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The truth about dropping out of a PhD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2024
- Dropping out of a PhD can seem like the end of the world, but it doesn't have to be. In this video, I talk about dropping out and the reasons people may consider it.
If you're considering dropping out, or if you've already dropped out, this video is for you!
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▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - introduction
1:16 - PhD success rates
4:44 - perceived confidence
7:01 - supervisor support
9:03 - balance
10:19 - better offer
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I gave up mine because I felt trapped by it and it made me suicidal. It was a toxic environment for me mentally and physically. 4 years removed and considerably happier/in a better place. Leaving the PhD was the right choice for me.
I feel you on this. In my last year and if I didn't score an internship - I'd be suicidal. I felt so trapped and reminded weekly that I'm not meeting unrealistic expectations. Ugh. Getting out for a few weeks has been life saving to me.
@@staciweaver7801 This is why I want to do my PhD part-time, I feel so completely afraid of being trapped, because I experienced being trapped in a toxic work environment and it was the worst time of my life, and I was depressed for even two years after leaving that environment. Now I've got my mental health back I am so incredibly prudent about my career choices. But now i'm also worried because Andy just said that young women who are doing a PhD part-time have the highest drop-out rates so I don't even know if it makes sense for me to try because I can totally see me potentially dropping out if I don't have a very present supervisor lol.
@@vans4lyf2013 Part time often causes a lot of distractions and requires a very high amount of self-discipline to stay focused.
Very unfortunate, but true nevertheless is that doing a PhD does not combine well caring for with small children. They need frequent (low-level) interactions, research requires long periods (a couple of hours) of uninterrupted focus (an interruption often costs you at least 15 minutes to get back to focus). Btw disable most notification sounds, very bad for concentration.
If you don't enjoy the process of getting somewhere, you won't enjoy the fruits of the labor either
we need reform. Otherwise phd system is suicide machine
I'm in my fourth year of a PhD and i thought about dropping out so many times because of how the supervisor was disrespectful and not helpful in my field, they assigned me to him and to my surprise he doesn't even have the experience in my field so i found myself seeking and looking for help from other professors who are experienced and professional, I'm trying to finish this since it's too late to drop out, it's mentally exhausting. But i will make it 🙏🏻🥺
Trust me when I say you’re not alone- in fact far from it. At this point, please prioritize your mental health and focus on finishing up and moving on to the next thing. Sending virtual hugs…
@@kaiezon5655 thank you!
Similar experience with me, you’re almost there keep moving forward one day at a time.
Dont...unless you are lagging behind very much.
Am in the same situation, just focus on submitting the thesis now and get done with it and onto industry
I burned my health during my PhD. Finished it, but I'm quite traumatized (I was an international student in France). If I had to do it again, I would not. It's not worth it. The "prestige" is not that great and you get paid shit for killing yourself at work for years.
Hey sorry to ask. Is it that bad in France? I had the understanding it was a country that respected labour rights better than others
I am in Framce currently finalizing my Thesis, and I can relate, I hope I finish. I have been so depressed in this PhD, false advertising and so much more.
My supervisors amplified my imposter syndrome and their treatment of me made it a very unhealthy space to explore ideas, test them out, and feel safe to learn skills.
I am at the process of quitting my PhD as well- I cannot describe how happy I am at the moment. Hope it continues ☺️
Good luck.
I dropped out and I have zero regrets. I realised I didn't want to work in academia / enter into the post-doc lottery and I was already qualified to get a decent job.
It looks like the sound issues have fixed themselves - let me know if it is still an issue and I'll look into it.
Thank you so much for your support!
I quit the PhD near the top of my class after two years, and in retrospect it's because I didn't seek out good mentorship from the beginning. I burned myself out on 16 hour days of studying and TAing to the point that I dreaded every moment of every day. This worsened to the point that I just couldn't start my classes at the beginning of a quarter. I was so focussed on taking classes with the intent of excelling on tests, and I didn't break through that barrier to realizing that research -- the messy, uncertain, and ultimately very fun research -- was really the point. I was so obsessed with perfection that I wasted probably half my time investment on turning A- grades into A+s! My professors were astonished when I left because I was vetted as "research material" based on my class performance, but I had crazy ideas about what research really is, and I didn't have the close mentor relationships to steer me in the right direction.
