I don’t know why anybody would want to do a PhD.  Some people think people who are in PhD programs are smart.  I beg to differ.

I have been working on my research proposal since September.  5000 words due in April.

When people ask me about it, they wonder why it stresses me out.  Well, because in 5000 words you must state your topic and argue why your thesis holds any water.  Later, it gets revised and is used as the introduction to my 80,000 word dissertation.  But for the most part, you have to come up with something that nobody else has done before (you ever hear of the phrase, “There is nothing new under the sun”?), cover every angle of your argument, every possible critique to your argument, and have read enough to substantiate what you are proposing to do for the remaining two or three years of your life.

My supervisor has already read four different versions of my research proposal and heard me talk about quite a few different thesis topics.  Each time, he tears it apart.  On one hand, it is instructive and he gives very helpful criticism.  On the other hand, it is hard work.  It is emotionally draining.  I mean, I spend hours and hours trying to figure out what these random writers are trying to say and if what they say is “authoritative” or not and then spend hours and hours trying to frame my arguments on paper (or Pages, to be precise) only to get slaughtered for not thinking things through enough.

Its brutal.  Don’t do it.