Dear Puttylike: How Do I Choose a Course of Study?

Welcome to Dear Puttylike, where our team of writers tackles your burning multipotentialite questions! Submissions are edited for length and clarity.

Dear Puttylike,

It has always been my dream to become an academic and help future generations of students discover their interests and talents. Now that I am close to graduation, I have been given the option of applying for a PhD.

Throughout my studies I have diversified my degree, borrowing from almost all fields of the humanities. I studied art, material culture, several languages, religion and culture, psychology, anthropology, history and even learned programming. As a result, I have no idea which field I want to proceed into for the next four to seven years as I write a dissertation for a PhD I have yet to select. None of my mentors and advisors can help me, having never taught (or realized they taught) a multipod.

How do I choose a PhD when my interests and talents are all spread out like this?

Rory

Dear Rory,

Congratulations on your almost-graduation! This is a big moment to celebrate— and to reflect on what’s to come. Your strengths, achievements and inclination will all carry you through your PhD decision, as well as surviving your studies for the next few years. 

As a fellow academic multipotentialite, who has followed a very similar academic trajectory, I want you to first know that I hear your fears and concerns, loud and clear. It is very important for a budding academic to name their insecurities like you have done here. This not only shows forethought, but also acknowledges that academic journeys are often full of questions and crippling self-doubt. It can be even more difficult for multipotentialites, as we are constantly balancing our capabilities, interests and performance. 

You’ll need to examine a number of factors while deciding on a discipline. The first step is to acknowledge them, and you have already done that!

Make your degree a choice, not a compulsion

One of the toughest tasks of being in academia is planning for your future while also contributing to the field you are working in. You are expected to carry out both of these tasks while dealing with the pressure of deadlines, chapter submissions, being a TA and grading assignments. Depending on which part of the world you are from, organizing funds and allocating savings towards doctoral research also adds to the stress if your PhD is not adequately funded.

The first step I urge you to take is to be completely sure that a PhD is the path you would like to pursue for the next few years. If the thought itself is daunting, it’s ok to consider taking time off to align your focus and vision with your interests.

You might zoom out and see that your area of your interest doesn’t require academic intervention, as much as it requires groundwork and being in the field. If that is the case, then you don’t want to find yourself knee-deep in course work two years later, regretting a hasty decision to pursue a PhD. Take your time and think it over. It’s perfectly fine if it’s not for you.

Play to your strengths when zeroing in on a discipline

If you are clear that the academic route of earning a PhD is your goal, then your first step towards arriving at clarity needs to be finding your discipline at large. This choice needs to come from your strengths and not your fears. If you are confident about your discipline of choice, then narrowing down to a specific subject area becomes easier. If this doesn’t come easily or naturally, here are two tricks that have helped me and other multipods in academia:

Sleep on your decision for a week—minimum

While being a multipotentialite constitutes trying different things and living with various aspirations—some fulfilled and some unfulfilled—a PhD is a strictly monogamous commitment with very little leeway in terms of pursuing other things on the side, as much as a puttyperson ideally does. It means you’ll need to be sure about your choice, and also about the availability of the support and resources you will need while you are pursuing it. 

You might see a certain academic you are keen to work with under one discipline but if another discipline interests you more, then narrow your discipline choice decision from the point of view of your interest. 

Make flow charts, ask yourself difficult questions. Would you like to do 12 hours of research and writing on that discipline in one day? Eliminate the options that don’t hold your interest. If studying history is a hobby, for example, it may make sense to keep it as a passion project as opposed to dedicating your life towards it for half a decade. 

Ask yourself, What would would I like to  master?

During your PhD, you’ll be reminded of the fact that nobody knows your discipline and focus area better than you do. So, go backwards! Trace what fuels your obsession and find what you know better than anyone else you know.

As multipotentialites, of course, we are experts at several things. So look at  your subjects, pick what excites you the most, and try to imagine who you’d become if you gained a very deep knowledge that area. Then, try it again with something else! You are, at the end of the day, going to contribute to your field of research. Unless you feel confident about your choice of specialization, this journey won’t be easy.

