10 Years Later. Lessons from My PhD Experience

It has been a decade since I successfully defended my PhD thesis. During this time, I’ve experienced many significant life events - I became a father, relocated from Gijón to Madrid (and then back to Gijón following the 2020 pandemic), suffered and recovered from a torn Anterior Cross ligament in my right knee, and transitioned from academia to the industry as a Data Scientist. Throughout these experiences, I’ve worked on numerous projects with varying degrees of success. A question that often comes up is whether pursuing a PhD was worth it, considering I didn't continue in research. Frankly, it’s hard to say. Many of the skills I developed may have been innate or could have been honed in other industry positions. However, in retrospect, there are certain traits that were undeniably shaped during my PhD journey. One major attribute that was noticeably absent from my character was patience. Being inherently restless and action-oriented, committing to the long-term goal of earning a PhD

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• Artyom Grechko