motivation behind phd

• Graduate School

How to Answer, “Why Do You Want to Do a PhD?”

When applying for graduate school, your “why do you want to do a PhD?” answer to this common question will be something you want to prepare in advance: doctorate admissions can be pretty competitive, which is why acing your interview is key to securing that acceptance. If you are wondering how to get into grad school , preparing yourself early can allow for enough time to perfect all aspects of your application.

This article includes helpful samples of answers to this notorious interview question, explores why it is asked, and provides some tips for planning out your future response. We also cover the benefits of graduate school interview preparation for improving your chances of getting into your dream PhD program and achieving your goals.

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Article Contents 10 min read

“why do you want to do a phd” sample answers.

Sample Answer 1 (academic/career/literary research focus)

I am interested in a PhD at your institution because I wish to further my literary research and become a professor at the university level. My plan is to be a top scholar of 19th-century and Victorian literature. I first became acquainted with the period during my bachelor’s degree when one of my favorite professors encouraged me to study the portrayal of gender and sexuality in works of that period, specifically through the writings of the Brontë sisters. I became fascinated with how concepts of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny interact in their writing and how they subvert conventions of the gothic genre to represent female rage against oppression by men. That interest led to the completion of my master’s degree at McGill University, where I wrote a major research paper on the subject. Something I want to further discuss in my published work is how this concept transforms as it appears in novels of the 20 th -century and contemporary literature. The ultimate goal is to further ingratiate myself within current scholarship in the field. I also know the value of a good teacher, and I want to be able to inspire a future generation of students, just as my professors inspired me.

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Sample Answer 2 (personal growth/curiosity focus)

Planning out my future was not always easy for me. Growing up, I did not have a clue where to start. I was a few semesters into my undergraduate degree before I figured out what I actually wanted to study. I then left my economics and finance majors behind and started a psychology program, which is when I originally became interested in the impact of social media on mental health, whether it be positive or negative. Social media was steadily growing in popularity at the time and is now a staple in our personal and professional lives. It has been an interesting experience to watch this shift occur right in front of my eyes as I completed my bachelor’s and eventually my master’s degree. I never had to look very hard to find what to focus my attention on because there were always new studies coming out about the effects of smartphones and social media apps. This is a field that is frequently changing and presenting new developments. For me, there is something really fascinating about that aspect of our digital world. I want to do this doctorate degree as a culmination of my education in this area now that it feels like I have finally found my calling.

This question, like the “tell me about yourself” PhD interview question , may be frustrating to encounter, as it can be considered broad or redundant. However, when a graduate program director asks this question, they want to get down to the nitty-gritty of who you are and why you are here in front of them. Another way of wording this question would be: What is your motivation for applying to graduate school? Not many people wake up one day and randomly apply to a PhD program on a whim. Therefore, the department you are applying to wants to find out more aspects of your personality and reasoning beyond the contents of your graduate school resume or grad school career goals statement . They want to see what kind of student, instructor, professor, scholar, or colleague you will be. Graduate programs are usually not very large, so they want a sense of who they will be working with for the next few years.

Of course, you can touch upon your past experiences studying or otherwise if it is relevant to what you are currently pursuing, but the overall purpose of your interview is to give them more information about you than what they already know. Answering this question illustrates how concise you can be and how you speak about yourself or your interests. It tests your self-awareness as you are planning to take on an advanced degree at the doctorate level. Your response will also depend on whatever program or field you are applying to. Someone applying for a doctoral program in the sciences may have different components to bring up in their answer than a psychology or humanities applicant.

Even after applying to graduate school, you may still be wondering should you pursue a master’s or PhD , but this could be because you have not yet narrowed down your reasons for doing one. When constructing your response, you will need to reflect on your personal reasons for going forward with a PhD. You want your answers in your interview to be genuine and truly reflective of your interests in their program. It is possible that your reasoning stems from a combination of multiple different places. Here are some of the more common reasons that PhD applicants pursue further education that may resonate with your story:

1.   Boosting Academic and Career Prospects

You may have an interest in further developing your career opportunities, whether they are inside or outside of academia. To become a lecturer or a professor at the university level, a doctoral degree is usually required for most disciplines. Many people want to take that extra step to build upon their master’s degree and become a notable expert in their field. Completing a PhD can be the catalyst for learning how to find a job in academia . Feeling the desire to explore that possibility or strive toward that path is a perfectly acceptable reason for completing a PhD. Even if you do not have aspirations to become a professor, a PhD could lead to viable options outside of academia. A doctorate degree could simply be about opening as many doors as possible, which is necessary to succeed in any job market.

2.   Achieving Personal Development

Many potential PhD applicants want to fulfill a personal goal when completing their degree. It is your degree after all, so it is normal for your reasons to lead back to you and your wishes. Nobody is expecting you to be completing this degree for anyone else. It may be a life-changing experience for you as a whole, even if it is not directly linked to your studies. There are other aspects to going to school that are not immediately apparent. A PhD program is also a way to learn new skills, meet new people, and move to a new place, perhaps. You will have the opportunity to expand your network and give yourself every opportunity to succeed. Ask yourself: what can you accomplish personally with this PhD that you cannot without it? Your eventual response in an interview could mention specific resolutions that come with acquiring your doctorate degree. A PhD can act as validation for the years of study you have behind you or can give you a greater sense of pride in your academic abilities.

3.   Fulfilling Curiosity

When you apply to a doctoral program, you have probably thought about specific subjects you want to consider. While you can wait to figure out exactly how to find a PhD topic until after you get accepted, you should already have a basic idea of what you want to pursue and be ready to discuss it when asked about it in an interview. When you apply to an advanced degree, you are not expected to know everything, even though it may seem so. Where you find inspiration to learn is key to your motivations as you embark on this new journey. Each individual applicant comes in the door with their own story and rationale for pursuing a PhD. You could be inspired by a particular scholar, era, or world issue. Give your interviewer the larger picture as to why a PhD is necessary for you. Whatever you are curious about will make you stand out from other applicants who have similar backgrounds. Making sure to explain that these objectives require a PhD is also very important to proving your candidacy to a program director.

4.   Advancing Research

Springboarding off of curiosity, research is how scientific innovation is published to the masses. It is the physical manifestation of your curiosity and transforms an idea into reality. Students often use graduate education as a means to publicize their work. Many ground-breaking studies begin within university walls. A PhD could be the vehicle that helps you pursue worthwhile research that can ultimately have a greater impact on your field of study as well as the world at large. Before you apply, you should ideally jot down some research questions or objectives you plan to explore, either during or after completing your PhD. Writing a research interest statement could also help in this regard. These interests could wholly motivate you to pursue a PhD first and foremost. For instance, if your wish is to positively effect the environment and develop research that could combat climate change, the resources of an academic institution can help further develop that goal.

5.   Training Before Further Education

In certain cases, a PhD could add layers to a student’s training before attempting another educational pursuit, such as medical school. For instance, prospective medical students often ask themselves, “Do I need a graduate degree to gain admission to medical school?” because they want to strengthen their application with a doctorate degree in the sciences or another relevant field. A PhD before medical school could also result in an impressive research resume for the applicant and provide them further motivation for becoming a doctor. There are also programs that combine both degrees, such as MD-PhD programs , that focus primarily on research and scientific innovation rather than clinical work. Many prospective medical students apply to PhD programs to explore every option at their disposal and create a solid foundation of research before officially applying to medical school.

Interview questions may need the most thought in terms of how you respond to them. Some of the most common and difficult graduate school interview questions are often the simplest in scope. Here are a few tips for how to structure and create a proper answer as to why you want to do a PhD:

1.   Research, Research, Research

Research is not only what your PhD will lead to but also a crucial portion of preparing for it. Learn everything you can about the programs you are applying to, what academic opportunities they might lead to, and what careers they lend themselves to. It is also never too early to look into some thesis writing services for when you may eventually need them. Researching programs will give you a better grasp on why you are applying to a specific school when you are eventually asked the question. With less information about the school or its program, there is less of a chance you will be able to fully articulate why you should further your studies there.

2.   Brainstorm Your Response

The first thing to do is to brainstorm all the reasons you want to complete a doctorate degree. Get a piece of paper or blank document and start to take note of everything that comes to mind. These can be specific reasons, potential research topics, programs you are interested in, the city you will move to, or anything else that could motivate you to complete your PhD. You could also use what you may have already written for a PhD motivation letter as a base for what you want to touch upon. Once complete, parse through what is most important for your response and discard the rest.

3.   Have a Beginning, Middle, and End

In terms of structure, you will want to create a mini narrative that captures the interviewer’s interest. It should be detailed and unique to you without being overblown. Make sure that your answer flows, is concise, and does not go over two minutes, as you could risk losing the interviewer’s attention. You might want to mention your prior studies or academic research first, then what sparked your interest in doing a PhD, and then perhaps end with a little tidbit as to why you are attracted to that school’s program specifically.

4.   Use Bullet Points

While you should always be thinking about how to structure your response to achieve the best result, it is important to avoid memorizing a script or simply listing the items on your CV for graduate school . This could wind up making you sound robotic and rehearsed, which may leave a lukewarm impression on an admissions officer or interviewer. It is a little tedious to consider, but you want the response to flow logically without seeming too prepared. Planning out your answer in bullet points will allow you to stick to what information you want to convey while still answering the question in a natural way. 

Self-reflection is important when applying to any academic program. A question that requires you to dig deep, such as “Why do you want to do a PhD?” may cause anxiety. PhD interviews in particular can be intimidating if you are not ready or feel lost about where to start preparing. Thankfully, there are resources for you to receive aid should you need it. Reading tips for applying to graduate school will get you into the right mindset to begin preparing for your PhD. It could also inspire you to put more effort into perfecting your application.

Meanwhile, seeking graduate school application help from a professional is a sure-fire way to alleviate the stress associated with pursuing a doctoral degree. There is no shame in asking for a helping hand as you make important decisions about your academic future. You can only succeed if you give yourself the room to do so.

Interviewers tend to ask this question to get to know more about your personality and motivations when applying to their program. It is also a way to further explore what your interests are and how you express yourself when talking about them.

One of the most important things to remember when answering this question is to be genuine and focus on accurately articulating what your true motivations are. Surely, you applied to the PhD program for multiple reasons, so try and relay those to the interviewer as clearly as you can.

Yes and no. Your response to this question will be similar to what is already in your statement of purpose. Your statement is also an assessment of your writing skills, especially depending on the program you are applying to. Do not differentiate too much until it is a completely different answer. This could make your response come off as disingenuous. 

The answer to this question should ideally be about a minute or 90 seconds long. A response under a minute is probably a little too short. Two minutes is the absolute maximum length. You could risk losing the attention of the interviewer if it surpasses that timeframe. Moreover, this will not be the only question you will have to answer, so show respect for the interviewer’s time by keeping your responses brief and to the point.

Be careful not to neglect your particular motivation for applying by going off topic. You also do not have to touch on every single accomplishment on your CV unless they are relevant. Mentioning your master’s degree or other larger accomplishments could be worthwhile, but be sure to think about the future and why specifically you want to complete a PhD.

PhD interview and postdoc interview questions can touch on many different topics. You will surely encounter both personal questions as well as field-related ones. These will make up a large chunk of what will be discussed during the interview.

You can, but unless they are well-versed in graduate school admissions, their feedback might not be as useful to you. To truly see an improvement in your interview skills, you should receive feedback that is tailored and personalized to you from someone who is aware of what graduate school interviewers are looking for, such as a grad school advisor .