Your PhD proposal idea should fit your multipotentialite personality

There are several interdisciplinary subjects and fields to choose from including combining history and languages, or religion and anthropology, among others. When you think through your preferences, ask yourself if it’s possible to combine and find a focal point for your interests to coalesce. Can you work through a PhD proposal that combines your many interests and your ability to think through them all? Chances are, you’ll arrive at something wholly unique and intriguing to work on.

When I was between graduate school and PhD in academia, I obsessed over Network and Platform Studies in New Media and ended up focusing on those aspects during my PhD in Cinema Studies. As a multipod, this branch (also known as intermediality) was extremely useful, as it helped combine my interests. While it was a great fit for my curious temperament, I also knew I was a master of these specific subjects. I knew I wanted to focus my attention on pursuing new research in the field, and that I had the passion and knowledge to do so.

If you’re at a loss as to how different areas of study might fit together, see what others are doing. It can be helpful to go through university websites and review the research topics listed for the scholars pursuing PhD. You’re sure to see some unique examples of interdisciplinary fields.

Writing to help simplify your decision

Attempting a PhD proposal is just the first step to entering the nebulous world of academia. If you choose to move forward, you will share your unique contribution into a discipline that many before you have participated in. Over time, you will also highlight your discoveries to the world. So, you and your PhD will be  inseparable for the foreseeable future. 

If you lay out all of your interests in front of you, you may have a sense that you like them all equally. In my experience, writing a page on why a certain subject is compelling to you will help you more closely understand what it is that you truly value. 

I want to share my academic roadmap with you to help you understand how I played this decision to my multipotentialite strengths. I have dabbled  in Philosophy, Commerce, Filmmaking, Publishing, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, Bass Playing and even writing erotica but the heart of all my interests—my overarching theme—has always been storytelling. As I considered my PhD, I knew I wanted to hone my writing skills, and that a research degree in cinema would sharpen my storytelling and writing abilities. 

When you put your thoughts into words on screen and paper, you’ll see how some take shape better than others. If an idea or proposal comes together easily, with sharp outlines, this may be the moment for you to latch onto clarity and arrive at a conclusion for your area of work.

Beat the stress

If you, like me, are a first generation academic and a multipod at that, you might know how challenging it can be not to have an external partner to bounce ideas off of. What helps in times like these is keeping your cool and taking time out. It also helps to reach out to teachers, guides, mentors and professors across disciplines. And, of course, other multipotentialite academics and will have invaluable experiences to share.

As a multipod, I have found a lot of clarity and help from my academic guides over the years, across disciplines. Whoever helps you come to clarity with your best interests at heart is your go-to person, whether it’s a grandparent or a friend. Sometimes, a chat with a family member can trigger you and fuel passion for something you didn’t even know you were keen on pursuing. Look out for those conversations that help you with ideas and deductions about your future.

Your PhD is a stepping stone, not an end goal

If you are struggling to come to terms with choosing a discipline, it might be worthwhile to think of taking a year or two to work within the preferred fields and get a better understanding of your academic and professional preferences, and see if you would like to align them or not. 

PhD is a serious decision and if it means you pursue working in a discipline of your choice to arrive at the final answer, it might be worth a shot to explore it. 

All research degrees require a research proposal as a starting point. If you need work experience to arrive at a research proposal in your discipline, it is worthwhile to defer your application and proposal by a year or two to acquire the relevant work experience. 

Good luck making your decision! I’m sure that with time and consideration you’ll make the right choice for you.

Your turn

Have you ever struggled to pick one academic discipline over another? Share your personal experiences to help Rory and others in the community in the comments below.

Is there something that’s getting in the way of you living your best multipotentialite life? Got a puzzling productivity challenge or career quandary? Is there a particular family member who won’t accept your many facets? Or maybe you have a more general question about multipotentialites and how we move through the world? Send your “Dear Puttylike” questions to advice@puttylike.com