Thank you for sharing this! Perhaps you could do this later in your life! I actually finished my PhD on January 6th, 2019. I was 71 when I finished! You have a lot of time to explore! Enjoy your life!
I quit my PhD in Computer Science to emigrate to another country. I retired 2 years ago at age 42. Now I play piano as a hobby and watch videos of people that also quit their PhD. Life is non-linear, regardless what your goals are.
You overcame one of the most common and powerful human errors known to economics "Sunk Cost Fallacy" - congratulations. The ability to know when to quit is one of the greatest skills to ever learn.
this is so me! i took the course i dont like during degree and even when i aced it i didn't feel content. it does not make you happy excelling in something you despise. even after the degree i wanted to shift course but my parents did not approve it. at the end i continued master in the same field!!! and now phd!!! how stupid i am???!! why am i doing this to myself. im sacrificing my life for parents who do not really understand me and took me as a property to show off to their peers and friends. sometimes i am suicidal and wanna run away. but covid comes and said NO. oh i am so depressed. i keep on doing mistakes!!!!! i wanna diee!!!
@@amirulhakim9944 probably that a lot of stress and constantly looking into books. knowing theres a deadline so fort.. can cause premature aging/looking stressed.
A Doctorate isn't the be all and end all. I have the experience research and writing experience and the paper certificate is largely meaningless to me. As are the other degrees. It's what we find in ourselves and the application to the career or work we choose that matters.
that shame is self-inflicted usually so no worries. people dont care u have a phd or not. ppl care if u have a job with good pay....thats from my experience.
I applied to 9 different schools throughout the US for a PhD in pharmacology after receiving my masters in the field at 40 years old. I had all A’s in my masters and had excellent recommendations. I wasn’t accepted into any program. I only had been called for one interview and was basically interrogated and shamed for my undergraduate performance which was more than 20 ago when so was a confused messed up kid. Despite the fact that I had stellar grades in my masters program and a successful career in information technology. While I was crushed at the time, looking back, I’m glad to have not been stuck in the toxic cesspool that is academia.
Sorry to hear that, My Master advisor said to me: You’re not a Ph.D. Material!!! He broke me so I’ve applied to a different university in US for my ph.D got my degree and now I’m an assistant professor and I have a US utility patent, so I’ve proven to myself that I’m worthy to get ph.D and so you are! It’s some of these bad examples of professors who are cruel and disgusting that ruin the image of academia.
I feel like you had bad luck. My dad is 60 and going back for his Ph.D in electrical engineering. My dad is kind of a legend since he’s simultaneously working full time as an engineer with a masters so it’s doable
Man now that is role model. I am currently working as a full time civil engineer and wanted to go back and do my PhD. My only concerns were if the PhD would start leaking into my work time and cause me the job since it so demanding.@@emiliomartineziii2980
We are so impressed by your calm, clear-headed approach to this transition, Toby! Both of us left our PhD programs ABD as well, and we never went back. Sometimes we wonder about the road not taken...but you are doing it with such a positive attitude! We think this will be very helpful to other grad students wrestling with this decision. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone.
My only observation is that TH-cam careers, even the most successful, tend to be like a box of fireworks. They are bright and boisterous, full of excitement and surprise, but they explode and fizzle out quickly. Fun, then aching emptiness, like a summer romance. If science communication is your passion, take every opportunity to transition to other media. You are very independent and self-driven, but you may just enjoy working in a team for a change. Leave the books and introspection behind by all means, but don’t put all your eggs into the TH-cam basket.
I realize that you're trying to look out for someone, but honestly, the biggest TH-camrs, the ones that now RUN teams instead of just being a part of one, began by committing 100% to making TH-cam work.
LivingEidolon but even those TH-camrs who “made it” are at the mercy of a whole slew of factors. Content claims seem to be the biggest issue with youtube at the moment. A very small handful of creators have had longevity in their youtube careers.
I imagine being on youtube is much more than only that. it's about meeting people, building up networks, finding out new areas of interest, coming up with new ideas, new plans, new projects. sure, it ends up on youtube, for now, but that is just the mushroom, what lies beneath the surface is an entire mycelium of activity and opportunity
I dropped out of high school. Best decision I ever made. Left home, kicked around, did a lot of growing up, traveled (ironically, to Australia). After 3 years, I went back and finished high school with motivation, was accepted to a university, worked my way through a bachelors degree and PhD in engineering. I had a great career and am now happily retired. I laud your courage in leaving your PhD. You are lucky to have a path to follow that you love and the wisdom to recognize it. Two thumbs up.
1000% if I could have done this i definitely would have. I would always suggest to people I know who are younger than me that going to uni straight away is not a necessity. I wonder how much happier I would have been if I took your route!
Brian Taylor similarly, I dropped out of high school, moved away to different country, had a family and four children and now I am back enjoying every bit of it :D life doesn’t follow one path
@Tate Greeves Generally speaking I take exception to being called a liar, but in this instance I'll let it pass because you are either a troll or a fool, or both.
I barely made it through my master's degree at the end of 3 years. I learned there's a big difference between studying a lot of different topics and taking exams, versus banging your head against the same problem day after day, week after week (and often having few/no people to consult for help). I don't see any reason to feel shame if a PhD is not working for you. Good luck with whatever you pursue next!
