My PhD journey

I began my PhD in early 2019, stepping into my doctoral research with the conviction and enthusiasm of a committed scholar. However, before the first year had passed, my academic path was reshaped by unexpected events. At the end of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, sweeping across nations and quickly followed by Malaysia’s prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO).
In December 2020, I successfully defended my proposal. I was heavily pregnant, only two weeks away from giving birth, facing intellectual evaluation while carrying the physical weight of impending motherhood. After welcoming my newborn, the academic rigor of doctoral study intertwined with sleepless nights, infant care, and the return to fulltime work once my maternity leave ended. Each day became a juggle of teaching my classes, mothering, researching, and writing. The MCO, which persisted until 2022, disrupted my research processes such as access to participants, face-to-face academic consultation, and the simple freedom to conduct fieldwork.