I pulled the rip cord, finished a masters by examination and found a full time teaching gig. That was always my bailout plan, and after about a decade I finally had a research experience while taking a sabbatical semester. I researched every day to write a book on using computer algebra/coding to solve calculus and physics problems, and since then I've mentored undergraduate students in their own related research projects to present at a local math conference, hoping to successfully communicate the non-linear/messy/fun nature of research in the process. I have also helped several students transfer to my alma mater with a summer research experience for undergraduates (REU) program, to help them gain the perspective that I couldn't . . . and they have been successful in their PhD experiences.
Last point -- my "official advisor" from grad school has become a life long friend (a treasured memory is when my 1 year old son was playing ball with him using an inflatable cosmic microwave background ball), but I never got to know him until I was already on my way out of the system.
The moral here is that human connection is absolutely key to surviving the process! z
I checked out of my PhD because my supervisor set me up for failure. I recently met an academic copy editor with an excellent resume and care for my research. He's motivating me to complete the manuscript so his company can examine it internally before I can submit with faculty without supervisor sign off ✨ it's hard since I can't work on it anymore but I push daily though I sleep and eat a lot while forcing myself to barely show up for work as my sole income source 🥺 never dated and I'm mid 30s female with 11 years lecturing experience.
Social + Health + PhD = balance
I hope you get there. Stay strong!! You've come this far!
I’ve mentally checked out of my PhD years ago. Totally disillusioned with academia, unstimulated by bench work, bored and unmotivated out of my mind, being a terrible employee. I’m in my fourth year and I’m wrapping up a manuscript and writing my thesis so that I can get the effing title. Then I’m out. Will use my PhD as leverage in salary negotiations for a real job in the real world. Stay strong and GTFO.
Edit: And this has happened to someone who was first in rank among my entire selection cohort at a very prestigious institution AND I had a first-author paper published in a pretty nice journal after my undergrad before even starting grad school. This is to say that it can happen to anyone, you’re not alone in this.
Don't you think it is a waste? Nice journal means you could convert it into PhD
How are you doing now?
I dropped out.
My supervisor died.
My Phd program coordinator told me : either work with person x or quit. Person x is super toxic.
Hence i quit.
But there is this tingling sensation of incompleteness which is bothering me
I just declined my fully paid PhD offer. I hate how overworking was a culture in academia (especially in Asia), and I think it was not worth it to sacrifice your health and personal time by working >12 hours a day 6 days (sometimes 7 days) a week just for a degree.
I come from conservative schools in America that are similar, where they think you learn better by it simply being harder much the time, but the Academic stress and bad culture around academics in Asia is legendary. Maybe you could get your higher education later and in a different country, perhaps online if absolutely necessary. It might be easier
I hated the stress with my PhD. My stipend on paper seemed like a fair amount of money. Then I was told that I still had to pay tuition and fees which reduced the stipend by a half. Then with the outrageous amount rent was could barely afford food. A luxury item like a new winter coat involved going into debt or dipping into savings. The financial stress was a part of it.
I had supervisors that never had anything nice to say. I always hated meetings with them. One of the supervisors was so awful I had to go to the clinic to ask for anxiety meds. The other would only talk to me while eating since he was so busy.
To make more money I performed teaching assistant duties. The problem was this really ate up a lot of time. The grading took forever. If you didn't grade something fairly, some students would go over you and go to some professor and complain and then you would get an unpleasant talk about how bad of a grader you were. The problem was that the time wasted grading ment that you had less time for research. My supervisors were angry with how much time I spent for TA duties. I said that if I didn't I would only have ~$100 a week of my stipend after I paid the various university fees. I needed to work or I wouldn't be able to pay my rent.
But the final thing was my mothers health. I would travel back and forth since she was sick and not quite there mentally. My mind was always worried about her. I had the choice to live this extra stress rich life and get a PhD in 7 years and help my mother who was getting sicker and more confused by the week. I opted for being with my mother. She slipped away and it was very difficult to be there and watch that happen, but I would have hated myself if I stayed in the program and didn't help her.
You did the absolutely right thing. If it's right for you you can always get back into the process again later I'm sure. I'm not in academia but I've been following this issue for some time. It is absolutely true that grad school students and adjuncts deserve far better pay. I know damn well these schools can afford it. No way should you have been living that close to the edge like that.
Not only supervisor support is important, but also institutional support. There is a culture of victim blaming when a student leaves a lab or a PhD that its always the student's fault for being uncooperative, lazy and stupid even if the supervisor was neglectful, abusive or even aggressive. These stories float around and essentially you don't want to be seen as "that" student who dropped out.
