Academic life is abundant with beautiful achievements and magnificent moments, but it is also fraught with steep slopes, continuous collapses, and temporary defeats. If you do not protect yourself from these with clarity of purpose, steadfastness, and determination, you risk plunging into a deep abyss. This book aims to protect you from such collapses, alert you to warning signs before situations escalate, and remind you that the closer you get to your goal, the greater your fears may become.

Through short stories, I intend to convey to you the essence of my scholarship journey. By incorporating anonymised stories from my doctoral experiences, I protect the identities of those involved. In this book, I address obstacles that most researchers and scholars encounter in their academic lives. My aim is to enlighten you by highlighting and discussing these challenges, so that you can better avoid them or deal effectively with them should they arise.

This book is written to be read as you are heading to your place of work or study, in a waiting room, on a plane, in a train carriage en route to your university, or even on a public transport bus. It is written to be read on a relaxing evening with the beautiful aroma of chamomile tea, or on a noisy morning with the aroma of coffee. Some of its insights are peacefully calming, while others are stormy, challenging your routine.