Phd regret reddit. I’m publishing but that no longer feels sufficient.

Phd regret reddit The advice I got from many smart people was that a PhD for some career benefits’ sake is probably not worth it. I don't regret getting a PhD. Don't get me wrong, my life is great, but I just feel so socially stunted. I recently made a life-changing decision to pursue my Ph. PhD who MS’d out here- dont do a PhD if you arent passionate about the material. I've really enjoyed my PhD and still hope to stay in academia. Long answer I've posted on reddit before, so will copy and paste: You can definitely do a PhD while working full time, I did it. We will never have a theory named after To be fair I’m in the burnt out phase - dissertation. Academia is an extremely toxic and unhealthy place that I'm glad to have left in my past The reason I bring this up is, a lot of advice that PhD candidates have does not translate well across the Atlantic, and given this site is predominately filled with Americans, much of the PhD advice you get is fairly off base. However, I do wish that I'd sought out full time research assistant work first because I went directly from undergrad to my PhD with quite little experience and delaying would have given me time to (1) learn more about the academic /r/Statistics is going dark from June 12-14th as an act of protest against Reddit's treatment of 3rd party app developers. He actual PhD is good, but the experience of it was invaluable. Most of my friends and classmates ended up doing stuff in industry (engineering, data science and finance) and I stayed in academia (teaching math). I don't want to regret later when I am 60 (Oh! I wish I had done it during my early 50's). Post-PhD I have been doing my PhD in a US low-ranked university. For example, I graduated with a degree in astrophysics for my undergrad, and am now currently completing my masters in the field of space exploration systems. Fun fact: Pfizer's CEO, Bourla, is a DVM/PhD that came up through their animal health division, that now a stand alone company Zoetis. 20 years ago perhaps yes, but degree inflation has made advanced degrees less competitive. . I graduated last summer and had to wait for 6 months before administration got sorted and I could start my new position as a research engineer, which stressed me out massively on top of everything else (pandemic, I’m looking at you). The harsh realities of the academic job market and the exploitative world of academia can lead to disillusionment, manifesting as regret over one’s decision to pursue a PhD degree. I agree I am not being wise (with my move). If I could go back and talk to my self 6 years ago, I would plead with me to have stayed in the States. Personally, 60 votes, 91 comments. ). I don't so much regret the decision to pursue a PhD, but the career lost a lot of luster during postdoc and Many graduate students realize that a PhD is not really a guaranteed ticket to a higher salary. I don't know whether it's something you'd want to try and rethink, or if it works well to drive you. I only have 3 pages for my CV, no publications, and only worked on two projects at most at a time (I worked on one project at a time for the most part). It's definitely not for everyone. After 5 years making $25-35k in graduate school you will likely get a solidly middle-upper middle class job: $100-150k, jobs can be cool, never stop learning. A PhD in chemistry is a tough, but probably not for the reasons anyone might expect. 18th October 2024 18th October 2024. Some days, when research and teaching goes well, I am really happy. Like most fields in higher ed, the academic job market for poli sci PhDs is mordant. 551 votes, 232 comments. I've wanted the PhD title/degree since I was a Im three years in and my thoughts change everyday. If I had the chance to go back and do everything differently, I wouldn't. Or check it out in the app stores   Starting PhD and Already Have Regrets . If you regret withdrawing, try having an open conversation with your department head. Not spending more time thinking about my PhD thesis title and not pushing back on my supervisor’s suggestions. The examples where IMO MD/PhDs are consistently better positioned than their "either/or" counterparts are in niche or orphaned diseases, where clinicians don't see them frequently enough to be comfortable managing them, and researchers may lack easy access to patient samples and model systems to be able to gain funding. MD and PhD in 8 years, potentially even less. I'm a phd economist and I'll be frank--oftentimes I regret having gone to grad school. A subreddit dedicated to PhDs. I went straight from undergrad to PhD (US based), and I kind of regret it - not because I needed a break (although that might have helped), but because I came to the realization during my PhD that I don't want to be in academia forever but I actually have no idea how to go about looking for / marketing myself in a non-academic setting for I was basically in the same position deciding between med school and clinical psych. But, I got one life to live. But no, I absolutely do no regret it. I’m publishing but that no longer feels sufficient. Everything about it seems a lot more considered and rigorous. I think having a PhD in physics (US) is/was worth it. I enjoy industry work much more - it moves faster and it makes a tangible impact (rather