Can't agree more! The students are constantly victim-blamed or shamed even just for switching to a different lab for very legitimate reasons. This culture is really messed up. It encourages supervisors to abuse their power because there is no real consequences for them and they can easily destroy a student's career or even life without receiving even a slap on the wrist. Grad school really needs to find a way to hold the abusers accountable.
Yes this is so true
When talking about PhD supervisor, we should talk about feudalism....
I completed my PhD due to great support system. My chair was amazing. I miss working with her.
Didn't realize I was such a rare bird (single mom, finished at age 52).
Also possible factors: if you're not married and seeking a relationship that takes a lot of time and energy away from everything else, and the rocky nature of dating is a major psychological stressor. Getting a PhD puts you in a VERY isolating environment, and I don't just mean in the lab/office. It's very isolating socially and in all aspects of life, and plenty of people can't thrive (in general, not just work-wise) in such an environment. That's probably a huge aspect of people feeling "trapped" while doing a PhD. Honestly the environment factor is something that could easily be fixed but for some reason is usually made worse.
Edit: and this isn't just about "work-life balance" i.e. giving PhD students time outside work. It's also the entire physical and social environment surrounding the area. Are PhD students included in social life on campus or are they shunned or considered second-class compared to undergrads as is the case at many universities? Does the social environment match the specific PhD candidate? Each university has its own unique social culture and matching students with that is actually very important and usually overlooked. And what's life like in the broader city/area at large? Are you stuck at a university in the middle of nowhere where the only people you'll interact with are on campus, which could be a problem for some but not others? Etc. Etc.
I dropped my PhD after 1 year after realizing the Academic "game" that needs to be played. One of the contributing factors was also the constant negativity of other PhD and postdoc students. They all complained how they hated doing their PhD. Why did they do it, they are so happy it's done etc. etc. As a fresh academic I just thought "OK a PhD apparently sucks" and during the year I couldn't agree more. It just wasn't for me. 3 years later, I'm really happy where I landed.
I have to stay... of all the grad-school-info content producers, you are the only one that has managed to post consistently different enough content each week t that it remains engaging. I feel like most other grad-school-info producers run out of things to say/talk about.. or can't talk about the same things differently in the way you do. Props to you!
This is my impression as well! I think it may be because Andrew has the most varied experience - an international student as opposed to home, worked in both academia and industry and to top it all off specialising in communication. His hilarious caracter helps too! Such fun to watch!
Yeah... I pretty much can check most of the boxes here. lol
I dropped out of a Ph.D. program and even though having a freaking stressful experience during the program and after dropping out, I need to say that was the best thing I did. I had no support because I was an international student in a small town, so no support because I didn't know anyone, the city was very much a university city and significant language barrier to create any meaningful bond. In addition, my advisor didn't show up in her office, I had to send her emails, text her about the email and pray she would answer. On top of that I just hated the program dynamics because I was in a management program (social science) approaching the field from disjointed elements perspectives, very similar to physics. Personally I believe they study the description of human behavior rather than social behavior per se.
In short, I dropped out and I am 100% sure I made I the best decision because I just everything related to that specific program.
I dropped out of my PhD program a couple years ago and never looked back. The sunk cost fallacy, especially after completing my qualifying exams, is what gave me so much anxiety. Today though, I have found my happiness in public speaking, project management, and process improvement. This is a much more fulfilling (and better paying) career and I believe the happiest I've ever been in my professional life. Besides, I have a family to support and need to save for retirement :) On a side note, I do want to teach, but I can get that satisfaction by working as adjunct faculty part-time for a professional Master's program. It was the adjunct faculty with a foot in industry who taught the best classes while I was working towards my Master's :D
A PhD is challenging, and one of the aspects is that people not so much fail as fail to complete. There are a number of key factors with the two most important being: the ability to focus on one thing for the duration of the PhD; and mental resilience/grit to go on when you're in the middle of the tunnel and there's no light on either side. A good support system as well as not letting it consume you helps a lot.
If you are lucky you have someone with or doing a PhD in your support group (maybe even your significant other) as the whole thing often appears nonsensical for complete outsiders.
