How to Survive in Academia: Demands, Resources and Study Satisfaction Among Polish PhD Students

Abstract

There is a great deal of research showing that PhD students suffer from dissatisfaction. Whereas most studies in this field strived to identify factors negatively related to PhD students’ well-being, still little is known about factors positively related to the well-being of young academics. We based our analysis on the Job Demands-Resource Theory (JD-R), to identify study resources positively related to PhD student satisfaction. Building on the results of the survey conducted among 360 PhD students of the Jagiellonian University (Poland) we singled out seven main resources most strongly related to PhD student satisfaction. Our findings might provide initial evidence about what type of resources are worth developing to maximize PhD student well-being. These results could be of particular importance and interest for candidates who look for PhD positions and PhD students already working in different academic environments, as well as for broader academic community and higher education policymakers.