PhDs

[dopcombo]

It takes 5 years, it costs a lot (both literally as well as loss in income), and at the end of it, you may actually become less employable.

Yet my dad did his at the age of 50, and got the phd at the same time i graduated.

I've always wanted to ask him what prompted him to do it, but he's now living in another country, and we don't talk much.

So, I ask ATOT, why?

 

[Stunt]

a) ppl who are afraid to get a real job
b) ppl who are lab rats and want to research their whole lives
c) ppl who love the university life
d) ppl who think education = experience

 

[JS80]

increase e-penis length?

don't most phds get paid to get their phd? my roommate is a phd candidate at ucla in chemistry and he gets paid per hour he works. he says the phd program is basically all research work and you get paid a wage for doing it. not a bad deal if you ask me.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Stunt
a) ppl who are afraid to get a real job
b) ppl who are lab rats and want to research their whole lives
c) ppl who love the university life
d) ppl who think education = makes them smarter than everyone else

i fixed d

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: JS80
increase e-penis length?

don't most phds get paid to get their phd? my roommate is a phd candidate at ucla in chemistry and he gets paid per hour he works. he says the phd program is basically all research work and you get paid a wage for doing it. not a bad deal if you ask me.

You get enough to live like a student

 

[dopcombo]

But that doesn't really explain why someone like my dad would do it though.

He had a successful job, a good life, yet he felt that getting the PhD would somehow make him more... complete.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Stunt

Originally posted by: JS80
increase e-penis length?

don't most phds get paid to get their phd? my roommate is a phd candidate at ucla in chemistry and he gets paid per hour he works. he says the phd program is basically all research work and you get paid a wage for doing it. not a bad deal if you ask me.

You get enough to live like a student

yea, but it in a sense softens the opportunity cost and his income potential with a phd i would assume has a greater lifetime value for just the 4-5 years loss than going straight to corporate america, especially with a field like chem.

but yea...getting a phd in sociology or some bunk liberal arts major is a waste of time unless you're going to become a professor.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: dopcombo
But that doesn't really explain why someone like my dad would do it though.

He had a successful job, a good life, yet he felt that getting the PhD would somehow make him more... complete.

what's his phd in? what does he do for a living?

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: dopcombo
But that doesn't really explain why someone like my dad would do it though.

He had a successful job, a good life, yet he felt that getting the PhD would somehow make him more... complete.

Penis envy...
Dr. Dopcombo instead of Mr.

 

[DaveSimmons]

In computer science
- to do academic research instead of software development
- to teach at the university level

Many people like the academic life, and never want to leave the university. Many people have a burning desire to teach, or to find new ideas rather than put existing ones to real-world use.

I was in the PhD program at UW in Seattle, but decided I'd rather create software that was actually used than do research that might take years to have any real-world application (if then). I don't regret spending the time to find that out, and graduate-level classes were worth taking for their own sake.

 

[Powermoloch]

Originally posted by: JS80
increase e-penis length?

don't most phds get paid to get their phd? my roommate is a phd candidate at ucla in chemistry and he gets paid per hour he works. he says the phd program is basically all research work and you get paid a wage for doing it. not a bad deal if you ask me.

Lol there was no such thing as an e-penis before the computer era

 

[dopcombo]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: dopcombo
But that doesn't really explain why someone like my dad would do it though.

He had a successful job, a good life, yet he felt that getting the PhD would somehow make him more... complete.

what's his phd in? what does he do for a living?

Comparative philosophy.
He used to be a businessman, involved in real estate and other ventures.

Now he teaches an MBA class in a university.

Maybe he just wanted to go into teaching and live a less stressful life?

 

[Daishiki]

My friend's going for her PhD for her future occupation: museum curator

 

[Xyclone]

For money and prestige.

/thread

 

[DainBramaged]

How would you become *less* employable?

 

[quique]

Ph.D. = Pretty Huge D**k

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: dopcombo
It takes 5 years, it costs a lot (both literally as well as loss in income), and at the end of it, you may actually become less employable.