than writing papers that I felt barely anyone would ever read). However, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I so much regret joining a PhD program now. I quit before I got my PhD, because I realized it wasn't what I wanted. Any tips/feedback on this plan? Do you regret being a part-time PhD student? If you don't have a strong desire to pursue research then it is an absolute waste of time, energy and money to do a PhD in computer science especially with a FAANG offer. Generally, it's not a meal ticket to an increased salary. The main reason for my regret is that I don't enjoy doing therapy (my program is much more clinical than researchy, even though it's a PhD program) as much as I thought. The prototypical PhD is different from the prototypical master's degree holder (higher GRE scores, higher undergrad GPA, more research, etc. I'd also challenge the idea that a PhD should be the highest stress point of your life or career. At least, that's what many of the graduates from my PhD program have done (for those who have wanted to ultimately land tenured faculty jobs in academia). There's so much opportunity cost to getting a PhD, and even more if you finish, hope to land a TT job but don't. First year of physics PhD is essentially a 5th year of undergrad, beginning my second year it was more electives and transition to heavy research, while still TAing. The financial cost of doing a PhD can be sobering. Prior to applying to my PhD program, I launched a business which really took off around May 2023. Looking back, I wish I’d spent some time seriously looking at overseas PhD programmes. My master is about half of my salary (this is at a "cheap" state university). " The sort of "fallacy" about PhD programs, at least in bio sciences (and, from what I'm hearing, other places as well) is that your "project" isn't really yours. Nope I have regrets about what I did before that made my current decision to do a PhD seem necessary. If you're already admitted to the med school, transferring into your school's MD/PhD might be as easy as meeting with the program director, finding a mentor with their help, and having the mentor sponsor your transfer application. I love it and I don’t regret a second. Explain it was a rash decision you made in a bad situation and ask if you can return. I regret writing off large, unfriendly research groups whose PIs sent curt, almost rude responses to my emails. Moreover, the potential lack of interpersonal support from professors and advisors, coupled with the often dismissive attitudes of universities towards mental My own supervisor told me straight up, that you can go do a phd with a fascinating research question and literally be unemployed. I think it's possible I may feel differently in 6 months, a year, 10 years. Still love that I went through the program, but don’t regret getting out when I did. Not applying for a PhD abroad. More importantly however, the behavior of reddit The reason I bring this up is, a lot of advice that PhD candidates have does not translate well across the Atlantic, and given this site is predominately filled with Americans, much of the PhD advice you get is fairly off base. Nope! Three years in industry between BS and MS/PhD, and the interim period really grounded my motivation to stick it through to the end when things got rough. Sure, I guess it depends on your values then. So I get to do my PhD on hard mode, with a young kid and two busy parents. It Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. And I know what's stopping me is not my 6 missing years; it's my unwillingness to confront 119K subscribers in the PhD community. Some people without PhDs manage to move up the scientific food chain. Stipended med school is a W and opens doors for future career options that a straight-PhD in engineering wouldn't. For me I think my regret for not getting a PhD stems from me not being able to really work on the bleeding edge of AI/ML research. one place that my own therapy would have been useful during my program, had I been able to afford it. in Finland, a country renowned for its excellent education During my interviews (granted in person and pre COVID), I had 15-45 min interviews with a faculty member I would potentially join the lab of. Maybe that's my own fault for not figuring this out beforehand, but I feel it's really hard to know what doing therapy is really about and feels like until you actually get Logically I guess - it doesn't make any sense (starting PhD at 52). Undergrad + Vet School + Residency + PhD typically combined with residency or straight DVM/PhD combined. There is always pro and con for each choices. I'm in my 4th year as a PhD student in Maths and have had similar feelings as you describe since the 2nd year and, honestly, I really regret not having quit already back then. g. I was a pretty stellar student and graduated with a double major, planning to get a PhD in linguistics after a few gap years. What if she moved to another school before I graduated? I think this is likely best accomplished if I complete my PhD as a part-time student. I regret it tbh. Mental health matters more to me and I would take a huge pay cut to be in academia. Need Advice Hey Reddit, I wanted to share my personal journey and the rollercoaster of emotions I've been experiencing lately. I would say roughly half of them regret the