PhDs are typically solitary endeavors. But you couldn’t do them alone. Your peers and mentors, in particular, are the keys to your well-being as much as they are there to offer feedback and guidance. But you must tap into the network. You must connect. You can’t suffer in silence, and you shouldn’t struggle alone. There are no stupid questions and no one is going to bite if you tell them how you’re feeling or if you ask for a bit of help. We’re human – and that means we need one another and that from time to time we struggle and make mistakes. But it’s on us to reach out, to connect, to ask and to be vulnerable. Your PhD should be difficult, but not a struggle. Your PhD should involve time alone, but you shouldn’t be isolated. Build human connection into your journey, or you may not complete it at all. | 
