Keep pushing.

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.:


So, don't forget the bigger picture:



Keep pushing.
From The Illustrated Guide to a Ph.D., by Matt Might