To bring this book to a close, we would like to take a minute to address you, the reader. If we were able to speak to you now, we would want to ask you how you are feeling now you have absorbed the stories of the authors? Have any chapters spoken to you personally? Have any experiences surprised you? Have you found solace in reading these stories? And finally, do you feel a sense of catharsis now you have reached the end of this collection of diverse narratives of PhD life?

While we are unable to ask you these questions directly, we do hope that we have been able to offer some reassurance and, if possible, some support, regardless of where you are within your PhD journey. Whether you are still debating to undertake a PhD or not, struggling to connect with your project, finding it difficult to navigate a fraught supervisor/supervisee relationship, grappling with your work-life balance, facing the daunting task of moving country to pursue your academic dreams, dealing with an unexpected life event, or wresting with your inner saboteur, our intention was to provide you, whatever your situation may be, with some words of reassurance from those who have walked or are currently walking a similar path.

If we were to take stock of some of the central themes that have appeared throughout this collection, words such as self-doubt, lack of ability, fear of external criticism, isolation and loneliness, stress, mental health struggles, financial difficulties, academic pressures, hyper-competition, and career uncertainty may well be conjured. This is, indeed, a sobering and, if we are honest, a rather depressing picture of PhD life. However, within this sea of negativity, there is a light in the distance beckoning us to safer shores.