Your best bet is a grad school advisor who is an admissions expert specifically trained to help students navigate the complex process of applying to graduate school programs. Advisors who are especially knowledgeable about doctorate programs can also be called PhD consultants . These individuals can help you with all aspects of graduate school applications, including interview preparation, editing application documents, and more.

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The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD Motivation: How to Stay Driven From Cover Letter to Completion

PhDs can be a long slog and it’s easy to lose touch with why you set out to do one in the first place. If you’re falling out of love with your PhD why not try these tips to help boost your motivation.

Note – This post, and its predecessor about PhD Burnout , were inspired by a reader who asked for suggestions on tackling PhD fatigue. I love hearing from readers of the blog, so if you have any ideas for posts which you, or others, could find useful please do let me know! Just pop a note in the comments section below or drop me a message .

This post is part of my PhD mindset series, you can check out the full series below:

• PhD Burnout: Managing Energy, Stress, Anxiety & Your Mental Health
• PhD Motivation: How to Stay Driven From Cover Letter to Completion (this part!)
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Studying

Focus on the Big Picture

If you’re struggling with motivation during your PhD it can be helpful to consider what originally motivated you to pursue one. One way you may find it useful to capture these thoughts is through a vision board or spider diagram.

Try listing out each of the following:

• What you hope to achieve during your PhD (both personally and professionally)
• How you picture your life and career post-PhD

The vision board for the PhD itself will help you make the most of your time now, while your post PhD vision board will serve as a reminder of where you are going.

This can be a great way to increase your motivation and identify opportunities within your PhD that may help you to realise your long term vision.

Here is an example one I created about life after the PhD which could serve as some motivation during the PhD:

Set Short Term Goals

Depending on how far along you are in your PhD, reaching the finishing line may seem like a herculean task. Rather than risking getting overwhelmed, focus on making regular progress by setting achievable short term goals.

What are some examples of short term goals? Well let’s start by highlighting a few potential milestones during a PhD:

• Completing your first set of experiments
• Writing your first paper
• Drafting your thesis
• Passing your viva

Try to break down these large tasks into sub-tasks and set yourself short term goals. Importantly, make sure that the goals are actually realistically achievable! Although it is great to push yourself, if you set goals that are too lofty you risk demotivating yourself further! Small and consistent progress is what we’re aiming for.

Breaking tasks down will allow you to recognise your progress and how far you’ve come. While recognising what you’ve already accomplished with your PhD will help provide the motivation to achieve even more.

So for instance breaking down the first of those example milestones, completing your first set of experiments, could be broken down into much smaller short term goals:

Breaking down goal 1: Completing your first set of experiments

• Read five relevant papers to get ideas from other studies. Which techniques did they use? What further work did they recommend?
• Speak with my supervisor about first potential experiments. What is achievable in the lab? Do we need to order any consumables?
• Get inducted into the lab if necessary and get trained on key equipment.
• If relevant, shadow someone else in the lab to understand certain processes.
• Give it a go: conduct a few preliminary experiments.
• Build on these first experiments and suddenly you’ve become a self-sufficient researcher. Good job!

You may personally choose to set goals monthly, weekly or even set yourself one task to achieve each day. Try different lengths and see what works best for you.

Now as a postdoc I personally have an ongoing document which I always keep open with goals and tasks for me to complete which I add to as I have new thoughts and conversations. Every day I set myself a short list of tasks I set to complete myself to work towards these bigger goals and projects. Without this not only would I lack focus but also motivation.

Recognise What You’ve Already Achieved

As mentioned above it can feel like you haven’t achieved much when the big picture PhD goals still seem far away.

Sometimes we can get motivation from realising how much we already have to be proud of. I know what it is like to be in a downbeat part of your PhD and it can be tough to appreciate your successes but this is exactly the time when we need harness positive and motivational thoughts!

Let’s play a quick game. Set a timer on your phone for 2 minutes and write down a few things about your PhD you’re already proud of. Don’t worry, I’m not expecting a list of potential Nobel prize winning discoveries.

Here are some ideas:

• Coming up with some ideas for experiments
• Learning a new research technique
• Facing a personal fear – such as public speaking

If you’re in the early stages, remind yourself that pushing yourself to apply for the PhD is an achievement and getting accepted into a PhD programme is no mean feat. Go you!

Reward Your Accomplishments

Along with setting short term academic goals it’s important to reward yourself once they’re completed. Depending on what length goal you set, the reward may be as simple as taking a break and indulging in something unproductive, taking an afternoon off to relax or treating yourself to your favourite meal.

It can be tempting to skip this step but celebrating when you complete tasks is really important. This will help to get you in the right mindset for progressing towards the next goal. Celebrating achievements is also a great way to instill better habits and we’ll cover more on this next.

Build Better Habits

Mastering self discipline and consistency is one of the best ways to maximise your potential both during your PhD and beyond. If this is something you struggle with then now is the perfect time to try making improvements in a very low risk environment. Here is some great advice on this subject by an incredibly successful guy:

Making these improvements through small actions can make surprisingly big differences. To illustrate this: a person who improved by 1% each day would be 37 times better after a year!

Consistently improving 1% each and every day isn’t likely, but the cumulative effect of working on yourself by building better habits is undeniable.

It typically takes 40 days to master a habit, so start small and once you have your first habit ingrained you can start on the next. Realising success will empower you to master harder challenges too and also provide you with the confidence to know that you can achieve what you set your mind to.

Some ideas for areas you may wish to develop better habits for are:

• Work schedule
• Healthy eating

Habit Building Tips

• Start small and focus on just turning up – When building new habits it is much more important to be consistent than to set lofty goals.
• Gamify it – In 2020 I decided to start using Duolingo to learn Spanish. Not only is the format on Duolingo very engaging, so is the “streak” of uninterrupted days you use the app for. It is surprising how powerful motivation can become to keep the streak going. In fact, as of writing this post I’ve just passed 600 uninterrupted days on Duolingo! I now try to apply similar concepts in other parts of my life.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up – It’s natural to make mistakes but it’s what you do afterwards that counts. If you slip up with your habit fight the urge to give it up. Instead move on and work to get back.
• Be accountable – Tell others about your goals and if you know another PhD student struggling with the same issue why not team up together to try and improve.

I’d also highly recommend giving the below video from Kurzgesagt a watch to learn more about how to build positive habits.

Prioritise Self-Care

PhDs are a marathon not a sprint and in order to make it to the end it’s vital to take care of yourself along the way. Exercising, socialising, eating healthily and prioritising mental health will all put you in the best position to keep your energy levels high.

PhD Burnout is a very real thing and the last thing you want is to lose all passion for research entirely. Check out my post here on PhD Burnout to learn the warning signs and how to intervene before things go to far.

Make sure to take time each week to recharge and don’t prioritise your research to the detriment of all else. It isn’t worth sacrificing your own health for your research. Make the most of opportunities during your PhD and find things you’re passionate about and look forward to.

I personally found it helpful to treat my PhD like a full-time job which meant having weekends and weekday evenings off. There were exceptions to this of course but in general it meant that I had a good work/life balance and didn’t feel desperate for the PhD to end.

Everyone will have different ways of structuring their time, but recognise that YOU are a priority and your life shouldn’t go on hold until your PhD is complete.

Define Success Differently

Reframe what you see as success. Instead of defining success by the achievement of a long term goal instead define success by the consistent actions taken to progress towards it.

For instance, if you’re nearing the end of your PhD then completing your PhD thesis may be months away. But, if you commit to working on your thesis for at least one hour a day (and achieve it) you’re already on a successful path.

I’d suggest giving the intro to this newsletter by Andrew Ng a read to learn more about process goals versus outcome goals.

Avoid Comparisons to Other PhD Students

We all know this one but it can be easy to forget. Looking at what others have achieved can sometimes be motivating, but it can also leave you feeling inferior.

No two PhD journeys will ever be the same so all you can do is aim to achieve the “best” version of your own journey.

Top Tips to Boost PhD Motivation

• Focus on the big picture
• Set achievable short term goals
• Recognise what you’ve already achieved
• Reward your accomplishments
• Build better habits
• Prioritise self-care
• Define success differently
• Avoid comparisons to other PhD students

I hope you found these suggestions on how to boost PhD motivation helpful. Do you have any advice of your own to share? Let me know in the comments section below.

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How to Write a Successful PhD Motivation Letter

Table of Contents Hide

What are phd motivation letters, understanding the key components of a phd motivation letter, initiating your phd motivation letter, do your research, aim for clarity and conciseness, connect your background and experience, show your research potential, demonstrate your connection to the program, be authentic, effective conclusion for your phd motivation letter, ideal length of a phd motivation letter, formatting the phd motivation letter, common mistakes to avoid in phd motivation letter writing, writing a successful phd motivation letter.

When you are applying to a PhD program, one of the requirements is likely to be a motivation letter. This letter is similar to a personal statement in which you will describe reasons why you want to pursue the degree and explain why you should be accepted into the program.

A well-written motivation letter for a PhD can easily become a deciding admissions factor. If you are competing against hundreds of applicants, your letter should help you stand out from the crowd.

No matter what your specialization is or the type of program you’ve chosen, you need to learn how to write a motivation letter for a PhD. Otherwise, your application may not look as persuasive as it could.

Let’s dive deeper into writing a successful motivation letter for your PhD studies.

PhD motivation letters are also known as statements of purpose or personal statements. While not all PhD programs require applicants to submit these letters, writing one can improve your chances of getting accepted.

A motivation letter gives you a priceless opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee and explain why you are the top candidate. In this letter, you won’t just express your motivation, list research interests, and show yourself in the best possible light. You will demonstrate your commitment to studies and your mastery of words.

While the admissions committee already knows all about your credentials, they want to get to know you as a person. In this letter, you will be showing your passion for getting a PhD in a specific niche.

Interestingly enough, the Ph.D. motivation letter isn’t just a way to conquer the committee members’ hearts. It’s an opportunity to look deeper into what you really want. By writing and reading this statement, you can gain unexpected insight into what’s best for your professional future.

The structure and content of a motivation letter aren’t always the same. Each university may have a list of requirements. So, you won’t be able to write one letter and use it for each program you apply to. However, you can create a framework that makes writing several letters easier.

Here is what a general PhD motivation letter should include:

• Introduction – a short introductory paragraph or two that catches the reader’s attention and explains what the letter will be about.
• Research interests – a list and a brief explanation of your research interests, specific research questions, and topics you plan to explore during your PhD  studies.
• Academic background – you can add a short summary of your academic background (degrees, coursework, research experience, publications)
• Motivation – this is the most important part of the letter. You need to be clear about your motivation for pursuing a PhD in general and the reasons why this program is the perfect fit for your needs. This section must reflect your passion and enthusiasm.
• Goals – briefly explain what your long-term career goals are and mention how obtaining a PhD  within this program can help you achieve them. Your ambition and commitment must shine through the words.

While the university may provide some requirements that can help you structure your motivation letter, the majority of it is your own creativity. Keep in mind that you aren’t just sharing cold facts but showcasing your personality.

In most cases, the introduction is the most important part of your PhD  motivation letter. While the committee is likely to read the entire letter anyway, if you don’t catch their attention immediately, they might simply skim through it.

Always begin with a compelling opening sentence. Consider using a thought-provoking statement or a curious question related to your potential field of study. For example, “My unwavering fascination with the intricate workings of the human brain is the power behind my passion for forensic psychology.”

Next state your purpose for writing the letter and your intention to apply for the specific program. Make sure to immediately highlight your enthusiasm, motivation, and genuine interest in pursuing the subject matter.

For example, “The opportunity to go further into the subject of forensic psychology and contribute to the advancements in the criminal landscape fills me with immense excitement and determination.”

