By Shashikant Nishant Sharma

Embarking on a PhD is much more than a research endeavor—it’s an emotional and intellectual expedition. The journey is not a straight line but a progression through different zones that shape your development as a scholar. Understanding these zones—Comfort, Fear, Learning, and Growth—can help you reflect, adapt, and thrive. Let’s explore each one and how to navigate them.

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1. The Comfort Zone: Where Everything Feels Safe but Stagnant

At the beginning of your PhD—or even during the long, quiet research phases—it’s easy to settle into the comfort zone. This is the space of familiarity, predictability, and low risk.

Here, you do what you know:

• You read the same familiar authors.
• You engage with ideas that don’t challenge you.
• You hesitate to speak up in seminars or share your work.

This zone feels safe, but it’s deceptive. Staying too long here can lead to intellectual stagnation and a false sense of progress. You might feel “busy,” but you’re not necessarily growing.

Signs you’re stuck:

• You avoid presenting your work.
• You rarely ask questions in research meetings.
• You haven’t written or submitted anything new.
• You’re not pushing your intellectual boundaries.

How to break out:
Take small steps:

• Attend a journal club.
• Present just one slide in a research seminar.
• Read something outside your primary topic.
• Engage in a new conversation that challenges your assumptions.

Stretching your comfort zone incrementally is the key to unlocking progress.

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2. The Fear Zone: When Self-Doubt Takes the Lead

Almost every PhD student enters the fear zone at some point. This is the stage where anxiety, uncertainty, and imposter syndrome creep in.

You begin to question:

• “Is my idea good enough?”
• “Will I be rejected?”
• “Am I behind compared to others?”

You might endlessly revise a paper not because it’s not ready—but because you’re not ready. You delay submissions. You shy away from your supervisor. The what ifs become louder than your goals.

Signs you’re in the fear zone:

• You revise endlessly but never submit.
• You compare yourself constantly to others.
• You avoid discussing your work.
• You assume you’re not good enough.

How to move forward:

• Submit anyway. Feedback is part of the process.
• Share your fears with peers or supervisors—you’ll realize they’re common.
• Accept that fear signals care—it means your work matters to you.

Don’t let fear paralyze you. Let it push you toward the learning that follows.

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3. The Learning Zone: Where Real Progress Begins

If comfort is stillness and fear is hesitation, the learning zone is momentum. This is where your PhD starts to take form—not just in output, but in confidence.

Here’s what changes:

• You submit papers—some are accepted, others aren’t.
• You attend conferences not just to listen, but to present.
• You try new tools (like R, Zotero, or NVivo) to refine your work.
• You explore collaborations across departments or even countries.

You begin to see research as a journey. You seek feedback instead of fearing it. You’re not perfect, but you’re productive.

Signs you’re in the learning zone:

• You attend and present at academic events.
• You explore new methods or technologies.
• You maintain a pipeline of papers at various stages.
• You talk with researchers beyond your department.

How to stay here:

• Be consistent, not perfect.
• Track progress: one small win each week adds up.
• Reflect: What did I learn this month? Who did I learn it from?

The learning zone isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about being curious enough to keep asking questions.

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4. The Growth Zone: Where Research Becomes Impact

This is where your PhD transforms from personal development to public contribution. In the growth zone, your work has purpose beyond the thesis.

You start connecting your research to real-world challenges. Whether it’s policy, society, or industry—you now see your research as a piece of a larger puzzle.

You publish not just to graduate, but to inform. You apply for grants. You mentor juniors. You’re invited to speak, review, or teach. Feedback is no longer threatening—it’s a valuable tool.

Signs you’re in the growth zone:

• Your work addresses real-world or interdisciplinary issues.
• You publish in respected journals.
• You collaborate with industry or global teams.
• You contribute to grant proposals or research policy.
• You’re invited to review or speak.

How to stay here:

• Stay purpose-driven, not output-obsessed.
• Keep learning—but also keep teaching.
• Don’t forget your why. Let it guide your next steps.

You might not live in the growth zone every day—but once you’ve been here, you’ll know what you’re striving for.

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Final Thoughts: All Zones Are Natural

It’s important to remember: you’ll pass through all these zones—sometimes more than once. You are not failing if you’re in the comfort zone. You are not weak if you’re struggling in fear.

