My PhD Experience Podcast

Dr. Chinwe Onuegbu's journey is a testament to excellence and determination. From graduating with distinction at the University of Ibadan to earning a scholarship for her PhD at the University of Warwick in the UK, her path has been nothing short of inspiring. Motivated by her brother and the renowned Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, nothing could deter her from achieving her dream of obtaining a PhD. Her...

Dr. Emeka Dumbili shared a refreshingly open conversation about his upbringing and how his community's traditions around alcohol use as a rite of passage have influenced his research on youth drinking behaviors. His journey toward a PhD is a testament to hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Dr. Emeka is a dreamer who has truly turned his aspirations into reality. This episode is packed with va...

In this episode, Dr Chinwe shared her PhD experience, highlighting how she combined childcare and family with her PhD work. Her love for learning spurred her interest in pursuing a PhD and nothing could stop her from achieving her dreams. She narrated how she secured admission into her PhD program after many attempts and how the first two years were marred with limited progress in her PhD work due...

In this episode, Dr Kobi shared her journey towards bagging a PhD with me. With a background in fine art, it took hard work, willingness to learn and grit for Dr Kobi to earn a PhD degree in Public Health. She combined her PhD study with parenting of two kids and 20 hours per week work in a lab. She is truly a super woman.

This episode is packed with PhD nuggets. Dr Christiana not only shared her PhD experience, but she also has some key lessons every student must pay attention to in order to succeed. The first two years of her PhD were challenging but she remembers those years as years of learning and unlearning. For her, resilience is key to obtaining a PhD because the journey will test you. Her advice to every yo...

Dr Tendai's PhD journey is intriguing, beginning as a short-gap plan to remain in South Africa and blossoming into a PhD in Sociology with a focus on masculinity and refugees' livelihood. Faced with funding challenges, combining work and studying and the outbreak of COVID-19, no challenge was insurmountable for Dr Tendai in his journey towards attaining his PhD. This episode is different from othe...

Bold, ambitious, and daring, Dr. Eyitayo Owolabi took a leap of faith in 2015 by relocating to South Africa with meager savings and the promise of a teaching assistantship to pursue a master's degree in nursing. Upon arrival, she quickly realized the teaching assistantship could barely cover her basic needs, forcing her to find additional resources for rent, data collection, and other necessities,...

As someone who has always dreamed of becoming a professor, Dr. Emmanuel wasted no time deciding to pursue his Ph. D. He was intentional about his choices before, during, and after his Ph. D. He shared with me how his journey started, the never told before grit and graft stories underlying his many successes. One exciting thing about this interview is the openness of Dr. Emmauel in laying out what...

In this interview, Dr Melissa Omino shared her journey towards bagging a PhD while providing insightful advice to prospective PhD students on how to navigate the journey.

In this interview, Dr. Emeka reflected on his Ph. D. journey,  what made him so successful, and the challenges he faced. This episode has so many nuggets and wisdom for Ph. D. and early career researchers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

“One of the things that hurt me the most was people; instead of congratulating me on finishing my Ph. D., all they kept saying was now that you have completed your Ph. D., when are you bringing your husband home.” Dr Oluwaseye sat with me to discuss how she navigated societal pressure to get married before getting into a Ph. D. program. Take a listen.

We have a culture of violence tolerance. We have internalized dangerous societal norms that we must unlearn. In this episode Dr Femi offered solutions on how we can address dangerous social norms or what I called sexual double standard. Take a listen.

Dr Oluseye reflected on her PhD journey on my PhD_experince_podcast. She spoke about how she managed to secure funding, the challenges of being lonely and a migrant, the need for family and social support, developing a good rapport with your supervisor, and emotional maturity.

Dr Oluwaseyi recounted her post-PhD experience, laying out what's needed to succeed and the challenges she has had to overcome. Listen and share.

Dr. Seyi Somefun is a prolific social demographer and an avid researcher. She shared her Ph. D. experience with me, focusing on what worked for her in securing funding, completing her thesis, and attending numerous international conferences. Her story is unique, and I am sure it will inspire you.  

In this episode, Dr. Kudus shared with me his post-PhD experience. He touched on tips for successful post-PhD. He has won several post PhD awards and he shared with me the secrets to winning these awards.

In this episode, Dr. Kudus reflected on his Ph. D. journey, sharing insights on crucial ingredients for graduate school success and winning awards and scholarships. Please listen and share.

In this episode, Dr. Femi shared his success secrets post-PhD. He also shared with me his many successes and challenges. Please listen and share.

In this episode, Dr Femi discussed with me his main challenges and key successes during his doctoral study in South Africa.

In part one, Dr Melissa shared her PhD experience. She highlighted her major and minor wins as well as her challenges.