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Year out before PhD?

OK, so I plan on applying for PhDs, and I'm debating whether I have to/should take a year out between MA and PhD.

There are lots of good reasons to take the year out. Like the fact that the structure of my course makes it very difficult to apply for Oxbridge PhDs, since my first essays are handed in next week, and the Ox/Cam deadlines are the week after that - so my supervisors wouldn't have been able to write references for me. So basically, not taking the year out means not being able to apply to Oxford, where I really want to do. Which seems foolish.

Add to that the fact it would be much easier to get a thesis proposal together when I'm not trying to research three other essays at the same time. And the fact that my application (especially for funding) would probably be much stronger if I could put a good MA mark on it.

On the other hand, I took a year out between BA and MA, and now I really want to just keep studying next year as I feel really in the swing of things. The department at KCL is very good and the deadline (just about) achievable).

My question being, did any of you end up taking several years out in the process of applying for further degrees? Did any of you find it helpful to have the years out? Especially for those of you doing research in the humanities, did you do anything with the year that fed into the PhD (like working as a research assistant or something) - and if so, how would I go about getting such a position? Is it sufficiently hampering to take a year between masters and doctorate that it's worth my trying to get some applications in this year?

Reply 1

Fluffy

15

Do it - there's no bar and it certainly wont disadvantage you.... It might help if what you do in the year out is relevant, but I know plenty of people whi just went of travelling and chilling for a year - equally valid as a battery recharge and makes you less likely to bail out of a PhD because you;re worn out!

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^^^PS DPhil deadlines for Oxford?? That's a new one by me...

Reply 2

youngone

hmmm i don't know, i'm currently on a year out following my masters, and have applied for phds for next year for oxford and elsewhere.
doing the travelling and chilling thing at the mo, and actually am quite tempted not to go back to academia for a while - if at all - and just sort of enjoy life for a while.
what do you think??
how do you know if a phd is really for you, or if you're just doing it because of no other firm course of action?

Reply 3

etherised

OP

1

Well, after finals I thought had no desire to have any more to do with academia. But I took a year out, and wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, and to be honest I probably did the masters in part because I didn't have any other firm course of action. But I've found I really love it - much more than I did as an undergrad. I find researching something properly for weeks and reading deeply into a topic so much more satisfying than the frenetic weekly essays. And I feel now I would really like the chance to do proper research, and work on something that's new and is mine. Maybe you can't quite know in advance if a PhD is for you - but that seems a good starting point.

Did you plan your year out much? I don't think I could properly relax on one until I knew what I would be doing afterwards. I'd like to travel if I could raise the money, though.

^^^PS DPhil deadlines for Oxford?? That's a new one by me...

Well, this is from the Oxford English dept website. It seems a rigid deadline...

Because of the number of applications the deadline for application is rather earlier than for most British universities. The deadline for applications for 2006 entry for both the M.St. and PRS in all periods apart from medieval is 20th January 2006; and for medieval M.St. and PRS is 17th March 2006 . You must send in the complete application by this date: that is, the application form, including a statement of your proposed research topic; two pieces of written work; and organise for three references to be sent by academics who are familiar with your work. The deadline is absolute, and regretfully, all late submissions will be rejected.

Reply 4

youngone

no i didn't plan it much at all, knew that i was coming out to canada to snowboard (where i am now) and sort of going with the flow. finished my masters in september, sat my GRES in october, applied to oxford and a few of the ivies the following week (also for the english depts!!), and flew out here on 1 november.
now that i've put a bit of distance between me and academia, though, i realise that it leaves me cold! i really couldn't give a s*** about it, even though i've had a few articles published and stuff...

Reply 5

Fluffy

15

zigguratted

Well, this is from the Oxford English dept website. It seems a rigid deadline...

Because of the number of applications the deadline for application is rather earlier than for most British universities. The deadline for applications for 2006 entry for both the M.St. and PRS in all periods apart from medieval is 20th January 2006; and for medieval M.St. and PRS is 17th March 2006 . You must send in the complete application by this date: that is, the application form, including a statement of your proposed research topic; two pieces of written work; and organise for three references to be sent by academics who are familiar with your work. The deadline is absolute, and regretfully, all late submissions will be rejected.

Ah! A DEPARTMENT specific deadline, you made it sound like Oxford and Cambridge had absolute deadlines for all D.Phils and PhDs...

Reply 6

etherised

OP

1

youngone

no i didn't plan it much at all, knew that i was coming out to canada to snowboard (where i am now) and sort of going with the flow. finished my masters in september, sat my GRES in october, applied to oxford and a few of the ivies the following week (also for the english depts!!), and flew out here on 1 november.
now that i've put a bit of distance between me and academia, though, i realise that it leaves me cold! i really couldn't give a s*** about it, even though i've had a few articles published and stuff...

I guess you have some time to decide. I kind of find everything else leaves me cold. Endless bureaucracy and complete lack of intellectual stimulation. I hate not having to think, makes me feel sort of dead.

I'm a bit torn over American PhDs. It seems like the place to be. But, five years! That's a lot of my life.

And, hmm, was it masters stuff you had published or undergrad?

Reply 7

youngone

well one piece was from my undergrad diss, and two others were random essays i wrote for masters coursework.
and i know what you mean about not using your brain in other stuff, but snowboarding and the way of life in the mountains makes me feel ALIVE! in a way which academia just doesn't offer. the thought of returning to a library and research makes me feel all stifled and trapped.... so it's two completely different sorts of living, i suppose, the cerebral kind and then pursuing a sort of vitality and vigour.
i just don't know what to do.

Reply 8

LittleMinx

1

youngone

well one piece was from my undergrad diss, and two others were random essays i wrote for masters coursework.
and i know what you mean about not using your brain in other stuff, but snowboarding and the way of life in the mountains makes me feel ALIVE! in a way which academia just doesn't offer. the thought of returning to a library and research makes me feel all stifled and trapped.... so it's two completely different sorts of living, i suppose, the cerebral kind and then pursuing a sort of vitality and vigour.
i just don't know what to do.

From an outsider's point of view, it kind of sounds like you've made up your mind.....

a PhD takes up a lot of years of your life, it's not just like doing a masters. And it's pretty hard work, so it's not something you should do because you feel you have to rather than you want to. Just don't feel like a failure if you decide not to do it, it seems like you've achieved a hell of a lot already. If you don't think you want to do it and won't regret not doing it then don't. Your happiness is more important than how many certificates you have.........

(Having said that, I don't know you at all so don't listen to me!! I'm just giving my opinion based on the vibes you're sending out!)

Reply 9

youngone

yeah i'm gonna follow the snow i think :smile:

Reply 10

kalen

8

I'm also a bit torn between taking a year out or not. I've started my MSc straight out of undergrads and at the moment I'd like to go back home for a year without having to take airplanes every two months, without deadlines and without endless countdowns (and with lots lots lots of snowboarding!!! youngone I know how you feel!). Also, although I've been reconsidering the idea of American PhD's (5 years, man! that's a lot!), I'm still tempted to give it a shot and in order to do that I'd have to take a gap year.

On the other hand I'd also like to finish my studies as soon as possible, I think I'm getting a bit fed up of student life and want a bit of freedom, and that would probably be easier if I stayed on here at Oxford. The "If you want to do a PhD there's space in my research group" sentence by my supervisor sounds a bit too inviting...I know that I want to do research in my career, I can't see myself as doing anything else at the moment, I know I would love it, and therefore I need a PhD, so it's not a matter or 'if' but of 'when'. Argh, decisions!!

I think fate will decide for me, in the end...I'm try to follow my instincts, apply and see what happens...

Year out before PhD?

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