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> Rumour has it doing a PhD might actually be a rewarding experience in its own right Have you ever met a single person that said so? Because I haven’t.

rootlocus 6y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25057854 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25057854 Now you have.
chrisseaton 6y ago
I think a PhD is a rewarding experience in its own right. It’s hard work but many worthwhile things are hard work.
deleted 6y ago
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analog31 6y ago
Me. Granted, it was a quarter century ago. And while I think it was rewarding, I'd never say that it's without risk, or that doctoral education isn't in need of substantial reform.
searine 6y ago
Hi. I fit that category.
abecode 6y ago
Hi, I don't regret my PhD in retrospect (I did have plenty of regrets and misgivings along the way). The PhD gave me a lot of free education (and not having to worry much about getting W's on classes, so less fear of failure), free travel to conferences, and learning things the hard way. Learning to program helped me get a job after graduation. I wasn't planning to get back into academia but two years ago I got a teaching job somewhat out of the blue, which wouldn't have been possible without the degree (it's not a research university like my alma mater--I don't think I would have wanted to get back into that world). The jobs in industry after the PhD helped me pay off my undergrad student loans. I don't know if you can think of it as being a rewarding experience in it's own right but it is something of intangible value and opportunity. My Grandma always said that no one can take your education away from you.
deleted 6y ago
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YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
Hello, I doubt the OP ever met me but I started a PhD to study what I'm really interested in. I have a stipend from my scholarship which is about half of the money I was making as a software developer before I started my PhD. So I took a big salary cut. It was (is) totally worth it. Not for any prospect of securing tenure but for the freedom to follow my intellectual curiosity. (yeah, like dang keeps saying :P)
MrBuddyCasino 6y ago
Thanks for all the replies, was quite the whitepill. I only know people that got burned out by it, had terrible advisors, consider it a waste of time in retrospect and so on. Good to know this is not universal.

rootlocus 6y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25057854 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25057854 Now you have.

chrisseaton 6y ago

I think a PhD is a rewarding experience in its own right. It’s hard work but many worthwhile things are hard work.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

analog31 6y ago

Me. Granted, it was a quarter century ago. And while I think it was rewarding, I'd never say that it's without risk, or that doctoral education isn't in need of substantial reform.

searine 6y ago

Hi. I fit that category.

abecode 6y ago

Hi, I don't regret my PhD in retrospect (I did have plenty of regrets and misgivings along the way). The PhD gave me a lot of free education (and not having to worry much about getting W's on classes, so less fear of failure), free travel to conferences, and learning things the hard way. Learning to program helped me get a job after graduation. I wasn't planning to get back into academia but two years ago I got a teaching job somewhat out of the blue, which wouldn't have been possible without the degree (it's not a research university like my alma mater--I don't think I would have wanted to get back into that world). The jobs in industry after the PhD helped me pay off my undergrad student loans. I don't know if you can think of it as being a rewarding experience in it's own right but it is something of intangible value and opportunity. My Grandma always said that no one can take your education away from you.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago

Hello, I doubt the OP ever met me but I started a PhD to study what I'm really interested in. I have a stipend from my scholarship which is about half of the money I was making as a software developer before I started my PhD. So I took a big salary cut. It was (is) totally worth it. Not for any prospect of securing tenure but for the freedom to follow my intellectual curiosity. (yeah, like dang keeps saying :P)

MrBuddyCasino 6y ago

Thanks for all the replies, was quite the whitepill. I only know people that got burned out by it, had terrible advisors, consider it a waste of time in retrospect and so on. Good to know this is not universal.