Illustrated guide to a Ph.D.

Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more

With a bachelor's degree, you gain a specialty

A master's degree deepens that specialty

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge

Once you're at the boundary, you focus

You push at the boundary for a few years

Until one day, the boundary gives way

And, that dent you've made is called a Ph.D.

Of course, the world looks different to you now

So, don't forget the bigger picture