Mine didn't. I did an MA and got an up close view of the life of many academics and recognized it was not for me. But the general impression I got was there are

Mine didn't. I did an MA and got an up close view of the life of many academics and recognized it was not for me. But the general impression I got was there are two good reasons to do a phd: 1. For pleasure/curiosity/enjoyment (as in you are independently wealthy). 2. If you can't see yourself being happy in any other life and you understand the compromises you have to make (poor income, high competition, having to move a lot, etc.) I know some wonderful PhDs who got doctorates with this very understanding and love their lives. But I didn't have the wealth to do it for fun, and I generally land on my feet and get happy no matter what, so I didn't borrow any more trouble and moved on with my life. America's universities maybe may be different but this is how it was in Ireland!