# I applied for a PhD program **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898 "2012-10-26T01:56:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/1 "2012-10-26T01:56:39Z")
I just applied for a PhD program, and I’m nervous as hell. I’ve heard professors rant about their PhD programs and how difficult it was. I can’t really think right now because my nerves are just through the roof. Part of it is fear of the unknown. My master’s degree program was difficult, but this will be even more difficult. Also, I’m not sure if I’ll get in or not. I just wanted to share. For some reason, I really want a PhD. I want to be educated and part of that small percentage of people with PhD’s. I want it. I feel I was meant for this, but I’m still nervous. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/2 "2012-10-26T02:02:04Z")
If it wasn’t important and worth taking the risk, you wouldn’t be nervous. What field? ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/3 "2012-10-26T02:05:33Z")
I defended my dissertation last month. It took me about 9 years to get through the program (two kids along the way), but now that I’m past the defense and have a job I like, it feels worth it. Still plenty of bitterness, though. Good luck to you! ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/4 "2012-10-26T02:09:42Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > What field? Public Administration ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/5 "2012-10-26T02:12:45Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > I want to be educated and part of that small percentage of people with PhD’s. If you think this is what a PhD is about, you don’t really have any idea what you’re getting yourself into. You have some homework to do. ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/6 "2012-10-26T02:20:34Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > If you think this is what a PhD is about, you don’t really have any idea what you’re getting yourself into. You have some homework to do. I said the same thing about the whole college thing. I just want to see what happens. First semester in graduate school, I was told by the department chair that I didn’t really belong there. I ended up doing research for the same guy and graduated with a 3.7. Like I said, I just want to see what happens. I think I have a lot of potential. If it doesn’t work out, at least I can say I tried. If I’m not willing to take risks, I won’t get anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/7 "2012-10-26T02:30:19Z")
Seriously? You just want it for the title and the prestige? I’m sorry but that just seems shameful. ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/8 "2012-10-26T02:32:28Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Seriously? You just want it for the title and the prestige? > > I’m sorry but that just seems shameful. Yeah, okay. Thanks for your concern. I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/9 "2012-10-26T02:35:56Z")
Wanting to be highly educated in a chosen field and be one of a few with that level expertise is not the same as only doing it for prestige. Immersing yourself deeply in an area and achieving a recognized level of expertise is as fine a motive as any. ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/10 "2012-10-26T02:40:15Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Wanting to be highly educated in a chosen field and be one of a few with that level expertise is not the same as only doing it for prestige. Immersing yourself deeply in an area and achieving a recognized level of expertise is as fine a motive as any. I want to be highly educated in a field, and I want to be one of the few that has that level of expertise. I should have phrased it this way. Thanks. Again, I’m not sure if I’ll get in, but I just want to see what happens. I’m not really satisfied with my life at the moment, so I want to see how much further I can go. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/11 "2012-10-26T02:44:33Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > I want to be highly educated in a field, and I want to be one of the few that has that level of expertise. I should have phrased it this way. Thanks. > > Again, I’m not sure if I’ll get in, but I just want to see what happens. I’m not really satisfied with my life at the moment, so I want to see how much further I can go. No worse than someone who works hard to be world class athlete so they can say they made it. Or climbs a mountain because its there and enjoys being in a small group of those who achieved such heights. Academics is the ball field and the mountain. Achievement feels good no matter the arena. ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/12 "2012-10-26T02:46:45Z")
You can lose a job, but you cannot lose your education. That’s how I look at it. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/13 "2012-10-26T04:31:41Z")
I hope for your sake that your program is fully funded. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/14 "2012-10-26T05:24:51Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > Public Administration I had no idea such a thing existed in academia, much less that you could get a PhD in it. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/15 "2012-10-26T14:02:45Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > For some reason, I really want a PhD. I want to be educated and part of that small percentage of people with PhD’s. I want it. I feel I was meant for this, but I’m still nervous. As someone who has a PhD (and works as a professor) I mean this with all kindness and not a trace of snark. The above is about the stupidest, worst reason to get a PhD. You want it for the respect and glory? Take it from me, there isn’t any. No glory, no roses, no arias, and it certainly won’t get you respect from anybody. And there is absolutely no guarantee of a job afterward. Think of the opportunity cost - even with full funding, you are giving up 4-10+ years of earning power and compound interest. You _are_ getting full funding, aren’t you (meaning both tuition and a stipend)? Because if you aren’t, then you’re being utterly idiotic. Never pay for a PhD. The only reason to get a PhD is because you love the subject matter so much that you can’t envision yourself EVER doing anything else. You have to love it enough to essentially gamble away your future earning power to finally get a job, that if you’re lucky, might start at $60,000? The more likely alternative is that you won’t find a job related to your degree and will take an entry level position that you could have had today. Do you feel that way about Public Administration? Because if you do, you’d be the first I’ve ever met. Good luck with whatever you decide (and I mean that sincerely). ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/16 "2012-10-26T14:12:57Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > You can lose a job, but you cannot lose your education. That’s how I look at it. Kudos for your application. Hoping you’ll soon have to change your screenname to Dr. HumbleBumble. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/17 "2012-10-26T15:19:29Z")
Good luck! When will you know if you are accepted? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/18 "2012-10-26T16:03:55Z")
> [@humblebumble](#): > > You can lose a job, but you cannot lose your education. That’s how I look at it. But you might not ever get a job in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/19 "2012-10-26T16:09:54Z")
Good luck, **humblebumble**. Why public administration? What excites you about that field? ---
**Author:** ![humblebumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@humblebumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/humblebumble)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898/20 "2012-10-26T16:11:26Z")
Thanks for all the replies, guys. To be honest, I’m kind of lost because I still don’t know what I want to do. The job search isn’t going well. I’ve been interviewing for jobs, but there’s always someone more qualified than me (so they say). I guess I’m realizing now that it was kind of stupid, but I guess it didn’t hurt to apply and see if they actually accepted me. I guess I needed a confidence boost or something. I’m not sure if you guys know what it’s like to be turned down for jobs after putting a lot of effort in the interview (studying the organization, prepping for the interview by getting a haircut/nice suit, asking contacts for letters of recommendation to bring to the interview, tailoring resume to fit the job requirements, etc.). Faking it till you make it is exhausting as hell. After reading the comments and getting a good night’s sleep, I’m realizing that the PhD program might be a mistake. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-a-phd-program/638898.md?page=2)