From student to scientist. On the nature of a PhD trajectory as a transformative rite of passage

This essay reflects on the doctoral trajectory as a qualitative transformation rather than an extended form of academic training. It argues that doing a PhD entails a fundamental shift in one’s relation to knowledge: from mastering established understanding to operating at the boundaries of what is not yet known, and from reliance on external validation to self-authored inquiry. The essay examines why this transition is often accompanied by disorientation, dissatisfaction, and miscommunication between candidates and supervisors. Rather than offering prescriptive advice, it aims to articulate a structural tension that is widely experienced but rarely named.