2. You become an expert at problem-solving

During your PhD, you learn how to break down complicated situations, think on your feet, and figure things out even when nothing seems clear and often without accessible help. For example, during my PhD, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were times when funding delays made wet lab work impossible. Instead of halting my progress, I turned to bioinformatics, utilising publicly available databases to continue my research. This experience taught me that when faced with obstacles, alternative paths often lead to valuable insights. 

3. Trusting your instincts becomes second nature

Remember when every decision requires validation or advice? A PhD quickly changes that. With countless choices in experiments, research and life, you learn to trust yourself, even with inconclusive data. I learned to ​‘trust my gut’ while designing an experiment on noncoding RNA packaging. Despite the limited knowledge available, I planned a simple comparison of cellular and extracellular transcript levels. Though not central to my thesis, the results were surprisingly insightful, supporting my hypothesis, and proving that trusting a hunch can often lead to meaningful discoveries. 

4. You learn to navigate ambiguity like a pro

The PhD journey is filled with ambiguity. Is your hypothesis even remotely correct? Is your data meaningful or just a random set of numbers? You learn to embrace the unknown, and make decisions despite it – an ability that stays with you beyond the lab. 

In my research on Extracellular vesicles, initial results didn’t meet expectations, leaving me unsure how to proceed. With limited resources, I turned to rely on online datasets from and consulted colleagues across disciplines, gaining insights and optimising approaches — a lesson in navigating uncertainty through informed decisions.

5. You become a self-reliant problem-solving machine

During a PhD, you master the art of ​‘solution hunting’. While you still seek help when needed, you first learn to seek solutions independently. This autonomy helps you tackle challenges of any complexity. A defining moment for me was organising the 2023 SNEV International Virtual Conference. Despite a team spread across multiple time zones and with no prior experience, we seamlessly coordinated the two-day event remotely. This experience not only honed my resourcefulness, adaptability and independent problem solving skills. 

6. Failure doesn’t feel like the end of the world

In a PhD, failures are inevitable and transformative. It teaches you to face setbacks gracefully and move past ​‘imposter syndrome’ and you learn to see failure as just a detour, not the end of the road. During my master’s, every failed experiment and insignificant p‑value felt devastating making me question my abilities. Fast forward to my PhD, and failure doesn’t seem as daunting as it once did. Reporting negative data while simultaneously troubleshooting became opportunities to interpret results and improve, replacing fear with resilience and problem-solving.

7. Time management — Or: How to do the work of 48 hrs in 24 hours 

A PhD teaches you to prioritise, cut distractions, and pull focus. Yes, you’ll still binge-watch Netflix– but as a reward, not procrastination. Time management becomes second nature, serving you well in all areas of life. For me, a detailed weekly planner over Google calendar has been invaluable. From experiments and manuscripts to scheduling my downtime to catch up on the latest release on Prime– this balance kept me motivated and inspired towards my PhD journey. 

8. Critical thinking becomes your default mode

Remember when you just accepted things as they were? Critical thinking is now second nature, questioning everything with scepticism and curiosity. Last year, I had to choose between presenting at an international conference in Europe or a specialised hands-on workshop at the University of Virginia. I chose the workshop for its practical relevance to my research. This decision, driven by careful evaluation of my academic goals and long-term benefits reflects my ability to prioritise effectively. 

9. You learn the art of patience — and then test it

A PhD is a marathon, not a sprint. Patience is essential, as a result often takes months to materialise, testing your resolve. Experimental failures were a big part of my PhD journey but learning to be patient with myself– understanding failures are due to many factors, not just my skills– helped me focus on troubleshooting rather than stressing over setbacks. 

10. Resilience becomes a part of your DNA

A PhD is a mental and emotional rollercoaster. But if there’s one thing you’ll walk away with, it’s resilience. It teaches you to face setbacks, tackle new challenges, and keep going despite the odds being against you. Starting my PhD about Extracellular vesicles in India, where the field was emerging, was challenging. Over the past four years, I raised awareness, contributed to workshops and helped build a network of EV researchers. Each hurdle strengthened my resilience, teaching me to turn challenges into opportunities that could benefit others. 

11. You learn to excel at compartmentalising 

A PhD teaches you to juggle multiple projects with ease. 

The ability to compartmentalise and focus on various tasks becomes second nature, both inside the lab and beyond. While pursuing my PhD, I launched my own art and design service, balancing client work with lab experiments. Managing both taught me the importance of meticulous planning and compartmentalisation to meet deadlines without compromising quality. 

12. You prefer collecting data before making decisions (Even in Your Personal Life)

The scientific mindset extends beyond the lab. In personal challenges, you gather context, weigh evidence and take a measured approach to decide on things — skills that enhance both relationships and life’s bigger challenges. When facing a personal dilemma, like a disagreement with a colleague, I now rely on gathering ​‘data’ by seeking unbiased opinions from friends and mentors. This helps me interpret the situation rationally rather than being reactionary, much like reviewing literature to gain deeper insights in research.

13. The opportunity to leave a legacy: your research as your digital footprint

The joy of a ​‘Eureka’ moment, watching your concept evolve, and then publishing it is a contribution to the scientific community — a lasting legacy of curiosity, rigour, and dedication. 

For many of us, our first publications are during the tenure of our PhD and the thrill that came with seeing my name flash up on Google Scholar fuelled the passion that made me choose this life altering quest against all odds.