@@xCorvus7x I think my situation is rather normal, I'm not quite at the point where I'm doing my own research (nor have I 100% settled on an area of research). It was hard at first, because in undergrad and early grad school, I was able to just sit down with a problem and solve it, maybe after some struggle. Now, more than anything, my ability to fight and be scrappy, to attack a problem over and over and over, hopelessly, is what's getting tested, and I think that's very important for research. One of my current classes is basically like this: there are three students and the professor. Some days there are lecture, and we are told what to read before the next course and what problems we will be attempting. Next class, we divide into groups of two (one of us is with the professor of the class) and attempt to solve the problems together. We divide up the work, each writeup some specific problem/part, and essentially "referee" each other's papers. As my professor told me, "you have to be scrappy." Not being able to sit down and solve a problem was really hard for me and it made me give up and question whether or not I actually belonged, but my advisors and professors stress to me that it is supposed to be that hard.
@@EpicMathTime As a Maths Undergraduate I really appreciate your comments. It's incredibly helpful to know in advance how it is like after the more basic levels of higher education.
UPDATE VID: th-cam.com/video/fRrdz54oH8g/w-d-xo.html A huge thanks for all of the support you have shown in the comments. I'm happy to see so many stories from people who can relate and who have insights from their own experience. If you would like to support my journey through Patreon you can do so here www.patreon.com/Tibees
You did wrong, Toby. The biophysics department will play a very important role in the design of Liposomal Nanoparticles that will form the basis of future translational medicine and regenerative medicine therapies. You could have been working very well in high-paid positions and scientifically satisfied with your job.
Not a PhD, but I quit my first job after 3 months of working there. And the video seems like you've reached into my psyche and pulled out what I feel. Good luck to the both of us.
Just so everyone knows Elayna is definitely wearing underwear in this photograph. We were there. We have also double checked the photo, cross referenced it with the matching undies, done a high res MRI of the thumbnail and had our people in Coober Pedy (which is Australia’s Washington) go over it with a magnifying glass and fine tooth comb. They sent it to the International Classification of Media who sent it back to Australian where it ultimately fell under the “Classification (Publications, Films and Computer games) Act 1995” and after a 6 month trial an opinion poll and an online referendum the photograph was stamped in the high court of Australia as “Vagina Free Content” and has been given a Parental Guidance Recommendation in Australia and several other members of the United Nations but is still pending in Uzbekistan, New Guinea and Tasmania. Please, as always, relax and enjoy.
i literally cried while watching to this! i just got my master's degree on science and i'm on the first year of my PhD in one of the most renowned universities in Brazil and i keep asking everyday "what am i doing, REALLY? does it worth, do i want to be a professor, etc" and it makes me so sad, so many people that would like to be here where I AM now and i just keep thinking that maybe this is not the right way to go RIGHT NOW. there is do many other ways to do R&D, but would i be able to do it in a big indrustry after 4 years without any experience? after all, doing PhD in Brazil is sooo frustrating, people don't see you as a worker, you're just a regular student "who get paid for studying" and most people, even your family, don't see you in a job when what we do is ACTUALLY our job.
A cultura de estudo no brasil é realmente uma bosta, se voce nao for mt forte e tiver mt convicçao vc se sente mal por ESTUDAR. Familia e sociedade nao entendem e só pioram a situaçao, mas tem que continuar!!! Voce é mt importante pro futuro da civilizaçao como um todo, forças aí!!!
Deixa de mimimi e vai terminar seu PhD… você contraiu a síndrome de não saber se casa ou se compra uma bicicleta…😂😂😂 eu terminei o meu há 35 anos, tive apenas 4 anos pra fazer mestrado e doutorado, casado com 2 filhos de 5 e 3 anos… deixa de frescura e cai de cabeça na pesquisa… ou então larga tudo sem ficar dando desculpinhas… Já tive muitos orientados q largaram o doutorado e estão muito felizes com a vidinha medíocre deles.
I just got my Phd in physics in Nov 2018, took me 6 years total. There are so many things I want to say, I could write pages. The stress and anxiety get worse, yes, its what happens when you put years of your young life into one basket. Even if you stick it out and successfully defend, you need to make some really important decisions. What next? Stay on the train or get off? Staying on means post-docs for another 2 to 5 years. Even then only like 10 to 20% of post docs get a faculty position. Get off means starting a career you should have started 6 years ago. Most companies dont care about your obscure research. Hopefully you made a few contacts over the years, cause thats how you land an inyerview as a phd. At this point your probably in your late 20s or well into your 30s. You start thinking about things that maybe you had to push off. All of a sudden that "its all about the science" attitude seems silly and you start considering salary, family, your future.
I am currently thinking of getting on the train and pursue my masters. But all of the things you mentioned has been on my mind since forever and I am still hesitating. It would be nice if you can share more of your thoughts, even though I am not in the science field.
Ace young’s double slit experiment showed that light travels in waves. A light wave travels trough two slits, separating the wave thus creating two waves. These waves then interfere either constructively (peak+peak or trough+trough) or destructively (peak+trough) at different points. This causes the the pattern of numerous alternating light and dark bands you see, with constructive interference creating light bands and destructive interference creating dark bands (because the waves cancel each other out). If light didn’t travel in waves, you would just see two light bands(which corresponds to the number of slits)
Congratulations on getting your Phd!! I’ll be starting college soon, but I am constantly plagued by one question: can people still be motivated and inspired by something they’ve been doing everyday for years? Would you say that when you go to work every morning, you don’t see it having to push yourself and are still genuinely excited by what you’re working on ? I would really value your input on this (specially since I also hope to continue pursuing my education in the sciences as part of the BME community) ! Nonetheless, I wish you all the happiness and success.
1:55 You could do a video about it. Tell us what you believe is wrong in the academic environment or make you feel uncomfortable. However it is strange what you say. I could not really get if you are really sure about what you are doing. Most of the people that quit are people who doesn't really care about being still learning new things. But that doesn't seem to be your case. It seems that you fancy this but is kind of tired with some other stuff. You are young and maybe with one year or two for yourself you might get better what is best for you.
