In one week I’m defending my PhD, and I’ll finally be Dr. Muhay. So I wanted to answer the question I get all the time: was it worth devoting basically 10 years of my life to reach PhD level (4 years bachelor + 2 years master + 4 years PhD)? For me, the answer is definitely yes—because a degree is not just the paper you receive at the end. It’s the skills, the experiences, and the way those years shape your personality. If you met me 11–12 years ago, I could barely speak English or Russian—forget Norwegian. I was shy, reserved, and I definitely wasn’t the type to speak in front of people or on camera. Through my bachelor and master in Russia, and then traveling as an exchange student in places like Budapest and Paris, my world opened up. During the PhD, conferences were a requirement at first, but later I genuinely loved them—standing on stage and presenting my research builds a level of confidence that’s hard to explain until you live it. And honestly, my PhD changed my life in ways I couldn’t plan: I met my husband, I moved to Norway (even though I once thought “never ever cold countries”), and I built an online presence despite being insecure. Even in the era of AI, I don’t see degrees as useless—I see them as a long journey that forces growth through challenges, people, and opportunities.