Quitting my career and getting a PhD - Thoughts?

[Chaotic42]

I've been working in the GIS industry for about ten years at this point and I'm very strongly considering applying for a PhD program and starting in the fall of 2015.

I used to really love what I did, but it seems like the industry is heading towards all web-based, software-as-a-service, Javascript stuff. I have zero interest in this. GIS seems to be turning into just another facet of IT. I'm losing my love for it.

On the flip side, I earned my BS in mathematics in 2012 and loved doing it. I'm taking a graduate level analysis class this semester and am enjoying it. I'm strongly considering (say 95% certainty) selling or renting out my house and applying to a PhD program in mathematics, specifically topology.

I know that the five to seven years it will take to do this will be rough, especially being in my early 30s. I'd be almost 40 by the time I got finished. I know it will be a lot of work and that I will be painfully broke and will be the old man on campus. I'll also live in a dorm or apartment which will be a huge step down from a house.

My questions are: For anyone who got their PhD, do you have any advice on things you would have done differently? Has anyone here gone back at my age to try something like this? Is there any good reason not to try this since it's what I've wanted to do since I was a child?

I know for a fact that loving your job is a blessing. I no longer feel that and honestly the idea of staying in the industry is depressing. I welcome any comments, which I know is probably a bad idea.

Edits:
-No wife, no kids, no girlfriend
-Can't afford the house on a stipend and there are no schools around the house

 

[dud]

I know for a fact that loving your job is a blessing.

Oh so true. If you really like what you do you are rally not working so I guess the man who likes what he does never works a day in his life?

If you have no wife and children then your life is truly your own. I am approaching retirement and am considering going back to school to do something important ... to help others. Considering nursing or (not joking) becoming a CFP.


Good luck. I don't know you from Adam but get the feeling that you may regret NOT doing it.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I'm only an M.S. student, in a different field, at a rather inexpensive school, and ten years younger than you, but are there no TA/GA programs for you to take? I've never heard of people needing to sell their house or similar for a graduate program, unless I'm misunderstanding you and you're selling it only because you want to live near/on campus (which "a huge step down" doesn't imply to me).

 

[Chaotic42]

I'm only an M.S. student, in a different field, at a rather inexpensive school, and ten years younger than you, but are there no TA/GA programs for you to take? I've never heard of people needing to sell their house or similar for a graduate program, unless I'm misunderstanding you and you're selling it only because you want to live near/on campus (which "a huge step down" doesn't imply to me).

School and everything would be paid for by the university and I'd live on campus. I'd have to sell or rent the house because I wouldn't be able to afford my mortgage + escrow on my stipend.

The "huge step down" is going from living in a house to living in a dorm. I would have to live on campus because I couldn't afford the house and because there are no PhD programs within driving distance of the house anyway.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you don't have a wife and kids, then like dud says it's your life and you should try this if you think you'd be happier than continuing as you are.

I was in a computer science Ph.D program last century but left it to work in software development. For me, creating software was more interesting than the research side but I don't regret spending a couple of years to find that out.

 

[lxskllr]

Can you make money with a PhD in topology? I don't know anything about it, but it sounds like an esoteric discipline. In any case, I suppose you really have nothing to lose except money, and that's not worth much. If you think that would help you enjoy life more, I'd go for it.

 

[dighn]

man i was facing this decision for a long time and it was agonizing. for me i did undergraduate in computer engineering and have a pretty good career that i actually like, but my deeper passion has always been the sciences and was quite depressed for a long time that i didn't get to pursue it (long story). in the last few years i actually started taking courses in an effort to go towards some kind of bioinformatics/computational biology graduate degree (physics was what i wanted to do initially, go figure), but for what it's worth, i've finally decided against going the traditional academic path. there's just a glut of phds in that whole area and the payoff doesn't seem quite worth it - and i don't mean monetary payoff because a sacrifice in that area is pretty much a given. i think taking some courses and being able to pursue that actually fixed the regret that was in me. i may still pursue some non-traditional avenues like open source projects etc.

my only advice is think the whole thing through. what will you gain and lose (not just money - that's a given)? what will you do after you get the phd, with plan a, plan b etc. i'm interested to see if anyone on here has done something like that.

 

[Raizinman]

We do need more PhD cab drivers and hot dog vendors at the stadium.

 

[Chaotic42]

Good luck. I don't know you from Adam but get the feeling that you may regret NOT doing it.

Thanks. I'm getting that feeling myself. I'm already really old in the math realm, if I wait much longer I don't know if I could hang.

