There is a place for you in academic world

In academia you will discover that everything is much more complicated and takes twice as long as you initially thought. Due to steep learning curve, complexity in procedures and enormous bureaucracy you will have to adjust your schedule over and over again. You will also be exposed to criticism from your peers and superiors. Some people criticize because they wish to aid your professional growth, whilst others try to make themselves feel better at your expense. Additionally, many of us are also crippled by the imposter syndrome and cannot stop comparing our work with that of others with more experience, skill, and resources. All of this can lead to a dark, negative, and unproductive headspace. The frustration and helplessness are completely understandable (and happens more often than you think!), but luckily there are way to manage these difficult parts of your academic life.

With regards to everything taking so much more time and effort, that is because you are attempting something difficult and important. Nothing that has value comes easily, and academic work is hard because you’re doing challenging things, not because you’re not smart or hard working. With regards to criticism, it is unfortunately just a part of academic life: we share ideas to build knowledge, and some of those ideas will have to be discarded in order to find the best ones. You will grow stronger and wiser when you’ll learn how to recognize and learn from constructive criticism and disregard the rest.

If you had a misfortune to encounter people who criticize you personally for traits of character or conditions, please do not spend your valuable time and energy on their opinions. “Shake it off” listening to Taylor Swift, play some “Fortnite”, read “Invictus” by W. E. Henley, cuddle with your pet, go to the gym or whatever helps you to disconnect and relax. Whatever the means, the main point remains the same – just keep doing your work with your head held high and do not worry about the unhelpful noise around you. There are brilliant academic people of all cultural backgrounds, religions, genders, sexualities, and qualities of character. Some academics cannot stop chatting whilst others barely say a word. Some work first thing in the morning, some in the middle of night, whilst others do not adhere to any routine and work in irregular bursts. From the point of view of neurodivergence, physical and mental illnesses, financial or familial challenges, all can and should be accommodated for and is fully compatible with academic career.

That being said, I cannot promise that you will have enough money, reach all your goals in a certain period of time or will find fulfilment in your work. Some of us do, whilst others don’t. But I can promise, that if you want to finish your degree, or publish an article or write a book – you CAN do it. It might take more time and effort than you expected, but it is possible. The only thing necessary is to keep going, and the best way to do it is to surround yourself with positive environment, may it be supportive friends, a positive peer group, a supervisor or a mentor. Even if all of those are not currently available to you, then remember to be your own number one fan in the world, and keep looking for new exciting opportunities.