Do you think you will regret getting a PhD
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhD5 years is normal for US, 6 is not rare, 7 is definitely at the high end.
OP, is the money difference the only reason he regrets it? Did he not look into the various options before he undertook it? This all just goes to support what other people have said - do it because you love it.
In any case there are a number of people with Eco or quantitative PhDs who move from academia into the private sector, it's quite common in investment banking at least, especially in the US. Perhaps the area he focused on is not conducive to this?
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDMost people will live a frugal life during their PhD years but provided they did it in a sensible field at a good enough school they will make up for the lost income pretty fast and, in any case, they will be able to write "Ph.D." after their names. You will definitely not regret getting the PhD, but will perhaps regret the time you lost working for it if you eventually work outside of academia where it is essentially useless. Still, kudos to anyone who completes a PhD.
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDI reckon they would. Might make it all the sweeter though if they finish it off, though...(Original post by kka25)
I wonder if a person who has finished a PhD with a supervisor that made their life an utter living hell, would regret doing one. -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDWe will never know :/(Original post by gumball)
I reckon they would. Might make it all the sweeter though if they finish it off, though...
All that investments, and just because a single person makes our life a living hell, it could affect us in many ways that we can't imagine.
It makes me sad actually even asking this.
Last edited by kka25; 16-07-2012 at 20:09. -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDWell, I suppose it's hard to generalise, but for what it's worth: a friend of mine was sort of in that situation (it wasn't actually the supervisor who made their life hell, though, but the supervisor's wife, who was working in the same lab; the supervisor just looked on while his wife was bullying my friend and was too much of a coward to intervene - it was a pretty nasty situation at any rate). That friend did stick it out until the end, but it was hard for them, and it was one of the reasons why they had to get an extension. In the end, I think my friend didn't so much regret doing the PhD as putting up with the bullying, but there wasn't really anyone but the supervisor to complain to - and he was clearly aware of what was happening and closing his eyes to it. Plus I suppose it isn't easy to change supervisors when you're part of a particular lab and other lab groups are working on totally different things...(Original post by kka25)
I wonder if a person who has finished a PhD with a supervisor that made their life an utter living hell, would regret doing one.
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDyou're very idealistic, i like that ;D(Original post by Cora Lindsay)
You should do a PhD ONLY because you love the subject. If it leads to a decent job, that's fine; if it leads nowhere, then you have spent three or four years following your passion. -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDWhy would she do that though? Seems immature(Original post by hobnob)
Well, I suppose it's hard to generalise, but for what it's worth: a friend of mine was sort of in that situation (it wasn't actually the supervisor who made their life hell, though, but the supervisor's wife, who was working in the same lab; the supervisor just looked on while his wife was bullying my friend and was too much of a coward to intervene - it was a pretty nasty situation at any rate). That friend did stick it out until the end, but it was hard for them, and it was one of the reasons why they had to get an extension. In the end, I think my friend didn't so much regret doing the PhD as putting up with the bullying, but there wasn't really anyone but the supervisor to complain to - and he was clearly aware of what was happening and closing his eyes to it. Plus I suppose it isn't easy to change supervisors when you're part of a particular lab and other lab groups are working on totally different things...
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDNo idea - your guess is as good as mine.(Original post by bmqib)
Why would she do that though? Seems immature If I had to make a guess, though, I'd say it was probably a personal thing that spiralled out of control (possibly the wife was acting more senior within the lab group than she really was and my friend was unwilling to accept that), and then she took advantage of her position because she knew the supervisor probably wouldn't confront her about her hostile behaviour towards his student and rather pretend it hadn't happened.
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDWe're peripherally caught up in something similar at the moment, and it's a nightmare. You aren't talking about the K**** I******* at S********, are you?(Original post by hobnob)
Well, I suppose it's hard to generalise, but for what it's worth: a friend of mine was sort of in that situation (it wasn't actually the supervisor who made their life hell, though, but the supervisor's wife, who was working in the same lab; the supervisor just looked on while his wife was bullying my friend and was too much of a coward to intervene - it was a pretty nasty situation at any rate). That friend did stick it out until the end, but it was hard for them, and it was one of the reasons why they had to get an extension. In the end, I think my friend didn't so much regret doing the PhD as putting up with the bullying, but there wasn't really anyone but the supervisor to complain to - and he was clearly aware of what was happening and closing his eyes to it. Plus I suppose it isn't easy to change supervisors when you're part of a particular lab and other lab groups are working on totally different things...
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDNo, this was at another university. Did your case also involve the spouse of a faculty member?(Original post by Cora Lindsay)
We're peripherally caught up in something similar at the moment, and it's a nightmare. You aren't talking about the K**** I******* at S********, are you? -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDIt does. there seems to be this very complex power struggle. We've had students' experiments thrown away, students banned from the lab. F****** nightmare for the students, and us!(Original post by hobnob)
No, this was at another university. Did your case also involve the spouse of a faculty member? -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhD(Original post by Cora Lindsay)
It does. there seems to be this very complex power struggle. We've had students' experiments thrown away, students banned from the lab. F****** nightmare for the students, and us!
Why on earth is that happening?
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDThat's crazy! What on earth drives people to behave like that?(Original post by Cora Lindsay)
It does. there seems to be this very complex power struggle. We've had students' experiments thrown away, students banned from the lab. F****** nightmare for the students, and us!
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhD(Original post by hobnob)
No idea - your guess is as good as mine. If I had to make a guess, though, I'd say it was probably a personal thing that spiralled out of control (possibly the wife was acting more senior within the lab group than she really was and my friend was unwilling to accept that), and then she took advantage of her position because she knew the supervisor probably wouldn't confront her about her hostile behaviour towards his student and rather pretend it hadn't happened.
That **** crayyyy -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDA friend of mine completed his PhD under that exact kind of supervisor. He doesn't regret getting his PhD at all but he said in hindsight he would have accepted a different university offer.(Original post by kka25)
I wonder if a person who has finished a PhD with a supervisor that made their life an utter living hell, would regret doing one. -
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Re: Do you think you will regret getting a PhDI guess that's the hint of regret then :/(Original post by Beckalex)
A friend of mine completed his PhD under that exact kind of supervisor. He doesn't regret getting his PhD at all but he said in hindsight he would have accepted a different university offer.