Yet my dad did his at the age of 50, and got the phd at the same time i graduated.

I've always wanted to ask him what prompted him to do it, but he's now living in another country, and we don't talk much.

So, I ask ATOT, why?

It doesn't cost a lot. You're paid when you do a PhD. I think you don't really know what exactly a PhD consists of.

 

[veggz]

I believe most people seeking PhD's look to become either full time researchers or professors (and they typically are a lot younger than 50). I don't think anyone would argue that being a professor is a pretty sweet job.. complete intellectual freedom, flexible hours, 100% job security after tenure, and good pay (several professors at my school get paid half a million or more) if you publish well.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: veggz
I believe most people seeking PhD's look to become either full time researchers or professors (and they typically are a lot younger than 50). I don't think anyone would argue that being a professor is a pretty sweet job.. complete intellectual freedom, flexible hours, 100% job security after tenure, and good pay (several professors at my school get paid half a million or more) if you publish well.

LOL at complete intellectual freedom. I don't think so. As a professor, you HAVE to pull in grants for your university, and you don't get grants by pursuing whims or unconventional sciences. In other words, you have to perform research on the safe topics that will get you grants. Ditto with publications.

 

[veggz]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: veggz
I believe most people seeking PhD's look to become either full time researchers or professors (and they typically are a lot younger than 50). I don't think anyone would argue that being a professor is a pretty sweet job.. complete intellectual freedom, flexible hours, 100% job security after tenure, and good pay (several professors at my school get paid half a million or more) if you publish well.

LOL at complete intellectual freedom. I don't think so. As a professor, you HAVE to pull in grants for your university, and you don't get grants by pursuing whims or unconventional sciences. Ditto with publications.

Well I doubt many professors would go through the trouble of obtaining a PhD and tenure track professorship only to freely pursue whims or practice unconventional science. However as a professor you do have complete freedom with regards to what you decide to do with your time; it's not as if the univrsity has an agenda you need to pursue. That being said if you so choose to pursue something insubstantial that doesn't get published your pay will suffer since no other universities will be competing to hire you away.

 

[compuwiz1]

Dunno, but I've sure met lots of them, who were really intelligent, kind of like a walking encyclopedia, but were totally useless at life.

 

[fitzov]

Because they really like what they're getting their degree in?

 

[Whisper]

I'm currently a second-year doctoral student, and while I can't speak for everyone who's currently working towards their Ph.D., I can give my reasons for wanting one.

The largest motivating factor in my case was that without a doctorate in my chosen field (Clinical Psychology), my career options would be fairly limited. Besides that, I've always had an "all or nothing"-type mindset, so I figured if I'm going to do this for a living, I want to go as far with it as I conceivably can.

Beyond that, I just enjoy knowing as much as possible about the topics in which I'm interested. In a doctoral program, you're constantly surrounded by people who know a whole helluva lot more than you, and who also happen to be quite willing to share that knowledge whenever possible. It's definitely a very unique and rewarding atmosphere.

 

[James3shin]

In all honesty, a PhD is a degree that allows the recipient to tell just about anyone to "FVCK OFF" in regards to the subject the PhD was received. Some people get the degree because they truly love the research and possibility of finding something that will be great. It also leads to a pretty hefty pay-check, the chemistry field is one example where if you have quite the track (research) record, and decide to become a consultant for say a pharmaceutical company, big bucks will be exchanged for your services.

 

[Auggie]

4th year PhD candidate here.

For me, it's all about respect. Not like a vain "Oh, look at me, I'm a PhD." But if I ever choose to write something, people very well may choose to listen to what I say rather than blow it of because I've spent the time and worked hard to earn a terminal degree in my area of expertise.

As far as I know, in the biotech industry, there are more jobs and there is better job security with a masters than a PhD. But the overall potential of PhD is greater. It's like choosing Windfury over Rockbiter as a shaman in World of Warcraft. In some cases it goes off and great things happen. Sometimes it doesn't go off and you get nothing. (Oh God, did I just find an analogy between PhD education and WoW? *shudder*)