4 ms·

I grossly underestimated how much I could learn by working in industry. I believed the falsehood that the best way to always keep learning is to stay in academi

by apo 8y ago

I grossly underestimated how much I could learn by working in industry. I believed the falsehood that the best way to always keep learning is to stay in academia, and I didn’t have a good grasp on the opportunity costs of doing a PhD. My undergraduate experience had been magical, and I had always both excelled at and enjoyed being in school. The idea of getting paid to be in school sounded like a sweet deal! Wholeheartedly agree. Aspiring PhDs discount what industry can teach them. The problem is compounded by undergrads who have zero industry experience when they graduate.

thebooktocome 8y ago
It'd help if industry didn't treat undergrads as though their labor were worthless.
- apo 8y ago
  That's a pretty broad brush to be painting with. What were the specifics of your situation?
  - thebooktocome 8y ago
    My situation is I'm in this conversation with a random online persona who thinks that aspiring PhDs are ignorant of industry.
trentlott 8y ago
A PhD is nothing like undergrad. If you spend time working in a lab with grad students, listen to them. Heed their points about the field and their boss. Research is research, and maybe you'll have some idea of what the technical details of the field are. But the only way you know what your life will be like is to pay attention. It's not bad, but you're trading something real to have "Dr." on your magazine subscriptions. My biggest concern is more people getting PhDs, and the process becoming the New Bachelor degree, particularly in STEM.
stochastic_monk 8y ago
I chose to do a PhD after several years in industry. I feel like was better prepared to produce than my colleagues without having done so were.
tensor 8y ago
I've dealt with a lot of people in industry, and so far, only those in research labs at the FAANG are of the quality that you would expect in academia. In the majority of industry "science" appears to be a dirty word and "evidence" means "oh my buddy did this so it must work". The bar is depressingly low.

by apo 8y ago

thebooktocome 8y ago

It'd help if industry didn't treat undergrads as though their labor were worthless.

apo 8y ago
That's a pretty broad brush to be painting with. What were the specifics of your situation?
- thebooktocome 8y ago
  My situation is I'm in this conversation with a random online persona who thinks that aspiring PhDs are ignorant of industry.

trentlott 8y ago

A PhD is nothing like undergrad. If you spend time working in a lab with grad students, listen to them. Heed their points about the field and their boss. Research is research, and maybe you'll have some idea of what the technical details of the field are. But the only way you know what your life will be like is to pay attention. It's not bad, but you're trading something real to have "Dr." on your magazine subscriptions. My biggest concern is more people getting PhDs, and the process becoming the New Bachelor degree, particularly in STEM.

stochastic_monk 8y ago

I chose to do a PhD after several years in industry. I feel like was better prepared to produce than my colleagues without having done so were.

tensor 8y ago

I've dealt with a lot of people in industry, and so far, only those in research labs at the FAANG are of the quality that you would expect in academia. In the majority of industry "science" appears to be a dirty word and "evidence" means "oh my buddy did this so it must work". The bar is depressingly low.