I just finished my second semester of the PhD, and today I’m allowing myself to fully rest — and to fully celebrate.
These past weeks have been intense. Between final essays, presentations, and all the mental load that comes with academic life, I found myself running on pure determination at times. But here I am, on the other side of the storm, and it feels like a moment worth pausing for.
This semester wasn’t just about theories and research methods. It was about endurance. About carving out time to think while managing work, life, and everything in between. It was about showing up to class even when I was tired, and still finding myself moved by a line in a book, a discussion with classmates, or a quiet insight that came unexpectedly.
It was also a semester full of new skills and challenges — the kind I didn’t expect when I first signed up for this journey.
- I learned about the publishing process, as the school is working on publishing a book that will include a chapter from each of our theses. Seeing our academic work take on a more public shape is both exciting and humbling.
- I also learned how to conduct and edit a video interview, which was part of an assignment that pushed me to connect with someone else’s story in a deeper way.
- And I recorded my first podcast episodes, learning the basics of scripting, recording, and sharing ideas through audio. I never thought I’d enjoy podcasting so much — but I did.
More than anything, this semester reminded me that growth often happens in silence — in the late-night reading sessions, the late classes on Mondays and Saturday mornings when I had to talk myself into staying focused, and the afternoons I spent editing the same paragraph over and over. It taught me that I’m more resilient than I thought, and that my desire to learn is stronger than any obstacle in my schedule.
There were also small victories that I hold close: the moment an assignment came together, a thoughtful comment from a professor, or the realization that a concept I struggled with last semester now feels like second nature. Those moments remind me that this journey is working — little by little, it’s shaping the way I see the world and the way I see myself.
Next semester, I want to carry this learning with more gentleness. I want to keep being disciplined, yes, but also kinder to myself in the process. I’ve come to understand that rest is not a reward — it’s part of the work.
Today, I’m simply resting. But beneath the calm, there’s a quiet sense of pride. Because this wasn’t easy — and I did it anyway.
Arabela Navarro 