 When you're just embarking on your doctoral studies, the last thing on your mind is how to finish it. But I'm here to tell you that planning your doctoral studies will not only help you finish your PhD degree on time and with great success, but also make the process of getting there easier and more pleasant for you. The first thing you should know when you start your PhD is what the regulations are. Whichever university you're registered at will have some sort of requirements, regulations or plan that they expect every PhD student to follow before their dissertation defense. Look into it. Early on, it's a good thing to have it in mind. Some universities will expect you to publish one or two peer-reviewed papers, some will expect an international conference talk, and some maybe a large-scale lecture at university.