Can you make money with a PhD in topology? I don't know anything about it, but it sounds like an esoteric discipline. In any case, I suppose you really have nothing to lose except money, and that's not worth much. If you think that would help you enjoy life more, I'd go for it. .

Well, I'd like to go into research and teaching at a university, but those jobs can be hard to get, especially tenure-track jobs. In theory I could get a job with the government as a mathematician. I may be able to get one now, but only having a BS would be a huge drawback.

We do need more PhD cab drivers and hot dog vendors at the stadium.

Mmmm, hot dogs. Mathematics PhD salaries

 

[shadow9d9]

Thanks. I'm getting that feeling myself. I'm already really old in the math realm, if I wait much longer I don't know if I could hang.



Well, I'd like to go into research and teaching at a university, but those jobs can be hard to get, especially tenure-track jobs. In theory I could get a job with the government as a mathematician. I may be able to get one now, but only having a BS would be a huge drawback.



Mmmm, hot dogs. Mathematics PhD salaries

You still have to GET the job.. Plus, you'll have a ton of catching up to do because of your age.

 

[MongGrel]

That, and I actually expected the salaries to be higher to be honest, though that doesn't really seem to be your motivation to begin with.

 

[iGas]

Go for it if your love is math and don't have a relationship, but do not expect a high salary.

My cousin quit his job at a bank in SoCal for $55K per annum with a MMath in 98, to pursue a math PhD (gave up his great gf who stand by his side for a decade for the PhD). He ended up with a teaching job that pay not much more than the bank job after he completed his PhD.

I left IT, and went back to school in my early 30s and I'm quite happy at my current shipbuilding job. The only regret that I have is that I should have gone into trades school instead of university right after high school, then take night class to get a degree in Mech E or, EE.

 

[Chaotic42]

That, and I actually expected the salaries to be higher to be honest, though that doesn't really seem to be your motivation to begin with.

Nah, if I wanted money I'd stay in my current field. I'm 32 and I do still get some enjoyment out of my work. That won't last long. The idea of being 40 or 50 with a job I loathe isn't appealing. Having money to buy toys or whatever in an attempt to get some happiness out of life isn't appealing.

 

[unokitty]

I've been working in the GIS industry for about ten years at this point and I'm very strongly considering applying for a PhD program and starting in the fall of 2015.

Education: The PhD factory

Don't know you well enough to offer advice other than it might be prudent to read the article above.

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[Chaotic42]

Education: The PhD factory

Don't know you well enough to offer advice other than it might be prudent to read the article above.

Best of luck,
Uno

Thanks, I appreciate the link. I've heard things like this before, and it's really the main doubt that I have about all of this. I wouldn't be against something like applied mathematics, but pure math is more romantic somehow. I don't know that I'd be less employable with a PhD. I figure that worst case I'd be someone with 11 or 12 years of GIS experience at the age of 40, which isn't rare.

I can really only see myself doing GIS, mathematics, some kind of low level (like embedded) programming, or professional bass fishing. I've tried the first and I really want to try the second. I'm not qualified for the third really, and I don't have the seed money for the fourth.

 

[shadow9d9]

Nah, if I wanted money I'd stay in my current field. I'm 32 and I do still get some enjoyment out of my work. That won't last long. The idea of being 40 or 50 with a job I loathe isn't appealing. Having money to buy toys or whatever in an attempt to get some happiness out of life isn't appealing.

It is more about retiring while younger that is my priority, personally.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I've been working in the GIS industry for about ten years at this point and I'm very strongly considering applying for a PhD program and starting in the fall of 2015.

I used to really love what I did, but it seems like the industry is heading towards all web-based, software-as-a-service, Javascript stuff. I have zero interest in this. GIS seems to be turning into just another facet of IT. I'm losing my love for it.

What was it previously? I thought GIS was always about software based analysis and presentation of data. Or do you mean that the programming is shifting from something more interesting into being web-based and you don't enjoy that?

I know a number of people who are in the GIS field as analysts and they have no programming background.

 

[mikegg]

I'm going to quit my 100k+/year marketing job to learn software engineering so I can build my own startups.

Yes, some of you might think I'm crazy but you don't "create" anything working in marketing. You just try to tell lies. I want to create real products that people want to use.

I plan on going back to school next July. I'm saving every cent from my job right now to do this.

 

[Chaotic42]

What was it previously? I thought GIS was always about software based analysis and presentation of data. Or do you mean that the programming is shifting from something more interesting into being web-based and you don't enjoy that?

I know a number of people who are in the GIS field as analysts and they have no programming background.

