Decisions (a.k.a give me some advice)

[NAD]

So, basically I just wanted to sound out a few things - to everyone, does anyone have any thoughts on whether I should do further study and avoid the real world for a little longer?

Do it while you can, right now will likely be the easiest time of your life to do so. I had planned on heading back to grad school a year after getting my B.A., and I even partially applied at one point, but I'm pretty stuck on not having to worry with anything outside of the 8 to 5 bullshit. I still have plenty of time to return to school, my only problem now is the drive to do so. I'm pretty content coming home every day from work and reading what I want, when I want, or nothing at all even.

Secondly, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I once read that getting a PhD actually costs more in getting it than it does in paying you back over the course of your lifetime as a holder of said PhD. Of course, I'm sure that's not true of all fields.

Anyone going for their PhD in hopes to further their career, monetarily speaking, has completely missed the point. I mean I think people that go for a Bachelors with dollar signs in their eyes are foolish enough, but to go as far as a PhD you have to truly be infatuated (on a possible unhealthy level even) with your specific field. It's all about the quest for knowledge at that point, and of course to be able to sign your monthly mortgage check as Dr. Hans Moleman. :Spin:

Plus I expect either Nathan or NAD to post pictures of some boobies.

There, a taste of home in case you move far away.

 

[Trylakos]

I'm not really educated about these thigns since I haven't started thinking about it myself (although I really should). Although I see no reason why you would want to come to Newfoundland, but don't ever unless it is for vacation or something. I wish we had Alberta's taxing, ours recently went down to 14% yay

 

[Russell]

how old are you Russell?
just curious because it might be time to hang up the academic shoes and get a job (no offense intended). I know folks like yourself and it seems like they get themselves into some financial trouble by staying in academia too long. A couple are chicks who just happened to marry people who support them financially. Usually the same opportunities aren't there for guys. One woman I know has three children and has had to live in her parent's attic because her PhD-seeking husband can't provide. Not saying thatll happen to you, just wanted to point out that it's somewhat difficult to stay single, childless, and financially independent for too long.

I'm 22, and no offence taken This is something I've considered as well. It kind of boils down to this - a PhD for me isn't quite the same as if I'd been educated in the US - even if I did one in the US it would only take three years, as I wouldn't have to do the entire grad-school thing. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fully funded. Neither me nor my other half want kids, and while I'm willing to accept it's possible that will change with time (although unlikely, unless the world changes an awful lot in the next 15 years), it definitely isn't a consideration right now.

So that pretty much leaves at a place where I don't stand to lose money, just miss out on three years worth of pay from a proper job. I also accept the fact that if I did a PhD and ended up in academia the pay would be fairly shit considering the amount of time I'd spent being educated (for example lawyers would spend the same amount of time and have a starting salary a lot higher than a post-doc researcher), which doesn't bother me too much. I figure it would be a job I'm happy at, and if I really didn't like the pay I could always get a job after a PhD with a decent salary.

Thanks for the thoughts, what you say is definitely a consideration, but I don't think it's going to be a major one when deciding what to do. All I really want is enough money to be comfortable, and for either of the options I have to choose the chances of that happening are similar, just one starts a bit later

 

[Russell]

Do it while you can, right now will likely be the easiest time of your life to do so. I had planned on heading back to grad school a year after getting my B.A., and I even partially applied at one point, but I'm pretty stuck on not having to worry with anything outside of the 8 to 5 bullshit. I still have plenty of time to return to school, my only problem now is the drive to do so. I'm pretty content coming home every day from work and reading what I want, when I want, or nothing at all even.

If I don't do it now, I think I'll pretty much never do it, as I can very easily see what you're saying happening. I'm used to living as a student now, if I go out and make decent money I won't want to go back to having none again any time soon.

Anyone going for their PhD in hopes to further their career, monetarily speaking, has completely missed the point.

That's true. If I do one it will be in a field I love because hopefully it will lead to a job I love, I'm not too bothered about money: while academics constantly complain of shit pay, it's not actually that bad unless you consider their qualifications and what someone with the same study-time behind them in a "professional" field would have.

I guess basically if I do further study I'll make sure it's in a fairly esoteric, or at least not purely applied field to avoid the pressure you find when you're in an area with lots of money like oil or metal.

 

[MajestikMøøse]

University of Alberta (www.ualberta.ca), where I'm doing my undergraduate right now, isn't such a bad institution. Its sciences and engineering programs are excellent, hosts a lot of research (the national institute of nanotechnology is on campus, a centre for subatomic research, lots of facilities for medical research etc.)

The cons is that the city kind of blows. It's in the middle of freakin nowhere. The Rockies are about a day's drive away though, but other than that. Pretty lame place.

Did you find this information useful? (Yes/No/NAD has ball hair of steel wool)

 

[dorian gray]

I'm 22..... All I really want is enough money to be comfortable

cool. youre alot younger than i thought. nothing i said really applies to you then. i say go for it. i wish *i* had a phd but i was very slow in accomplishing the lesser goals of a bachelors degree. im 29 and the only way im going back to school is if and when the wife starts working again and making the same amount of money as i do now. that wont be until im 34 or so

as far as comfortable goes, it's obviously subjective, and of course, the more the better, but most people would be fine with $50,000 a year. obviously that changes if you have children and housing, as you apparently know, is very expensive wherever you are, but most people can be very comfortable with $50,000........as long as youre not one of those assholes who must have everything.

my point being that $50,000 with a PhD is quite doable depending on the field. And your worth is likely to expand as you gain real-world experience and become able to market yourself effectively.

