Enjoy Thinking on the Long, Lonely and Arduous Path of Doctoral Studies

In 2012, Yanyan received her Master's Degree at UNNC. In 2013, on the advice of her tutor, Associate Professor in Marketing at NUBS China, Dr Dirk Moosmayer, she declined several full-time job offers and began studying for her PhD. "I have always wanted to become a teacher, engaging in teaching and research. I did not realise the great importance of PhD in my career development until I got Dirk's advice, and as we worked so well together during my postgraduate study, I decided to take a PhD under his guidance."

However, doing a PhD is far more difficult than expected. Yanyan thought of giving up countless times, but she finally completed her doctoral studies with determination and perseverance. "It was a long, lonely and arduous path, like trying to discover something new in the dark. The hardest thing is bettering yourself endlessly. Although you are doing well at this moment, you must tell yourself to do better, striving for better models, better findings and better papers. Also, sometimes, I was not clear about my future, doubting whether I would get a satisfying job or not, and hesitating about being an assistant professor after graduation, which was probably harder and lower-paid than going into business. It was difficult to stick to what I really wanted to do without yielding to the temptation of an easier life."

Although there were lots of obstacles in her doctoral studies path, Yanyan experienced the simple joy of thinking. She was fascinated by both the beauty of logic in the process of thinking and the happiness of discovering new things after thinking. "I enjoy thinking. Every time I hear a good argument, read a good article, come up with new ideas and discover new things, I feel extremely happy. The joys of thinking logically and discovering something new are free of charge, but they are more enduring and wonderful than many physical joys."

In 2018, Yanyan received her PhD in Marketing. After posting her resume on academic job websites and receiving an interview, because of her rich teaching and research experience, she was appointed as the Assistant Professor at Toulouse Business School in France. "I enjoy teaching and interacting with my students, as well as doing research and thinking. Also, communication with students often gives me a lot of inspiration and stimulates me to think more deeply." Now, her work focuses on teaching and research, and she will possibly take charge of an MSc programme and then return to China in a few years.

"Here are some tips for those who plan to study for a PhD. First, do some research before you make your decisions. Some people choose to do a PhD and become a teacher to earn a good salary. In fact, the salary of a university teacher is relatively low. Second, you had better have a good cooperative relationship with a supervisor who gets along well with you. Third, it is normal to encounter difficulties and arguments with your supervisor during doctoral studies. Instead of complaining, you should concentrate on how to get your work done well, face the problems rationally and find solutions. Fourth, don't give up your goals for those trivial matters."

Thanks to UNNC for Intellectual Freedom, Warm Friendship and Paternal Care