I'm defending my PhD next month. I'm glad I followed through, but I'm also glad you had the courage to leave if you felt it was best for you. Everything about that "straight line" path is full of stress. Follow the path you feel is right. Humans are weird creatures, and our minds work better when we feel fulfilled. Pursue what inspires you.
Writing a thesis isn't a matter of smarts, it's a matter of how much you can suffer. But no matter whether you finally make it, you got the experience and the expertise and the time was not wasted if it brought you forward.
That's exactly it. My first job was a position that would have required, at least, five years of industry experience and I had none. Why did they hire me, anyway? Because that's how much the PhD counts out there in the work environment. It adds years to your resume.
It's very impressive how I found this video just in the right time, I quit my physics PhD also this week, and my thoughts about it were so confussing. I didn't know if it was right or wrong, if I was doing a favour to myself or just doing an stupid decision. But after hearing all of your reasons, I actually have to say that I'm so happy to have watched this video, you gave me a way to structurate my feelings and thoughts and they're so similar to the way I'm actually feeling. Thanks for that, and as you said, we are brave! And we will get through this! Greetings from Mexico! :D
que chido que en los 90s hacías cualquier cosita de doctorado y asegurabas una chamba chida con SNI y todo las renuncias a los doctorados se deben mayormente a la falta de empleos pero antes era bien fácil
It's called an ML algorithm. TH-cam, or more specifically Google, knows more about you than you think. That's why this video was recommended to you. Most people don't know this but Google literally tracks you every couple of seconds via your smartphone. They even heuristically predict your mode of locomotion. Even if you're offline.
Thank you for this. I recently withdrew from my PhD (September 2019, after beginning in summer 2015). So I spent most of the previous 4 years focusing on getting through my PhD, ignoring more and more signs that I wasn't in the right place. I allowed my health (physical and mental) to suffer. I allowed my hobbies to fall by the wayside. Perhaps worst of all, I allowed the best romantic relationship I've ever been in (perhaps the best I'll *ever* be in) to suffer, and I hurt the most important person in my life because of my own blindness. I'll have to live with that forever, and it's a guilt that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I don't mind making a misstep; I *do* wish I had learned my lesson at least a little sooner. I have learned from the process, but the price was too high. So props to *you* for making the right decision for yourself. When it comes to my field, I'm a teacher first, and everything else second. The academic treadmill is unfair, abusive, and often stifling to the sort of passion and creativity that some of the best teachers and communicators have. People who say you should "just" finish a PhD are delusional; they don't understsnd what you're feeling if they can say so flippantly that you should continue subjecting yourself to the pain, stress, and dissonance that your studies were clearly causing. So for what it's worth coming from someone in a very similar situation -- right down to being recruited with a prestigious scholarship (a fellowship, technically), having an adviser who was excited at the prospect that I might leave and be happy (she actually suggested to *me* that I leave because she saw the toll it was taking on me), and having a passion for learning and sharing that with others (I've taught in local colleges as well as online and plan to continue doing so) -- you're doing exactly the right thing. That is, the right thing for *you*, and it is your passion to stay on that path that has earned the respect and admiration of people who follow your journey. If you inspire people, it isn't because you're chasing a piece of paper; it's because you're you. Continuing to follow the best path for you is the most inspiring thing you ever could have done. If you want to be that light for others, then you've only become that much brighter by sticking to a path that is true to you. Keep doing what you're doing. That is, follow what you enjoy. The rest of us will be here excitedly watching and journeying with you 😊 Sincerely, Geoff -- Teacher... and Non-PhD
You're strong. You're the inspiration for this world. Missteping sometimes is the best move we can do it. You've teached me lesson right now. You deserve more than a title of phd, you're a teacher.
I hear you. I am in a PhD program currently and I've thought about leaving a number of times. I have also become disillusioned with academia because of certain happenings. I still have a lot of things pushing me forward, but you are definitely not alone! I am glad you made the right choice for you.
Can you cite a few things which made you disillusioned towards academia? I felt the same for a time during my Masters in Engineering and after 3 years in the corporate I am thinking of going back to academia to pursue a PhD. Your examples may help me to gain a better clarity of my decisions are well thought out or not.
Hello, @@sage9836. I am current “ABD,” or “all but dissertation,” meaning I have finished all coursework and am just working on my dissertation now. So, I decided to stick with it. And I’m glad I did, because I have decided that I want to work in higher education, and for that, a PhD is recommended. Next stop is finding a job and graduation! I’ve learned a lot, and I’m going to be sure to look for a place with a work culture that fits with who I am.
@@aylaludwig Hello, so good to hear that you've almost made it! I'm currently in the final year of my master's programme and intend to get a PhD after. Although I do have some doubts in my mind about it. Could you please share the experiences that led to your disillusionment with academia? If it's not too personal, of course. I wish you well on the rest of your academic journey!
I love the fact that you just keep smiling all throughout the video, I love your content and I don't really care about what you strive for as long as you're happy, love you.
No sensible person is going to judge you for quitting your Ph.D program. There is so many reasonable reasons for doing other things. In particular if you are not enjoying it anymore, then you have probably made a wise decision. All the best wishes to you! I hope you will keep making videos on related topics! You are a great communicator!
Look at it this way. As a result, you are here giving a real "original contribution to human knowledge" that reaches some 1.2M people. Not many PhDiers, including myself, can say that. Congratulations
She out here quitting her phd, when i feel like quitting my first year lol Edit: i was close to giving up, now I’m transferring to one of the prestigious school in canada. Thanks for the support!