As to supervisors, it should be like a master/mentor apprentice role, and they should also provide you with the confidence on your progress (and help you manage it) as well as giving you some pastoral support. (hey, a student with their head in the doldrums is less likely to complete and make them look good)
Thank you for all the information Andrew. I'm a bachelor's student and when planning for my future I regularly consider doing a PhD (of course after applying for and completing a master's). However as someone suffering from an anxiety disorder I've always worried about the amount of stress that comes with it and whether or not I could tolerate it, especially since I plan on doing it in a foreign country. So thanks for helping me understand the risks and how to deal with them in the future.
Also your beard looks glorious.
I’m not sure I’m a good example here, but I never finished. I got two academic jobs before it became clear that I could not get put of my own way. I’m teaching (which is what I wanted to do), but it has been a painful , emotionally difficult journey to come to terms with my perceived “failure”. Now I am trying to focus on the success of my NTT career. Thanks for your content Andy!
You know, just getting the opportunity is a feat in itself. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished and making the right decision for yourself and your life. Focus on your strengths and know they are more than enough for success. You probably have more positive influence in the world doing what you do then removing yourself for that time to pursue that degree.
@@neosapienz7885 🙏 I appreciate that!
It was a right decision. Feel happy. All the Best.
Love your channel, you remind me how horrifyingly messed up all of those Profs were that I learned from all those many years ago. Keep up the fun stuff.
It's a stressful dilemma because the forces in both directions are usually very strong-doctoral programs tend toward harrowing and can be stultifying, all while a world of more mainstream opportunities awaits, but that same intensity is why it's such a respected achievement to earn a PhD.
I finished, but I hope no one feels quitting would reflect on them as a person, if it's what they really felt was best. Continuing to do something that feels futile or that doesn't fit with your aims or goals is simply imprudent. No one wins. Pulling the ripcord when it would allow you to live a version of your life you'd prefer is simply wise.
I am so glad I dropped out of my PhD program. I was under so much stress that I didn't even realize how toxic and gaslighting my PI was. I am a bit sad that I cannot lead research as a job, but I really enjoy the work I do now.
Thank you so much Andrew for this video
My pleasure!
A couple of months ago I considered quitting, now I'm determined to finish
At my uni, every single one I met that left with just a masters are all well-employed in industry making way more money than almost all the PhD graduates that stayed. I just got my PhD and I wish my job prospects were as good as theirs!
Thia video is perfect for me. I droped out a month ago. Thank you so much 🙏 I will carefully watch it
Drop out here 👋🏽 yes. ALL of those reasons. Conferred my ma two months ago and so far couldn’t be happier; but am looking to finish at another school later.
I also had a terrible supervisor. He treated me poorly during my first two years, when I still had funding. He did no even let me withdraw funding for a very important part of my fieldworlk.my funding ran out on my third year. If I hadn’t been a person of privileges, and a stable socioeconomic environment back home, I wouldn’t have finished after 5 years, and plus needed to wait until they give me the date of my viva. I just did not give up because I had these favorable conditions, and plus I was extremely passionate about my topic.
I'm a Bachelor's student that has completed their Associate's degree. I've made a determination that a Master's is the furthest I'll go. I couldn't handle a PhD.
You might find an area during your masters that really grabs you and then the logical next step is a PhD. Don't rule it out, you never know where study can take you.
@@francishunt562 Thanks for replying, it's the money that's the biggest factor. (I'm an American)
I could do a PhD, but I doubt I could graduate in a reasonable timeframe that wouldn't leave me in hundreds upon hundreds of thousands in debt.
it's very disturbing seeing all these stories about supervisors setting people up for failure, during and after PhD. It's also, very sadly, a reality. To everyone out there trying to find strength on their own: you're ok, do what you can, and if not, you can find happiness everywhere else :)
I remeber some time ago in the last days of my Master Degree, my advisor, you know, she tried to convince me to go on and continue for a PhD. When we sat and discuss it, it became clear that she obviously wanted me to do some specific research that was in her (and her team) best interest. There were some gaps in her research team and I was the person to fill one of those gaps. But my idea of a PhD is to do research in a topic that you are truly and genuinely interested in. On the contrary, the idea of going for PhD in something I was not truly genuinely interested in seemed to me very strange. It is like marrying someone you don't love just for the sake of marriage. Her offer was kind but it felt like getting a job. "Im hiring you to do this and that because that's what I need" Part of the funding would come from some sponsors and some other part I should get (I was in a position to get it, actually). But I did not like the idea of doing some research that I was not interested. PhD is about 6 years of nonstop working hard so you'd better like what you do.
