That sense of curiousity

All that whining during your PhD. ..

Having to find a topic (or expand your topic to make it long enough so that you have enough things to do during your PhD)

Having to meet deadline set by your boss...

Having to deal with the not so sensible bureaucracy, as if they are made to make your life more difficult, part of your PhD training....

Having to make presentation slide last minute...

Having to write your QE report (with no significant progress, if any....)

Having to write paper, how your result is significant, justifying your result, or bullshitting how your result could save humanity

Having to redo your experiment because someone accidentaly turn off your instrument, or throw away your cells thinking that it is a waste

All your experiments fail. you have tried all possibles ways you could think of...

That your are neither a student with full privileged as a student (access to cheaper accomodation, transportation) nor a working adult

That you are nobody, have no social life, you only know the way from your home to your lab

Depressing it is.

Sometimes you feel like you are giving up. Don't care anymore.

So why you are here? What keep you going?

Is it because of stipend? If you are smart enough to enter Phd programme, then I'm sure you are smart enough to get a job.

May be because of commitment? coz giving up is not in your dictionary?

Whatever is the reason that stopping you from quitting, you need to find a way to at least enjoy it.

For me, it is as simple as curiosity. Curiosity to find out how to solve problems. How insignificant they are. All that problems will cease away for a moment (at least) when your curiosity is answered.

So what keep you going?