Before starting a PhD, you should know why you want to get a PhD. In my case, I chose this path to be able to work in science. Because of my interest in sustainability, I concluded that I could have the most impact regarding my abilities if I worked in science towards a sustainable future. The sustainability part of my studies was also a huge motivator to finish it, even though it was hard. Therefore, it wasn't important to me to earn a lot of money directly after my studies. The pay I get is enough for my definition of a comfortable life, and when I finish my PhD I have better chances of getting a high-paying job if I decide to turn my back on science. I applied for the position as a PhD when I was about to finish my Master's thesis. Since it was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action with a mobility clause, I could only apply for positions outside my country. However, this was fine for me as the jobs that fit best to me were not in my country but in the Netherlands. The university I work at is very international, and the primary language spoken in the office is English. Therefore, I had no problem fitting in.
As my work started, I got guidelines from my supervisor on which topics I could start working on. Within the interest of the overall QTOX network and my purpose in it, I was free to choose how and what exactly I wanted to focus my research on. I like this part of science since you can mostly work on projects you are interested in. However, you should also be able to choose your work, organize and motivate yourself to finish it. Additionally, your idea of what you want to proof or work on might not work in the first nor in the tenth run and you have to cope with that.
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My conditions to obtain a doctorate title include publishing four papers and writing a thesis on them. This way, I don't have one huge topic but four chapters that build on each other. The difficulties of writing papers are the same as writing a Master's Thesis, but additionally, you can get rejected from scientific journals. In the worst case, you have to start new, and the work of half a year to a year is gone. This can be stressful, therefore you should be able to cope with rejection. Another part of my contract contains a certain amount of time that I have to teach at my university. I like this part of my job and have already chosen teaching and tutoring as mini jobs during my studies. The Marie Curie program has the benefit that you have direct access to a network of highly qualified experts in your research field. That way, collaboration is also promoted. Additionally, the funding of the project is already approved. In the life of a PhD you also have to visit and present at international conferences. I have yet to visit one, but I look forward to learning about what is new and possible in the scientific world.
Overall, I enjoy being a part of the QTOX network and look forward to publishing my first paper and the associated challenges.