How to Structure the Motivation Letter for PhD

Once you finish the introduction, you can go on to the body of the letter, which should include research interests, academic background, motivation, and goals. Here are a few important tips that can help you make the most out of this structure.

Understanding how to write a motivation letter for Ph.D. studies begins with in-depth research about the program. While you’ve probably done a lot of browsing online already, you’ve been mainly focusing on the way the program meets your needs.

Now, you need to do similar research from a different perspective. Ask yourself, “How do I meet the needs of the program?” The answer can help you make the right statements within your letter.

The admissions committee has to go through hundreds of documents and letters. A long letter with complex and confusing sentences is likely to cause frustration. This is exactly what you need to avoid.

Don’t include any unnecessary details or lengthy explanations. Just share the facts wrapped in positive emotions. If you manage to demonstrate your passion without boring the reader, you can stand out from the crowd.

Make sure to highlight all relevant academic, and especially, research experience. List and discuss projects or publications that demonstrate your knowledge. Talk about how the experience, whether professional or educational, has shaped your research interests. This is a great place to explain where your motivation comes from.

You need to demonstrate to the admissions committee your immense potential to excel in research. Here, you have to show that you possess the necessary critical thinking abilities and problem-solving solving skills. List research methodologies you have experience with.

Explain why this Ph.D. program is a good fit for your research goals. Discuss faculty members whose work aligns with your research (here is where your research will prove highly useful). Make sure to single out at least one unique opportunity that attracts you to the program. Show that you’ve done your homework and know exactly what you are applying for.

While it may be tempting to ask for assistance or use ChatGPT, outsourcing your motivation letter isn’t a good idea. An important part of the letter is demonstrating your own voice. You are the only one who can do it genuinely. Try to avoid any generic statements. Inject each sentence with passion and desire to achieve your educational goals.

The conclusion is the final impression you make on the reader. This is something they are likely to remember you by. Make sure to summarize the points you’ve made in the letter succinctly. This will serve as a reminder.

Next, talk about your goals for the future. Don’t try to share all of your educational and professional plans here. One strong goal is sufficient and easy to fit into a short conclusion.

Finally, express your gratitude to the program for the opportunity to apply and eagerness to hear from the committee soon.

Close the letter with “sincerely” or “best regards” and your full name. Don’t forget to provide your contact details.

The school of your choice is likely to define the length of your motivation letter for PhD. Usually, it’s between 500 and 1,000 words. However, even if the program doesn’t try to limit your writing, it doesn’t mean you have to go “all out.” The ideal letter should fit into one page. The font size shouldn’t be larger than 12 pt.

The font itself must be easy to read. Opt for Times New Roman or Arial. Avoid fancy fonts that can frustrate the reader.

Your motivation letter should contain several short paragraphs. Don’t make them longer than five lines. Otherwise, you could lose the reader’s attention.

Start your letter with “With whom it may concern.” Even if you know the names of the people on the admissions committee, you can never be sure which one of them will be reading the letter.

These common mistakes can hinder the quality of your letter:

• Grammatical and spelling errors
• Using generic or cliché statements
• Lack of clarity
• Overly lengthy explanations
• Failing to tailor the letter to the program’s requirements
• Lack of focus on the research interests and goals
• Failing to demonstrate genuine passion and enthusiasm
• Lack of understanding of the program
• Irrelevant or unnecessary information
• Poor organization of the letter

Many of these mistakes can easily be avoided by proofreading. Besides reading the letter several times yourself, ask someone else to do it. A fresh perspective or two can help you create a truly effective piece.

A PhD motivation letter is a wonderful opportunity to stand out from the crowd and get into the PhD program of your choice, even if you don’t meet the admissions requirements perfectly. It’s a chance to express your passion for studies and demonstrate your fit for the program.

Following a few simple formatting rules and keeping the letter authentic can help you achieve the desired admissions goals. Good luck!

PHD in Economics, Associate Professor, Department of Business Process Management, Faculty of Market Technologies IOM

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How to Write a PhD Motivation Letter

• Applying to a PhD

A PhD motivation letter is a document that describes your personal motivation and competence for a particular research project. It is usually submitted together with your academic CV to provide admissions staff with more information about you as an individual, to help them decide whether or not you are the ideal candidate for a research project.

A motivation letter has many similarities to a cover letter and a personal statement, and institutions will not ask you to submit all of these. However, it is a unique document and you should treat it as such. In the context of supporting a PhD application, the difference is nuanced; all three documents outline your suitability for PhD study. However, compared to a cover letter and personal statement, a motivation letter places more emphasis on your motivation for wanting to pursue the particular PhD position you are applying for.

Academic cover letters are more common in UK universities, while motivation letters are more common abroad.

A motivation letter can play a key part in the application process . It allows the admission committee to review a group of PhD applicants with similar academic backgrounds and select the ideal candidate based on their motivations for applying.

For admission staff, academic qualifications alone are not enough to indicate whether a student will be successful in their doctorate. In this sense, a motivational letter will allow them to judge your passion for the field of study, commitment to research and suitability for the programme, all of which better enables them to evaluate your potential.

How Should I Structure My Motivation Letter?

A strong motivation letter for PhD applications will include:

• A concise introduction stating which programme you are applying for,
• Your academic background and professional work experience,
• Any key skills you possess and what makes you the ideal candidate,
• Your interest and motivation for applying,
• Concluding remarks and thanks.

This is a simplistic breakdown of what can be a very complicated document.

However, writing to the above structure will ensure you keep your letter of motivation concise and relevant to the position you are applying for. Remember, the aim of your letter is to show your enthusiasm and that you’re committed and well suited for the programme.

To help you write a motivation letter for a PhD application, we have outlined what to include in the start, main body, and closing sections.

How to Start a Motivation Letter

Introduction: Start with a brief introduction in which you clearly state your intention to apply for a particular programme. Think of this as describing what the document is to a stranger.

Education: State what you have studied and where. Your higher education will be your most important educational experience, so focus on this. Highlight any relevant modules you undertook as part of your studies that are relevant to the programme you are applying for. You should also mention how your studies have influenced your decision to pursue a PhD project, especially if it is in the same field you are currently applying to.

Work experience: Next summarise your professional work experience. Remember, you will likely be asked to submit your academic CV along with your motivation letter, so keep this section brief to avoid any unnecessary repetition. Include any other relevant experiences, such as teaching roles, non-academic experience, or charity work which demonstrates skills or shows your suitability for the research project and in becoming a PhD student.

Key skills: Outline your key skills. Remember the admissions committee is considering your suitability for the specific programme you are applying for, so mention skills relevant to the PhD course.

Motivation for applying: Show your enthusiasm and passion for the subject, and describe your long-term aspirations. Start with how you first became interested in the field, and how your interest has grown since. You should also mention anything else you have done which helps demonstrate your interest in your proposed research topic, for example:

• Have you attended any workshops or seminars?
• Do you have any research experience?
• Have you taught yourself any aspects of the subject?
• Have you read any literature within the research area?

Finally, describe what has convinced you to dedicate the next 3-4 years (assuming you are to study full time) of your life to research.

How to End a Motivation Letter

Concluding the motivation letter is where most people struggle. Typically, people can easily describe their academic background and why they want to study, but convincing the reader they are the best candidate for the PhD programme is often more challenging.

The concluding remarks of your motivation letter should highlight the impacts of your proposed research, in particular: the new contributions it will make to your field, the benefits it will have on society and how it fits in with your aspirations.

With this, conclude with your career goals. For example, do you want to pursue an academic career or become a researcher for a private organisation? Doing so will show you have put a lot of thought into your decision.

Remember, admissions into a PhD degree is very competitive, and supervisors invest a lot of time into mentoring their students. Therefore, supervisors naturally favour those who show the most dedication. Your conclusion should remind the reader that you are not only passionate about the research project, but that the university will benefit from having you.

Finally, thank the reader for considering your application.

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Motivation Letter Format

There are some basic rules to follow when writing a successful motivation letter. These will mimic the standard format for report writing that the supervisor will be familiar with:

• Use a sans serif font (e.g. Arial or Times New Roman),
• Use a standard font size (e.g. 12pt) and black font colour,
• Keep your writing professional throughout and avoid the use of informal language,
• Write in the first person,
• Address your motivation letter to a named person such as the project supervisor, however, this could also be the person in charge of research admissions,
• Structure your letter into paragraphs using the guidance above, such as introduction, academic history, motivation for research, and concluding remarks.

How Long Should a Motivation Letter Be?

A good rule of thumb for PhD motivation letters is to keep it to around one side of A4. A little longer than one page is acceptable, but two pages is generally considered too long. This equates to approximately 400-600 words.

Things to Avoid when Writing Your Motivational Letter

Your motivational letter will only be one of the several documents you’ll be asked to submit as part of your PhD application. You will almost certainly be asked to submit an Academic CV as well. Therefore, be careful not to duplicate any of the information.

It is acceptable to repeat the key points, such as what and where you have studied. However, while your CV should outline your academic background, your motivation letter should bring context to it by explaining why you have studied what you have, and where you hope to go with it. The simplest way to do this is to refer to the information in your CV and explain how it has led you to become interested in research.

Don’t try to include everything. A motivation letter should be short, so focus on the information most relevant to the programme and which best illustrates your passion for it. Remember, the academic committee will need to be critical in order to do their jobs effectively , so they will likely interpret an unnecessarily long letter as in indication that you have poor written skills and cannot communicate effectively.

You must be able to back up all of your statements with evidence, so don’t fabricate experiences or overstate your skills. This isn’t only unethical but is likely to be picked up by your proposed PhD supervisor or the admissions committee.

Whilst it is good to show you have an understanding of the field, don’t try to impress the reader with excessive use of technical terms or abbreviations.

PhD Motivation Letter Samples – A Word of Caution

There are many templates and samples of motivation letters for PhDs available online. A word of caution regarding these – although they can prove to be a great source of inspiration, you should refrain from using them as a template for your own motivation letter.

While there are no rules against them, supervisors will likely have seen a similar letter submitted to them in the past. This will not only prevent your application from standing out, but it will also reflect poorly on you by suggesting that you have put minimal effort into your application.

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The PhD Experience

• Call for Contributions

Inspiration, motivation and the PhD: What are your 3 reasons?

Ellie Ralph |

When starting your PhD, as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed student, you are full of motivation and passion for your research. However, we have all probably also been at the point when you have little to no motivation for continuing with your PhD and are contemplating if any of it is really ‘worth it’ anymore. The biggest piece of advice I can give in this circumstance is to remember the reason why you started. To help with this personally, I wrote a list of 3 of the top reasons why I am doing my PhD. I recommend to new PhD students to do this task at the start, but you can do this at any point in your PhD and use it as a tool to refer back to during those low points. Below I share my personal list of reasons, but it may help to spark motivation in others too:

• My Grandpa – As a child, I was not a high-achiever in school and always felt like education wasn’t for me. It wasn’t until I started university and really found my passion that I started to enjoy learning again. Growing up, my Grandpa was always the person to express to me the importance of staying in school and achieving good grades. He always pushed for me to do my best, regardless of the result. In 2020, my Grandpa passed away. In the hospital when he was sick, he would tell the nurses and doctors that I was a professor (I wish!), and always talk of how proud he was of me and my achievements. He was always the first person I would call with any academic-related good news. I still find myself wanting to call him now, but I use this as a motivation tool, and like to think that I am making him proud.
• My travel experience – My area of research mostly impacts people within Lebanon. I have been lucky enough to travel to Lebanon numerous times, for both work and personal travel, and have had direct contact with people that my research may one day impact. There is nothing that compares to travelling to the country your research is about, especially experiencing it in a ‘non-work-related way. I have also had some personal experiences with both Lebanese and Syrian nationals alike in the UK, and the experiences have always relit that spark within me to keep going.
• Impact – This is one area in which I think everyone could add it to their list of 3. We have to remember that no matter how small our impact on the world may be, we are still making one. With your PhD, you are making a contribution to the wider sphere of knowledge. My support worker at university changed my perspective on this – that no matter how small your drop in the ocean may be, it is still a drop that wasn’t there before. Further to this, you don’t truly know the impact of your work, and you may be helping change the lives of people you will never meet.

