Not sure if I have a good enough reason to pursue a PhD?

Once I'm finished with my masters degree in engineering, I want to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge just so that I can be a student at one of the world's best universities. I want to prove to myself that I'm good enough for a University like Cambridge and it would be an honor to be able to study at a world-class university like Cambridge. Even thinking about this is enough to get me emotional. My desire to study a PhD in engineering does not stem from my love for engineering but instead it stems from my love for academic prestige. So what do you guys think about this?

Reply 1

benq

17

Original post by ioclops

Once I'm finished with my masters degree in engineering, I want to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge just so that I can be a student at one of the world's best universities. I want to prove to myself that I'm good enough for a University like Cambridge and it would be an honor to be able to study at a world-class university like Cambridge. Even thinking about this is enough to get me emotional. My desire to study a PhD in engineering does not stem from my love for engineering but instead it stems from my love for academic prestige. So what do you guys think about this?

If you can manage it and derive more happiness from the prestige gained than lost to the work you are not particularly in love with - then go for it.

Reply 2

aworldalone

10

Well, you must have some kind of love to have studied it for so long, which is enough I think. On the prestige point, dont most applicants-if not all, think that too? (As well as really loving their course.) I don't see anything wrong with that, go for it and good luck.

Reply 3

returnmigrant

21

Academic prestige - do you mean childish bragging rights?

Sounds like telling people 'I'm at Cambridge y'know' is more important to you than doing the research. And you seem to have the idea that Research students at all other Unis are just playing at it. Nothing could be further from the truth. And have you even thought about what you intend to research? And do you think that when interviewed that sensible academics might not actually spot that you are a total time waster?

I suggest you take a year out after your Masters degree, get a job - and grow up a bit.

Reply 4

chazwomaq

18

Imagine you do not get accepted to Cambridge, but you do get accepted at another respected university (say, Imperial) for a PhD. The project and conditions are the same.

Would you still go?

If the answer is no, then you are definitely considering a PhD for the wrong reasons.

You have to be really into the subject, or you're just wasting your time and your supervisor's and the department's.

Reply 5

kittyb99

11

Original post by ioclops

Once I'm finished with my masters degree in engineering, I want to pursue a PhD at the University of Cambridge just so that I can be a student at one of the world's best universities. I want to prove to myself that I'm good enough for a University like Cambridge and it would be an honor to be able to study at a world-class university like Cambridge. Even thinking about this is enough to get me emotional. My desire to study a PhD in engineering does not stem from my love for engineering but instead it stems from my love for academic prestige. So what do you guys think about this?

Do you rely on getting funding? This should also play a big part in your expectations of doing a PhD.

Reply 6

punctuation

16

PhD is a lot more commitment than a master's. If you don't want to go into it for the love of the subject rather than the university, you shouldn't do a PhD. A PhD isn't easy, and you will be miserable during the lows of the PhD if you don't really love the 'science'.

Reply 7

Viceroy

15

Doing a PhD is really freaking hard. I'm doing one now and it's the toughest thing I've ever had to do. You can't just waffle around and float through it - Your supervisor won't let you. If you don't do good work, you will fail. It's no skin off their teeth. When I was at Cambridge, I had dinner with my supervisor who told me that he'd just examined a PhD student's dissertation, thought it was disappointing, and decided to fail the person. He told me this, and just went on eating his pudding. Is he soulless? Maybe, but that's just the reality - If you aren't there for the right reasons and willing to work extremely hard, you will not pass.

Another thing - The interviewers will ask you why you want to come. They will know if you lie. They've seen all the tricks before, all the excuses, and they will not admit you if you don't convince them that (a) you love the subject/course and (b) you will be a valuable asset to the field.

Reply 8

punctuation

16

Original post by Viceroy

The interviewers will ask you why you want to come. They will know if you lie. They've seen all the tricks before, all the excuses, and they will not admit you if you don't convince them that (a) you love the subject/course and (b) you will be a valuable asset to the field.

Oh yes, good point. Definitely, the interviewers will 100% know that many applicants are just applying 'for the name', and they won't like it. In fact, grades depending, you might not even get an interview if you can't convey your enthusiasm for your research topic.

Reply 9

Viceroy

15

Original post by punctuation

Oh yes, good point. Definitely, the interviewers will 100% know that many applicants are just applying 'for the name', and they won't like it. In fact, grades depending, you might not even get an interview if you can't convey your enthusiasm for your research topic.

Exactly. They will likely ask "Why do you want to come to Cambridge and not somewhere else?" You need to have real reasons why you want to come (i.e. I want to work with so-and-so, this or that facility is good for my project for these reasons, etc.) that aren't linked to the name of the university and its prestige.