Also, majestic beard.
Money is a huge issue. I'm self funded and surving on less than the stipend others are given. I'm asking every day at the moment if I can keep going but doing a phd it is a complete mind **** . Less about academics after a point. Woo as you said is critical.
Lovely video 😊 thanks for the heads up and information ☺️ I feel really low sometimes. Your videos are very helpful 😃👍
This excellent Andrew, the external forces during this journey and the ability to control your thoughts are essential.
I'm thinking about dropping out in my third year. I have an advisor that is thoughtful and considerate, but she's heavily distracted by all the projects going on, and due to my university splitting, being forced to retire this year. My new advisor will be substantially more busy and doesn't have knowledge about the field I'm working in, and there's been talks about switching me to a different project and professor. But also due to the split, all the other students have turned vicious. People are attacking each other's work, stealing ideas, and trying to rapidly publish so that they can finish their prelim and dissertation early, and I've mostly checked out from helping others in the lab. But due to all of the dysfunction, and the lack of awareness by my supervisor, my research keeps getting disrupted and changed on me. I have no promise on funding next year, and have barely published anything worthwhile. I'm just ready to walk away at this point and never look back.
I dropped out because of the denigrating behavior of some of the professors. I hadn’t been targeted but I could not stand the prospect and I could not stand witnessing others suffer it.
I'm thinking about dropping out of my PhD. The lab culture is toxic (the supervisor's favourite gets away with sexual harassment and bullying) and it's destroyed my love for the subject. Having a supervisor to back you up is crucial, as you say. I wish I had been warned.
Ever consider vigilante acts? There'd be a long list of ways to screw that guy over that no one will ascribe to you.
I am heading toward dropping out of PhD because of many reasons:
- First and foremost, it is affecting my mental health with the incessant stress and anxiety.
-The institution where I study does not provide us with anything: no info, no guidance, no library, no office, no internet, just nothing!
-I couldn't choose a supervisor. Three consecutive supervisors were assigned to me, and I have been instructed to not communicate with any of them (seriously, what???!!)
The first one dropped me just like that. The second one, when I talked to her she said she was sick and she wouldn't supervise me and I am not her problem, the third one is in a completely different country now and doesn't answer any of my emails/messages
-They don't give us enough money even to cover travel costs, about 60€/month (like, am I joke to you?) And I have to travel about 430km back and forth whenever I have to make a trip to university.
(it's in Algeria if you are wondering where it is)
-The dormitory is just beyond horrible. I have watched a documentary about Guantanamo and I swear it's better than the dormitories here.
-I have encountered several problems and had to change my topic because I have been accused of plagiarism, although I didn't plagiarize because the topic stemmed from my personal experience. I wasn't heard, and I was never given the chance to defend myself.
-lastly, I have moved house recently, and I have been waiting to have WiFi for a year, and nothing. My research relies mainly on the internet.
So, it's practically impossible for me to do my PhD under these circumstances. It's worse than torture. I am really sad that I have to let go of this dream of mine.
Oh my gaw those sound like terrible conditions.
Perhaps there's another way you can try for your PhD later if it's something that means a lot to you but those conditions are atrocious. I don't know anybody who could thrive under those conditions. You gave it you're absolutely best and there's no shame in walking away.
What should you do if you were told that no funding is available for you after your first year in Virginia Tech CS PhD program? Especially if your admission offer mentioned only one-year of funding guarantee, and when you get suspicious about the offer and asked for the reason, you were told that this is a formality and most of their students are funded throughout their PhD. What if, when you arrive, no professor wants to take you as a PhD student and just ignore your emails from the day one? Is not this considered a scam that is bringing an international student with tricky offers from overseas and leaving them stranded with no advisor and consequently with no funding to force them to leave?
Please alert other students about this issue. These days it has become a common trick applied by some US state schools with low funding schemes that are in a dire need for cheap TA labor. They bring you in as a temporary teaching assistant labour under the disguise of a PhD student, but you are doomed to failure from the start.
Btw: There are no academic dishonesty, any academic deficiencies or other issues. GPA was 4.0 in the program.
Dr Stapleton, well done with the editing upgrades.