I hope that sharing my experiences helps you to think of the reasons why you started, which may be the same reasons to keep going. It is normal to go through periods of low motivation and the crisis of ‘what am I doing?!’, but it is important to have a place you can refer back to when you’re feeling this way. Please feel free to share your 3 reasons in the comments below.

Photo by Colton Duke on Unsplash

Ellie Ralph is the Vice Chair for Pubs & Publications. She is a second year PhD student at Keele University in Politics and International Relations, exploring Lebanese local NGO management of the Syrian refugee crisis. You can find her on Twitter  here.

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, reasons, motives and motivations for completing a phd: a typology of doctoral studies as a quest.

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

ISSN : 2398-4686

Article publication date: 16 November 2018

Issue publication date: 16 November 2018

This study aims to examine how PhD students with diverse profiles, intentions and expectations manage to navigate their doctoral paths within the same academic context under similar institutional conditions. Drawing on Giddens’ theory of structuration, this study explores how their primary reasons, motives and motivations for engaging in doctoral studies influence what they perceive as facilitating or constraining to progress, their strategies to face the challenges they encounter and their expectations regarding supervision.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative design, the analysis was conducted on a data subset from an instrumental case study (Stake, 2013) about PhD students’ persistence and progression. The focus is placed on semi-structured interviews carried out with 36 PhD students from six faculties in humanities and social sciences fields at a large Canadian university.

The analysis reveals three distinct scenarios regarding how these PhD students navigate their doctoral paths: the quest for the self; the intellectual quest; and the professional quest. Depending on their quest type, the nature and intensity of PhD students’ concerns and challenges, as well as their strategies and the support they expected, differed.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the discussion about PhD students’ challenges and persistence by offering a unique portrait of how diverse students’ profiles, intentions and expectations can concretely shape a doctoral experience.

• Higher education
• PhD experience
• Doctoral education
• Doctoral student learning
• Doctoral students
• Doctoral candidates
• Doctoral experience
• Doctoral trajectories
• Higher education environment

Skakni, I. (2018), "Reasons, motives and motivations for completing a PhD: a typology of doctoral studies as a quest", Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education , Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 197-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-D-18-00004

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Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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Your 10 Step Guide to a More Motivated PhD

If there is a job in the world that requires one of the highest levels of motivation, I would say it is doing a PhD. Pushing yourself out of bed daily to enter the lab ain’t an easy task, especially when your results are dodgy or you have unluckily found that your lab-mates or project colleagues are not the kind of people you really gel with. Anything from a tough project, elusive results to not-so-helpful colleagues can bring your motivation down. But I have always believed that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going!

So on that Mantra, here I am, a PhD student, thinking about what can help me get a successful PhD after all these years of slogging and more importantly – how do I keep myself motivated all the time in the midst of clonings that did not work, proteins that would not express or simply people that are not the friendliest? Here is a list of things for mortals like me that could help:

1. Create Your Personalized Mentor Team

You might join a team in a lab that is awesome and you are completely satisfied with the guidance and support. But there is also a chance that you might join a lab where you are not guided the way you want or need to be. Do not stick around feeling miserable – this is your project so take control! I believe that for success in any team, it is crucial that we work with like-minded positive people. However, if they are not in the team, look further afield to find them and go talk to them.

2. Learn How to Take Criticism and Advice

For improvement in any area of life or work, we must be open to constructive criticism . So when you encounter people who want to help you do better by correcting your flaws, you must take their advice and criticism positively. It will go a long way in helping you develop into a budding scientist and not just a run-of-the-mill graduate. It is better if these mentors come from a similar field but they could also be scientists or postdocs from neighboring labs or other institutes. It never hurts to have some honest assessment and support during your PhD.

3. Make a 3 Month Plan of Your Goals

Sometimes during research, we get so lost in the minor experiments that we lose track of the major goals of our project. I must confess it happened to me. To help you get away from the distraction, make a list of the major things you need to achieve within a particular time frame, say 3 months and try to get them done. After 3 months, go to you supervisor and discuss your progress and hurdles. It shows that you are motivated and concerned about the project and for sure your Prof. will appreciate that!

4. Learn When to Let Go

This is one of the most painful, yet most important lessons. If you get stuck with a zombie project, and all it does is suck the energy out of you and gives you no happiness [by the way happiness often equals results in a PhD 😉 ]. STOP. Working on projects with dead ends is uninspiring. Trust your gut feelings and your results and stop wasting your time. It will only make you feel miserable and demotivated.

If this happens go ahead and talk to your PI or the professor, taking the results, your theory or whatever you need to support your point and discuss it with them. I have seen many a bright minds struggle through insane projects that won’t work and getting supremely frustrated along the way. I know it is not an easy task telling a Professor “Your idea isn’t going to work” but if you can explain it well with constructive points that are backed up with evidence you may well get the point across and get a more interesting topic to work on!

Better still, go prepared with new ideas and data on how to improve the current project or an alternative that you might want to work on instead.

5. Develop a Healthy Professional Relationship with Your Colleagues

Finding supportive colleagues at work is like finding the surprise chocolate chips inside a frosted vanilla cake. They lift us up when we are having a stressful time and can also help with experiments and provide motivating suggestions. Try to recognize which are the ones you click with and then make sure you take some time out for a coffee or tea break with them or just grab a beer together. Make it a point to stay connected with them. Interesting scientific discussions with them can be insightful and random talks can be heartening. Moreover, even on not so good work days, you’d still want to get up and meet these lovely people at work.

6. Learn to Work with the Difficult Colleagues

In life, so in research dear folks, we come across people that, for one reason or another, we don’t get on with. If you are extremely unlucky, you will come across difficult people who no one really likes in the team but the divine plan has chosen you to work with them in that particular project. You might even be unlucky enough to encounter people who try to hinder your work rather than help or even steal ideas, reagents and protocols.

Now you may scream and curse all you want at the Gods of Science but that does not help. Yes harsh stuff but this happens too in the world of science. Don’t be quiet. Communicate and communicate immediately. First talk to the colleague in question and please do that nicely. Put your points across and see if you can work out a solution together; maybe he or she still is open to change and if that works then problem solved! If that doesn’t and the problem keeps on rising, talk to the team leader. Do not sit there pondering ‘why me?’ Strategize, make a plan and take action to improve things for yourself.

7. Be Punctual

Well, you might think just how being punctual helps you stay motivated but I tell you folks it really does. Getting into a good routine will keep you focused and motivated. In fact it’s a sign that you are motivated already to be at work on time and raring to go and do out of the world experiments!

8. Read the Literature

My parents are both science professors and the one piece of advice that I constantly and unfailingly get from them is: Read THE PAPERS ! And honestly despite this I often groan thinking about the idea, but it is the crux of research. I mean how would we ever “re-search” something when we haven’t looked it up in the first place? Hmmm? Right? So you must do your reading. It will make you feel confident and knowledgeable and gives you cool new ideas for your thesis!

9. Take Time off from Work for Your Passions !

It may sound like life advice rather than motivation advice but for a creative mind it is the most needed stimulant! Travel, play an instrument, learn a new language or just chill with your friends!! But please do take time out for your life, the things you love to do and for your loved ones. Do not let the degree take control of your whole life! A nice vacation is also a great motivation to come back to work with recharged batteries.

10. Read Bitesize Bio!

We’ve got a wealth of information to help you when it comes to getting through your PhD in one piece including: How To Start Your PhD The Right Way ,  Coping With a Quarter Life Crisis , advice on if you should switch labs , and for when you make it to the end  Top 10 Tips for Viva Success .

So dear fellow brethren, I’d be happy if even one of these tips helps you guys get closer to that title before your names. And now I must scoot to my lab to work on my own. All the best! And if you have any tips yourself, why not leave them for us in the comments section below?

13 Comments

Hi Shoa, this article is very much helpful for phd student. I have one question from you. If there is no one to check your problem what you are are doing whether you are right or wrong then in this case how can we do our phd?? In this situation we demotivate. please suggest how to make myself self motivated.

I enjoyed the article. I have comment/question regarding taking a break. I took a week long break from my Phd, planned a nice trip with my hubby. I was expecting I would be back to lab with charged battery but I came back to lab feeling not so motivated to work. A week long of vacation made me feel I was wasting time in lab rather than enjoying the life, the nature’s beauty and having a fun life. I am currently confused am I not ready for PhD or is this just a vacation hangover?

Dear Sofi, first of all I am so sorry for the delayed response. I had not checked my comment section, and somehow need to get a notification. So, I get what you are going through. And I hope by now, 😉 that feeling has subsided. It is natural to miss the fun and relaxing vacation days my dear. But it is so crucial you took them! You know, otherwise we end up having what we call a BREAKDOWN..or BURNOUT. Trust me, that missing vacay feeling will last a few days, but once you are back in the lab for a few days, you will be back into Science mode. It is definitely, as you put, a hangover, which is good for our souls. Hang in there. Regards.

Thanks, Shoa. This article is something which has all the answers/pieces of advice that I need right now.

Glad to know Shagufta. Thank you for the encouraging inputs. Regards.

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How to Answer “Why Did You Pursue a PhD?” in an Interview

Why do employers ask about your PhD pursuit?

How to answer the question.

• Highlight your passions and interests. Explain what sparked your interest in your field of study and how your PhD program allowed you to explore and deepen your knowledge in this area. Emphasize your enthusiasm and curiosity, as these are traits that are often valued by employers.
• Discuss the specific skills and knowledge you gained. Talk about the courses you took, the research projects you worked on, and the presentations you made, and how they have prepared you for the job you are applying for. Use specific examples to illustrate the skills and knowledge you gained, and how you have applied them in the past or how you plan to apply them in the future.
• Emphasize your commitment to learning and professional development. A PhD demonstrates a commitment to learning and professional development, and employers often look for candidates who are eager to continue learning and growing in their careers. Talk about your goals for the future and how you plan to stay up-to-date in your field.

How to prepare for the question

• Reflect on your personal motivations. Why did you decide to pursue a PhD? What sparked your interest in your field of study? What were your goals for the future?
• Think about the skills and knowledge you gained. What courses did you take? What research projects did you work on? What presentations did you make? How have these experiences prepared you for the job you are applying for?
• Consider your future goals and how a PhD will help you achieve them. Do you have specific goals for your career or for your personal development? How do you plan to stay up-to-date in your field?

Common Mistakes

• Focusing too much on the prestige of a PhD. While a PhD may be a prestigious degree, it's important to focus on your personal motivations and goals rather than the prestige of the degree itself. Employers are more interested in your passion for your field of study and your commitment to learning and professional development.
• Not connecting your PhD to the job you are applying for. It's important to show how your PhD program has prepared you for the role you are applying for. Talk about the specific skills and knowledge you gained and how they are applicable to the job.
• Not demonstrating enthusiasm or passion. A PhD is a significant undertaking, and employers often look for candidates who are passionate about their field of study. Make sure to highlight your enthusiasm and curiosity when discussing your PhD pursuit.
• Not discussing your future goals. Employers often want to know that you are committed to learning and growing in your career. Be sure to discuss your future goals and how your PhD will help you achieve them.