Reply 10

futbol

18

Nope, not good enough imo

Reply 11

ellie.rew

9

In common with most people here, I would agree it's not a good enough reason. Academic work at that level is really hard, even if you do love the subject. 'I'm studying at Cambridge, look at me' will not get you through the all-nighters, the long hard slog of writing up, the pressure and anxiety to publish and present. For all the wonderful Cambridgey-ness of it, 80% of your time will be spent alone, in a lab or in your room, staring at a computer screen or your apparatus (or whatever it is in engineering). This is a sure fire way to make yourself miserable in the long run.

My uncle did engineering up to masters level and then went into industry as a consultant. His motivation for it all was that his secondary school maths teacher had said he could never achieve anything with maths and my uncle wanted to prove him wrong, despite hating engineering. And he did prove him wrong, and although he's a successful engineering consultant now, he spends his evenings studying for a part-time degree in history, his true passion which he only returned to in his forties. It didn't work out badly for him, but it still made him miserable for twenty years+.

Reply 12

sj27

14

Original post by returnmigrant

Academic prestige - do you mean childish bragging rights?

Sounds like telling people 'I'm at Cambridge y'know' is more important to you than doing the research. And you seem to have the idea that Research students at all other Unis are just playing at it. Nothing could be further from the truth. And have you even thought about what you intend to research? And do you think that when interviewed that sensible academics might not actually spot that you are a total time waster?

I suggest you take a year out after your Masters degree, get a job - and grow up a bit.

I am quite certain OP is trolling, but anyway this and the posts about admissions being able to spot this are both spot on.

Reply 13

SEHughes

11

Another five years out of the job market, unless it's the ONLY route for progression in your field, is foolish. The only exception is if you have an industry sponsor. I have a friend doing a physics PhD in Manchester who's being sponsored by Rolls Royce. He's going to be just fine, clever git.

Reply 14

Jantaculum

10

Original post by Viceroy

Another thing - The interviewers will ask you why you want to come. They will know if you lie. They've seen all the tricks before, all the excuses, and they will not admit you if you don't convince them that (a) you love the subject/course and (b) you will be a valuable asset to the field.

Absolutely. You can't underestimate the power of an interviewer who is determined to get an answer to the 'why are you applying to Cambridge?' question. I was grilled even though I thought I had a perfectly good answer (i.e. course structure at Cambridge very different to elsewhere)

Reply 15

El Salvador

21

If you have you they probably think you're good enough.

Reply 16

SnoochToTheBooch

17

Well it's not gonna do you any harm, I mean, I just did a PhD because I couldn't be bothered to look for a job and the opportunity was right there in front of me. You don't need to have a noble reason to do one, it's just another piece of paper.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 17

poohat

18

Original post by Viceroy

Exactly. They will likely ask "Why do you want to come to Cambridge and not somewhere else?" You need to have real reasons why you want to come (i.e. I want to work with so-and-so, this or that facility is good for my project for these reasons, etc.) that aren't linked to the name of the university and its prestige.

Realistically whoever is interviewing you will know that potential PhD students often apply to multiple places without a strong preference, and will go wherever they get funding. Yeah, you will have to come up with a decent reason why you want to attend that particular university, but its not like you need to convince them that its been your lifelong ambition to study there, and if you do it will probably sound obviously insincere.

Consider it closer to being asked "why do you want to work at our company and not at <our competitor> instead?" during a private sector job interview. In reality, youve probably applied for both, and everyone knows it. The point isnt to persuade them youve always wanted to work there since you were 5 years old, its just to show that you bothered doing a bit of basic research before you went to the interview.

You do need to have a very good (and ideally genuine) reason for wanting to study your particular field though.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 18

punctuation

16

Original post by poohat

Realistically whoever is interviewing you will know that potential PhD students often apply to multiple places without a strong preference, and will go wherever they get funding. Yeah, you will have to come up with a decent reason why you want to attend that particular university, but its not like you need to convince them that its been your lifelong ambition to study there, and if you do it will probably sound obviously insincere.

Consider it closer to being asked "why do you want to work at our company and not at <our competitor> instead?" during a private sector job interview. In reality, youve probably applied for both, and everyone knows it. The point isnt to persuade them youve always wanted to work there since you were 5 years old, its just to show that you bothered doing a bit of basic research before you went to the interview.

You do need to have a very good (and ideally genuine) reason for wanting to study your particular field though.

Okay, but Oxbridge is a bit different as they know a lot of applicants choose them just for the 'prestige'. In fact, from the words of an Oxford admissions person, they didn't want an applicant who didn't know anything about the course and just wanted to go there because the university.

(edited 9 years ago)

Not sure if I have a good enough reason to pursue a PhD?

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