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My PhD Journey: From Struggles with Speech to Academic Triumph

My PhD Journey: From Struggles with Speech to Academic Triumph
Published On: 11-Jul-2025
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From a kid who struggled to speak, talk, and remember things, to someone who completed his Ph.D. in 2.5 years at the age of 27. This is not just my journey, but also the journey of those who stood tall with me, my Dear Mom and ‘Beloved Family’. We often courageously show only the bright side, but rarely dare to show the dark side. A child who once struggled to attend school with normal kids is now a source of pride for many. My Mom always used to say, "If I ever have to see miracles in life, I always look at you." Because she truly knew how hard it was for her to teach and pray for me, and wish that I could stand with other kids. I was struggling to speak, having a disorder called in my language haklana, known as Speech Sound Disorder (SSD). My Mom used to do speech therapy and recite Surah Ikhlas without exaggeration millions of times, and eventually, it cured me. There are a lot of inspiring stories, and probably many of them remain unsaid. My father once said, “Even if our journey inspires just one person and brings a positive change in their life, then we have truly conquered the goal”. I think in the darkness of hopelessness, we should be the fireflies that light up the world with hope. Maybe it can even enlighten someone’s disbelief.
One day in early 2020, I got a call from my elder brother, “Our Professor is looking for a student for a Master's course and offering a scholarship? Are you interested? I was confused but simply said “Yes”. And the story begins. I believed it would be the door for new opportunities. At the same time, COVID-19 appeared, and things slowed down. I had already started my preliminary research. I got admission in Fall 2020 at JNU, but my visa was rejected due to COVID-19. Later, I got the visa in April 2021 and went to Jeju that same month. Coming to Korea was a new world for me, quarantine isolation, language barriers, peak COVID days, and being away from home. After all, I finally joined my lab. Honestly speaking, landing in Korea and starting a new journey was not easy for me, even though I had my brother. I finished my first two semesters online, and in the coming semester, I was supposed to graduate too. So, I had immense pressure on my mind to perform well, to get my Master's degree, and enroll in the Ph.D. course. Luckily, I successfully graduated from my Master's course and then enrolled in the Ph.D. course in Spring 2022. During 2023, there were some funding problems in my lab, and I had to change my professor and lab. I started in a new lab and settled for a lower monthly stipend. At that time, I decided to graduate early due to a lack of funding. I collaborated with other researchers and worked very hard. I still remember staying late at night in the library’s PC room and using the university library to write my thesis.
While coming to Korea, the biggest problem was the language barrier, and it was a huge shock for me. I thought Korea would be like the USA, and I didn’t think the language barrier would be so huge. Also, while having online meetings with my professor, I felt a lot of pressure. There was not much discussion about culture in the meetings. It felt synthetic and robotic. I was trying hard to understand the work style and work ethics of Korean society. Other than that, the main hurdle was figuring out how to integrate my research and academic major with the professor's research topic. I was a fresh graduate with no in-depth experience in research, especially research in another major. So, it was a struggling time for me. There is that saying: to learn new things, we need to unlearn things first. So, I was trying to unlearn things quickly. Also, deep inside, I was already tired and wished not to go to Korea when I applied for my visa. But things evolved slowly and gradually as I entered Korea. I got my leisure and escape time to find pleasure once I travelled to the beautiful Jeju Island. It actually detoxified my mind from doubts and negative thoughts. The most blessed and rewarding thing in my research was getting my Ph.D. degree without having a proper lab and without a fully funded scholarship, and still earning the degree in 2.5 years, with 12 first-author publications and a total of 16 international publications.
I think the main essence of success is to just keep going. Once we are on the right path, we just need to keep going. We will face failures, setbacks, and hurdles, but at the end of the day, luck favors the brave. We have to be lionhearted and confident. The road to success never runs smooth. Just keep going. My advice for my peers is simple: Never give up. Whatever you are doing or going through, just keep the journey going and never give up on your dream. The light will come after the night. Even the darkest night later blooms with sunshine. Yes, it’s true that life is filled with tragedies and suffering, but it also surrounds us with a lot of happiness and joy too. That is the blend of emotions from both ends. Let’s embrace both sides and walk the path where we never give up. The second most important advice I want to give to fellows is to keep in touch with your family, and while staying connected with them, it will fill your heart with a lot of love and good wishes. Success is not about going alone. It’s about how you carry the best wishes and love of your loved ones with you. Right now, if I am here at this point, it’s all because of the love and support of my family. The way we catharsis with our beloved ones can never be the same with anyone else. One special piece of advice for my peers, while having your research journey, collaborate with as many researchers as you can. Always keep your doors open and explore all the research options around you. Never settle for less. Thrive for more. And carry your goals step by step. At the same time, do not rush.  Research collaborations will boost your confidence and open new ventures for you, not just in terms of research publications, but you will also learn about networking and communication. All these skills will help you become a complete researcher and maybe most likely, a human too. Most importantly, let’s keep our hearts filled with kindness and love, and say to souls, “With you, life is like a journey”.

Muhammad Awais Farooqi PhD.
Artist, Postdoctoral Fellow, Jeju National University
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