What matters is that you don’t get stuck.

The PhD journey is less about perfection and more about progress.

So here’s the simplest goal:

Move. Learn. Grow.

Pause today and ask yourself:

• Where am I right now?
• What’s one small step I can take this week?

Every slide presented, every draft submitted, every conversation initiated—it all counts. Your growth is happening, even when you don’t see it.

Stay honest. Stay brave. Keep moving forward.

Your PhD is not just a degree—it’s your transformation.

References

Gould, J. (2015). How to build a better PhD. Nature, 528(7580), 22.

Bunton, D. (2005). The structure of PhD conclusion chapters. Journal of English for academic purposes, 4(3), 207-224.

Dehalwar, K. (2015). Basics of environment sustainability and environmental impact assessment. Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Dehalwar, K., & Sharma, S. N. (2023). Fundamentals of research writing and uses of research methodologies. Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Hockey, J. (1991). The social science PhD: A literature review. Studies in Higher Education, 16(3), 319-332.

Kumar, G., Vyas, S., Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2025). Urban growth prediction using CA-ANN model and spatial analysis for planning policy in Indore city, India. GeoJournal, 90(3), 139.

Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2023). Fundamentals of Planning and Design of Housing.

Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review of Transit-Oriented Development to Assess Its Role in Economic Development of City. Transportation in Developing Economies, 11(2), 23.

Sharma, S. N., Singh, S., Kumar, G., Pandey, A. K., & Dehalwar, K. (2025, June). Role of Green Buildings in Creating Sustainable Neighbourhoods. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1519, No. 1, p. 012018). IOP Publishing.

Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2025). Assessing the Transit-Oriented Development and Travel Behavior of the Residents in Developing Countries: A Case of Delhi, India. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 151(3), 05025018.

Sharma, S. N., Singh, D., & Dehalwar, K. (2024). Surrogate safety analysis-leveraging advanced technologies for safer roads. Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology, 31(4), 010320.

Van Rooij, E., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & Jansen, E. (2021). Factors that influence PhD candidates’ success: the importance of PhD project characteristics. Studies in Continuing Education, 43(1), 48-67.

By Kavita Dehalwar

Biohealing and sensing concrete represent advanced materials that combine biological and technological innovations to enhance the performance and durability of concrete structures. Here’s an overview of these technologies and their applications in modern construction:

Biohealing Concrete

Biohealing concrete, also known as self-healing concrete, incorporates biological agents that enable the material to repair itself when cracks occur. This innovation aims to extend the lifespan of concrete structures and reduce maintenance costs.

Components and Mechanism:

1. Bacteria: Certain bacteria, such as Bacillus species, are used for their ability to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) when exposed to water and nutrients. These bacteria are encapsulated in the concrete mix and remain dormant until cracks form.
2. Nutrients: Nutrients like calcium lactate are included to feed the bacteria when they become active.
3. Microcapsules: The bacteria and nutrients are often encapsulated in microcapsules made of materials like silica gel or other polymers that break open when cracks form, releasing the bacteria and nutrients.
4. Healing Process: When cracks allow water to penetrate the concrete, the bacteria are activated, consume the nutrients, and produce calcium carbonate, which fills and seals the cracks.

Benefits:

• Extends the lifespan of concrete structures.
• Reduces maintenance costs and frequency of repairs.
• Enhances structural integrity and durability.

Applications:

• Infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and highways.
• Buildings and architectural structures.
• Marine and hydraulic structures where crack resistance is crucial.

Sensing Concrete

Sensing concrete incorporates sensors and smart materials into the concrete matrix to monitor the health and performance of the structure in real time. This technology enables proactive maintenance and enhances the safety and reliability of concrete structures.

Components and Mechanism:

1. Sensors: Embedded sensors can detect various parameters such as strain, temperature, humidity, pH, and crack formation. Common types include fiber optic sensors, piezoelectric sensors, and wireless sensors.
2. Data Transmission: Sensors are connected to a data acquisition system that collects and transmits data to a central monitoring system.
3. Data Analysis: Advanced algorithms and software analyze the data to assess the condition of the concrete structure, predict potential failures, and recommend maintenance actions.

