[gary]

Hi Casey,

Great to see you are already thinking ahead to your PhD, which is a good mindset to have.

Believe me, when you get to that point in your academic career, your mentors
will have no shortage of PhD topic suggestions. For example, it may well be
an extension into a field your mentor is actively working on and hence access
to particular tools, instruments or techniques in which to conduct your research
may already be in place.

I know some struggle for a long time to find a topic and most struggle much,
much longer to then complete it. If you have an independent original idea
that you want to pursue, finding a supervisor can be a tough call and
you may need to think whether you move to another university at that point.
If nobody wants to be your supervisor for the idea you propose, that should
give reason to pause.

Once in a blue moon, someone lays down a
truly seminal piece of work, but for many, a PhD involves
chipping away at the coalface of the unknown and the mere act of being able
to think and work independently on a really arbitrary tough problem becomes the most beneficial
outcome in doing the PhD itself. In other words, it is a form of training.
Receiving the PhD itself can then act a right of passage and open
doors to that exclusive club of professionals where you can go on to
do even even bigger and better things.

Be sure to go to all the university open days, talk to the staff and if possible
any students that are there. Being around the right kind of people is key
and if the university you originally planned you might have gone to doesn't feel
exciting but another one does ... well, you will know which one to pick. Good luck!