When I realized I wouldn’t be able to do the type of research I wanted in order to write my thesis, I decided to discontinue my pursuit. Luckily, my program had the writing and research classes up front and made you find a dissertation chair before you could complete the second course. Otherwise, I would have beat my head against a wall for at least a year before realizing I just didn’t have the access I required. My chair spent over two hours with me, offering alternatives and problem-solving. She encouraged me to think of a topic closely related but reliant almost totally on meta-analysis. She was amazing and I was so lucky she accepted me, but there was no way I was going to make a commitment I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep. As someone with ADHD-undiagnosed but quite apparent at that time, that simply wouldn’t be realistic. It was the right decision and I don’t feel ashamed or guilty.
I took 10 years part time to finish my PhD, as I was working full time as well. Imagine working from 730 am till 5 pm 5 days a week, then coming home to look after a child and then starting researching and writing from 8 PM till 12 AM for 10 years. These full time PhD students have it so easy. The trick is to constantly improve and keep pushing to better your writing and thesis structure (and publish too). I never thought about quitting and I got to a point where no matter how hard it got and how much bad feedback I got, I kept going. I can't remember how many times I was told "you are not to the required standard and you are not doing well". I ended up becoming numb to the feedback and just got on with it. When I submitted my PhD, I was given 6 weeks to make revisions but it took me 2 days. I took onboard 80% of what was said (more so adding in more literature), but discounted, humbly, 20% of it and explained why. I was 42 when I was conferred with my PhD (in Australia). I often hear from people who 'quit' about toxic cultures, bad supervisors, blah blah. But all of those who quit have some common traits....they are people with no discipline or backbone. They always talk about how its someone elses fault and how they felt bad and exhausted ect. They were obviously not cut out to become a Doctor in their field. If you think a PhD is hard, wait to you get into the real world. My current job is twice as hard as writing a PhD or publishing papers. Brilliant and driven people that I work with who do not have a PhD keep me on my toes and really push me.
Well said about dropping out. Personally I just left it as I didn't like the 'academia politics'. What's more, the core of the system went awry everywhere. It's not about the quality of scientific research. It is just money and a race after citation indexes. I hated it. It doesn't mean you should not become a scientist, write your PhD, and focus on your research and teaching. You should. However it's worth knowing things that this channel is exposing. The success depends on how strong or brilliant you are, how brilliant your team is, and how lucky or successful you are with 'playing the game'. You have to prepare that just being a brilliant scientist might not cut it. Your discoveries might even be stolen. It's really a game with a lot of politics. It may sound horrible, and it is just a joke to elicit some laughter and it seems to be nothing more but there's also some dark truth in the funny performance by Tom Lerher _Lobachevsky._ There are just two pieces of advice:
(1) Make sure your work is not stolen. Be even paranoaic about it but don't let them steal your discovery.
(2) Don't take the place of real scientists who should be there. There are very few of them. If you do, you are the one who makes the system go awry, i.e. you are part of the problem. You can earn money elsewhere instead of publishing nonsense. It's so bad nowadays that it is almost impossible to find good research results among the landfill of garbage papers and articles.
Research grants mostly applies to STEM fields. Historians like me only have to worry about tuition and the likely plane tickets we'll need to travel to certain places for first hand research. STEM careers pay better, though.
Doing my PhD part-time and working full-time, amounting to an additional 50 hours/week minimum on research. Consuming experience, I will be submitting in one month after 3 years of research. It has impacted my health significantly. Not sure if there is an easy way to do this.
Leaving my PhD was the best choice I ever made.
I quit my PhD in a EU country 2 years ago. I was in for about 3,5 years. There was just zero appreciation for the work I did, everyone thought it was "normal" to have to work during weekends and if you felt bad about it, it was something wrong with you. There was no guidance from my supervisor and I just got really depressed and unmotivated. After me, another 3 people quit from the same group. I think universities should check for academic groups with high dropout rates and find the reason for that rate. I work in industry now and am motivated, get appreciated and challenged in a positive way every day. To me, quitting was the best decision I could make. So yes, just want to say that there are other jobs out there and nothing is worth destroying your mental health for :)
I’m wondering if these situations are relevant to self-funded post-grads. If I felt obliged to work I’d be being paid for it. If I’m paying, I’d probably start asking “who do you think you’re talking to?”
"Dropping out" is by far the best economic decision you can make if you are in a PhD program.
Interesting. I dropped out almost 3 years ago, having to start over at the age of 30 sucks.
Thank you, Andrew!
I finished mine in ChemE years ago, but I was never able to grow such a luxurious beard.
