When I started my PhD journey six years ago, I had no idea what I had in store for myself. I just knew that I was awarded a scholarship that was going to foot the bill and since it was free, I might as well go. I now know that is not a good enough reason to decide to get a PhD. In this post, I will provide points of clarity to help you decide whether or not pursuing a doctorate is the right choice for you.
What do you want to do?
Prepare yourself. You are going to be asked this question countless number of times. At this point, you have a bachelor’s degree. You’re probably in a master’s program or have already obtained your master’s, so why add more years of schooling? Well, having a doctorate might help you get to your ultimate career goal. When I started my program, I thought I wanted to solely be a professor. While I still think I will teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I now realize that I want to also write, be a consultant, work in student affairs, and on-air talent. All of these things are possible. I am able to see that the opportunities are endless by following people on Instagram and Twitter that have obtained their PhDs. I would highly recommend you do the same so that you can also begin to see what others are doing with their degrees. Going through my program has helped me further flesh out what I want to do when I am done.
Who are you doing it for?
Simple answer, me. One thing about degrees is that they cannot be taken from you. It’s true ownership. Before you decide to add 4-7 years of schooling, possibly more debt, more stress, and less free time, really consider who are you doing it for? While I am number one on the list, I also know I am doing it for my mother. As a first-generation college student, I am the only one in my family to go this far. While that is an intense burden to carry, I take it on proudly because I am not building my own legacy. I am also doing this for the Black girls who are growing and will grow out of poverty. I was there and only barely scratching the surface of being out but I hope to be an example for Black girls everywhere.
Why do you want a PhD?
Getting a doctorate is not as easy as one may think. It is more than just reading and writing. It is physically and psychologically taxing. Be very clear in why you want to put yourself through it. I can honestly say that I decided to get a PhD simply because it was free. While this is a good thing, it held no weight when things really started to get tough. It’s much easier to walk away from something when you have no real investment in it. However, I know at the heart of it all I want to improve the lives of Black students and Black women particularly. I am using my doctorate to do that. Determine your Why. When things are not going as planned, return to your why as the motivating factor to help get you through it.
These three questions will help to offer clarity before taking on such an enormous task. I was already knee-deep into my program before asking myself these very important questions. Use these as a guide to picking your program, your institution, your faculty advisor and your dissertation topic.
