Is it weird that I still want to go for my PhD despite all the feedback about the process? I don’t think I’ve ever met a PhD or candidate that’s enthusiastically said “do it!”
No, not weird at all. PhD’s are pain, but certain people like the pain. If you’re good with handling stress, and also OK with working in a fast-paced, high-impact environment (for real, not business talk BS), then it may be the right decision for you. The biggest thing that I would say is that you should really, really think about whether this is what you want, since once you start a PhD, you’ve locked the next 6 years of your life into it with no chance of getting out
Edit: Also, you need to have a highly sensitive red-flag radar. As a graduate student, you are highly susceptible to abuse from your professor. There is no recourse for abuse. The only way to avoid abuse is by not picking an abusive professor from the get-go. Which is hard, since professors obviously would never talk badly about themselves. Train that red-flag radar, since you’ll need to really read between every word and line to figure out if a professor is right for you
It’s a lot of fucking work. If you enjoy hard work, learning about the latest advancements in your field, and can handle disappointment / criticism well, then it’s something to look into.
no it’s not. but you should know what you’re getting into.
in the beginning of my PhD i really loved what i was doing. from an intellectually point of view i still do. but later, i.e. after 3 years doing a shitty postdoc, i realized that I was not cut out for academia but nevertheless loved doing science.
however, i was lucky to find a place in industry doing what i like.
so i guess my 2c is: think about what comes after the PhD and work towards that goal. a PhD is usually not a goal in itself. hth
It’s like being drafted to a war while you only receive vague orders and you slowly realize what the phrase “war is a racket” means. You suffer and learn things that you didn’t plan on learning.
Is it weird that I still want to go for my PhD despite all the feedback about the process? I don’t think I’ve ever met a PhD or candidate that’s enthusiastically said “do it!”
No, not weird at all. PhD’s are pain, but certain people like the pain. If you’re good with handling stress, and also OK with working in a fast-paced, high-impact environment (for real, not business talk BS), then it may be the right decision for you. The biggest thing that I would say is that you should really, really think about whether this is what you want, since once you start a PhD, you’ve locked the next 6 years of your life into it with no chance of getting out
Edit: Also, you need to have a highly sensitive red-flag radar. As a graduate student, you are highly susceptible to abuse from your professor. There is no recourse for abuse. The only way to avoid abuse is by not picking an abusive professor from the get-go. Which is hard, since professors obviously would never talk badly about themselves. Train that red-flag radar, since you’ll need to really read between every word and line to figure out if a professor is right for you
It’s a lot of fucking work. If you enjoy hard work, learning about the latest advancements in your field, and can handle disappointment / criticism well, then it’s something to look into.
that and if you can find lab/group with recent publications and funding. not sticking too hard to failed ideas also helps
Having a shitload of money is also quite handy for such endeavors.
ideally not your money, but money from grants, that’s why i mentioned it
Ideally. Also if you’re in social science . . . ehh. It’s your money.
i mean, that’s the point that in the process grant money becomes your money
And best of luck to anyone who wants to try.
no it’s not. but you should know what you’re getting into.
in the beginning of my PhD i really loved what i was doing. from an intellectually point of view i still do. but later, i.e. after 3 years doing a shitty postdoc, i realized that I was not cut out for academia but nevertheless loved doing science.
however, i was lucky to find a place in industry doing what i like.
so i guess my 2c is: think about what comes after the PhD and work towards that goal. a PhD is usually not a goal in itself. hth
It’s like being drafted to a war while you only receive vague orders and you slowly realize what the phrase “war is a racket” means. You suffer and learn things that you didn’t plan on learning.