Benefits:

• Real-time monitoring of structural health.
• Early detection of potential issues and timely maintenance.
• Improved safety and reliability of structures.
• Data-driven decision-making for maintenance and repairs.

Applications:

• Critical infrastructure such as bridges, dams, and power plants.
• High-rise buildings and large-scale construction projects.
• Military and defense structures.
• Historical buildings and monuments requiring preservation.

Integration and Future Prospects

The integration of biohealing and sensing concrete in modern construction holds great promise for the future. Combining these technologies can create intelligent, self-sustaining structures that not only repair themselves but also communicate their status to engineers and maintenance teams. This can lead to more resilient infrastructure, reduced environmental impact due to lower repair needs, and significant cost savings over the lifespan of the structures.

Challenges:

• Initial costs and complexity of incorporating these technologies.
• Ensuring long-term reliability and functionality of embedded sensors and biological agents.
• Standardization and regulatory approval for widespread use.

Future Directions:

• Development of more efficient and cost-effective biohealing agents and sensors.
• Advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance predictive maintenance capabilities.
• Increased collaboration between material scientists, engineers, and biologists to innovate and improve these technologies.

In summary, biohealing and sensing concrete represent transformative advancements in construction materials, offering significant benefits in terms of durability, safety, and maintenance efficiency. Their continued development and integration into construction practices will play a crucial role in shaping the future of infrastructure and building technology.

References

Anbazhagan, R., Arunachalam, S., Dharmalingam, G., & Sundramurthy, V. P. (2023). Development on bio-based concrete crack healing in soil exposures: isolation, identification, and characterization of potential bacteria and evaluation of crack healing performance. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 1-14.

Esaker, M., Hamza, O., & Elliott, D. (2023). Monitoring the bio-self-healing performance of cement mortar incubated within soil and water using electrical resistivity. Construction and Building Materials, 393, 132109.

Mahmoud, H. H., Kalaba, M. H., El-Sherbiny, G. M., Mostafa, A. E., Ouf, M. E., & Tawhed, W. M. (2022). Sustainable repairing and improvement of concrete properties using artificial bacterial consortium. Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials, 11(6), 465-478.

Nguyen, M. T., Fernandez, C. A., Haider, M. M., Chu, K. H., Jian, G., Nassiri, S., … & Glezakou, V. A. (2023). Toward self-healing concrete infrastructure: review of experiments and simulations across scales. Chemical Reviews, 123(18), 10838-10876.

Shaheen, N., Khushnood, R. A., Memon, S. A., & Adnan, F. (2023). Feasibility assessment of newly isolated calcifying bacterial strains in self-healing concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 362, 129662.

Sharma, S. N., Prajapati, R., Jaiswal, A., & Dehalwar, K. (2024, June). A Comparative Study of the Applications and Prospects of Self-healing Concrete/Biocrete and Self-Sensing Concrete. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1326, No. 1, p. 012090). IOP Publishing.

Sharma, S. N., Lodhi, A. S., Dehalwar, K., & Jaiswal, A. (2024, June). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Recycled & Secondary Materials in the Construction of Roads. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1326, No. 1, p. 012102). IOP Publishing.

Sharma, S. N., Dehalwar, D. K., Lodhi, A. S., & Kumar, G. (2024). PREFABRICATED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS APPROACH. Futuristic Trends in Construction Materials & Civil Engineering Volume 3 Book 1, IIP Series, 3, 91-114.

By Shashikant Nishant Sharma

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions, based on mathematics and psychology. It was developed by Thomas L. Saaty in the 1970s and has been extensively studied and refined since then. AHP helps decision-makers set priorities and make the best decision by reducing complex decisions to a series of pairwise comparisons, and then synthesizing the results.

