How to defend a dissertation
How I did it: I followed my interests and passions. Before even entering a graduate program, I worked hard to know what I wanted and also explored different paths to see what was the one that clicked for the time being. It was exciting and exhilarating because I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. I worked to know where I wanted to go, and what I wanted to accomplish - meaning that I asked myself a lot of hard questions and I took a lot of diverse courses to see what aligned with my interests and kept my attention.
I got hands on experience with lab work to know if I would like to commit to a PhD program or not. I discovered that I loved it and so I went for the degree. I surrounded myself with people that were also excited about science and life. I formed relationships and spent time with people around me to learn about what it means to be a scientist...
Within the graduate school experience, I learned my limits and I learned more about who I am and how I work. I worked non stop at the beginning and was very happy to immerse myself in nothing else but this new world of science. I learned about the limits that I have regarding my health - pushing myself in work and pushing myself physically. I learned about intellectual and emotional limits when I finally burned out. I learned how to be okay with myself through the tough times and I learned how I reacted to the initial phases of the basic research life cycle. I learned that I could live with this cycle and that the first time experiencing it must be the worst and most confusing. I learned what I will and will not sacrifice for work. I learned that I love science and I want it to be a continued part of my life.
It took a lot of time and effort to learn that.
I think I am a better person for having gone through it. I love all of the things that I have learned about the world, about the brain (neuroscience), and about myself and what I want in the following chapters of this life that I am building and creating.
Lessons & tips: You need endurance and determination. You need to use the experience not only to learn about the subject matter of interest, but also to learn about yourself... how you deal with the phases of a long term goal that is at times unclear, disappointing and neverending.
It is helpful to learn time management skills. It is also helpful to learn how to balance relaxation and down time with work.
It is a good idea to form relationships with others, to seek out mentors. It is difficult to know when to stop... sometimes the experiments can keep on going, more data can be added here or there... you can write and re-write... forever. Learning how to finish something that can go on forever can be important.
