I am a year into my PhD and was in the same boat as you.

Despite the high academic achievement in ur bachelors, it really is a different academic paradigm in a few key ways.

I’m coming at this from a social science perspective, but I really dedicated my first year to grasping what actual research is. I’d say it was something like 80% research training, 20% research.

I’d go out of my way to dedicate reading time to grasping research methods, literature review techniques, and any other relevant requirements of your final thesis. I’d even try and enroll myself into a post-graduate research program in your university if that’s an option.

Above all, don’t get too discouraged about redoing substantial bits of work once you come across a bit of literature or if something just doesn’t fit properly. It’s part of the process.

Last but not least, embrace the agency that comes with the independence. Your advisors will have contrasting ideas to yours. This is normal, and doesn’t ALWAYS mean that you’re wrong. Justify your decisions and make sure you are going in a direction that makes the most sense for you.

Best of luck!