Before you dive into research proposals and lab work, there’s one decision that can shape your entire Ph.D. experience: who you choose as your mentor. This post walks you through why it matters — and how to find the right one for you.

He used to think school just wasn’t for him. He struggled, dropped out, worked odd jobs across different countries, and never imagined a future in academia.

Kaidi shares her journey from aspiring concert pianist to psychology Ph.D., to industry, and ultimately, to solopreneurship and content creation.

Utku shared 4 valuable lessons on navigating a Ph.D. journey.

He emphasized a key factor for Ph.D. success: the power of asking. He asked. He reached out to potential mentors, engaged in conversations, and asked many questions. By doing so, he found the right mentor and the environment to expand his research curiosity.

Elizabeth faced countless challenges throughout her Ph.D. and career journey. She shared three key insights that helped her thrive during her Ph.D. and ultimately land an engineering role at Apple.

Switching disciplines at the doctoral level can feel like stepping into the unknown—exciting, but full of challenges. What if the field you started in isn’t the one you want to stay in? This is exactly what Dr Kiefer Joe Burgess experienced during his Ph.D. journey.

Kentaroh Toyoda got zero journal papers by the end of the second year of his Ph.D. This is the story of how he got his Ph.D. with a Dean's List Award