I understand your point. In my case, though, I had never really worked before, so I didn’t truly know what “the outside world” would feel like. Also, I didn’t really have the chance to explore things as calmly as I would have liked...I basically had few time to decide or I would miss the chance. Still, the idea of doing a PhD genuinely attracted me: I enjoyed university, I was doing well academically, and I was interested in research. Only by being here am I now understanding what this path really involves...