PhD portion because the MD is actually the more lifestyle-friendly degree. Most people around me don't even consider a PhD, they say that you learn coding on the job so I have studies biology for 15 years and hold a PhD in medical biology and I can tell you that the possibilities are unlimited. Lost PhD student: burnout, regret, or both? CSCareerQuestions protests in solidarity with the developers who made third party reddit apps. I don't regret not getting my PhD in any way, shape, or form. In doing so, I can maintain my same salary and continue paying a mortgage, daycare fees, etc while simultaneously pursuing my lifelong goal of doctorate research/academia. /r/Statistics is going dark from June 12-14th as an act of protest against Reddit's treatment of 3rd party app developers. Yes, half of PhD candidates quit. She simply hated patient care. How to Build a LinkedIn Student Profile . The second job was better, at a software company. I have an occasional moment of regret when I think of the salary difference, but that’s it. I had to defer for six months to figure out my job and family life more before starting the journey. AMA if you like. It was hard, stressful, and thankless, but I completed my goal of expanding the pool of knowledge within my field of research and having my efforts as a scientist be recognized. I fell deeply in love with another PhD of similar age and while it really looked like it's going somewhere, unfortunately she doesn't want to be in relationship during her PhD, fair enough and we ended. So, I don't think there should be any regrets, don't even think how much time you've spent there, now you have the life you like, it's all worth it. My regret is where I did my PhD. All this to say that until you get to the dissertation phase, programs at many schools are practically identical. And you can go back to get a PhD in your 60s, no kidding. As a result, I chose to ultimately forego starting the program to focus on my business, but now, I am full of regret. The only reason I don’t regret my PhD is that I worked full time during it so I didn’t lose the income or years of time (though I also would not recommend this approach for mental health reasons). I know a coworker that is like in her 6-7th year of college for PhD in a famous university. In non transferable degrees, such as the humanities, There is no world in which a thesis on the Bronte sisters turns into higher pay or prestige in industry. _This community will not grant access requests during Weird question but does anyone regret quitting their PhD? I am on the verge of quitting mine and just trying to look at things objectively. 13th September 2024 13th September 2024. If I would have stuck to working all the years I gave to the PhD. Straight PhD in my engineering major is already 6-7 years and I knew I wanted to do a PhD anyways. We’ll shed light on common reasons behind these regrets and explore real-life cases where individuals felt their PhD I ended up changing directions after finishing my PhD. If I didn't feel passionate about doing the PhD and pursuing a career goal that required it, I might feel otherwise. If you dont care about finances and just want to level up in a specific area of expertise that youre interested in, a PhD isnt a bad idea. I regret striking out too early and struggling with independence and I regret not doing the big things that I I have met a single MD/PhD that regretted the MD (she researched something non-clinical at my undergrad). By the time I entered industry, my friends who went straight into industry were 1-2 levels ahead and earning >2x as much due to stock appreciation. I know we can never know the counterfactual, but most likely, If I had got a private sector job right after my masters at 26, I would have gained 6 years of private sector experience, had some savings, and enjoyed my 20s with a steady monthly income. Income was lower than it is now by a huge margin, but the professional flexibility I had doing a PhD will probably never be attainable again. I learned a ton, met some truly awesome people, and delayed my adulthood by six years—let's just say that it's a bit awkward to date undergrads if you're employed, but somehow it's totally cool as a graduate student. A lot of this depends on the residency training program you choose (mine was very heavy on psychodynamic and psychotherapy training), and on another educational principle: most (all?) education is self-education. ABD vs PhD) If you like genuinely like chemistry research, enjoy reading papers, sinking your teeth into a problem, a PhD is a great path. Pros of doing the PhD: I already work in the field I'd be studying in my PhD, but I'm not an expert/specialist, and there's so much I want to learn about my field. Love or hate him, he's had a hell of a career journey. Don't ask Reddit for help in these matters, do your own research and find peers to ask and people working in the industry/doing whatever it is you want to do in the future and inquire there. Try Google scholar. Or check it out in the app stores   PhD in neuroscience regret leaving engineering . A PhD is about doing independent research in a highly specialized field. No regrets whatsoever about not pursuing PhD. Overall, I think it’s whatever you make of your time in your program. True. Your supervisor is the biggest factor in whether or not you enjoy your