3 ms·

Any chance you have to get out of academia, go. Anyone competent should avoid that life. Society is better off with good people in academia, but an individual

Any chance you have to get out of academia, go. Anyone competent should avoid that life. Society is better off with good people in academia, but an individual is better off out.

behnamoh 3y ago
Trust me, I've thought about it for long. Unfortunately, the main obstacle is visa issues. I've heard stories about international PhD students who left academia to work in the industry, only to be treated like slaves because the employer knew the person couldn't just switch jobs while on H1B visa (no other company would hire them). Then there's the greencard issues (easier to get approved if you're an academic).
- totallywrong 3y ago
  I'd say don't be miserable for a visa. If you are at PhD level, there are many great countries that will be happy to have you.
Solvency 3y ago
Having joyfully never dealt with any form of "academia" I am still morbidly curious about what it's all about and these cryptic warnings about it from its victims. Why can't it just be a place where people learn and research and support each other? Actual question, not rhetorical.
- mk67 3y ago
  Stakes are too low, so people start fighting over the most meaningless things in my experience.
- margarina72 3y ago
  It has to do with how resources are allocated (both human and financial resources). It creates a very unhealthy environment where relationships and who has your back or not has more influence than the actual work you are able to deliver.
- consilient 3y ago
  > Why can't it just be a place where people learn and research and support each other? It is - for tenured professors at good schools. But getting to that point is intensely competitive, and the vast majority of people don't make it.
atq2119 3y ago
That's a bit too cynic. It's a good rule of thumb, but people shouldn't take it as 100% true. I personally have left academia, mostly for personal reasons before I could really know for certain whether I would have made it or not, and I know some very competent people who stayed and managed to get good positions without having to compromise who they are. I think the problems start when you're competent but not competent enough, and your ambitions don't align with how competent you are. That may sound harsh, but I think it's true (with admittedly some variance depending on the exact field you're in).

Any chance you have to get out of academia, go. Anyone competent should avoid that life. Society is better off with good people in academia, but an individual is better off out.

behnamoh 3y ago

Trust me, I've thought about it for long. Unfortunately, the main obstacle is visa issues. I've heard stories about international PhD students who left academia to work in the industry, only to be treated like slaves because the employer knew the person couldn't just switch jobs while on H1B visa (no other company would hire them). Then there's the greencard issues (easier to get approved if you're an academic).

totallywrong 3y ago
I'd say don't be miserable for a visa. If you are at PhD level, there are many great countries that will be happy to have you.

Solvency 3y ago

Having joyfully never dealt with any form of "academia" I am still morbidly curious about what it's all about and these cryptic warnings about it from its victims. Why can't it just be a place where people learn and research and support each other? Actual question, not rhetorical.

mk67 3y ago
Stakes are too low, so people start fighting over the most meaningless things in my experience.
margarina72 3y ago
It has to do with how resources are allocated (both human and financial resources). It creates a very unhealthy environment where relationships and who has your back or not has more influence than the actual work you are able to deliver.
consilient 3y ago
> Why can't it just be a place where people learn and research and support each other? It is - for tenured professors at good schools. But getting to that point is intensely competitive, and the vast majority of people don't make it.

atq2119 3y ago

That's a bit too cynic. It's a good rule of thumb, but people shouldn't take it as 100% true. I personally have left academia, mostly for personal reasons before I could really know for certain whether I would have made it or not, and I know some very competent people who stayed and managed to get good positions without having to compromise who they are. I think the problems start when you're competent but not competent enough, and your ambitions don't align with how competent you are. That may sound harsh, but I think it's true (with admittedly some variance depending on the exact field you're in).