Sample Answers

• "I pursued a PhD because I have always been fascinated by the human brain and how it works. I was drawn to the opportunity to delve deeper into the field of psychology and gain a greater understanding of the complexities of the mind. My PhD program allowed me to take a range of courses and work on research projects that have helped me develop a strong foundation in the field. I am now excited to apply this knowledge and these skills to a career in research or academia."
• "I pursued a PhD because I wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the field of computer science. I have always been passionate about solving complex problems and developing innovative solutions, and I saw a PhD as an opportunity to delve deeper into these areas. My program allowed me to work on a range of research projects and gain expertise in areas such as machine learning and data analytics. I am now excited to bring these skills to a career in industry or academia, where I can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with technology."
• "I pursued a PhD because I wanted to become a subject matter expert in my field and contribute to the body of knowledge in my area of study. My PhD program allowed me to delve deeply into the history, theory, and practice of education, and I am now excited to bring this knowledge to a career in academia or research. I am particularly interested in using my skills and knowledge to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and I believe that a PhD has prepared me well for this goal."

The best answers to “Why do you want to do a PhD?”

If you are interviewing for a PhD position, chances are high that you will be asked about your motivation to do a PhD. And sometimes, simple questions are the hardest to answer. Therefore, it is smart to prepare an excellent response to this question in advance.

Creating your unique answer to “Why do you want to do a PhD?”

Reasons to do a PhD are as diverse as PhD topics and PhD programmes: there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

While this diversity is a good thing, the lack of clarity on what a good answer to the question “Why do you want to do a PhD?” constitutes, makes it particularly daunting.

And indeed, this question should not be taken lightly:

A convincing response during a PhD application interview increases your chance of securing the position: it clarifies your ambition and can leave a memorable impression.

To impress your interviewers with an answer, preparation is key. The first step is to reflect on your personal ‘why’:

Write down everything that comes to your mind. Your notes could include words like “ curiosity” , and short sentences such as “ to be able to become a professor in the future” but also honest reflections such as “ I want to be able to call myself Dr”.

The next step is to sort your notes, select the answers you want to highlight, and frame your response.

The following categories are some of the best to frame your unique answer to the question:

• scientific curiosity
• societal or environmental ambitions
• self-development
• (academic) career prospects.

You may also like: The best answers to “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Doing a PhD to satisfy your scientific curiosity

Curiosity is one of the key qualities of successful postgraduate students . Hence, answers to “Why do you want to do a PhD?” that centre around ambitions to satisfy your scientific curiosity are usually appreciated during PhD interviews.

There are different ways to emphasise your scientific curiosity. For instance, you could explain how a specific topic caught your interest. For example by reading the work of a specific scholar, following a course, or listening to a talk.

You could also mention previous research that you did (for instance in a bachelor’s or master’s thesis), which aroused your curiosity to dig deeper and find out more.

For all answers framed by scientific curiosity, make sure to highlight a lack of knowledge and open questions that you would like to answer by doing a PhD. And don’t just say “ I find it interesting “. Be concrete!

Doing a PhD because of your societal or environmental ambitions

Many people connect their answers to “Why do you want to do a PhD?” to societal or environmental ambitions. And for a reason: These answers can be very powerful!

Societal ambitions could be, for instance, to eradicate a specific infectious disease, combat child poverty or increase female participation in the labour market. Environmental ambitions could be, for instance, to reduce CO2 emissions, tackle plastic pollution or protect an endangered species.

When you are preparing your unique response, and want to connect it to societal or environmental ambitions, make sure to provide some details and make it personal.

You can, for instance, tell a short personal story about why you find something important. Did you have a life-changing experience? Or do you maybe know someone who has been affected by a societal shortcoming?

Doing a PhD for self-development

If you are motivated to do a PhD because of societal or environmental ambitions, good for you. But if you don’t, there is also no need to worry!

You don’t need to have ambitions to save the world or win a Nobel prize as a prerequisite to doing a PhD. There is nothing wrong with answering the question “Why do you want to do a PhD?” by focusing on yourself.

On the contrary, openness and a drive to improve yourself and learn new skills are highly valued by PhD supervisors. Thus, self-development can be another good framework for your answer.

You can emphasise your ambition for self-development by mentioning specific things you want to learn, or skills you want to acquire or improve. Create a short backstory with a rationale. In that way, your interviewers will easily understand what you want to develop and why you think a PhD programme is a right place to do so.

Doing a PhD to improve your (academic) career prospects

Another legitimate reason for wanting to do a PhD is your professional goals. These goals can involve a career within academia, or outside of academia. (Both have valid advantages and disadvantages .)

Ambitions to work within academia are more straightforward to explain. For example, in most cases, you simply need a PhD to secure a lecturer position or professorship.

If you don’t have ambitions to climb the academic ladder, but still think that doing a PhD will improve your career prospects, please go ahead! Just make sure to sufficiently substantiate your reasons, as your interviewer may not be familiar with, for instance, certain job requirements outside of academia.

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Key quotes to motivate and drive academic success

How to select a journal for publication as a phd student, related articles.

Ten reasons to pursue an academic career

Establishing an all-round academic profile

10 reasons NOT to do a master’s degree

Stress levels: PhD versus non-academic full-time job

How to Stay Motivated During Your PhD Programme

Motivation is a tricky thing. Even if you are committed to your goals, it can be acting as a roller coaster at times due to accumulating stress or losing faith in the result. With PhD thesis writing , such terms as ‘second-year blues’ as well as statistics of academic dropouts and mental health issues strongly suggest that staying on track may be much more difficult than you might think. The best solution here is to understand the existence of motivation problems, accept their inevitability, and plan your journey in a way minimising them. In this article, we will discuss a number of ways to stay motivated during your PhD programme.

1. Start Small

As noted by multiple experts, a PhD programme is a marathon rather than a sprint. If you choose to follow the same mentality used by Undergraduate and Master’s students, this will lead to inevitable burnout down the road. The infamous second-year blues usually occur because practitioners take more obligations than they can possibly meet. Unfortunately, this approach is actively promoted in academia:

• Most supervisors expect you to invest all your spare time and resources into your PhD project.
• Other students discuss the importance of ‘giving it all that you have’ during your first year.
• Everyone is certain that ‘sacrificing something’ is the key to getting good things in life.

Surprisingly, the optimal strategy for staying motivated and productive throughout your PhD programme is the direct opposite of this approach. Do not be mistaken, you will definitely have some ‘crunch’ periods caused by unexpected circumstances while writing your thesis. However, going slow and steady is the best long-term strategy to follow most of the time due to the following reasons:

• Motivation stems from overall satisfaction and good physical and mental health.
• Balancing your work and social life is a good way of achieving this state.
• The duration of your PhD project implies that you will not have time to recuperate.

The last thought is especially important. The length of your PhD project means that you will have to maintain your current productivity levels for several years without any breaks. If you intend to end a marathon successfully, you may choose to not exhaust yourself in the beginning.

2. Be Humble

If you have ever been to a gym, you have probably seen people coming to do some weightlifting exercises for the first time. In many cases, they use too much weight to ‘not look wimpy’. Unfortunately, this decision effectively ruins their technique and future progress. Any personal trainer will tell you to start with the smallest weights possible and add more as you progress. In line with the previous recommendation, this means that your PhD journey should proceed in accordance with the following routine:

• Start with a minimal daily workload and experiment with several daily and weekly schedules.
• Proceed with this arrangement and always maintain a leeway for emergencies.
• Increase your daily/weekly workload if you feel that you can successfully maintain optimal work/life balance with the previous ‘setting’ for several weeks at a time.

While trying to ‘lift as much weight as you can’ may look ‘cool’ at first glance, this is simply not sustainable in a marathon setting. If you feel that you cannot manage your current workload while staying motivated and productive, this is a clear sign that you need to negotiate a more reasonable schedule with your supervisor. No athlete will continue lifting excessive weight after feeling chronic pain in their body. However, many PhD students see this as a viable long-term strategy for avoiding the necessary PhD programme extensions and end up losing more time due to stress accumulation and burnout.

Staying humble can also be compared with speeding up in your car. Most vehicles cannot start running at 100 miles per hour in a single second. You need to start slow and gradually ‘change gears’ while also observing the road situation. In many cases, you simply cannot proceed at the desired speed due to unexpected turns, pedestrians, and other obstacles. Driving slowly is always preferable to crashing your car and making a very long stop in your academic journey as a result.

3. Have a Plan

Progressing in small steps means that you should carefully plan each one of them to maximise your outputs. Motivation stems from measurable and manageable tasks that you complete successfully. Here are some ideas on how you can maintain it:

• Set small and manageable tasks for each day (e.g. reading 5 articles or writing 300 words of your thesis);
• If a task cannot be quantified, set it as ‘working on … for … minutes’;
• Focus on the formal completion of the task rather than specific outputs or deliverables;
• Keep track of your progress over time.

Keeping a diary is a must for staying motivated and productive during your PhD programme. Make sure to record the completion of individual tasks and your overall progress. This allows you to remind yourself about the substantial results you have already achieved in moments of doubt. A lack of such a diary leaves you one-on-one with your fears of underperforming and pushes you into the dreadful ‘sprinter’s mentality’ leading to burnout and academic failures.

Additionally, try to record non-quantifiable tasks as ‘time spent working on it’ instead of results. If you are looking for quality references in a particular field, you have no control over the actual existence of recent peer-reviewed articles in it. Hence, ending an hour of work with no quantitative results should still be recorded as progress and not a failure if you are willing to stay motivated and maintain an internal locus of control.

4. Stay Focused on the Bigger Picture

When you decided to enter a PhD programme, you were motivated by some long-term goals. They could include better employment perspectives, your in-depth interest in a certain field or your willingness to build a career in academia. Losing track of these objectives is one of the main reasons leading to poor productivity and low motivation. While your daily routine is probably filled with smaller tasks as suggested earlier, sticking a printed list of your long-term goals on your fridge may be a good way of reminding yourself why you are doing this in the first place.

In some cases, this ‘bigger picture’ needs to be adjusted over time. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many PhD journeys and has substantially decreased the number of positions available in academia. If a certain student saw their long-term goal as a career in this sphere, this inevitably decreases their motivation at the moment. Effectively, their actions and progress are leading them nowhere according to the opinions of multiple experts and practitioners that they read.

If you find yourself involved in a disruptive trend like this one, you may need to make some hard decisions and reconsider your overall direction. The same is true for problems with a certain supervisor or not making progress with your initial topic. Biologically speaking, the loss of motivation is a physiological sign of not achieving your goals and losing interest in them. Reconsidering your objectives can be a better option than ignoring this increasing resistance.

5. Talk with Others

Networking is a powerful instrument for getting relevant information and minimising the amount of wasted effort. Make sure to ask a lot of questions during your meetings with your supervisor. This way, you can clarify their expectations and make sure that all your activities are rewarded with favourable outcomes afterwards. Not getting positive reinforcement for your efforts is a very short road to the loss of motivation.

Similarly, peer communication opens new opportunities for being productive and making better decisions. This can include writing articles with other PhD students, exchanging valuable information about your thesis-writing activities, and sharing your feelings and insights about your academic journeys. In many cases, this knowledge will help you set realistic goals and expectations and avoid a feeling of lagging behind your peers.

A good strategy here is to start up accounts on several popular online PhD forums. As opposed to social media, you can stay more or less anonymous, which protects you from your supervisor or your peers discovering your questions to community members. Such forums usually have hundreds of persons who lived through their PhD programmes and can share their stories or confirm your doubts. This will provide additional ‘reality checks’ for your ambitious plans and help you set realistic goals.