Hang in there. I was feeling the same but I decided to put the hours in and actually understand what I'm learning (Mathematics) and it's going much better. I will get a 1st even if it kills me.
I was very close to quitting my first year too, but stuck with it got a first, did masters and actually did my full PhD too. Then found out you do not simply go from PhD to teaching (well, you can, but it's like rolling a die, and I kept rolling a 1 for a couple of years, which btw is maybe more time than Tibees would have wasted if she had just completed her PhD anyway, but who am I to judge). I have seen other colleagues take many decades down that path even if they did get into teaching at uni, and still not get Professor status in their 50s and 60s. While one relatively young man (maybe in 40s) had been in industry and was accepted straight into Professor status when he rejoined academia. So that's a more promising route. I may be going down that convoluted route and eventually rejoin academia when I'm in my 40s or 50s - if I feel like it, that is. And if I get to be a Prof like that guy did.
I was in a similar situation, but stayed longer despite increasing pressure, disinterest, and disillusionment. In hindsight, I wished I got out earlier than pushing on and digging myself deeper into what felt like an abyss. Mental health is real concern for the life of a PhD student, for many, spending long hours in a lab, or long periods working solitary in an office, can be demotivating. I think there is a cultural taboo within Academia to discuss these difficulties.
I actually didn't even know that you are a phd student, I just really like your inspiring attitude and as long as that doesn't change, I will be around for much longer : )
When I saw the notification with title, "I quit my PhD", I screamed NO!!! mentally, but then snap because I understand that you have your reason, you know what's best for you, and as my inspiration, I'll support you with whatever good path that you will take! 😇 I hope you're doing well Tibees!! 😁😊
@@SreeTejaSimhaGemaraju Well, if we know ourselves better, I believe we can decide wiser for the best. Actually, sometimes we think that we're gonna make a wrong decision, but in some way, wrong decision can be really the right one. I just love Tibees for being true to herself. That kind of authenticity is seemingly hard to find these days.
I have been following you for a year now. You are one of my greatest inspirations: You are polite, patient, kind and smart (really smart). For the past few months, I’ve been watching your videos on a daily basis and learning a lot more that I have ever learned in school. One of the things I noticed right away while hearing you expand on things, was that you had an entrepreneur personality. I honestly think that you made the right decision, because I am completely sure that whatever project you are working on is completely worth it. Let’s just say that you have that Elon Musk vibe...
No judgement here! Congrats on making the hard decisions! I quit a masters program in chemistry for similar reasons. I'm excited for what opportunities are going to open up to you now.
Fellow PhD dropout who is also quite disillusioned with the academic system! Thanks for putting this out there. People need to understand that it is not worth spending more time doing something that sucks joy out of you just because of "sunk costs" ♥️
I flunked out of a Master of Science education. Worked crap jobs for a year. Started a new Master of Science education at another university and got my degree. The road is not always straight or the path clear. Just walk it anyway and let things take care of themselves.
Thank you. I flunked my bachelors nearly 10 years ago as it wasn't the right time for me, but I felt and still feel like a failure. I hope to return to another university next year to continue my journey.
You're fortunate you figured this out early, many people get into a career they don't like and stick with it because they invested everything into it. Being able to make dynamic decisions as you go is a valuable trait in life!
I quit my PhD 3 years after starting! I regret the time I spent not being happy, getting paid badly. Well done for taking this step at an earlier point! :)
I did the same thing last year. Quit my PhD position in NYC and moved back to europe in my third year. It was the best decision in my live, I now have a great job and I am about to be married to a wonderful woman
I took two years out working in industry between finishing my Masters in Electronic Engineering and just recently starting a PhD in Quantum Engineering and I'm super glad I did. Working in industry I met lots of cool people, learnt lots, became more confident in my abilities (and my employability) and it allowed me to generally mature. I wish you the best of luck!
Life is too short to do something you don't enjoy. I quit college and my job. I moved 1600 miles away and I am now writing a book because I want to be an author. Chase your dreams! 😊💕
I really struggle with my self confidence and what I want to do with my life. I've always felt inferior to people who've achieved academic success. It's comforting knowing that people, even when they seem so above me, go through the same struggles. Thank you for your honesty on the subject. I hope that we all can find our own version of happiness.
No need to feel inferior! We're all human and with the same struggles and emotions. Nobody takes their degrees and accolades to their grave. There are things that matter WAY WAY more. Selfless service to the country or to the poor and destitute counts for more in my books.
I can totally relate. I quit my PhD in plant genetic resources as well and I feel that anyone should quit anything when they can't do it anymore. It shouldn't be normal to feel this way during a PhD and it is important to find the courage to walk away. I have friends who gave up their life for the PhD and I genuinely feel sorry for them. Great to hear your story!!
This is how I feel in my Masters program but everyone around is telling me “Don’t quit.” I never quit... I’m not a quitter but as I’m closing in on year 2 of 3 the journey gets less appealing. I haven’t quit because I’m terrified of giving up and am on the fence. Thank you for sharing this... it helps to know other people feel the same way.
@bihbhkjbnlk if you are feeling this way i suggest you to drop out there are alot of things you can do. It is the worst thing to continue doing things that you don't want to.
Felt the same way. You will feel satisfied when you know you wanted to do it and actually tried it and realized it wasn’t for you. No regrets there. You gave yourself the chance and found it it wasn’t the best for you.
These are the moments when you must rely on your instinct to define your path. You must not feel that you are a disappointment to anyone - quite the opposite Tibees, as you inspire me and countless others to revel in the joy of learning. Thank you! Know that you are indeed appreciated and admired for all you do, and the courage you display!
