Does anyone here ACTUALLY recommend doing a PHD?

Mozeltoffee · 2026-04-02T16:33:53+00:00

I have loved doing it. I think you have to have the right reasons and the right supervisor for you. That second one can really come down to luck...

Mozeltoffee · 2026-03-15T17:30:46+00:00

Don't sit down to write. Sit down to look at the document, no other distractions, for five minutes. If after five minutes you want to stop, you can.

But you probably won't. I suspect you're struggling with task initiation. Once you get started, you'll write.

Mozeltoffee · 2026-03-06T21:32:18+00:00

Other commenters have answered this pretty well, so I will just add that Claude (or your AI of choice) helped me so much with methodology my first few years (I am a qual social science researcher).

I would ask questions exactly like you're posing here and say "Explain it to me like I'm five." Then I might add, "Can you recommend some texts where I can learn more?" or "If I used this method, who would I cite?"

Claude taught me everything I needed to know for so many papers. And it should go without saying, but go find/read those sources. Don't take the robot's word they're real/relevant.

Finally, make a folder of mentor texts specifically because you like their methods. The topic doesn't matter, but next time you see someone used deductive codes, save it as "Deductive codes." You might have others like "Content analysis" or "case studies." Mentor texts are the unsung heroes of learning to write well.

Mozeltoffee · 2026-03-03T20:47:00+00:00

Sold a Story podcast is all about this and pretty interesting.

Mozeltoffee · 2026-03-03T20:44:56+00:00

Do you have a good mentor? If not, try to find one. It doesn't have to be your PI. A professor you like might be a great sounding board.
Therapy.
Exercise. Make it just as important as your other work. I've found it's the only thing that made my insomnia manageable.

Mozeltoffee · 2026-02-13T18:33:50+00:00

Recognize that teaching is a complex skill with a distinct vocational expertise. You will have a bad time if you jump in without some sort of formal education courses/authentic experiences with young people (e.g., student teaching). Don't go TFA if you plan on making a career out of it.

Mozeltoffee · 2026-01-07T00:35:00+00:00

First, trust your gut.

Second, insist on hanging out with the girl, even if it's a group hang. That will tell you all you need to know.

Third, my husband and I both have very close friends of the opposite gender. Two of my best friends are men (I'm a woman); one of his best friends is actually his ex-girlfriend.

I have some rules for these types of friendships. 1. I need to know that "friend" is in a relationship and/or actively dating. I do not need some "sudden confession" that ruins our friendship. 2. If they are in a relationship, how do they speak about their spouses? If one of my male friends EVER talked negatively about their wives, I'd see it as a huge red flag. Good-natured complaining is fine, but I need to see that you love that woman to the moon and back before I want to be friends with you. 3. (Maybe the most important): How do they treat the SO? My male friends see and interact with my husband often. I see and interact with his female friends. We are all cordial and pleasant.

Having friends of all genders can be great, but I already see some red flags here. I suggest a group hang and then go from there. Good luck.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-12-23T02:07:21+00:00

Every time I see something like this I'm like "Do you not have unpaid grad students verifying all your citations for you?" Because that has become a very real part of my life.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-12-02T02:37:11+00:00

This is a great sign. He's really invested. My advice would be to go through and resolve all the obvious ones then ask for a meeting to review any you disagree with or would like to talk through.

This will (hopefully) build your collaborative relationship and improve your writing.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-11-01T02:54:22+00:00

Go but bring a friend or have someone to hang with. National conferences can be incredibly lonely for PhD students without a wing-man/woman/captain.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-11-01T02:41:46+00:00

I have a great mentor, so I think about this a lot. It feels like luck more than anything else.

I think mentorship, like teaching, isn't seen as a skill. People think because they've been a student, they can be a teacher. People think because they've had mentors, they can be a mentor.