Staying motivated and focused for 3+ years of PhD writing is a challenging task. As stated earlier, some motivation problems in this sphere may stem from incorrect strategic choices made early on. Try to obtain multiple opinions and seek PhD help before you start your PhD programme. This way, you will know that you are working with a promising topic and a high-quality long-term plan for completing your PhD dissertation. If you feel like you are losing your overall direction and your supervisor is not providing sufficient help and support, contacting a reputable PhD writing service may be a good idea to get things under control. They can help ease the workload and help you stay motivated during your PhD programme.

Reasons to do a PhD or research degree

Is research right for you?

Discover the benefits of getting a PhD or research degree and how it can boost your career.

Do you love learning, want to keep researching or hit the heights of your field of expertise?

PhDs and research degrees help you start or continue your research in a field you're passionate about. You can decide what you work on, how you work on it and how you get there, with support and guidance from a supervisory team.

Make a world-first discovery, create innovation with lasting impact or shine a new light on important topics.

Whether you've just finished your postgraduate degree, in the workforce or returning to uni after a break, a research degree gives you a lot of options.

Jump to section:

Questions to ask yourself.

Don’t just take our word for it – check out some of our Student Stories to see the great experience our students had at uni.

For me Portsmouth bridged the gap between academia and practical work, from leading my own firm (Alexandrite Decisions) to founding a charity organisation for cancer patients support.

Rania Azmi, Goal Programming Research Doctorate

1. Passion for research

If you simply love learning and have a passion for discovering new things then it's a good sign a research degree is for you.

You'll pick a topic you're interested in and have the freedom to dive deep into the heart of a problem.

Draw on the years of research in your field, forge your own findings or perspective and make your contribution to a body of exceptional research.

2. Become an expert in your field

Build on your knowledge from your Master's degree by engaging with complex topics in a more specialised field of your choice.

You'll be able to learn more about what you're passionate about and give you the tools to make meaningful contributions to specific research fields.

You'll dive into key areas and challenges in your field, developing your theoretical approach and applying it through your research.

Or you could look at conducting interdisciplinary research. Blend theories, approaches and expertise across fields and universities to create brand new, world-leading research.

3. Put your studies into practice

If you want to start applying what you learned in your studies then a research degree is a great way to do it.

You'll work independently in gathering resources and research. You'll develop sharp time management skills, share your findings with your peers and develop your work together.

You'll hone your communication skills so you can discuss complex topics both written and verbally to experts and everyday people alike.

You'll develop your interpersonal skills, working with professional staff, peers, academics and others. Become a master of taking on feedback as you refine your research.

Writing an extended report or essay takes time and skill. Identifying an objective, working in the lab or forging an argument and making your case with evidence takes talent. You'll end up a technical expert and writer no matter what field you're in.

4. Learn with engaged peers

During your research degree, you and your peers are all studying to get better at what you do. You'll learn with motivated researchers bringing their own perspectives and experiences to the same problems.

You'll build a solid study group to push and encourage each other to develop. You'll also gain new insights from your classmates that can help shape your learning.

5. Boost your career

A research degree is a great way to become a subject matter expert or researcher.

A research-based degree is the most direct pathway to an academic job at university. You'll get the skills you need to compete in the university sector. After you graduate you can look at becoming a tutor, researcher or lecturer. Most universities offer post-doctoral research fellowships where you can get paid to hone your skills, carry on researching and get your academic career rolling.

Some jobs require a Master's or PhD and generally pay very well in the private and public sector. You could:

• work in the public or private sector in industrial research and development
• advise on government policy to make an impact on your local region or country
• become a communications expert for your field and share complex research in clear, everyday fashion

6. Networking opportunities

PhDs and research degrees are a great chance to expand your network and meet diverse people with similar interests, knowledge and passion.

You'll have the chance to attend conferences, seminars and workshops in different cities or countries. Gain new insights and build connections with other researchers and experts across borders.

Networking with coursemates, colleagues and other academics helps expand your knowledge base and balance the solitude that can often come with a research life. Having a network is also incredibly helpful in finding and applying for funding and looking for work in the future.

7. New city, new experiences

Studying for a PhD or research degree might mean moving cities or even countries. If you've been wanting a change of setting along with your career path it's a great opportunity to give both a try.

If you're an international student, studying in a different country gives you the chance to graduate with both fantastic life experiences and a great qualification.

Portsmouth is a welcoming, student-friendly city – one where you'll meet people from all around the world, and have the chance to make connections with people in a whole new environment.

See why Portsmouth is a great place to live

Since starting my PhD, I have been lucky enough to publish twice and visit three different conferences, one of which was held at Cornell University. These opportunities will prove invaluable in my career going forwards, in academia.

Robert Lawrence, PhD Molecular Microbiology

Just like any course, the benefits you'll get from a research degree depends on what you want to get out of it. When you're weighing up your options there are some important questions you should ask yourself to make sure it's right for you.

1. Is this subject something I'm passionate about?

Studying a research degree is a multi-year time commitment. If you're excited by the idea of spending a significant period of time dedicated to one subject, that's a good sign you're ready.

Research degrees often involve a lot of independent work, so if you're only partly interested in the subject, you might find yourself losing interest. That can make meeting your own expectations more difficult.

Is learning about and working in this field something that you can see yourself in for the next 5-10 years? And where do you want to be in that timeframe? It's important not to study just so you can put off bigger life decisions.

2. Do I need a research degree to follow my passion?

There are many different jobs or careers in every field. Not all of them require you to have a research Master's or PhD.

If you want to contribute to a specific industry or area, do you already have some skills and knowledge you can apply in it? If not, what skills or knowledge will a research degree give you?

3. Am I ready for more uni?

If you've finished your Bachelor's or Master's degree and are looking at your next options, a research degree is an option that keeps things familiar. For some students, if you've spent the last 3-4 years studying you might want to try something different.

It depends on who you are, what you care about and what you want to do with your life. If you finished your degree and you're mostly relieved it's over then jumping right back into study may not be the best fit for you.

Remember that you can always go to uni again later. Plenty of graduates spend a few years working before coming back to upskill, retrain or dive into their passion. In a lot of cases, what you've learned in your work experience will make you a better student when you go back to it.

4. Have I found the right supervisor?

Every research student has at least one supervisor. They're there to support and guide you as you develop your ideas and compile your research

Having the right supervisor can be the difference between making your research good, great or excellent. If they're running or part of a research centre or group you may have greater access to networks and resources

It's best you explore supervisors you can work with , which might mean checking out multiple universities and reaching out to them directly. Usually, their profile will say if they're taking on new students and they're happy to get back to you by email.

As it is a PhD I have formed my course myself, but having a supervisor who is well-versed in my subject area is the most unique part of my work here, as no one else is approaching the subjects we look at in a similar way

Beatrice Ashton-Lelliott, PhD English Literature

5. Can I afford it?

Before you decide on a research degree it's important to think about the costs involved.

If you're a UK national applying for an MPhil or MRes course, you might be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan  which you can use to fund your tuition fees, living costs and other costs for a Master's course.

If you're an international student you'll need to plan out how you can cover your costs and fund yourself while you're studying.

When considering a PhD there are funded and non-funded options:

• If you've got an idea that aligns with an academic's field of expertise, you can contact them directly
• Look to external funding from the government or an independent research body
• Universities will offer funded PhD opportunities but these may be limited
• Start a PhD without funding support

If you're currently working you may need to adjust your working hours or potentially look for part-time work. You might have less money to play with if you're studying full-time and working on the side.

If you're moving cities or countries there are other costs you'll need to consider. You'll need to factor in things like the initial cost of moving and your deposit if you're renting a place.

Find out more

Our research degrees subject areas.

Take your expertise further by studying for a PhD or other research degree at the University of Portsmouth. Explore the subject areas you can study & get started on your research journey.

Funding your research degree

Find out how you can fund your postgraduate research project, with options including loans, bursaries, and scholarships.

What to do if you lack motivation in your PhD

May 4, 2020

Motivation is elusive. Some days you have it and others you don’t.

What gives?

Well, having fluctuations in your motivation is normal and to be expected. If you took ten PhD students, how many do you think would say that they’re highly motivated all the time? Not many, I imagine.

But it can also seem that motivation becomes harder and harder to find as you go through your PhD. With good reason. Studying for a PhD is an inherently lonely endeavour and the workload is considerable.

On top of that, the day to day routine can soon become boring, and you’re often undervalued, receive little acknowledgement for your expertise and frequently feel overwhelmed. Plus, the further you go on the PhD journey, the more uncertain you become about the quality of your work or where you’ll end up when you finally finish.

If you’re reading this and having trouble finding your own motivation, know that you aren’t alone. It’s okay to not always be highly motivated, and instead recognise that fluctuating motivation is a normal part of the PhD process.

Motivation is something you can control. Given the right tools, you can find motivation when it otherwise is missing. Here, I want to share with you a number of tips you can use to boost your motivation levels.

These tips have been shared by readers of this blog and from my own experience navigating my own PhD and coaching PhD students . Not all may be suitable for you, because everyone works in different ways. Instead, see them as a list you can pick from to suit your current situation.

Know that your lack of motivation is completely solvable. The first step in that process is changing your expectations.

Interested in group workshops, cohort-courses and a free PhD learning & support community? 

The team behind The PhD Proofreaders have launched The PhD People, a free learning and community platform for PhD students. Connect, share and learn with other students, and boost your skills with cohort-based workshops and courses.

Stop expecting so much from yourself.

Ask whether you’re expecting too much from yourself. It’s fine to have goals and ambitions, but it’s not fine to expect 100% from yourself all day every day. You’re going to have days when you don’t feel up to the task, or where your heart really isn’t in it. If you expect 100%, these days are a problem. If instead you recognise that you’re human and humans have off days, these days aren’t such a big deal.

Try and lower your expectations for what’s possible within a given day and acknowledge that having a bad day every now and again isn’t the end of the world, it’s just part of the journey.

See the bigger picture

An effective way of managing your expectations is to see the bigger picture. Remind yourself why you started out on your PhD journey in the first place, what motivates you, and what your goal is with the thesis and beyond. Focusing on the bigger picture means you can see each day for what it is: a small component of that bigger objective. Having an off day and periods where you’re not motivated isn’t so important, as it’s just one tiny step in a much longer journey to get you where you want to go.

Focus on what you can control

But what about your daily habits? Have you formed effective daily routines that promote self-care? Do you make sure that your phone is turned off, you’re otherwise free from distraction as much as possible and that your place of work is the kind of place you could actually expect to get some deep concentration going?

Your PhD Thesis. On one page.

Make specific to-do lists.

Take it a step further and control the way you approach your day-to-day tasks. At the start of each day, you need to know clearly what it is you want to accomplish that day.

You need to be specific. Often a lack of motivation stems from not breaking down bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable components. If you wake up, look at your to-do list and all you see is ‘write literature review’, no sane person would be motivated to do that. Instead, if you saw ‘write the literature review introduction’ or ‘write 300 words of the literature review’, you’ve suddenly got something much more manageable on your hands.

On top of that, you’ve got clear, measurable deliverables. If your task is ‘write your literature review’ you aren’t going to finish it in a day so how will you know when you’re done for the day? If you instead write ‘write 300 words of the literature review’, you will know exactly where you stand.

So think to yourself: is this task broken down into small, more manageable components and am I being realistic about how many of those components I can achieve in one day?

Make your work place a place you actually want to work in

Once you’re sure you’ve broken down your tasks into manageable chunks, it’s time to think about how you actually sit down and work.

We’ve talked already about avoiding interruptions by doing things like turning your phone off. Your aim is for big chunks of uninterrupted time in which you can find your flow and focus on the job at hand.

