Navigating Your PhD: Challenges and Strategies for Thriving
What you'll gain from this book
Here are some of our hopes for readers
Wisdom
Learn from our experience so you can avoid pitfalls, make informed decisions, and access resources and supports more quickly and fully
Connection and hope
Know that you are not alone in the challenges of grad school, and that joy and fulfillment are possible for you
Direction
Clarify your personal and professional goals and a path towards achieving them
About The Book
Grounded in the authentic experiences of diverse doctoral students, Navigating Your Ph.D.: Challenges and Strategies for Thriving is an invaluable resource tailored for Ph.D. students grappling with the multifaceted aspects of graduate life. Edited by Asia Eaton, the book delivers a tapestry of narratives that embody the complexities Ph.D. students face—from negotiating work-life balance to confronting academic culture. Eaton's insightful curation leads readers through a deeply personal yet universally relevant journey, addressing mental health, financial stability, mentoring, and the art of "managing up."
The book is structured into two sections, with the first exploring work-school-life integration through themes such as moving away from home, navigating health and well-being challenges, and achieving financial literacy during the arduous Ph.D. undertaking. The second section confronts the nuances of academic culture with chapters on managing the transition to different university environments, redefining educational priorities, overcoming cultural mismatches, and mastering the dynamics of mentorship.
Recommended for Ph.D. students across all fields and their advisors, Navigating Your Ph.D. is particularly insightful for those in the early stages of their doctoral journey. With potent reflections, evidence-based recommendations, and positionality considerations woven throughout, it serves as a compelling tool for universities aiming to support, retain, and usher a new wave of scholars toward success.
TESTIMONIAL FROM READERS
As soon as the book becomes available for purchase, I will order copies for my doctoral advisees. I will also encourage my department to start a new practice of providing copies to all incoming graduate students moving forward.
University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology and Women's & Gender Studies at University of Michigan; Professor (by courtesy) of Management & Organizations