PhD and honestly, whether or not you finish it Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. That being said, if you wish to apply your knowledge in the area of space exploration then finding a master's/ PhD that has an engineering elements is desirable. OR, to have graduated with just an MS in Korea and started a new PhD program in the States. I don’t want to step on anyone here’s toes, but after graduating I saw how out of touch with reality academia seems to be, and I realized I View community ranking In the Top 5% of largest communities on Reddit. There are not enough PostDocs for everyone, Industry is often saturated and many employers don’t see the value of a PhD for non academic roles. Final semester regret . I am however a little optimistic that the transferable skills from a PhD would surely be of use in the long run. No one cares much in I struggled with low self confidence throughout my bachelors, masters and PhD in chemical engineering. Other days when I think about the opportunity costs, such as the income, retirement savings, and travel opportunities I am giving up, as well as a 9 to 5 job where I dont work on the weekends, I can certainly regret doing a phd. Short answer, yes, I've done it. Academia very often exacerbates mental health struggles exponentially and I have seen several suicide attempts in my lab not to mention the people that have become temporary or permanently disabled due to massive mental health issues. My first job after PhD was at a crap company where the subject matter honestly didn't require a PhD and where I got blamed for mistakes made by others, had an idiotic office manager. I know what I want to create. I would have been at a better position in my career, with a lot more financial security. I also regret doing the PhD later. And not to do the Reddit thing, but perhaps try an integrative or dynamic therapy. I love research and writing. I regret it because honestly I was happy when I was doing research and writing - but I am also thankful for my current life. Seems like a lot of effort for minimal gains From what you described, you seem to regret not pursuing an idealised version of a PhD and have a bit of FOMO. The professor I really liked (at the less great school) even cautioned me against selecting the school based on her. Then I look at my friends who are in manager positions at big tech / medical sales / primary care companies (who yes have been there since they graduated college and have built up their Feeling regret and shame about my decision to get a PhD. How many of you all regret getting a PhD at all and wish you just worked in industry with a bachelors and climbed the ranks with industry experience? Currently deciding what is the better route. If you don’t, don’t bother with a PhD. Bourla use to work on cattle agricultural products. A lot of md/phds get "helped along" more than our PhD counterparts so we don't hurt program stats or the investment they've made in us. I regret my PhD, though it wasn't in neuroscience. However in my case I gave up and started a new project in the same program. The pay in tech was astronomical, and the opportunity cost of instead earning near minimum wage as a PhD student was huge. true. My grant applications have been receiving terrible scores. * Pre-PhD Regrets 1. I think I could have learned similar technical skills to what I am learning now and supplement it with 1-2 years in research following a targeted bachelor's and end up getting to my career goals in a faster way if I knew what I wanted ~8 years ago. Postdoc: without ever applying I already had two options through networking, both in the States in very good labs. I 100% regret my phd in English lit. I am currently in university studying computer sciences and engineering. That being said and done, I overall do not regret my decision in getting a Master's degree and not pursuing a PhD. PhD and research and then going back into industry- or just staying in industry with a bachelors and job hopping I’ve made the connections I wanted, have a job lined up when I graduate, and published in respectable journals in my field. E. Here employers tend to see a PhD in a technical field as proof that you are smart and independent. Reasons I left academia: I gave all of my time to research and burned out at the end. Honestly, they e both been huge helps. For anyone who's strictly done dry lab work during your undergrad, masters, or PhD, do you regret it? Do you wish for additional wet lab experience? academic The most helpful group on Reddit. At a minimum you'd want to apply statistical corrections, or at least try to use a closer reference group (e. But, I still want to do it. In my program the average time to graduate was between 6-7 years but I knew several 10th years. The money is not an issue for me (maybe because I live in Australia though). I actively regret it, and I would say that applies to around 15-20% of the PhD's I know. I think regretting a PhD really only matters in this field if you were truly passionate and loved working on a specific field/topic- ESPECIALLY if you want to do research in the private sector. I do regret failing to firmly commit to a career goal during my time in grad school. Recently, I was admitted to a top PhD program in my field. But in my spare time I'm trying to pop in from phd subject board to subject board on Reddit and