Its switching over to more challenging assignments with better outcome. The sincare efforts put in the Research journey is enriching and equips with transferable skills. Every phase of journey is exciting. There are memorable milestones in every phase. The final milestone of being awarded PhD is only one among several milestones. At times, its prudent to switch lanes to reach further Goals.
After reading the comments, it seems that PhD students are mostly in academia.
I think it might be useful if we start to really understand that a PhD is equally useful outside of academia. In that way, we might not drop out, knowing that there are really great job opportunities outside universities. So, I'd say, try to push through if you can, knowing that you won't have to remain in the toxic academic environment for too long.
I life after a month. Did not feel an imposter. I was too interested in making a living. I had my own company 😌 by the time I would have finished the PhD....
Very interesting video , looove your channel , from iraq
The number about fellowships is interesting, but does not demonstrate causality: in Belgium, the best MSc students can successfully compete for an FWO fellowship, and these (strong) students are also the most likely to complete - not because their income is stable, but because they were in the top 10% of MSc students. This is also reflected in the completion rate of magna/summa cum laude students...
I completed my PhD study in seven years. I'm glad that I made it. It was hard but a great experience.
What did you do to make it through the program?
@@hannna_b3522 Attended the classes which were required by the program, wrote a publishable paper which was required for getting into the position of PhD candidate, defended the proposal, wrote the dissertation under the direction of the advisor, and defended to become a doctor. Meanwhile, I worked as a TA or AI most of the time, sometimes was funded by the university (fellowship or scholarship).
I got caught up in a nasty divorce and ended up in academic posts making completion a moot point. I had an in state tuition waiver with only a couple classes and the footwork of my dissertation left to do.
great video 👏👏👏
Thank you 👍
I have just had my first phd supervisory meeting, it was horrendous and my imposter syndrome went up the roof , I have worked so hard for this scholarship, my supervisor was on about viva and how should I make sure to pass the oral examination. This made it 100 times worse.
Pressure starts from day 1.
@@francishunt562 yeah true but he was on about something I will be doing in next three-year time.
you have a magnificent beard sir
How to choose an international supervisor if you don't know anything about it?
You need to interview them before going there. And yeah, it's hard to tell.
I didn't give up my PhD but my 2 working friends did. We were working in the same field and their reason was " I don't see any motivation, the research project is going everywhere and no specific objective."
Seems a fairly weak reason to be honest. The way I see it is that those two friends took the places of other applicants who may have made a success of the PhD project.
PhDs are high stakes investments and highly competitive. Both of those factors will marginalize women regardless what the topic at hand is.
I feel as if I’m ready to give up my CS degree too smh 🤦🏾♂️
Due to conflict with my supervisor I've dropped from PhD to MScR to complete the research and move on. Could you provide some advice on starting a PhD again somewhere else? I feel the application may be more difficult as it may not appear favourable that I didn't complete it the first time I tried. If you already have a video on the subject could you please link it, (as i couldn't find one when searching)?
Neurodiverse ( autism , ADHD, dyspraxia , dyslexia etc )especially undiagnosed ?
I start in a fortnight. Fully funded, married, high mark in my Masters... If I drop out, it will probably be health related, although I intend to push through.
I will need coffee, however.😏
Good luck, and make sure you see your supervisor at least once a week. I do agree with the video that this is the most important part.
@@francishunt562 Currently it's once a month but I guess it's early days. 😕
You don't answered the Question: does is even Worth to Begin with the PhD at the beginning? a) who Pays and b) does Your Salary gets Bigger? in slow technical transition to better technologies eh?
I am about to finish my master's, and I am thinking of doing a doctorate degree. However, I am not sure what will be achieved after years of doing a PhD. Will that help me get an executive role in a good company?
Depends on your subject, but I would say most people with a PhD go down the academic career route.
What a PhD will bring you depends entirely on the subject you study. If you study international dance theory then no, you ain't going to get an executive job in a company. A PhD in economics might become a CFO, a PhD in engineering might become a CTO, a PhD in business management or such might become a CEO. This all depends.
Hi Andy, can not pull up the video
✅ ALL Scriptures against submission to an evil pope/bishop -
🔘Gal. 1:8 - "If anyone brings a different gospel, Let him be ACCURSED."
🔘Gal. 2:11 - "When Peter came to me I opposed him to his face."
