Episode 4: Philosophy of PhD | Jacob Duggan, PhD Drexel University

What should you really expect when you start a PhD? In this episode of Peer-Reviewed Feelings, we talk with Jacob Duggan, PhD from Drexel University, about the realities of the PhD journey - the excitement, uncertainty, failures, challenges, and unexpected growth that come with becoming a researcher. We discuss what life as a PhD student actually looks like, how to handle setbacks and self-doubt, the importance of managing expectations, and why a PhD is about much more than experiments, papers, and earning a degree. The biggest takeaway: a PhD is a journey through uncertainty. Learning to embrace failure, ask questions, adapt, and keep going is just as important as the research itself. Whether you're thinking about pursuing a PhD or are already somewhere along the journey, this episode is a reminder that the difficult parts are often a normal part of the process and that you don't have to have everything figured out from the beginning. #PeerReviewedFeelings #PhDLife #GraduateSchool #Academia #PhDStudent #GradSchool #Research #DrexelUniversity