others to help out fellow PhDs who are likely going through a bad depression just like the one I had in 2018. Financially its not worth it. No regrets on doing the PhD as it's helped me to establish a niche in industry. I don’t do work directly related to my thesis. It's fucking expensive. But, I find myself resentful of academia and regretting having done a PhD in the first place. If you care a lot about maximizing your financial gains, then yeah, a PhD is a huge time and money suck (if you think about it in terms of lost income as the difference between making virtually none in the 4-5 years you do a PhD and having a 'real' job). I’ve seen PhD folks still working as RA’s or teaching at community colleges making just 30k per year. Before I applied, I was mainly deciding between psychology and psychiatry and didn’t fully see the differences at first. reddit's new API changes kill third party apps that offer accessibility features, mod tools, and other features not found in the first party app. I largely wanted to get a PhD to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, who passed several months ago and was my hero. Will this ever get better or am I doomed? I have a PhD, and am just cutting 6 figures in my salary. JohnCena4Realz • I can empathize. Very interested in more details about the different career options for those with a B. I did it because I wanted to be a specialist in a particular field instead of a generalist software engineer. But I don’t understand if you really want to return to program. Reflecting on my PhD journey and wondering how others who have finished feel. BUT 4 years later I really, really regret not going. PHD in computer science + CFA/ MSc Finance, you could get a pretty nice quant job. FWIW I just finished and I'm 31 now, and I don't hate myself for it. I don't regret grad school. 2. I don't regret getting my PhD but I do wish I'd selected a different department/university. Pivoted to university administration and now make much much more than the chair of my PhD did, and he was once the most published person in our humanities field (three decades before he was my advisor). But regret tends to be a very poor and toxic motivator. and by the I was finishing the masters, was accepted to the PhD program. S. It’s nice being the young one sometimes. After spending two years in Masters and six years in getting a PhD One of my biggest regrets is going straight into my PhD right after undergrad. Calling it dismal would be a compliment. I regret waiting, mostly because I am older in the arc of my son's life, and won't have as much of an overlap. I’ve seen people hating school/PhD but does anyone in the industry regret not doing a PhD (in CS But really that should be obvious. I don't regret my choice by any means, but every now and then I still think if I should be in touch with someone at CEU just so I could spend some time there. Im deciding if maybe suffering through it for the paper is . I (25/f) recently found out that I have adhd and I’m heading into my final year of my PhD. And send every other PhD student in crippling depression because they will compare themselves to you and think that you're the norm and they are stupid. 60 votes, 91 comments. More importantly however, the behavior of reddit leadership in I regret being 8 years older finishing my postdoc than I would have been ceteris paribus. The PhD gives you credibility, as well as a demonstrated opportunity to show you can tackle long term projects, coordinate complicated relationships and convince a committee of scientists that you know your shit. Is it necessary? But I regret that I didn't plan my career path when I started off. Doing a PhD doesn't just teach you about your topic; it teaches you about being thorough, exploring the state of the art, problem-solving, organisational skills, and so on. I have always wanted to get the highest possible degree (PhD). I so regret my PhD at the moment. I love chemistry and I am totally happy with my experience, and my future. I had a great stipend, the perfect advisor, and a great project. this is a helpful reframing, thank you. Do a PhD if you want to do that work for the sake of the work and the learning. I regret doing science and all the madness of nih grant chasing instead of going into industry. If you can't see yourself concentrating on a super niche aspect of CS research for the next 5-6 years of your life then finishing a PhD is unlikely. And tbh, every PhD graduate carries some form of regret - opportunity cost, loss of savings, industry expectations, etc. My relationship with my advisor was less than ideal I'm new to reddit 😊. Hello, For the last few years doing a PhD was my biggest dream, i worked so hard to get an admission, after 3 years that dream turned into a nightmare for me and regretted so bad this I don't necessarily regret doing a PhD, but it was my last choice. If you have so much regret, you could always get a MD or JD degree in a T10. a bit later but that is the only real "regret. Also earning way more than the Many new PhD graduates take several one-year faculty appointments in a row to gain enough experience to be competitive for a tenure track position. I know people who went back to school for those degrees after getting a PhD. but another good option is to apply to PhD programs instead because those pay you and if it doesn’t work