Be realistic about how long you will be able to concentrate. A popular time management technique is the Pomodoro Technique . This simple productivity tool involves you setting a timer for twenty-five minutes, during which there’s no Facebook, no messages, no disruptions of any kind. At the end of that time, you take a five-minute break. You repeat that process four times (for two hours) before taking a longer, thirty-minute break.

Once you finish tasks, don’t just delete them off of your to-do list. Instead, shift them over to a ‘done’ list. That way, you can get a little motivational boost when you see how much you’re accomplishing in any one day. Also, because you’re working to a timer, you may find that you work more quickly because you want to get things wrapped up into neat twenty-five-minute packages.

Work out what’s important and urgent. Then work on that.

Choosing what to focus on in the first place is half the battle when it comes to increasing motivation. You need to bear in mind the distinction between something that is or isn’t important and something that is or isn’t urgent. You can have an urgent task that isn’t important, and an important task that isn’t urgent. Focus on what’s important and urgent first. Don’t waste your time on things that aren’t important and aren’t urgent.

This reflects the fact that 20% of your work is going to produce 80% of your outputs and outcomes in any given day. Spot what that 20% looks like and focus on that, as you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck. Don’t waste your time on the 80% of things that only lead to 20% of the outcomes.

The Eisenhower Matrix can help you understand what it is that is important or urgent and will help you better structure your workflow and to-do list.

Reward successes

Okay, so you’ve cleaned your desk, turned your phone off, set your timer and you’re moving stuff off your to-do lists. Good job. Here’s another important step.

Reward yourself. Life wouldn’t be any fun it is was all work, so be sure to reward yourself when you get things done, particularly if you’re doing things you didn’t particularly want to do in the first place.

There are two ways of doing this. On a day to day level, give yourself credit for getting stuff done. Have a slice of cake, take a long bath, do whatever it is you do to show yourself some love. On the grander scale, celebrate the successes. Each day adds up to the bigger goal you’ve set, so it isn’t enough just to celebrate getting through each day, you need to celebrate when you reach those goals. Get good feedback on a chapter? Celebrate! Got your fieldwork done? Celebrate! You get the idea.

Navigate Shit Valley

Inevitably though you are going to reach a stage where you can’t possibly face doing any more work. Everyone reaches this stage eventually. I call it Shit Valley .

In Shit Valley, everywhere you look is covered in shit and there doesn’t appear to be a way out. This stage normally comes about halfway through a PhD, when you’re about as far from a way out as it’s possible to be. You’re deep into your data, but you’re far away from the end of the tunnel. You still don’t really know what’s going on and you’re riddled with more self-doubt than you’ve ever had. It’s at this stage that motivation becomes a real struggle, as you’re too far invested to give up and too far away from the end to see what comes after.

Because the only way out of Shit Valley is to wade further through it, you need to really step up the techniques you use to foster motivation.

It’s at this stage that investing in your own health becomes particularly important. Resist the urge to eat junk and be lazy. Instead, eat well most of the time, eat junk only occasionally and make sure you’re moving around every day. Find something that suits you. Just move.

It’s also at this stage that having a life outside of your PhD becomes useful. Too many PhD students (myself included) make their PhD their entire life, at the expense of a sensible work-life balance and a healthy distraction away from your thesis. It’s important to cultivate your hobbies (or to find some if you don’t have any) and to maintain a friendship circle that isn’t full of PhD students. Having this external distraction may be the only thing that keeps you sane.

Now is also the time to frequently remind yourself why you are doing what you’re doing. Picture what it’s going to feel like once you’re done, when you’re graduating and when you’re able to move on with your life.

One day you’ll finish, and you’ll look back and be incredibly proud of what you have achieved. That long term perspective is a powerful one, and should make you reflect more kindly on yourself on the days where you’re not so motivated or where you’re not at 100%. Be kind to yourself, particularly when you’re not as motivated as you wish.

But also be proactive. When you’re not motivated, look at your current situation and ask yourself what it is about current arrangements that don’t lend themselves to productivity. What can you change? The advice and tips above are a good start. Explore them, see what works for you and slowly chip away until you start to find the routine and short-cuts that work for you.

Keep doing that and you’ll be calling yourself Doctor in no time.

Hello, Doctor…

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Be able to call yourself Doctor sooner with our five-star rated How to Write A PhD email-course. Learn everything your supervisor should have taught you about planning and completing a PhD.

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Motivation: The Whys of Behavior

From instincts to self-actualization: what motivates us.

Posted October 29, 2011 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• What Is Motivation?
• Find a therapist near me

Judging from the panoply of motivational books, speeches, videos, and how-to guides, you'd think that psychology has the surefire answer that can explain the simple basis for our many complex behaviors.

As it turns out, the complexity of our behavior requires a complex set of explanatory ideas. After teaching these concepts in my introductory psychology course for many years, using Robert Feldman's (2011) excellent text, I've found that these ideas can be boiled down to some straightforward and useful insights.

Why #1: Instinct Theory

According to the oldest motivational theory on the books, organisms behave as they do because they are following a set of biologically pre-programmed instinctual urges.

Like the birds and the bees, humans are enacting a set of behaviors hardwired into their neural circuitry. This theory is undoubtedly too simple to apply to humans, much less birds and bees. However, inner needs must certainly be part of the equation in understanding our behavior.

Why #2: Drive Reduction Theory

This next approach to motivation proposes that organisms, large and small, simple to complex, prefer the state of homeostasis in which all of their needs are fulfilled. Their "drives," in other words (the need states that propel behavior) must be "reduced."

Everyone might have a different definition of homeostasis—perhaps yours is sleeping late on a weekend morning, or just enjoying a relaxing drink in a cozy chair. Drive reduction theory's critics agree that it's great to have your needs met at least some of the time.

However, if the theory were true, no one would ever seek out excitement. No one would go bungee jumping or seek comparable mental challenges.

Why #3: Arousal Theory

At the opposite pole of drive reduction, arousal theory proposes that we seek to increase, not decrease, our level of stimulation. We want the high that accompanies a rush of endorphins when we push ourselves physically or mentally. Animals, as well as humans, get bored from too much homeostasis. However, too much arousal can also thwart our ability to achieve our goals.

A variant of arousal theory, called the "Yerkes-Dodson Law," takes this fact into account. The Yerkes-Dodson law proposed in 1908 but still used today (Smith et al., 2007), proposes that we each function according to an optimum level of arousal.

You might consider this the "Goldilocks" principle of motivation. If you're too sleepy or too nervous, you'll invariably perform poorly, whether giving a speech or shooting a basketball. Each individual, and each task, has its own peak between arousal that is too low and arousal that is too intense. Once you find your optimum level of arousal, your performance will be both flawless and enjoyable.

Why #4: Incentive Theory

Our behavior may also be determined by forces that propel us to do something we otherwise would not. Incentive theory is the basic principle behind marketing . A good marketing strategy will cause you to want something you neither have nor think you need. You expect that by having this "thing," you will be better off than you are without it (Beckmann & Heckhausen, 2008). It's like those catalogs that fall out of your mailbox during the holiday season and the emails that clutter up your inbox offering unbelievable "deals." Retailers are hoping that you will go after the products that they put out in front of you.

Similarly, grocery, convenience, and large-scale retail clothing stores place their little-but-often-expensive temptations where they are bound to have the most impact—namely, while you're waiting to check out. An item that you would have given no thought to now becomes a handy little impulse purchase that you toss into your bag or cart. Adding to the draw of the impulse purchase is the fact that you may feel you deserve a treat, having practiced extreme self-restraint throughout the rest of your shopping expedition (a phenomenon called " ego depletion ").

Why #5: Cognitive Theory

Moving from simple conditioning to the realm of behavior controlled by thoughts, the cognitive theory of motivation proposes that our expectations guide our behavior. You'll behave in ways that you think will produce a desirable outcome.

Cognitive theory, which is the creation of University of Rochester psychologists Ed Deci and Richard Ryan, proposed that we have two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is what drives us to fulfill our inner potential and interests. Your intrinsic motivation is your desire to express your true self in your behavior, whether it's work or leisure. What's more, when you are driven by intrinsic motivation, you feel that you are determining the outcomes of your efforts. Extrinsic motivation , by contrast, is your desire to achieve tangible rewards such as money or the glory that come with status and recognition.

Deci and Ryan developed the counterintuitive proposal that people who receive extrinsic rewards for behaviors that they find intrinsically satisfying become less creative and productive. This has the picturesque name of "motivational crowding out." The extrinsic rewards of money, fame, and recognition crowd out the intrinsic satisfaction that you experience from doing something because you really like to do it.

The motivational crowding out idea has some obvious flaws. Managers could use this theory to pay workers less or deny them promotions. "Why should we pay you more (or at all)?" You'll be less creative and productive! This problem led to a revision of the theory which is called ...

Why #6: Self-Determination Theory

With the obvious flaw in cognitive theory, it became clear that work motivation needs to incorporate both intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation. Deci and Ryan, therefore, revised their theory.

Self-determination theory proposes that you can have a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation driving your work-related and other behavior. The most satisfying activities you can engage in, the ones that will motivate you the most, are those that allow you to feel most in control of your behavior. You can be motivated by the mundane satisfaction provided by extrinsic rewards. However, the more autonomy you feel, the more self-directed you'll be, and the most satisfied you'll be in your work, as suggested by research on college alums who felt they were fulfilling their intrinsic needs (Niemiec et al, 2009).

Being able to express your inner motives and get paid at the same time is a hard combination to beat. The problem for many people is that they feel that their work behavior is controlled by factors outside of their own inner self-determination. It's that feeling of external control that leads to job discontent and stagnation. The remedy to this problem is to find ways to express your autonomy, even if it's only in a few minor ways.

Why #7: Self-Actualization Theory

At the very pinnacle of motivation, self-actualization theory proposes that we are most motivated to realize our own inner potential. Maslow's self-actualization theory is one of the most recognizable topics in psychology, but also one of the least well-tested and least well-understood.

According to Maslow, self-actualization is the true realization of your inner potential, whatever that is. Self-actualization is not a state of complete perfection. Maslow's very lofty definition proposed that self-actualization is a continual process of becoming.

The hierarchy of motives for which Maslow became famous proposed that we have lower-order needs (those instincts and drives) and higher-order needs (total self-expression). After you satisfy your lower-order needs, says the theory, you can self-actualize. This idea might be wrongly translated into the expression "A hungry poet cannot write."

However, as we all know, hungry poets do write. In fact, many people will set aside physical needs, safety, and even positive regard from others in order to fulfill their highest-order needs. To many, Steve Jobs was just such a man. Maslow actually proposed that, in fact, many of the people he considered self-actualized had given up their lower-order needs for safety, security, and even love, to realize their innermost passions. According to Maslow, very few people achieve this nirvana, and when they do, they're typically in their middle or later years.

Now that you've seen the range of motivation theories, you've probably been able to pick out parts of each that apply to you either now or at some point in your past. By recognizing that your behavior reflects these many complex pieces, you can move on to developing your own unique path to change. Whether it's arousal, incentive, self-determination, or self-actualization, understanding the motivation behind your behavior can give you the insights you need to develop your own unique pathway to fulfillment.

Further reading:

Feldman, R.S. (2011). Understanding psychology (10e). New York: McGraw-Hill (an excellent overview of the above theories).

Read more here about SDT's extensive empirical support and the response to criticisms from behaviorists and others.

Copyright 2011 Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D.