Dear Toby, You have been blessed with the kind of personality that I wish was more common in the world. You have no idea how precious you are. Keep doing what you are with this channel. My faith in humanity remains intact. Respectfully.
While I knew that my phd wasn't for me anymore, I struggled with admitting it to myself and to the people around me. I was mainly afraid of disappointing my mentor (whom I appreciate a lot). Your way of explaining your thoughts process leading to your final decision really resonated with my own and I now feel less anxious about it. So a huge thank you from a new fan on the other side of the planet!
I recently stepped out of my phd program too and completely resonate with your thoughts. It has been 20 days and so far there is always one moment in my entire day where I contemplate and ask my inner voice whether I made a right decision or not but this feeling of enthusiasm that "i can pursue my passion now" overpowers any exasperation related to my decision whatsoever. A big thing about a higher education degree such as PhD very less people know is that "it can be pursued anytime in your life if it is not your dream career and is just an "add on" achievement to your persona. Thanks for voicing the exact thoughts of people like us!
I just want to say that I appreciate your candor and honesty in this video. I just finished my PhD (graduating this Sunday) and I can empathize with your various points. I've been there as well. There are many paths and not everyone can or should do a PhD. There is lots of institutional problems with the system that need to be addressed. Thank you for helping to bring them to light. Ultimately, happiness is more important than a PhD.
I'm a 3rd year PhD student and I struggle with data analysis that makes me sometimes feel frustrated. I think your supervisor who can help you to achieve your goal or force you to quit your phd.
I know I'm coming in a bit late into this video, but I did just want to contribute to this conversation as a fellow PhD student that pursuing a PhD takes an incredible amount of passion for the topic you study. A lack of passion can make it incredibly difficult to forge through a graduate-level program, and I think the discordance of pursuing a PhD without that passion is injustice to the pursuer and their intellectual potential. Finding the right field of study, lab and/or university requires much of the intimacy, passion, and vulnerability to finding the right partner. For many of us, we don't find the perfect partner the first time, and likewise, we don't find the perfect graduate program the first time. I am humbled by your bravery to both acknowledge that you were not in the right field of study and to also take action to address that by leaving the program - many of us would have suffered through the program to only end up burnt out with a degree we never wanted. I am so confident that you will find your fulfillment, and I can't wait to learn more about your adventures getting there.
Having finished my PhD I can confirm - at some point you have to find passion for your subject. For me it came with a visualization - I could literally see in my mind eye what I expected to happen. From that came the experiements I wanted to do to confirm my expectations and a huge part of the thesis is literally just showing charts with the results of the experiments. Sure - writing the stuff down was the hard part for me - I don't think you can get through that if you are not convinced of doing the right thing. With hindsight - I finished the PhD almost 30 years ago - I don't think it was much of an advantage for my carreer. Nonetheless it feels a privileg to me, if you get payed (poorly) and (elderly) equipment to follow your passion.
I quit my PhD, my wife quite hers and after a little while is doing another one. Sometimes it's just not the right path. By having the guts to quit you learn more about yourself than you would if you just stayed on because it was the default path. Good luck for the future.
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT It makes for weak people but it isn't a bad thing for those willing to put in the sweat and tears needed to reach the top. We're living in weird times man.
I actually got really inspired by you years ago and I started a physics degree around the same time I started watching you. I hated the degree but I felt like I had to keep investing in the mistake just because I had spent so much time on it. I saw this video and I was surprised that you quit but it helped me leave my degree behind and study something I found more fun even thought I still enjoy your videos and learning about physics in a non academic context!!!
Honestly, I needed so badly to hear this today. You are even MORE of an inspiration to me than you already were. As someone who is taking a non-traditional path through academia, I often feel anxious and that I've done/ am doing something wrong... That I am somehow less-than because I encountered obstacles and needed to do things a little differently. It is really comforting to know even someone who is as bright and accomplished as you isn't sticking to the first path you showed. The conventional way isn't the only right way to do something!
I'm a PhD student myself (EE) and I've thought about quitting multiple times (and I don't even want to be a professor, just work in industry). Dropping out is a very common thing, and part of me is jealous of those who do... Cheers from Stanford!
A PhD is not really necessary for working in the industry. Experience is more valuable. If you already have a Master's degree and you don't want to be a professor, a PhD is not really worth it. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Thanks for sharing this video. I’ve just decided to take a leave of absence from my phd program after finishing 3 years. At first, I thought I shouldn’t have dragged it this far, but I’m glad I did. It’s bittersweet but I can’t wait to finally explore life, explore myself! If there are anyone considering quitting or taking a break, you are not alone.
You’ve said that somewhere along the way you’ve lost what you initially wanted from physics. I got drawn into physics for the same reason as you did, I also wanted to know the answer to all those big questions like the nature of the reality, is there anything fundamental that we don’t see. Now I’m in a similar situation as you. I’m in my early years of physics PhD program. I’m doing high energy theory/gravity theory at Princeton, the place where this stuff is supposed to be good. I can tell you that this area is dead, though many people are reluctant to admit it. To keep things short. We’re very unlikely to get any new fundamental physics which is different from good ol’ quantum field theory from 1970s below Planckian energies, and we are not going to get there experimentally. All the big theories like strings and holography also mostly ran out of ideas. Every year people are studying either simpler or more technical or mathematical theories than in the past. I can elaborate on that, but this is where we stand. It is very likely that our understanding of fundamental laws of nature is going to halt for a while. Maybe people will discover something new, but it will unlikely happen in our lifetime. I’m sure I’m not the first person who tells you all this. Of course physics will remain a good problem solving area, but it will not be about those grand questions you wanted to discover, which was my dream too. Physics and academia are strange places and certainly don’t have a monopoly on interesting and challenging stuff. I wish that you find what you truly like and passionate about.
