Spoiler: there is no end to this

Being a researcher implies a long stretch of studies at the university to specialize in a certain field. To me personally, it felt like I just kept studying and studying, year after year, and… here I am. 

Did I ever stop being a student? 

Did studying become my job?

One day, when I was 18 I went to the university and I am still there. I have come to realize that I never really mentally switched from being a student to being a professional or having a job. And I don’t recommend it. Therefore, I want to write about it so that if others are in the same boat, here is a chance to get out at the next stop. 

There is no final exam

In student life, every phase comes with structure and a sense of progression. There is always a next step and a finish line. In research, those markers are blurry. A paper is published, and another project immediately takes its place. A grant arrives, and the clock starts ticking on the next one.

It becomes hard to know when something is truly finished. This lack of closure can lead to a sense of constantly working, producing, but without the “ending in sight” that once came from external validation and a full stop.

This is exactly why it is important to pause, reflect, and say, “This was a milestone.” Otherwise, the work becomes an endless loop (or loops on a chain...to infinity) with no sense of arrival and no time to realize and appreciate the journey.

Limits actually fuel research

Finding something one is curious about and getting fulfilled by reading/researching/writing about it, can lead to being seriously addicted to it. And that’s very nice, helps with discoveries and breakthroughs and all that; but at the same time does not allow to build appropriate boundaries with self-identity and…just life in general. Most of us keep working on research projects at home, after hours and during weekends and holidays too (you know, just like a student).

But this is not school anymore. 

Taking breaks and living life actually help with clear thinking, and set the stage in our brain for the birth of new ideas. And we do need those for our research. Setting time apart to just relax is actually a necessity to do this job.

As hard as it may be to see it that way, doing research is a service. We receive a salary for our work and we have an affiliation. That means we are not independent, and we can actually only function with this link we have to an institution.

Hang on to that link

To follow our passion, we need that link. And that means this path requires a strategy. “I will just keep doing what I like” is NOT an option and can fail suddenly and painfully.

This was my mistake. I pursued the science, the questions that I liked, not paying much attention to the structure and organization of research. But this is not sustainable in the long term. A career should be planned and outlined, already during early studies. Obviously, surprise opportunities and unplanned deviations might happen, but the course can be updated. There just needs to be a draft strategic plan in place, serving as a guide for our decisions. It should probably include finding out where the field is going, pinpointing those labs that are working on these “new” areas, detecting the ones that share a similar mindset and meeting those big shots in the field (yes, networking is KEY. I know, I’m sorry).

The mindset shift 

Being a researcher is (unfortunately…) not just about curiosity and discovery. It also means operating within a system, with responsibilities, structures, and long-term consequences. Continuing to “think” like a student within this system can lead to instability. And without a shift in mindset, the path becomes harder.

Recognizing the role as a contributor, rather than just a learner, can help to change this. It brings boundaries to work habits, direction to a career and clarity to research questions. 

The goal is not to let go of the love of learning, but to adapt it to the real world.