out you can leave after a couple years with a free masters degree I didn't attend my PhD graduation as towards the end I hated the whole thing and didn't even feel proud of my achievement anymore. These make you very valuable if you use them well. Between my postdoc and multiple professorships it basically took me until middle age to get "settled". I’ve always felt a disconnect with ‘conventional’ (I use that term lightly) ways of reading, researching, taking field notes, etc. Even I don't particularly regret doing a PhD program, but I regret not leaving earlier. For some they say one first author publication. D. I am German, studied Biology and Computer Science here and finished my PhD last year. Although I found the idea of doing a PhD abroad appealing at the time, I was clueless and simply didn’t put any time into understanding the process of applying for one. Feel free to find help and ask questions. 5 years making a record of some sort. But in some industries/niches where a PhD is required, they are paid significantly more - in my company within the semiconductor industry, PhD engineers would start close to 6 figs and in the management grade At UW, for instance, PhD Biostat and PhD Stat students take their first two years courses side-by-side, and courses are always listed as STAT/BIOSTAT 570 or whatever. I know it might be true to all PhD candidates that the degree bothers you 24/7, maybe even playing with the kids makes you feel guilty. Need Advice So, I was in an interesting situation in the fall, and I only ended up applying to very few schools for my PhD in the US. Pursued the degree to become an English prof and did very well as a grad student, amassing publications, awards, teaching experience, fellowships. But to be honest, I don't regret my PhD in the slightest. 10 years post graduating with a PhD. How to Plan a Research Visit . In 6 years (already had a masters), and from a reputable, well regarded and ranked R01 institution (not a small or online place). I regret doing it big time. The Five Look up "Opportunity Cost" for phD programs. 5 years later I graduated. PhD. Be prepared to receive some “overqualified discrimination” when applying for jobs. I was too worried I would regret not going until the end and graduating so I started a new project knowing it would be around 2 more years. I didn’t master out of my PhD and regret it financially. This subreddit is temporarily closed in protest of Reddit killing third party apps, see /r/ModCoord and /r/Save3rdPartyApps for more information. Reddit skews negative in general. I respect everybody choices to do just master or go for phd. However I also doubt I’ll get a job without it. So you're right, the difference between PhD (5-6 years) and MD/PhD (7-9 years) is only really like 2ish years. The only way for me to move out of my country, and move to one where being a lesbian isn't a crime, was to get Life has been a lot lately. Meaning, the program is officially 5 years, as is the funding, but as someone who does field work, I have the possibility of getting 6th year funding if I When I was a PhD student, a postdoc friend of mine said something to the extent of, "There will always be a new project of idea. I graduated about two months ago from a decent school with bachelors in both physics and math. Around the time most people do PhDs, your parents are getting older, kids arrive, your spouse maybe has better opportunities elsewhere, illnesses arise, etc. Pursuing My PhD in Finland: Regrets and Uncertainty in the Face of Changing Immigration Policies . Postdoc in my specific field is basically a second PhD in terms of the productivity expected of Regarding getting a Phd though, I don't regret that either as the team I work with is completely phd level. I'm a scientist now and I don't regret doing my PhD, but I do warn those who want to do a PhD: it's a really long, tiring, and lonely journey, and many people don't make it to the finish line, or don't make it out mentally intact. A PhD is VERY demanding and academia is ROUGH. If I had done the degree in the US, my job prospects would have been better. Your supervisor is the biggest factor in whether or not you enjoy your PhD and honestly, whether or not you finish it Feeling regret and shame about my decision to get a PhD. " Outside of that, I am very happy. They're about to End-of-PhD Regrets 7. I exhausted the majority of my school's undergraduate physics courses as well as some graduate courses. I'm still proud of myself but that doesn't erase/mitigate the regret. I didn't need it and it was an unnecessary waste of time, energy, and money. I have some familial ties to getting a PhD that I think is holding me back and causing the guilt around leaving the program. Now the feeling of having invested too much almost feels overwhelming. Doing a PhD itself isn't inherently that difficult, but the commitment period is longer and more rigid than a normal job. I have a master's degree that I don't use at all, and the 4 years of grad school started eating away at my soul. CSCareerQuestions protests in solidarity with the developers who made third party reddit apps Life Science PhD's of Reddit, do you regret doing your PhD? I've read a lot of information on job prospects after a PhD, and I'm interested in a PhD (in immunology, focusing on cancer bio) because unlike in some other disciplines, a PhD