 

[lizard]

LOL at nad's comment about going for a BA with dollar signs in your eyes

and by the by, it's not just Canada who's being Americanized, it's the entire world. If Canada didn't have that self protective content law, you wouldn't see any Canadian artists on tv or hear them, I don't think, which is a shame. I've always wondered why there are more than a few really good canadian bands/singers who just can't grab a foothold on the American market.

 

[addae]

...heja...I´ve ca. 16.000 $ per anno as PHD student here and I´m fine. But the problem is that you only avoid the real life. Science is a strange small universe which mostly doesn´t produce any applicable results, just fundamentals for other scientists.

...if you have the chance to work somewhere as Assistant take that chance!...Anyway...You come around get more intelligent and write some stuff...

...Good Luck but Germany is in bad PHD situation...

 

[Doom]

But the problem is that you only avoid the real life. Science is a strange small universe which mostly doesn´t produce any applicable results, just fundamentals for other scientists.

This is one of the reasons I have become disillusioned working in research. So much of the research I read about just seems so absolutely pointless. A HUGE amount of funding goes into it, and it just seems like a waste of time and money to me. And a lot of the time, when the research does actually have something to offer, and could be applied usefully, it's just ignored by those who matter anyway. So it ends up just being about finding things out for the sake of finding things out, and often not ever being applied to anything useful.

Of course, this could just be the field I work in.

 

[addae]

...Yes...But on the other hand, you can decide for yourself how practical your work is (of course only within the bounds of your scientific possibilities)...BUT Doom it´s not useless but it´s juts for a small "elitist" group of other scientists...but that´s the way it works...

If I remember you´re 22...???...You have the whole twenties in fromt of you and I don´t see any matter of making blindfold decisions if you´re not sure about them...I´m older and was sure enough for making my PHD...make something diff...go abroad...make music...send me tons of beef Jerkey or whatever you have fun with...

 

[Hell Mike]

Go with the jerkey mailing

 

[lizard]

there's no fortune to be made in the dessicated flesh shipping trade, but it can be deeply rewarding in spiritual ways

 

[Erik]

don't say that

sweden has a bit of a dearth of beef jerky although it is food both tasty and well suited to long harsh days in the northern mountains: you could become rich if you moved here and started importing the stuff

 

[lizard]

hmmmm....
Lizurd Meat Importers LTD, GMBH

when Lethal gets famous I want to be "the official beef jerkey supplier of Lethal"

 

[Erik]

LETHAL is endorsed by: IBANEZ, JACKSON, GIBSON, TAMA, ZILDJIAN, LIZURD MEAT IMPORTERS GMBH, MARSHALL, GENERAL SNUS - A QUALITY PRODUCT OF SWEDEN, D'ADDARIO

 

[dorian gray]

GMBH hahaha

 

[Russell]

Science is a strange small universe which mostly doesn´t produce any applicable results, just fundamentals for other scientists.

I'm hoping that isn't quite the case for me, as Earth Science has a fair few practical applications. In fact, an awful lot, I think it's just a matter of choosing an area which has enough to be useful, but not so many that it gets high pressure and competitive. That said, I'm not averse to studying something completely esoteric either, so

 

[Russell]

and by the by, it's not just Canada who's being Americanized, it's the entire world. If Canada didn't have that self protective content law, you wouldn't see any Canadian artists on tv or hear them, I don't think, which is a shame. I've always wondered why there are more than a few really good canadian bands/singers who just can't grab a foothold on the American market.

Tell me about it When I was in Norway a couple of weeks back I was amazed, there were 7/11's everywhere, and most places only sold hot dogs, pizzas, etc. and sometimes Chinese/Italian. It was really hard to find Norwegian food to eat

 

[Russell]

University of Alberta (www.ualberta.ca), where I'm doing my undergraduate right now, isn't such a bad institution. Its sciences and engineering programs are excellent, hosts a lot of research (the national institute of nanotechnology is on campus, a centre for subatomic research, lots of facilities for medical research etc.)

The cons is that the city kind of blows. It's in the middle of freakin nowhere. The Rockies are about a day's drive away though, but other than that. Pretty lame place.

Did you find this information useful? (Yes/No/NAD has ball hair of steel wool)

NAD has ball hair of steel wool!!!

Thanks tho, good to know

 

[NAD]

I guess I should share my beef jerky story, seems appropriate.

Was at ComicCon a few weeks ago, and the one night the woman and I decided to go get fucked up at some fancy yuppie top floor bar (while wearing Cowboy Bebop and Old Man Gloom attire), they had a very fine scotch selection so I was quite content. Stumble back to our ritzy hotel eventually, and after ummm, doing the grownup, apparently I gave some 10 minute speech about the merits of eating beef jerky, naked, drunk, and quite loudly mowing down vast quantities of the sweet sweet dried beef. Needless to say the lobby slipped our bill under the door at 3am in hopes to get us to leave, which just added fuel to the fire in the form of hysterical laughter for the next hour before finally passing out. Good times!