Steve Tippins Ph.D.Helping doctoral students get their dissertation accepted, succeed in their careers, & change the world | Academic Career Advisor | Dissertation Chair & Founder, Beyond PhD Coaching | 35 + years of experience.

The Confusion Is Part of It

21 Feb 2026 · 0 min

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0:17

In this brief reflective video, Steve Tippins, Ph.D., shares his personal experience of starting a PhD program. He describes the initial expectation of being efficient and having everything click, contrasted with moments of confusion and questioning the purpose of his work. He reassures viewers that feeling uncertain is a normal part of the process and encourages them to persist. The video concludes with a call to action, inviting viewers to comment for a link to a free dissertation help community.

Yeah, I thought I was getting to a PhD program and I was going to be efficient and right on top of everything and understand how everything clicked. And many times I kind of sat there and tried to figure out what am I doing? And what is this? Why is it important? But that's part of the process, too, and you will get there. Comment help and I'll send you the link to my free dissertation help community.