This is very true especially nowadays. You typically need several publications to even start a PhD in competitive fields like AI, so people are familiar with the system already.
Sorry, my choice of word was not great, I was not targeting you in specific, but the way the education system works prior to a PhD in general.
I’m aware the experience will not be the same everywhere as PhD programs can be quite different, but many students that asked me if they should do a PhD are surprised when I tell them it’s not just up to the university or their advisors that they will get their degree and even more surprised when I tell them how early they have to start submitting their papers.
Even though I was well warned by my seniors, I admit that I also had this misconception to some degree.
It was not my case and bold of you to assume so. I had peer-reviewed publications before I even applied for PhD.
While I do know some people who expected PhD to be "more classes with more difficult assignments", the mast majority of PhDs I know had nothing to do with mentality you described.