Beckmann, J., & Heckhausen, H. (2008). Motivation as a function of expectancy and incentive. In J. Heckhausen, H. Heckhausen, J. Heckhausen, H. Heckhausen (Eds.) , Motivation and action (2nd ed.) (pp. 99-136). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511499821.006

Niemiec, C. P., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2009). The path taken: Consequences of attaining intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations in post-college life. Journal of Research in Personality , 43(3), 291-306. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2008.09.001

Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (2007). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-formation. In D. Smith, M. Bar-Eli, D. Smith, M. Bar-Eli (Eds.) , Essential readings in sport and exercise psychology (pp. 13-22). Champaign, IL US: Human Kinetics

Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. , is a Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her latest book is The Search for Fulfillment.

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300 protesters arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York

• Hundreds of arrests have been made at Columbia University and the City College of New York.
• Pro-Palestinian protesters had barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, a main campus building at Columbia.
• The arrests were confirmed by an NYPD official who took part in a press conference.

Three hundred people have been arrested at protests at Columbia and City College of New York, police said.

Columbia has been rocked by protests for days over Israel's war on Gaza following Hamas' October 7 terror attack on Israel.

While students and faculty have been urged not to go onto campus, the school's president, Nemat Minouche Shafik, said that "a working group of Deans, university administrators, and faculty members will try to bring this crisis to a resolution."

NYPD officials took part in a press conference on Wednesday when they confirmed the number of arrests.

How it started

The protests at Columbia began on Wednesday, April 17, which coincided with Shafik testifying before Congress about antisemitism on campus .

A coalition of student groups — Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace — took part in setting up "Gaza Solidarity Encampments" in the center of campus.

One of the goals of the protest was to convince the university to divest all its "finances, including the endowment, from companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine," according to Columbia University Apartheid Divest's website .

Police were called in

On Thursday, April 18, Shafik authorized the New York Police Department to clear the encampment. "Attempts to resolve the situation were rejected by the students involved. As a result, NYPD officers are now on campus and the process of clearing the encampment is underway," she said in a statement.

This resulted in the arrest of more than 100 people on suspicion of criminal trespass, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a news conference.

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Protests have continued since then.

President Joe Biden weighed in

Chabad at Columbia, a group that supports Jewish students, released a letter on social media that said Jewish students were targeted with offensive rhetoric during the protests.

President Joe Biden also called out antisemitism on campus in his Passover statement in April.

"We've seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous — and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country," he said.

Columbia student organizations participating in the protests have insisted that their protests are peaceful.

One student group, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, said in a statement on X last month that they are frustrated by the attention paid to "inflammatory individuals who do not represent us."

"We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand against non-students attempting to disrupt our solidarity," the statement said.

On Monday, Shafik released a statement that said the university would not "divest from Israel." The university also ordered protesters to leave their encampment by 2 p.m. on Monday and threatened students who defied the order with suspension.

Protesters took over the Hamilton Hall

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, dozens of protesters barricaded themselves in Hamilton Hall, one of the main buildings on the Manhattan campus. They used metal gates, tables, and chairs as barricades and zip-tied the doors shut.

The protesters maintained their demands of "divestment, financial transparency, and amnesty," Columbia University Apartheid Divest said in a press release on X.

NYPD in riot gear were called to clear the protesters

On Tuesday evening, NYPD officers in riot gear entered Hamilton Hall, where protesters had been camping out for around 20 hours.

According to CNN , the NYPD used loud distraction devices, "flash-bang grenades" to disperse the protesters who had barricaded themselves in the building.

Shafik released a letter to the NYPD on Tuesday, which requested that police remain on the campus until May 17, two days after the graduation ceremony.

"The takeover of Hamilton Hall and the continued encampments raise serious safety concerns for the individuals involved and the entire community," the letter read.

The protests have spread to other campuses across the country. In Los Angeles, police were called to the UCLA campus early Wednesday after violence broke out when counter-protesters showed up to tear down barricades at the pro-Palestinian encampment, the LA Times reported.

Watch: Black Lives Matter wins historic police brutality lawsuit over George Floyd protests; NYPD to pay $13 million

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Microsoft's motivation to invest in OpenAI came amid fears of lagging behind Google - report

M icrosoft ( NASDAQ: MSFT ) was inspired to invest and collaborate with OpenAI potentially due to a feeling of lagging behind Alphabet's ( NASDAQ: GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) Google, Bloomberg News reported, citing an internal email released as part of the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google.

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott was concerned when he looked at the AI model-training "capability gaps" between Google and Microsoft, according to a June 2019 email he wrote to CEO Satya Nadella and Co-Founder Bill Gates.

The exchange suggests that the executive privately acknowledged they lacked the infrastructure and development speed to catch up to OpenAI — the creator of chatbot ChatGPT — and Google's DeepMind.

Scott wrote in the email, "we are multiple years behind the competition in terms of ML [machine learning] scale."

Nadella had endorsed Scott's email, and also forwarded it to CFO Amy Hood, saying "very good email that explains, why I want us to do this...and also why we will then ensure our infra folks execute."

The email was released late Tuesday after media outlets, including The New York Times and Bloomberg, intervened in the antitrust case and asked for greater public access, the report noted.

The U.S. Justice Department had noted that OpenAI's ChatGPT and other innovations could have been released years ago if Google had not monopolized the search market, the report added.

Last week, Judge Amit Mehta directed the companies to provide a redacted version, as the information "shed light on Google's defense concerning relative investments by Google and Microsoft in search," the report noted.

On Thursday and Friday, Google and the Justice Department are expected to make closing arguments in the case. Judge Mehta is anticipated to make a decision later this year, according to the report.

More on Alphabet and Microsoft

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Angels News: Ron Washington Reveals Motivation Behind Cutting Veteran Outfielder

The Angels opted for a personnel move, sending a message without sending a message.

• Author: Jason Fray

In this story:

Baseball can be a cruel sport.

Even in the best of situations, the ball might not bounce the way you'd like. In the case of veteran Aaron Hicks, the Angels provided him with an opportunity to play in front of family and friends. Too often, however, the ball didn't bounce his way on the field, and now his time in Anaheim is up.

Hicks was released Monday afternoon after only 18 appearances with the Angels. The veteran outfielder hit an anemic .140 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 57 at-bats. The bat speed he once had seemed much slower, and as such his approach at the plate was quite poor.

Hicks was born in San Pedro and went to high school in Long Beach. He was supposed to bring some real leadership and experience to a young team after signing a free agent contract in January. Unfortunately for Hicks, his lack of production on the field ended the brief partnership.

Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register broke the situation down with quotes from manager Ron Washington:

Washington elaborated further:

In the wake of the Angels releasing Hicks, the team called up another former first-round draft choice in ex-Pirates infielder Cole Tucker, who's hit 3 for 8 (.375) with a double, a walk, and two stolen bases in three attempts since.

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TCS London Marathon 2024 runners share heartwarming motivation behind record success

Every year, Guinness World Records and the TCS London Marathon  team up for an amazing day of sports and record-breaking. 

Many runners use colourful, fun costumes to shine a light on a charity close to their heart, raising awareness for a good cause while trying to earn a coveted spot in the Guinness World Records book. 

Other than racking up an incredible  total of 44 records  in April 2024, the TCS London Marathon set another incredible achievement just after wrapping up the 2024 edition. 

The 2025 TCS London Marathon, in fact, reached the most ballot entries for a marathon event in history with a whopping total of 840,318. The result was announced on 29 April, the day after it took place.

After the London event, four record-breaking runners visited  Guinness World Records ' London HQ to talk about their experiences. 

Together, Ollie Shortt ( fastest marathon dressed as a body part ), Laura Baker ( fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food ), George Scholey ( most rotating puzzle cubes solved while running a marathon ) and Chris Green ( fastest marathon dressed as a mammal ) reunited not only to celebrate a pinnacle of self-achievement but also to spread the word about worthy causes.

All the runners agree that the London Marathon has an unequalled magic. 

The cheering crowd, the energy, the adrenaline: every part of the event contributes to a fantastic day of fun and sport. 

However, all the runners were also engaged in a personal battle to raise funds and awareness for causes close to their hearts.

"Passion pushes you to do things you would have never thought possible," explains Chris "Rhino Boy" Green, who ran the fastest marathon dressed as a mammal in 2021. "I never thought I would be able to complete one marathon when I first ran dressed as a rhino. That was the London Marathon in 2009."

"You keep doing it because of the fun, the elation, but you also see the positive effects it has," he continues, talking about the positive reverberations of the fundraising.

In the year of his record-breaking marathon, Chris achieved a whopping time of 4 hours, 6 minutes and 31 seconds.

It's inspiring to see where people's generosity will take you - Chris

Do you want to break a record at a marathon? Eager to start running again? Keep an eye out for more info on the Berlin Marathon 2024!

"It was amazing," George confirms. 

George is a well-known face at the GWR offices, having already broken the records for most rotating puzzles solved on a skateboard and most rotating puzzle cubes solved in 24 hours .

On the day, George wanted to raise awareness for St John Ambulance and tackled the marathon… one rotating puzzle at a time!

With an incredible total of 520 rotating puzzles solved during the race, George broke the record for most rotating puzzle cubes solved while running a marathon and once again confirmed his amazing skills.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of Rubik’s Cube, so I wanted to mark that too while raising money for a charity,” George says.

Dublin-born Oliver "Ollie" Shortt dressed in a huge human bone costume to raise awareness for a cause particularly close to his heart — one he knows well, and has experienced first-hand.

“My wife was diagnosed with a liposarcoma in Jan 2021,” he explains. “I had no idea what Sarcoma was before this. It is a very rare cancer that is often diagnosed very late on."

Ollie then decided to run his first-ever fancy dress marathon for Sarcoma UK , a charity specializing in this specific, incredibly hard-to-diagnose, form of cancer. 

"As well as raising much-needed funds for research, I also just really wanted to raise awareness of this type of cancer.”

Despite being unable to train for nearly four weeks because of an injury, Ollie still took on the challenge and smashed the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a human body part.

Thanks to early detection and treatment, Ollie’s wife Kripa is now cancer-free.

Although it was her third marathon in the last year and a half, it was the first-ever marathon in a fancy costume for 27-year-old Laura Baker, who decided to run in a beautiful wedding cake dress. 

“We had done a sponsored marathon walk with the company last year,” she explains, “but this was my first time running for a charity.” 

While wearing her costume, she would train “at home, in her village, because she was too scared to do it in London.”

“For me, being featured in the Guinness World Records book would be a chance to inspire others to try and break a world record too, especially those interested in running,” Laura says. 

“As someone who only got into running a couple of years ago, I hope to show others that world records aren’t exclusive to professional athletes, but are very accessible to the everyday runner like myself and that you don’t have to be particularly fast to achieve a marathon-related record, just creative in your costume idea.”

Working in the wedding industry for a wedding planning app, Laura thought that attempting the fastest marathon dressed as a sweet food (and specifically as a pink-glazed wedding cake) would have been the perfect choice. 

She also completed the marathon to raise awareness for the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation, a charity which organizes and funds weddings for terminally ill people across the UK.  

We have a problem in this world: you want to change things but, sometimes, you think 'What kind of difference can I make?' And then you realize that, if you get together, you can really make dreams come true. You really can help the causes close to your heart - Chris

As we eagerly wait for the TCS London Marathon 2025, we warmly congratulate again all the runners who have participated in the TCS London Marathon 2024.

If you love watching records being broken you should check out our Records Weekly series on YouTube...

Want more? Follow us on Google News  and across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook , Twitter/X , Instagram , Threads ,  TikTok , LinkedIn , and Snapchat Discover . Don't forget to check out our videos on YouTube  and become part of our group chat by following the Guinness World Records  WhatsApp channel . Still not had enough? Click here  to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.

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