I can totally relate with you. I can promise u I have had that feeling in me, doing my PhD had like threw me into nights where I have literally horrified and terrified and left me in total tears. But but but I knew if I just left I would have been labelled a quitter and me being an international student will leave me no where but to go home to my country of origin, tell u what that was my main motivation that kept me going and going and going and finally in March 2020 I survived PhD. I got my PhD. I know there were downside of doing a PhD but the reasons to stay outweighed the reasons to quit my PhD and finally I got my PhD. Now I have a PhD at 28 years of age and now trying to figure out what am i supposed to do with my life.
I'm only 5 minutes into the video, and I had the same experience, well although I didn't even make it nearly as far as you in education, but never the less I decided I could do better things on my own. Basically I really wanted to learn, but I felt that the time I was spending in college was getting in the way of learning.
We actually choose what to study and develop, unlike in undergraduate programmes where you have to pick courses from a list. I meant there is nothing there to get in the way. But rather what we study has no answer and we have to produce our own proof to justify our own conclusion to a problem.
This is possibly the most candid, heartfelt video I've ever seen by an academic scholar. As someone who contemplated leaving grad school before completing a PhD (in astrophysics), I congratulate you in your clarity in making the right decision and your willingness to share your thoughts with us. So many will benefit from this video. People pursuing academic studies should be aware that the amount of time it takes to finish a PhD is uncertain. It sound like you, Toby, were 2-3 years away. But it always takes longer than one thinks, especially for brilliant people such as yourself, who have many interests, other pursuits, and/or who wish to explore many of the "side paths" of their own research project. This is normal, not bad, but it is time consuming. And bad things can happen along the way also. PhDs are only granted to those who have contributed original research. That means that if someone else publishes the discovery you are working on, it is no longer original. There were two people in my PhD program who had to abandon years of research because they were "scooped" by a discovery made by someone else! One of them switched his research to a simpler project using a local telescope....which was then damaged and put out of commission by an earthquake! Two of my classmates in grad school took 9 years to earn their PhD, and then immediately left the field, disenchanted. pursuing Thanks again for making this video, and I look forward to viewing your other videos, and seeing what you come up with next.
i am also a phd, struggling to graduate, even though i wont quit since i still have interests in my research. I am glad you made your choice and best luck to rest of your new life!!
A brave decision that I truly respect. I'm studying psychology (I'm mostly here to learn a bit more about physics), and being a master student for half a year now I already know that I won't apply for a PhD. I love what I'm doing, but it always feels like..., I don't know, fighting? I have lost quite a few of my hobbies over the past few years, I always have to make compromises and there is only so much time to invest. I'm happy with what I got, but I feel like that's gonna be it. It might be still a bit away, but I'm already happy with the decision that I'm going to make. So yeah, I really understand and respect that.
I just discovered your channel today, and I've been listening while I grade calculus finals. I don't have a PhD; I felt like I bumped my head on the ceiling when I was finishing my master's program. I've been a "professor" (my official title) at a community college for 40 years, and I love teaching these students. Do they have community colleges in Australia? You're definitely a great teacher and maybe youtube is your best way to share your gifts. It also occurs to me that someplace like Khan Academy could use your talents. But there are also colleges that could really use good online teachers. I also want to commend you for not just plowing on because that's the path you were on. My sister did that. After 8 horribly grueling years she got a PhD (in history) and at the end of it she was so sick of it all that she never returned to academia, never applied to be a professor, never pursued the subject at all. Like you, she followed a completely different path (she's a storyteller.) Sometimes a PhD can take someone's love of a subject and destroy it. You are so wise to listen to your heart.
@conacal rubdur The real value of a history degree is to try to keep us from making the same mistakes over and over again. As the saying is, "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
@conacal rubdur Well, I'm a math professor getting ready to retire after 40 years of teaching, so I'm not looking for a good job in industry or academia :-) My brother is a history professor and he has a pretty good job in academia.
Hi Toby, just found your channel. I withdrew from my Phd in Astrophysics at the end of 2019 and I resonated with everything discussed in your video. Wishing you all the best. What you said about not working to answer the questions that drove you into science was what I realised I wasn't doing either.
Well, your benchmark for producing TH-cam videos should be no lesser than your PhD work. TH-cam can use super specialists more than specialized generalists. We will always follow your work. All the best Tibees.
You're young once. That means way more than a couple of letters do. Knowledge means nothing without motivation. Chances are if you take the time and find out you do want to go back, you'll do it better anyway. That's what I found: Flunked out of undergrad physics/chem in my last year because I was doing it for the "get the degree" reason, when I wanted to focus on music. Focused on music and worked several different jobs for 6 years, letting my mind do its own thing, making sense of the world, exploring ideas creatively instead of didactically. Went back last year to do a B. Math Sci looking to get into research, am acing it, I'm a great tutor because I have other ways of explaining problems than the simple "this is what the book says" way, and already doing some research work with Professor's because I know what questions I want/need to ask. The straight and narrow path is A way of getting to A goal. There's also a huge number of other goals you can't know are there until you go looking off that path. A surface integral has more than a single axis of orientation. We're not computers. Efficiency isn't everything. Particularly for those interested in theoretical math and physics. Those fields are more creativity than simple textbook practice.
