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Disclaimer: I decided to drop out of a electrical engineering PhD program, so take the below with a grain of salt :) This is not limited to just physics, but a
by Cyph0n 5y ago
Disclaimer: I decided to drop out of a electrical engineering PhD program, so take the below with a grain of salt :)
This is not limited to just physics, but all STEM PhDs.
Actually, you should never join a PhD program if it’s not funded! As for the pay.. you’ll need to define “living”.
Yes, you will likely travel, but research funding is more often than not very tight and restricted. As a result, travel conditions are not always ideal.
As far as the subject matter goes, it’s as interesting as you make it out to be. The more crucial point is that you must enjoy what you’re doing to be able to pull through the 5 year+ program.
Your peers can be collegial and friendly, yes, but make no mistake: competition can get fierce in academia too.
Exiting is always an option, but once you’re a few years in, it can be hard to jump ship due to the sunk cost fallacy.
- ModernMech 5y ago> Yes, you will likely travel, but research funding is more often than not very tight and restricted. As a result, travel conditions are not always ideal. Tell me about it. I once had to travel to Japan for a conference. Problem was, I couldn't fly any carrier that wasn't American due to the conditions of the grant. What would have been a very long trip from the East Coast of the USA turned into multiple days and 4 flights (Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA, Seoul, Tokyo) just to satisfy the requirements. I was so exhausted by the time I got to the venue, I passed out for 14 hours and practically missed the first day of the conference.