In this episode, Tyll and Katharina talk to Jessica about her experience of writing and defending her Ph.D. thesis and the severe strain it put on her mental health. In this first part, Jessica talks about why writing and defending her Ph.D. thesis was a traumatic experience for her and what the completed thesis means to her, but also about the conflicting demands that are inherent in academic testing mechanisms in general and how they produce effects that lead to mental health issues.