in science does open up more doors, in the biotech industry. Overall, though, I know very few people who actually regret their PhD, and I know only a small handfull of people without PhDs who have climbed to the top of their fields. As cheesy as it sounds, be as productive as you can and make those who turn you down regret their decision 🙂 I know it might be true to all PhD candidates that the degree bothers you 24/7, maybe even playing with the kids makes you feel guilty. You can always accept and then defer when the time comes. At the time, I did not know if I was ready to start my PhD next I had the choice between postdoc and industry. I did it in Europe at a prestigious institution, but the problem is that the degree is basically worthless on the job market in America and Canada (I'm Canadian). It didn't help I was an international student during covid, so had no family that could fly over and attend. Would love any tips for coping with this! TLDR I have absolutely no regrets about no doing an MD/PhD, because I didn't want an MD, and that's really the only significant factor to consider for yourself imo. Currently I'm a postdoc at a national lab and have been for 3 years. Reddit . And I haven't really seen it hinder people, but then apparently that's something that varies culturally a lot. I abandoned my PhD project after 4 years, as I had just started to write my thesis. PhD and research and then going back into industry- or just staying in industry with a bachelors and job hopping How many of you all regret getting a PhD at all and wish you just worked in industry with a bachelors and climbed the ranks with industry experience? Currently deciding what is the better route. I am glad I did my PhD. Current PhD student here, wondering how people feel once they complete their PhD. I chose the PhD and I’m mostly happy with it. If I can save even one soul in the manner my friend did for me, I'd be only 10% happy with my life. I'm not going to get into the whole story, but the TL/DR was, I was accepted into the masters program out of undergrad, but not the PhD. I think I massively messed up on the subject and location. A reddit community for dental students to share the latest news, articles, ideas, and anything else pertaining to the field of dentistry. She proceeded to cancel my scheduled defence after having agreed to it. I'm an older PhD student, and my son just had his first birthday. Yup, you're wrong about that :-) I went into my program with just a bachelors (no masters) and they want me out in 5 years. I used to think this was a stereotype but I've seen it too much in my own programwe aren't always held to the same standard as traditional PhD students. Part of me thinks it would have been smarter to do my Ph. There is a huge tradition in physics that one with a PhD should be familiar with mechanics, E&M, thermo, stat mech, optics and quantum at a graduate level. I grew up a lot in grad school, and I met my husband and father of my child there so I don't regret it one bit. I do not regret getting my PhD. The PhD experience, especially the past 2-3 years, was shitty and I'm coming out of it psychologically and physically exhausted and with a sense of loss, despite the fact that I did receive the degree. But everyday I regret not going to music school. Working part-time during the PhD is not an option. Nowadays, you basically start at the bottom of the rug, even if you have a stellar PhD. gotten a Ph. I think this has more to do with real life circumstances than with the task itself. Spent about 6 years of intense study, research, teaching and writing to get the degree only to learn at the end of it all I didn’t stand a chance at getting a tt job. vs. That's Fourth year doctoral candidate in Experimental Psychology (US) who recently finished data collection. I was always more research focused than clinically focused. *For those who have a hobby, passion, or passing whim that they want to make a living out of, but don't know how they can get there. _This community In the end, I went to the more prestigious school and have NO regrets. Throughout my undergraduate, I did everything that I thought was right to put me on the path towards a physics PhD and a career in academia. Did a PhD (neuroscience, studied in UK) because it's the minimum requirement for the job I wanted, scientist. I am 28M, 2nd Year Phd Student and have been facing emotional turmoil for a good part of the last year. In my opinion, the major issue with the phD structure is lack of clarity of what is "enough" to get a phd. I was a psychology undergrad major and then went for the PhD in psych. Other times, people underestimated me (and still do) but it’s fun proving them wrong. I keep having feelings of doubt and regret about starting my PhD right after undergrad. I did apply for my MA there once I graduated, got accepted, and declined it since I got a PhD offer at a more well-known university in the US. For example being a manager in an R&D is not possible without a PhD. This sub will be private for PhD students of reddit: do you regret it? Recently, I learned that a good friend's wife, who is "ABD" (all but dissertation) at a major California university in political science, is something like $160,000 in debt because she took out loans. _This community will not grant access requests during the protest. CSCareerQuestions