🔘Rev. 2:20 - "TEST Apostles who come to you, for many false apostles have gone out."
🔘2 John 1:10 - "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this gospel, do not Receive him into the house, or give him any greeting, for however greets him shares his wicked work."
🔘Jude 1:3 - "CONTEND for the faith [against Lgbtq-ism] which was once for all delivered to the saints."
🔘1 Cor. 5:12 - "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?"
🔘Malachy 2:2ff - "O priests, I WILL CURSE YOUR BLESSINGS, and I will spread DUNG on his faces, & cast you out from my presence, because you don't try to honor me."
Importer syndrome becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
I would rather focus for 3 years on starting a company than doing PhD.
The success rate is even lower. Innovative startups have lottery ticket like payoffs and you're better off either investing only your own money or working for an existing firm.
sound is good for me
Wow!
Hello Andy I tried to reach you by email without succeeding... I got your e-books but I would like to have a printing version and I need your authorization to do that here in Denmark, Please check your email. Nice video BTW...good to know since I got accepted for a Ph.D.
I think the "u" in "cum" (latin for "with") is supposed to be pronounced like the one in "super", for example. Less awkward 🙂
A+
I can't hear the sound on this video
what?
You're not dropping out... you're making the logical choice. Source: quit grad school and now make $100k+ before bonus working while not one of my PhD cohort has a job better than a post doc position. Some still haven't gotten their PhD. Get a masters. Let academia die. It's grown too fat. Let industry replace it.
I fundamentally disagree with what you are saying here. Industry cannot replace academia, because 1) industry needs to focus on relatively short-term goals and thus will not support any fundamental research (which slowly undermines the ability to do applied research) and 2) the goal of industry is to make money, not benefit society.
What needs to happen is that the power of big business is broken and that proper finding is allocated to social institutions like schools, universities, and hospitals.
@@sirmclovin9184 ideas that don't result in benefit to the public goes unfunded. Only a set number of individuals are equipped with the skills to even generate a firm failure, let alone a positive result. These individuals should be evident by undergrad. If not then, then certainly by a masters. The academic system encourages keeping the ignorant but useful in low paying positions, completing experiments that can be taken advantage of by a senior researcher. If you have the skills, you get the pay, you get equal opportunity to job opportunities to discover something important. Companies are encouraged to pour grants, 3rd party funding, and their own money into generating as many failures as possible to narrow down a set goal.
A new industry could be created to verify results and kill the cancer that is academic journalism.
If you're smart enough to get into a PhD program, you're smart enough to run a restaurant. You'll likely get more money by franchising than finding a profitable position in academia. From every angle, the uni system is predatory by design. Itsno wonder you see so many of the most wealthy dropping out.
I am not saying it isn't fundamentally broken, because it is. All I am saying is that democratization, not privatization is the answer.
"Cum" is Latin for "With". "Summa cum laude" means "With highest honours". I would have expected someone with a Phd to know this.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have a dirty mind.
Mandatory, that's not what it's for so you can do heroin.
Just got my funding cut ✂️. Due to DIE diversity inclusion and equity .
Really downed the moral of our team
I see someone gave this the thumbs up, and sumone also gave it the thumbs down.
So some want to pretend this isn't real. I'm telling you it's real. As if there isn't plenty of evidence.
📖 📕 📘
They gave your funding to someone else because they were a woman, you mean?
Yeah, in industry and especially startups women get preferential treatment too. Most of them don't make it anyway.
@@samsonsoturian6013 yea . Just like as a youngster.. they had a government program for young entrepreneurs. Guys would get turned down for great software construction ideas.
But women would get funding for selling flowers. Blatant quota system I guess.
In my field of engineering, they go out of their way to hire women engineers.
Now I think we're just as capable. But let be honest and accept that less of them want to do engineering, so stop trying to make things 50/50.
As with everything, no point to waste time on it I complaint. Just move on..
@@fdggfgdfgd251 quotas simply don't work because men tend to be interested in the sciences while women in the arts.
@@samsonsoturian6013 but when someone's job is to enforce the quotas .. it becomes accepted. And .. you know, a topic not to be discussed.
No one in academia, except a few speak out against it.
young girls who are at it part time. obviously this is just a waiting platform for them. As soon as a better offer comes along they are out of there. It is female mentality to take something up just to get a better offer. most of them score during their under grad and don't make it to phd.
AVOID mRNA shots.. and fluoridated water... among other things