PHDs - tell me about your experience

[John Cole]

I usually do have fun with the job, Katy. I haven't used my sabbatical leave, but I might like to use it for research. I'm interested in how films portray writers both before and after the auteur theory had finally taken hold. I think, though, this is more like a dissertation topic rather than a sabbatical project.

[RJT]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the reply John. Sounds like you are busy and having fun with your job. Have you ever taken a sabbatical? If not, where would you like to go?

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on, John. Don't be shy. West Virginia, Katy.

[murph0110]

hey 2 u got some really good advice here especially from dis..

my situation is so close to yours, and i will advise you, do not go back for your phd unless you want to teach at the college level

if you have been working for 10 years, you have to be older, how are you going to support yourself while going full time???? There are no part time phd programs.. Can you live on the salary like dis says???

ive studied in south america not europe but it sounds like you are at a major career change just like me...

pm me if u want to bs

[Ironic]

I am considering doing a PhD in mathematics but I am having second thoughts. I've seen how dedicated you have to be. I am a hard working guy but these people put their lives into it. Doing research in maths is difficult and it's a solitary pursuit with very poor pay.

[disjunction]

[ QUOTE ]
I am considering doing a PhD in mathematics but I am having second thoughts. I've seen how dedicated you have to be. I am a hard working guy but these people put their lives into it. Doing research in maths is difficult and it's a solitary pursuit with very poor pay.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ironic,

Yes, there is no question that you can not give half of an effort, you really need to dedicate yourself to it. And you will only get through if you love the field. But some of your enthusiasm does get bootstrapped off of your environment. Hanging out with your department, going to conferences, reading papers from people you know, the more you do the more you want to do. So it's not as solitary as you would think. I have limited interactions with math departments, just a couple of courses, but the math people I have met are some of the nicest people anywhere.

As for low pay, there's no law saying you have to go into academia afterwards. Lots of research labs need to hire math people, and there aren't that many math people to go around. In the 21st century, where by contrast almost any "business" job can be outsourced, I expect a math PhD to be quite lucrative (or, if you don't make it through the program, a Math Master's). Math applications to Operations Research, Computer Security, and any form of analysis come to mind. Biologists are even trying to make sense of the patterns in DNA sequences, there are math guys involved in that as well. Especially if you are a U.S. citizen, tons of jobs will be open to you. Just make sure you pick your advisor carefully BEFORE you apply, to make sure he's doing work that will look nice on your resume when you are done.

[smurfitup]

Hey 2fast,
I just graduated from college, so I obviously can't offer personal insights into getting a PhD. However, it is a route that I have strongly considered and am still strongly considering, and, before graduating, I talked to several professors and PhD students about whether they regret pursuing it, what kind of advice they can offer, etc.

What really struck me was that a Spanish professor of mine strongly discouraged me from getting my PhD (I was considering philosophy or psychology) in spite of the fact that she always considered me a brilliant student (not bragging, just what she said). She said that you have to be willing to make countless sacrifices for an endpoint that might not even satisfy you. She also pointed out that many people enter PhD programs thinking that their experiences would mirror their college experience, only to find out that there is no balance in their lives. It's all work--being totally immersed in whatever you're studying for a salary that is nominal compared to what people with other, more practical advanced degrees make. All of this of course doesn't apply to you, but I think you need to do a lot of soul-searching to determine if you're truly willing to make the sacrifices that it takes to enter and excel in academia.

[2Fast]

[ QUOTE ]
hey 2 u got some really good advice here especially from dis..

my situation is so close to yours, and i will advise you, do not go back for your phd unless you want to teach at the college level

if you have been working for 10 years, you have to be older, how are you going to support yourself while going full time???? There are no part time phd programs.. Can you live on the salary like dis says???

ive studied in south america not europe but it sounds like you are at a major career change just like me...

pm me if u want to bs

[/ QUOTE ]

thx good replies all. I'm mid-30s so like a grandfather on 2+2 - luckily I've saved a ton so I could def swing a couple years with no work and most of the schools I've researched basically waive tuition and give you a stipend assuming you fulfill your TA and teaching duties (PhD in Finance at least).

From other posters is does indeed seem that the typical tenured professor seems to be completely immersed in work with little free time, which is kind of like me job now...hmnnnnnnnn

[katyseagull]

I just finished reading an article about the value of a psychology research PhD. I found it pretty interesting. The author was extremely discourageing to say the least!


Several questions for our professors out there,

- how common is it now for universities to simply hire adjunct professors and completely sidestep the tenure positions? Is this the trend for the future? Do adjunct professors work on a year to year contract and would you say these positions help or hurt your resume?

- Once you are in a PhD program, are you basically a slave to your major adviser? Do you have much say in your own research design or are you helping your adviser do his own research?

[Kaj]

[ QUOTE ]
- Once you are in a PhD program, are you basically a slave to your major adviser? Do you have much say in your own research design or are you helping your adviser do his own research?

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends on your adviser. My first adviser basically ignored what I was telling him I wanted to do and wanted me to pursue his research. I switched advisers. This caused some angst as my adviser, former dept head, tried to get the dept head to not approve my request. Luckily, my new adviser went to bat for me and I finished on time and I had a lot of leeway in my research.