Dear Dr. Johnson,
I’m a PhD student at a top-ranked university in my field. I am privileged to be here, and I was so thrilled to get accepted. Prior to starting grad school, I had so many aspirations and so much excitement for this new chapter. But now a few years into the program, all of the fire has fizzled out. My PhD advisor is toxic and rarely actually advises. I feel isolated and disconnected from my cohort and colleagues. I know it would be a huge waste not to finish but I’m really struggling to find the motivation to continue and finish my dissertation. What can I do to push past apathy and rekindle that passion I used to have?
– Stuck
From Dr. Vicki Johnson:
No matter what, you should be very proud of yourself for making it this far in your academic career. Getting into a PhD program is no small feat! But it’s true that finishing one is even harder. Many doctoral students hit a wall in the middle of or near the end of their dissertation. From my own PhD experience, I remember feeling I would never finish and wanting to quit. But if you take some steps to reconfirm your goal to complete your PhD (and I recommend you do!) little by little, you can and will finish. Your first step is to find some sources of support who can get you through these challenges.
You mentioned that your PhD advisor is toxic. Without more context on how they are treating you, it’s difficult to advise on what to do in your situation, but it’s important that you find allies before you take any steps to address the issue. If the advisor is acting in a way that is harmful or abusive, I recommend first speaking to a trusted friend or family member who can provide you some emotional support, and together with their help, explore if you should file a formal complaint or request to change advisors. Going the route of making a formal complaint can create more stress for you and can temporarily or even permanently suspend your studies, so proceed cautiously.
If their behavior is unprofessional but not abusive – for example, they are unresponsive and won’t provide you any feedback on your work – try to meet with other professors in your Department and the Department Chair to see if you can access additional academic advisors in a formal or informal way. You’ll still need to ensure your primary advisor is able and willing to sign off on your dissertation when the time comes, so ask other mentors how you can better work with your primary advisor to achieve this goal.
Making a formal complaint and requesting a new advisor may be necessary, but I know this stressful step won’t help rekindle the passion for your research. To re-energize yourself, you must find ways to break yourself out of your isolation by reconnecting with fellow students, attending social events, and perhaps even taking a short break from your dissertation to just have some fun. Exercise or walk daily, eat healthy food, and tell your closest friends outside school that you need some support. They may not understand the pressure you are under, but I’m sure your friends know how to cheer you up, so ask for help!
After finding some support and time for self-care, create a timeline with deadlines for yourself to complete small tasks that will build towards completing your dissertation. Remember: your PhD is essentially a pass/fail grade! If you make it to submitting your final draft, you have a high likelihood of passing. So focus on doing the minimum you need to do to submit a passing dissertation and let go of anything that’s “extra”.
Whether we like our work is greatly influenced by whom we work with. After your PhD, you’ll have the opportunity to choose a new group of people to work with through a fellowship or job. If nothing else, this challenging experience will help you choose wisely! Good luck, the ProFellow community is rooting for you!
Dr. Vicki Johnson is Founder and Director of ProFellow, the world’s leading online resource for selective career advancement opportunities including fellowships, top graduate programs and accelerators. She is a four-time fellow, an award-winning social entrepreneur, and a national speaker and trainer on how to stand out in the competitions of our careers.
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