Very heartfelt message in this video. I'm a final year physics undergrad, and i don't know if I want to pursue a PhD later on. I'm not even totally sure about the field I want to work in because the current field I'm working in isn't interesting as much to me. It's so great to see this kind of content, it's really nice to have a whole community of educators on TH-cam. It's so right that I learn a lot here, on this platform.
This video got recommended to my now, 2 weeks after I finished my PhD (physics and geology) and honestly it couldn't be more relatable. I struggled a lot because I wanted to quit but I also wanted to finish and now I still feel confused about how I feel about this "accomplishment", I feel very proud of it but no one in my life understands me but at the same time it has not given me a future since, even if I finished it, I can't become a professor because that is just not how it works here so... I'm proud of me even if no one else is but I don't know what am I proud of since now I have to pursue a different career path and I will be struggling a lot this year because of it. I think you were so brave to quit in time and to be able to tell what would make you happy and what not. In the end, I did not quit because I couldn't find this special something that would make me happy :)
Why you can't be professor, give me some info about your case! I am sure that u will be able to become professor, this is the point of the P.hD i guess!
Phd is not for everyone. If it takes away the very passion that made you start it in the first place, it's definitely not worth it. You'll definitely move on to better things.
@Men in black No. To earn a PhD , one has to write a research paper. That definitely does not entail sitting on one's ass. Many do not have the focus nor patience to earn a PhD, and that's ok. But it's not OK to ridicule those who want to pursue a doctorate. That's why I speculate many people who do so are upset because they do not possess those traits necessary to earn a doctorate. Many of these people were lied to about their intellectual abilities.
if he actually made that choice, it wouldn't be inspiring, i would just wonder how the heck that large of a career shift even happens. thats some serious career whiplash
Thank you for sharing your story! I am on leave from my PhD program for many of the reasons you mentioned and am currently trying to decide whether my leave should be permanent. I completed 2 years of my program (MA), so it's a good inflection point. I think for myself, I feel a lot of shame as well as a sense of failure for not thriving in the path that I set out upon. I thrived in undergrad and dreamed of becoming a professor in my field, and even though I think I know deep down that the right decision to is quit I can't help but think that I was the problem, that I wasn't enough, that I didn't try enough.
I’m leaving for same reason… I can not sleep or eat properly, my stress is too much to handle. I’m sad and depress for the environment of my lab. But we are enough, we are not the problem and I’m sure we can find better job with better salary💪
You may be feeling a bit numb immediately after making the decision. A change in direction in life, especially early on, seems huge! I was set to finish my undergrad in 4 years, on time/on target, but I ran out of money in my 3rd year. I joined the National Guard (which in the States is an Army and Air Force reserve military organization which resides in the States). The State where I was going to school had a Special Forces unit (think Special Air Service Regiment) and that sounds like loads of fun and very challenging. (It was!) When I finished my training two years later, at Special Forces graduation, I was pulled aside and offered a position on a HALO/SCUBA detachment (HALO is High Altitude Low Opening parachuting). A chance to go to HALO and SCUBA schools back-to-back, especially as a really young guy, was unheard of. Plus, it sounded like great fun. So I did. That was a four year commitment, so I said, what the heck... A year later I was offered the chance to go to a clandestine Special Forces unit in Berlin with German language school on the way. I jumped at the chance - an exciting opportunity - one of the best decisions I ever made! And so it went. When I got back I was afforded opportunity after opportunity. I became a senior NCO after only 7 years in the Army. I was invited to become an officer at 9 years and finally retired at 20 years after seeing (and making) history, both known and just now being revealed. I did go back and finish my degree. I was making over $100,000 dollars at the time. I didn't need it to advance in my career, but it was one of those unfinished things that were important to me personally. It worked out. Lesson 1: Life doesn't end up the way we expect it to. Lesson 2: The path of life is ALWAYS crooked and twisting. Lesson 3: It's NEVER too late to go back to revisit your old goals. I wish you all the best. Your video was rather wistful - BE HAPPY! BE EXCITED! You are smart, you are young, you are attractive: those things will work in your favor. Find YOUR path, watch for other chances to succeed, look for things that interest you that are off the path. You'll do just fine. Tom Former Action Guy
Your description about cycling in - that is exactly how I feel driving in. I get there and just feel so miserable and uninspired. My PhD is predefined and it is extremely difficult as I feel like a research assistant when it should be my research. I don't even want to do any work in the evening and just go to bed as the emotional turmoil is utterly draining. I'm concerned about not getting accepted on another funded PhD.
This video was incredible! I did something similar to this nearly 3 years ago when I decided to switch my major 8 semesters in. I was scared my parents would be angry, but when I told my mom she responded with "it's about time you did that". It was the best decision of my life!
Dear Tibees, is that your name :) ? I have had a rather heavy heart today. I had to let go of my Ph.D. application, even upon the professor insisting that I do. I am going onto to continuing my present track to see some bigger dream come true, which again holds so many uncertainties along the way. Perhaps, the path of least resistance would have been to turn a blind eye to gains years from now to hiding in academia for a degree, in a way. But this bigger dream has always been about giving myself the opportunity to travel, see and be in many and more parts of the world. Staying where I am, should catapult me places a few years from now. However, letting this go makes me realize and appreciate what I have for me in the present. Makes me take a voluntary step into life now. NOt just hard events, but hard choices inculcate perspectives which were unknown to one in the past. The authenticity with which you speak reveals the melancholy of the hard decisions you made. Sometimes I feel alien among STEM practitioners (students, academia, and professionals) where logic takes over the conception/abstraction capacity to see bigger beauty of things, the daily interactions are just... dry. Seeing this kind of articulation just makes me empathize how lonely it might be there. All I wanted to say was, be proud of this decision. This decision is an amalgamation of your spirit and ambitions and true spirits. It deserves nothing less than to be applauded (by you, for you). If you felt alone along the way, don't. Here I am. Just a random dude out in the woop-woop somewhere on the other corner of the world, made the exact same decision today. Not an avid commenter on things on the internet, heck, let alone on a channel, that was randomly suggested 5 min before the application closing out randomly. Not sure, whos gonna spam or ridicule or this can be the butt of a joke somewhere in a Reddit thread. But hey, decisions right ;) ? /K :) P.S Yes. Not kidding when I say Woop-Woop.
