I’m going to be perfectly honest here: when I was working on my doctoral journey, I never once paused to think about the idea of a “doctoral identity.” In fact, I never even heard the term until years after I graduated.
When I began my program at Walden, I remember thinking “I don’t belong here” because my peers all had more experience than I did or had already completed additional academic programs. I felt very out of place.
It can be hard to reach out for help, even when we need it. Maybe asking for help strikes at our desire for independence, triggering fears of appearing incapable, lazy, or incompetent. It might be that we prefer to only ask family members or inner-circle friends for help
As Walden students embark on this new chapter, they are excited to take a major step towards achieving their goals. And yet, they are often nagged by lingering doubts and anxieties, wondering if they waited too long to get their degrees...
OASIS