A worn-out Ph.D student sits at a chaotic desk, surrounded by stacks of books and half-empty coffee mugs, typing endlessly on a laptop.
And then one day… reality sinks in. He holds up a clipboard titled “Ph.D Reality Checklist”. He reads aloud while checking items.
- Poor. ✅
- Cheap labour. ✅
- Writing papers nobody reads. ✅
- Teaching for free… while still paying tuition. ✅
- Social life? Ha… what social life. ✅
- Advisor replies once every leap year. ✅
- Job prospects: ‘LOL, good luck.’ ✅
- Ph.D: Permanent Head Damage. ✅
He sighs, drops the clipboard, then forces a tired smile.
“At least… I get free pens from conferences.”