Key Steps in AHP

1. Define the Problem and Goal: Clearly state the decision problem and identify the goal to be achieved.
2. Structure the Hierarchy: Break down the problem into a hierarchy of more easily comprehended sub-problems, each of which can be analyzed independently. The hierarchy typically has three levels:
   • Goal: The overall objective of the decision.
   • Criteria: Factors or attributes that will be used to evaluate the alternatives.
   • Alternatives: The different options or choices available.
3. Pairwise Comparisons: Compare the elements at each level of the hierarchy pairwise in terms of their impact on an element above them. This involves asking how much more one element is important or preferred over another with respect to the criterion above them. This comparison can be done using a scale of relative importance, typically ranging from 1 (equal importance) to 9 (extreme importance of one over the other).
4. Priority Calculation: Use the pairwise comparison matrix to calculate the weight or priority of each element. This is often done using eigenvalue methods or other techniques to derive ratio scales.
5. Consistency Check: Evaluate the consistency of the judgments to ensure that the pairwise comparisons are reliable. A Consistency Ratio (CR) is calculated, and if it is within an acceptable range (usually CR < 0.1), the judgments are considered consistent.
6. Synthesize the Results: Combine the priorities of the elements to determine the overall ranking of the alternatives. This is done by aggregating the weights through the hierarchy to arrive at the overall priorities for the decision alternatives.

Applications of AHP

AHP is versatile and can be applied in various fields, including:

• Business and Management: For strategic planning, resource allocation, and performance measurement.
• Engineering: For selecting the best engineering design or technology.
• Healthcare: For evaluating treatment options or healthcare policies.
• Education: For selecting academic programs or assessing teaching methods.
• Government and Public Policy: For policy analysis and decision-making in public projects.

Example

Consider a simple example where a company needs to choose a new software package. The goal is to select the best software package. The criteria might include cost, ease of use, functionality, and support. The alternatives are Software A, Software B, and Software C.

1. Define the Problem and Goal: Select the best software package.
2. Structure the Hierarchy:
   • Goal: Select the best software package.
   • Criteria: Cost, Ease of Use, Functionality, Support.
   • Alternatives: Software A, Software B, Software C.
3. Pairwise Comparisons: Compare each criterion pairwise and each software alternative under each criterion pairwise.
4. Priority Calculation: Calculate the weights for each criterion and for each software alternative under each criterion.
5. Consistency Check: Ensure the consistency ratio is acceptable.
6. Synthesize the Results: Combine the weights to determine the overall ranking of the software packages.

By following these steps, the decision-makers can arrive at a rational and justifiable decision based on a structured and quantifiable method.

Advantages of AHP

• Structured Approach: Provides a clear and systematic framework for decision-making.
• Flexibility: Can be applied to a wide range of decision problems.
• Consistency: Ensures consistency in judgments through the consistency ratio.
• Quantitative and Qualitative: Combines both quantitative data and qualitative judgments.

Disadvantages of AHP

• Subjectivity: The process relies on the subjective judgments of the decision-makers.
• Complexity: Can become complex and time-consuming for large-scale problems with many criteria and alternatives.
• Pairwise Comparison Limitations: The number of comparisons grows rapidly with the number of criteria and alternatives, which can be overwhelming.

In summary, AHP is a powerful tool for decision-making that helps break down complex problems into manageable parts, allowing for a rational and comprehensive analysis of the alternatives.

References

Dehalwar, K., & Sharma, S. N. (2023). Fundamentals of Research Writing and Uses of Research Methodologies. Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Ishizaka, A., & Labib, A. (2011). Review of the main developments in the analytic hierarchy process. Expert systems with applications, 38(11), 14336-14345.

Kumar, G., & Sharma, S. N. (2022). Evolution of Affordable Housing in India.

Marinoni, O. (2004). Implementation of the analytical hierarchy process with VBA in ArcGIS. Computers & Geosciences, 30(6), 637-646.

Saaty, R. W. (1987). The analytic hierarchy process—what it is and how it is used. Mathematical modelling, 9(3-5), 161-176.

Sharma, S. N. (2014). Fate of Rural Sanitation Scheme. International Journal of Research (IJR), 1(2).

Sharma, S. N., & Adeoye, M. A. (2024). New Perspectives on Transformative Leadership in Education. EduPedia Publications Pvt Ltd.

Sipahi, S., & Timor, M. (2010). The analytic hierarchy process and analytic network process: an overview of applications. Management decision, 48(5), 775-808.

Vaidya, O. S., & Kumar, S. (2006). Analytic hierarchy process: An overview of applications. European Journal of operational research, 169(1), 1-29.

Vargas, L. G. (1990). An overview of the analytic hierarchy process and its applications. European journal of operational research, 48(1), 2-8.