I'm always baffled by these studies because they're so far from my own experience and that of those close to me! Maybe it's a US thing, I did my PhD in Europe (Spain) and while it was the most intellectually challenging period of my life it wasn't at all what people in Twitter say their PhDs where. I was also super lucky to have really caring mentors, I was able to travel a lot and meet lots of people, I mean, it was the time of my life that I grew the most.
So while I agree with your article, all the good and bad reasons you list are indeed good and bad reasons, I'd add that every place is different and don't let yourself be deterred from following your dream (if that's what the PhD means to you) because of generic statistics. Go and check the actual human beings that live and work in the institution where you're applying, have lunch with other post grad students there, get a feel for the vibe of the place, and please, if you can, absolutely do meet your future mentors well in advance of applying. The mentor will make all the difference.
Excellent advice! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to add a section clarifying a few things because I realize I came across a bit too negative which wasn't my intent. I was really fortunate to have an excellent advisor and coworkers when I was doing research which make it an excellent and really valuable experience. PhD experiences can vary wildly in the US and I want to make sure students know what they're getting themselves into.
The most important advice of all, I think, is that you should get into it fully aware of all the implications. It's a huge investment in terms of time and in terms of opportunity cost, and it can definitely backfire if you're not looking for exactly that. So all information we can put out there is helpful.
I'm always baffled by these studies because they're so far from my own experience and that of those close to me! Maybe it's a US thing, I did my PhD in Europe (Spain) and while it was the most intellectually challenging period of my life it wasn't at all what people in Twitter say their PhDs where. I was also super lucky to have really caring mentors, I was able to travel a lot and meet lots of people, I mean, it was the time of my life that I grew the most.
So while I agree with your article, all the good and bad reasons you list are indeed good and bad reasons, I'd add that every place is different and don't let yourself be deterred from following your dream (if that's what the PhD means to you) because of generic statistics. Go and check the actual human beings that live and work in the institution where you're applying, have lunch with other post grad students there, get a feel for the vibe of the place, and please, if you can, absolutely do meet your future mentors well in advance of applying. The mentor will make all the difference.
Just my two cents.
Excellent advice! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to add a section clarifying a few things because I realize I came across a bit too negative which wasn't my intent. I was really fortunate to have an excellent advisor and coworkers when I was doing research which make it an excellent and really valuable experience. PhD experiences can vary wildly in the US and I want to make sure students know what they're getting themselves into.
The most important advice of all, I think, is that you should get into it fully aware of all the implications. It's a huge investment in terms of time and in terms of opportunity cost, and it can definitely backfire if you're not looking for exactly that. So all information we can put out there is helpful.