The illustrated guide to a Ph.D

Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge: 

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little: 

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more:

With a bachelor's degree, you gain a specialty: 

A master's degree deepens that specialty: 

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge: 

Once you're at the boundary, you focus: 

You push at the boundary for a few years:

Until one day, the boundary gives way: 

And, that dent you've made is called a Ph.D:

  

Of course, the world looks different to you now: 

So, don't forget the bigger picture: 

Keep pushing.

Thanks to mattmight