So you’ve decided to do a PhD. Or you’ve been nudged gently by academic ambition, peer pressure, or a professor who said you had “potential” and you believed them.
Either way—congratulations. You now need more than late night coffees and a library membership to get through it. You need specific skills, even if the PhD is a natural transition from your masters. And even if you have scored a distinction in your masters.
Here are the top four.
1. Critical reading:
Yes, you’ve read things before. No, this isn’t the same. This isn’t bedtime reading. You’re not just soaking in knowledge—you’re interrogating it like a crime detective.
You need to: Examine sources like a detective. Understand subtle differences between concepts (which may all sound frustratingly similar). See your topic through many lenses—because every idea worth exploring is already part of a conversation Question everything like a 4-year old—even that article written by someone with more credentials than you can think off. This is reading with all your senses alert.
2. Academic Writing
You have all written essays before. But academic writing at the PhD level is a whole new beast. They must be formal, evidence-heavy, emotionally distant, and need approval by several standards.
Your goal should be to say things clearly, cite everything, and sound emotionally detached enough to make your readers believe that you’re not breaking down internally.
It takes practice. So start small. Write a little every day. Not for publication, but just to give your thoughts a place to land before they drift away.
3. Organisational Ability
Arguably the most important skill required. Why? Because in a PhD, nobody is chasing you. There are no bells. No timetables. No submissions. No examinations. Just you, a vague deadline three years away, and due dates for paying fees every term which seem to laugh at you! You’ll pay fees on time, yes. But will you write on time? Submit on time? Know what day it is?
So to survive, you need to: Break your PhD into smaller tasks. Set deadlines you can actually meet. Trick yourself into thinking you’re the kind of person who sticks to a planner. Be your own manager, cheerleader, and occasionally your own therapist.
4. Independent Working
Doing a PhD is like a solo trek through the dark corridors of Hogwarts where your guide may appear once every semester like a wizard juggling ten other things. They’ll meet you when they can—but you’ve done the coursework, this is your thesis, your problem, your project.
Even if you know others in the same boat, you’re still rowing yours solo. And most of the time, you’re on your own, trying to remember why this seemed like a good idea.
So what can you do? Set your own deadlines. Do the work. Bang your guide’s door till they open it and let you in. In short: be your own project manager, nagging supervisor, and exhausted researcher—all rolled into one.
Final thoughts?
A PhD isn’t just an academic pursuit—it’s a long, occasionally absurd test of patience, persistence, and self-belief. The skills you build along the way aren’t just for your thesis—they’re tools for life. So gather your courage, your citations, and your snacks. You’ve got this.
Need help building these skills while actually making progress on your PhD?
Reading critically, writing academically, organising your chaos, and surviving solo—this blog gave you the what, but if you’re still unsure about the how, let’s talk. I work with committed PhD students tired of winging it and ready to get serious. You bring your topic. I’ll bring the plan.
Fast-track Your PhD 