Matt Welsh (Harvard CS systems prof) has a great post on the topic: http://matt-welsh.blogspot.com/2010/09/so-you-want-to-go-to-grad-school.html http://matt-wel

Matt Welsh (Harvard CS systems prof) has a great post on the topic: http://matt-welsh.blogspot.com/2010/09/so-you-want-to-go-to-grad-school.html http://matt-welsh.blogspot.com/2010/09/so-you-want-to-go-to-... "The only reason to do a PhD is because you love doing research. If you don't love research, don't bother -- it is not worth the time, money (in terms of opportunity cost vs. making a real salary in industry), or stress. Doing a PhD is stressful, if you are doing it right -- you are in constant competition with other academics to publish your results in the top venues, to make a name for yourself, to get recognized. If you harbor ideas of lazy days sitting in the coffee shop pondering the universe, you are dead wrong. (You can always approach a PhD this way, but you will probably not be very successful.)"