Ten commandments for doctoral students

A person wearing a yellow knit hat and black coat stands with their back to the camera, looking out over a cityscape from an elevated viewpoint on a clear day.

Johanna Jansson

A person wearing a yellow knit hat and black coat stands with their back to the camera, looking out over a cityscape from an elevated viewpoint on a clear day.

After five years of doctoral studies, I reached the finish line in autumn 2025 and graduated with a Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration) degree from the University of Vaasa. Along the way, I picked up a few lessons that helped me stay on schedule, avoid burning out, and make the most of my study time. In this article, I reflect on that process by distilling the lessons into ten commandments for doctoral students, shared in the hope that they may be useful to others finding their way through postgraduate studies.

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