More of the latter. GIS has always been computer-based because that's just what it is inherently. I particularly enjoyed the cartographic aspect of it and that seems to be becoming more and more automated and more and more web-based.

I like programming, but if I'm going to program, I'd rather do something lower-level.

It is more about retiring while younger that is my priority, personally.

That's a totally valid concern, and something I've definitely thought of. However, being 32 and having diabetes and heart disease. The doctor thinks I had a mild heart attack in my 20s. I'm not sure that I'll make it to retirement anyway.

 

[Whisper]

My advice: take on as little debt as possible while studying (none would be ideal), and get through as quickly as you can while still maintaining a decent quality of life. Just find some semblance of balance between the balls-to-the-wall, four straight years of 100-hour weeks approach vs. the strict 40-hour week and no work on nights/weekends plan.

I completed my doctorate in one year longer than is the national average for my area. While finishing "early" (i.e., two years before I did) would've been a slog, I realistically could've gotten through everything a year earlier than I did without losing out on too much sleep.

 

[Chaotic42]

My advice: take on as little debt as possible while studying (none would be ideal), and get through as quickly as you can while still maintaining a decent quality of life. Just find some semblance of balance between the balls-to-the-wall, four straight years of 100-hour weeks approach vs. the strict 40-hour week and no work on nights/weekends plan.

I completed my doctorate in one year longer than is the national average for my area. While finishing "early" (i.e., two years before I did) would've been a slog, I realistically could've gotten through everything a year earlier than I did without losing out on too much sleep.

I'd like a crack at school without work. I spoke with my undergraduate advisor, who is teaching my current class, and I'm really thinking about the Applied Math thing. Way less romantic than pure math, but much better employment prospects.

 

[zinfamous]

Will the PhD be in Kicking Ass?

 

[Imp]

The PhD programs I checked out pay around minimum wage here base in exchange for research and teaching. It goes up quite a bit if you get published and win awards -- to a living wage. However, if you have investable assets AND a minimum wage salary while living on campus/cheaply, you could more than survive.

I've been doing very light GIS and CAD work the past few years. Most of it consists of preparing presentation maps with little analysis, so I don't know exactly what you do. However, I am sick of GIS and surveying and absolutely detest my career path.

My main concerns would be employability after the PhD. A 6-7 year program length would make it somewhat difficult to predict the future job market. However, a PhD could open the door to teaching at more than one level. If necessary, doing teacher's college could open the door to teaching kids nationally or in other countries -- or is PhD and experience teaching college kids enough? One could also tutor. Worst case, a graduate diploma or technical diploma could get you back in the GIS game -- FML but it'd pay. Watch your spending and prepare in advance?

 

[Leros]

There will be people your age in the graduate program. Not the majority, but you won't be out of place.

I made $20k a year plus tuition and health insurance as a teaching assistant while I was in graduate school. Combine that with a $10-15k internship in the summer and you're making $30k a year. It's very different than making $100k a year, but you can live decent off it. You don't have to eat ramen every day and live in a shitty apartment with 5 people if you're careful with your money.

You probably won't be living in the dorms as most school reserve those for people 18-25.

Graduate school is a great time to network with creative, ambitious people (a rare breed in industry). I've seen a lot of people graduate (or drop out) and start their own company.

 

[MongGrel]

I had a certain PHD that was an effiency expert that a corporation hired about 5 years ago to do an evaluation for proof to shut down a high end tool room over the objections of the Senior Engineers working on site.

He didn't even know the machines he was viewing, he actually at one point even asked what Harding Precision Lathe was, he was walking around making a review of the shop at the time internally and had no idea what equipment he was looking at and went and looked it up later I imagine.

Corporate HQ just wanted him to file a report so they could bust out what little Union (IAM) where left there.

I was the shop steward at the time, we had just gotten the Corporation STAR Certification bith OSHA, one of the other guys there at the time had actually mentioned they were up to somthing like that at the time.

This is why the high end trades are dying.

Most High Schools do not even support them these days just for insurance reasons.

I went through a GM one when I did it, and I wasn't even working for GM. The company I was working for did did GM work and my dad was a Foreman at the plant at the time, we were basically allowed to participate in their Apprenticeship program without being paid to take the classes in the evenings like the GM guys were. All those GM plants in that area have been torn down, I went back there for my fathers funeral a few years ago, and there were basically almost a quarter of a million peoples jobs by my estimate that had been completely eradicated in the area from 1984 to 2010.

Good luck with that Post Hole Digger thing, I'd still to this day like to shove that over-educated assholes head straight up his ass for ruining the career I had.