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Side note: What is it about graduate work that burns people out on their field? I've met quite a few people with masters and PhDs who switch fields afterward an

Side note: What is it about graduate work that burns people out on their field? I've met quite a few people with masters and PhDs who switch fields afterward and basically run away.

alemhnan 13y ago
That's a good question, I was too almost to the burning point. But honestly I still have to figured out which was the problem or which solutions we could adopt. I have that slight belief that there is a more general pattern over there, not sure yet about the whole thing. As "defense" of PhDs program I could say that it definitely trains your mind to look at things with a deeper perspective.
- breuderink 13y ago
  Could this training effect of a PhD perhaps be the reason that people switch fields? When starting, one's field of research seems very promising and exciting. At the end though, one knows enough to see limitations in the field. In addition, PhDs are trained to approach problems differently. I think this knowledge and a different mental attitude can make other fields seems more worthwhile.
  - ser0 13y ago
    At this point in time, I would say yes. The start of a PhD teaches you a lot of useful research skills. However, the academic/research environment do not necessarily put them to good use. This can lead people, such as myself, to investigate the value of a PhD itself and find that the career prospects, financial rewards, and even intellectual rewards, are difficult to align/justify. I think that a reasonable conclusion is indeed that switching fields would generally be a good move, unless you know yourself to be an outstanding researcher within your field of expertise.
lmm 13y ago
Plenty of people (myself included) burn out and switch fields after their undergrad degree. They just don't stand out as much.
scott_s 13y ago
The constant uncertainty. You are not given a check-list which says "Do these things and you graduate." You have to come up with that check list, and justify that check list to the people who will grant you your degree. And you have no real way of knowing just how hard - or even possible - that check list is until you start doing it. But, it also has to meet a minimum level of "hard" to be considered enough to earn the degree. There is also the isolation factor. Many people do work in groups, and many people do work closely with their advisor. But, in the end, the student is expected to own some research themselves. That is the work that is the core of their thesis. Requiring the student to own some significant piece of work on their own contributes to the pressure people put on themselves, and the isolation they tend to feel.

Side note: What is it about graduate work that burns people out on their field? I've met quite a few people with masters and PhDs who switch fields afterward and basically run away.

alemhnan 13y ago

That's a good question, I was too almost to the burning point. But honestly I still have to figured out which was the problem or which solutions we could adopt. I have that slight belief that there is a more general pattern over there, not sure yet about the whole thing. As "defense" of PhDs program I could say that it definitely trains your mind to look at things with a deeper perspective.

breuderink 13y ago
Could this training effect of a PhD perhaps be the reason that people switch fields? When starting, one's field of research seems very promising and exciting. At the end though, one knows enough to see limitations in the field. In addition, PhDs are trained to approach problems differently. I think this knowledge and a different mental attitude can make other fields seems more worthwhile.
- ser0 13y ago
  At this point in time, I would say yes. The start of a PhD teaches you a lot of useful research skills. However, the academic/research environment do not necessarily put them to good use. This can lead people, such as myself, to investigate the value of a PhD itself and find that the career prospects, financial rewards, and even intellectual rewards, are difficult to align/justify. I think that a reasonable conclusion is indeed that switching fields would generally be a good move, unless you know yourself to be an outstanding researcher within your field of expertise.

lmm 13y ago

Plenty of people (myself included) burn out and switch fields after their undergrad degree. They just don't stand out as much.

scott_s 13y ago

The constant uncertainty. You are not given a check-list which says "Do these things and you graduate." You have to come up with that check list, and justify that check list to the people who will grant you your degree. And you have no real way of knowing just how hard - or even possible - that check list is until you start doing it. But, it also has to meet a minimum level of "hard" to be considered enough to earn the degree. There is also the isolation factor. Many people do work in groups, and many people do work closely with their advisor. But, in the end, the student is expected to own some research themselves. That is the work that is the core of their thesis. Requiring the student to own some significant piece of work on their own contributes to the pressure people put on themselves, and the isolation they tend to feel.