protests in solidarity with the developers who made third party reddit apps. But at the same time, I feel like I would probably be paid more had I gone a different route. Background: did my masters and PhD in the hope of going to academia, built a good research background, total 15 papers, 10 as first author, some of them are published in top quality journals in my field (had 4 of them before I joined my PhD). I regret not changing my co-supervisor then. It really worked out well for me. It hasn't led to a higher income than my Masters qualified colleagues. After talking to sessionals and post docs they basically scared me. I regret wanting to do something new and exciting, rather than something established and publishable. I had one of my co-supervisors who didn’t even spend 3 continuous hours on my project in 4 years, dictate the quality of my thesis. I do regret some of my decisions in my early 20's and a few setbacks from working at certain academic settings which cost me a A PhD is just sacrificing pay for name recognition, some people do want that. I started my PhD at 22 and am now R1 tenure track. Like others said, a PhD is a unique experience and it’s not always necessary to have a wealth of other experience to succeed. I am a PhD student at Berkeley studying engineering. By the time I entered industry, my friends who Very interested in more details about the different career options for those with a B. As for all the other comments, yeah, some people regret their PhDs. View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Yes. Some PhD hours are residency like. It started with introductions, sometimes they read your application beforehand and I can relate. Most jobs PhD graduates end up doing do not require a PhD, while the "dream jobs" often don't pay much more than just having those 4-6 years of work experience in a decent field and strategically moving between companies/positions. A phd isn't like that, it narrows your career options (while making you more qualified for that narrow area), but if you try and apply for something totally different after it's not going to be a big bonus and may be a drawback- employers would be asking some very difficult questions about why you did a phd and then jacked in that area. It's nevertheless true that your degree will Strongly define your futur job. Enjoy it and then get out. You can say you don't want to commit the time to MD but phD could (in theory) take just as long. But especially with the PhD, it's not about set milestones; there's too much variation between the research for it to mean anything. More importantly however, the behavior of reddit leadership in implementing these changes has been reprehensible. , but on the flip side, my I 100% regret my English phd, which I pursued with the dream of being an English prof. It did turn out well for me. I can't imagine how much is hers. I regret both because I was always good in math (calculus, stats) and also liked thinking conceptually. I contemplated quitting so many times, but I powered through it. This pivot has made me feel a lot of doubt and regret concerning my decision to do a PhD and if it'll be worth it in the long run. However, after a few years after obtaining successful employment (being vague for obvious reasons, but it was the position I desired and originally got a PhD to pursue) I’m already experiencing some serious burn out and regret. For reference, I have a PhD in engineering from a top 20 school, and my plan was to go straight from there to industry R&D. I did it because the universities in my city required a doctorate for clinical registration (clinical psych and neuropsych). And your friends will definitely give you a bigger reaction if you were a MD/PhD or a JD/PhD rather than only a PhD. I'm MD w/o PhD but do a lot of basic/translational research and am surrounded by MD/PhDs. ( I suffered a lot during the last year of my PhD. Does your uni offer consulting services about this kind of Wasting time on the PhD with such little compensation wasn't really worth the financial opportunity cost, and while I think there were some intangible intellectual benefits to writing a dissertation, I don't see the high level of specialization as a great virtue and wish I had spent more time building areas of competence in multiple subfields Then you waltz into a PhD program, poop out a paper every 6 months in a top journal (because you already worked on it for a few years) and graduate in 1. in Finland, a country renowned for its excellent education system and vibrant research However, after a few years after obtaining successful employment (being vague for obvious reasons, but it was the position I desired and originally got a PhD to pursue) I’m already experiencing some serious burn out and regret. Besides, if BigWoo truly regrets the choice to go to engineering school, and honestly wants an academic musical career (which is the only career for which the degree However, the daily culture shock, even after 6 years of life here, is a difficult burden that almost makes me regret starting this journey. The PhD program itself was rough, but being a TT It’s a journey that changes lives profoundly – sometimes leading to regret and unforeseen challenges. Life is good. Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Related Posts. hlnr rldqyq uyqv fis wtdldph tlz lkig xnkhcxr qbnahw malyfv