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I wouldn't go after a PhD unless being born into a rich family (with a potential fall back). Otherwise its a ticket to an early grave and or lost earning potent
by bellerose 8y ago
I wouldn't go after a PhD unless being born into a rich family (with a potential fall back). Otherwise its a ticket to an early grave and or lost earning potential. I've encountered a few colleagues who are beyond gifted in what makes them survive the trial. I had a roommate finishing his masters and going for the PhD afterwards. Guy was making bank by prostituting himself to women every few nights. Slept till noon before going to work on his research. I cannot imagine how hard it must be if someone is pursuing the degree without any wealth helping him/her out. I doubt scholarships would be much if any relief. I definitely can see persons ending up in psych wards or taking their life if it becomes too much.
- jopsloj 8y agoWell that escalated quickly ..
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- pmyteh 8y agoIt depends a lot on the circumstances of the individual and their lab/supervisor. If the environment is supportive and a sufficient stipend is provided, then it's achievable without rich parents. The environment is very difficult to evaluate from outside, but the funding is an important go/no-go gate: if you can't persuade someone to fund you as a PhD student, you're not in a great position for the post-PhD job crunch, and the struggle of trying to fund your studies in the meantime makes a difficult situation worse. You're right, though - having a fall back is very useful. I had eight years of outside work before starting mine, which meant that my "in case of disaster" plan was simply to go back to my old career (albeit with lost time and earning potential).