Embrace the destination, but be sure to enjoy the journey

by Hamza Anwer

One would have heard the following quote at some stage in their life: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”. However, you don’t hear too much relating to how that journey went or how it ended.
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Chapter 1 (2018) - Rollercoaster

When I first started my PhD, I was armed with an optimism that one feels when they hear that quote, a sense of dipping into the unknown willingly. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My first year could only be described as a rollercoaster. It felt like it flew and there were plenty of moments where I thought I would not make it out alive. The learning curve was a lot steeper than I thought and I had to master it, fast, otherwise I would be left behind. I look back now, and I can’t understate how valuable that year was. I learnt a lot about myself and was able to sharpen my skillset as well as my mentality and approach. I learnt to drop bad habits and develop new ones. I took criticism on board and told myself to see every opportunity, good and bad, as a learning opportunity. It set the stage for a very exciting Chapter 2.
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Chapter 2 (2019) - Foundation

This was the year everything really started to take shape. I had a good sense of direction and the work I achieved in this year really set the ultimate foundation. While I had several other tasks in the background, my major milestone was completing my zebrafish work. It was long. It was gruelling. Nailing down the tiniest details was crucial to ensure everything didn’t fall apart. There was no room for significant error although I came horrendously close several times. Whilst the process was by no means smooth, the times in the lab during this year were some of my favourites. I had a great support group and grew in confidence each day. Thankfully, I was able to complete my experiments before we entered the era of Covid-19. Out of the frying pan and into the fire I went.
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Chapter 3 (2020) – Knuckling down

My time at Garvan Institute of Medical Research was over. Covid-19 was sweeping across the world and soon enough, we had entered the lockdown phase. Working from home and online meetings became the norm. I embraced every moment. I looked at it as an opportunity for growth. I had to adapt and focus on moving forward. I embraced a good rhythm while working from home but there was still plenty of work that needed to be done, even when I got back to campus and was grinding away at my desk. I had completed the foundations, but it was all about putting it together in coherent pieces of writing to be published. Slowly but surely, it was all coming together but I was 3/4 into my PhD and still had not published a single paper or completed a single chapter. It was worrying but I pressed on. I still had time. I just needed to use my time wisely. I had everything I needed. I just needed to finish strong.  

Chapter 4 (2021) – Finish line

“There are better starters than me, but I'm a strong finisher.” -Usain Bolt

I think this quote by Usain Bolt really sums up my PhD. If I was running a marathon, my start would be akin to one stumbling and landing face first on the ground. However, knowing I can make up for lost ground if I push that extra bit harder. Which is what I did. I started the year strong with my first publication (can read about that here). The first publication formed the first chapter of my thesis. Slowly but steadily, I worked on putting more components together. The next achievement was publishing my meta-analysis which would form the final chapter of my thesis as well as my general introduction. Two chapters down, two to go. The final two chapters were the most difficult because they comprised the bulk of my zebrafish data. In addition, they complimented one another so I had to ensure a lot of things were consistent. The final few months were intense, but after plenty of deliberation, I managed to piece all the components together. I could finally see the finish line. It looked glorious.

Fast forward to 2022, my thesis has been successfully submitted. The final two chapters have been sent in for publication. I am working full-time at Cure Brain Cancer Foundation and am better placed than ever.

To finish, I can’t emphasize enough how important my lab was in this journey. From my supervisors to lab members, everyone played a crucial part in where I am now. I thank you all.

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime” – Babe Ruth
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