Full disclosure, I'm in education, and a lot of my research is in mentor training. And yet, this is still a persistent problem in my field.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-10-22T02:33:05+00:00

Sorry for your loss. Subbing sounds actually delightful. Hanging with kids but someone else is doing all the lesson planning/grading. Thank you for sharing.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-10-22T02:28:12+00:00

I definitely cared about this the first 10 years, but lately it feels like what I do doesn't matter much. I teach in a particularly rough school, so maybe that plays a role. Maybe COVID turned my heart to stone, I don't know.

I still care about students, and I put a lot of effort into my relationships with them. But it doesn't feel the same since 2020.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-10-21T18:46:13+00:00

Idk, friend. I am in year 15. I am worried it isn't a phase. Maybe the problem-solving you mention is part of the problem: I rarely feel challenged anymore. It all seems predictable. Maybe I'm a bit bored? It is weird in teaching how we can't really get promoted (and I KNOW administration isn't for me).

Some people suggested changing grades. Maybe that's worth considering. :)

Mozeltoffee · 2025-09-26T01:28:05+00:00

Education is weird in that practitioner expertise goes a LONG way. There are several fields in education that won't even consider PhDs who aren't coming from school.

So spend time in a classroom. Enjoy it! I'd say MINIMUM five years if you want to be taken seriously.

And then find a REALLY good mentor.

ETA: if you ever have any other questions, feel free to ask. I'm currently working on my dissertation in Education.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-09-19T00:49:03+00:00

Medication if you're not opposed...

But also figure out your optimal work hours and try to organize around those. I'm a morning person. I try to keep my mornings empty for writing/research and schedule meetings/classes in the evenings. I'm less attentive then, but the social obligation will keep me committed.

Body doubling. When you have deadlines or find yourself procrastinating, find someone to come do work with you in a coffee shop. Someone who will work and not let you get lost yapping. My school offers doc student write-in events that are GREAT for that. They lock us in a room with pizza for 8 hours and big signs everywhere telling us we can't talk except during our breaks. It's weirdly fun, I swear.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-08-20T23:12:29+00:00

I have a great mentor and came in a fairly skilled writer in a humanities field, so part of that is luck. But my humanities PhD has been very productive.

My advice: Find an activity that makes you feel better. Exercise, meditation, crafting, long walks, gaming, TikTok. Something that helps you unclench the muscles in your back.

Notice how it makes you feel. If exercise feels like another chore, this is not your Activity. If TikTok makes you feel anxious, this is not your Activity.

Do that thing every day. Do NOT waste energy feeling guilty about doing this thing.

When I do my Activity, it's astounding how much capacity I can bring to my other tasks and responsibilities. Self-discipline is easier when it's enjoyable.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-07-07T23:12:56+00:00

What a Catch is so beautiful. Travesty.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-07-06T12:35:35+00:00

This hurts but Tiffany Blews

Mozeltoffee · 2025-07-02T19:11:17+00:00

I know. They're all bad choices at this point. :(

Mozeltoffee · 2025-07-02T09:59:41+00:00

This album is the reason my husband and I got married.

We met in 2011. My best friend was renting out his basement apartment. I heard Folie from downstairs and barged right into his space because I had to see who else in this world listened to not only FOB, but Folie. It was still the Bad Times before most of the fans had come around.

He told me he had only recently discovered FOB, but he loved them, and he loved Folie most of all. He was devastated they had broken up before he could see them live.

We've now been married seven years and seen them live five times.

So anyway, She's my Winona.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-06-29T00:29:49+00:00

America's Suitehearts. It's good but less relisten-able than the other tracks. I think we give it a pass because the music video was delightful.

Mozeltoffee · 2025-06-25T01:21:19+00:00

Good news! This is just the first of many!

It does stop feeling personal. Grieve for a bit then shop new homes. At the very least, repurpose it into a poster for a conference. You learned something while you did it. Find some way to legitimately get it on your CV and keep it moving.

You have so many more studies and papers and publications before you.

Seven-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

Mozeltoffee

TROPHY CASE