Understanding your PhD, postdoc and career journey: cutting through the myths

If you’re a PhD student or postdoc, chances are you’ve heard it all: “Academia is broken!”, “Publish or perish!”, “There are almost no faculty positions left!” And yes, social media and forums love to amplify the doom-and-gloom. Here’s the truth: the challenges are real, but the negativity is often overblown—and can be downright demotivating. “The beauty of science is that your value compounds like an investment—every year of experience, curiosity and effort multiplies your impact, growing richer over time, like a fine wine in a cellar.” I’m not denying that a PhD or postdoc is hard work. It is. But...