Not all of them - only the ones that have the knack and who REALLY want it. Many see how I spend my time and say “No WAY do I want to do that!”. I’m fine with that - I don’t think everyone needs to be a scientific clone of myself, and there aren’t that many of those types of jobs out there - it would be irresponsible for me to steer everyone into academic research.
To be fair, the taxpayers don’t receive nothing in return for that tuition. Assistantships are meant to fund the products of grad students while they’re grad students. They do not create any sort of claim on the future output of those students for the country. And, as many people have pointed out, tution + stipend for the output of research assistants is actually an incredibly good deal for a lab/university/the country.
At least in my field, for what it’s worth, half of the problem with students’ leaving the country after graduation is that we don’t make it easy for them to stay.
Oh I’m not complaining, it just looks like an easy topic for certain folks to get riled about. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work with folks from all over, and yes, many stayed and many would have liked to have stayed if they could, but like you say we don’t always make it easy.
My question for you all is how is the PhD going or how did it go? The choice to give up a presumably well paid job in industry even in the US right to work states to a meager stipend below the poverty line and the adjustment that entails is a tough one. I am struggling.
Also, how are you liking the program you chose now that you have learned more about your research area and the school politics of what is expected for your research, grant proposals, your dissertation beginnings etc?
I ask because, like you all, I am working in industry, have a wife, a home, bills (lots of them) and a family but have been offered a PhD from communications departments at a great school - one caveat, it is across the other side of the country in a small town isolated from everyone in a 3 hours drive radius.
I am anxious to go from industry and “what I know” to a possibly great and rewarding research career in the fight for an ever smaller group of tenure track positions at a pay scale less than what I make now. The money isn’t the motivator, I do like the research area I am going to be working in (persuasion, decision making - I work in marketing now) and I have to admit I am somewhat pulled that way because industry to me seems like one “job” after another - academia seems to be a trajectory and yes I know I would love the notion of taking my education to the top of the possible heights.
It looks like you are going through all sorts of stages from “that was dumb” to “yeah I left academia” to “I am proud and love this life” and I would love to know your thoughts.
I have friends from graduate school (I have a terminal masters) that are now PhD holding friends - some love it, some not so much, and on the extremes, one took 8 years to get a visiting assistant professor job away from family in 50k a year and another got a psych PhD but landed a tenure track job in a business school making over 120k a year.
My mind is in a boggle - because had I done this years ago (I am 34) I would be on my way, now with a wife, family, house, etc, and taking them away from everything they know, am I being selfish thinking this is my shot at the career change I seem to always come back to?
Asking for people’s thoughts…
Calculate the opportunity costs and multiply that by 1.5. If that’s an acceptable price to pay for the change consider making it. Be honest with yourself as to motivation and realize that prestige doesn’t feed the kids.
We don’t drink DuPH. We drink PHuD.
- I just have two Bachelor’s.