Surviving the world of academia: a brief commentary on strategies for success

Academia is an environment in which teaching, research, and the pursuit of scholarship are characterized.1 It is routinely described as embodying an atmosphere of isolation, yet is highly competitive. Extreme sacrifices seem to be forefront and centre. Individuals are routinely asked to take on increasingly heavy teaching workloads, while at the same time are expected to produce a significant number of publications, in unison with obtaining external funding. The nature of academia has not always faired well for new scholars. This paper presents a discussion of various strategies new academics or those considering pursuing this arena can use to assist in not only the transition to working in this environment, but also thriving in it. It will provide an awareness of the lessons learned and an anticipation of the future from a scholar who has overcome the initial barriers and is optimistically looking forward to future challenges.