More than 1.5 million views for this video! Imagine the level of global frustration around the world, how many people are suffering doing a Ph.D. (including myself)!
I hear you loud and clear. I quit my PhD at an Australian university after 2.5 years of awful experiences. The university let me down badly by failing to provide me with adequate supervision. I was on my own without a supervisor for over a year. My PhD was 75% complete when I quit. Quitting my PhD was the best decision I ever made. It was immediately freeing and I never looked back. Now I have a job where I earn great money and I can switch off my brain at 5pm when I leave the office and not take it home with me.
Wow I cannot describe how much better this video made me feel. I did physics and just one week ago took a leave of absence from my biomedical engr PhD program for exactly the same reasons. This was just so encouraging what a perfect time to see it. Thank you so much
" . . . disillusioned with the academic system as a whole . . . " 2 minutes in and this keeps getting more and more relatable to my college experience!
I worked as a senior tutor and part-time lecture when I wasfinishing up my research master. It was a real eye opener. I thought politics in business was bad until I worked at university. So, I returned to business and never looked back.
Thank you for such an authentic video. I am currently doing my masters and resonate with so much of what you said. I am halfway through and will likely try to stick it out. But it is so reassuring to hear that changing one's path is not the end of the world.
Thank you for sharing this! Perhaps you could do this later in your life! I actually finished my PhD on January 6th, 2019. I was 71 when I finished! You have a lot of time to explore! Enjoy your life!
Carolyn Anderson that’s great! Did you earn your bachelor’s right before you went to grad school or much earlier in life? What was your major then?
Kirsten M I earned my bachelors degree at 30, my MBA at 50, and my PhD at 72. I am a forever learner!
Carolyn Anderson thats awesome!
So glad I stumbled upon this comment, you rock lady!
@@cjanderson9 your comment give me a courage to move on, thank you!
I quit my PhD in Computer Science to emigrate to another country. I retired 2 years ago at age 42. Now I play piano as a hobby and watch videos of people that also quit their PhD. Life is non-linear, regardless what your goals are.
@@kanye6308 Agree, I can't think of many careers where a PhD is strictly required (or very useful)
how did you save up enough money to retire at 42?
@@nonasuomy6371 Saving a lot. A lot. Working hard and investing wisely.
F awesome ahah good riddens bud
Dont get me wrong a PhD is awesome to have. But is not for everyone. You can be happy without one in most careers.
This was the opposite of clickbait.. Good luck with everything!
Good luck with your PhD 😅
No, it was just "not clickbait". The opposite of clickbait is an unappealing title (which is not the case) with appealing content.
Guys pls make a video together, it would be like the best anime cross over in history
Bryam Ayvar
They did make a video together
Tibees please react to Dimash "SOS","ADAJIO","SINFUL PASSION" this is CRAZY.
You overcame one of the most common and powerful human errors known to economics "Sunk Cost Fallacy" - congratulations. The ability to know when to quit is one of the greatest skills to ever learn.
I knew that no one who wanted me to just keep going could ever get that "just a little longer" was unacceptable. After all I had done, I was DONE.
Amen
Cost benefit was the driver for me. I knew it was time to leave when I worried about putting a PhD on my resume.
@@Slide61 Why would you worry about that?
Because you have room to be human@@ruleaus7664
"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
Albert Einstein
Flatterman Island disagree!
Einstein was a genius - in many ways
@@hellonplanetearth I agree
Exactly, because then you’re research will become biased.
@@NetworKrakle you could still expose your creativity to scrutiny, so what’s your point.
Don't let schooling get in the way of your education. - Mark Twain [Edited - I changed "college" to "schooling".]
TH-cam education ;)
damnnn
Thankfully there's Skillshare.
This comment is so true and relevant it’s scary.
@@bananian lol thankfully there's Master Class
don't continue to invest into a mistake, only because you already invested in it
This spoke to me
Wow that's a great thing to say
this is so me! i took the course i dont like during degree and even when i aced it i didn't feel content. it does not make you happy excelling in something you despise. even after the degree i wanted to shift course but my parents did not approve it. at the end i continued master in the same field!!! and now phd!!! how stupid i am???!! why am i doing this to myself. im sacrificing my life for parents who do not really understand me and took me as a property to show off to their peers and friends. sometimes i am suicidal and wanna run away. but covid comes and said NO. oh i am so depressed. i keep on doing mistakes!!!!! i wanna diee!!!
Sunk cost fallacy.
Cut your losses
Completing my PhD was the loneliest journey I have ever been on. I’m very glad it is over.
@@NazriB wdym their face changed?
Waiting for ViVA. Couldn't wait to close this chapter of my life.
@@amirulhakim9944 probably that a lot of stress and constantly looking into books. knowing theres a deadline so fort.. can cause premature aging/looking stressed.
Same. I finished almost 2 years ago. The whole time was stressful. I lived in constant fear and doubt. The dark cloud lifted the minute it was over.
Was it really hard to go out and socialize in your down time ?
I know *many* people who quit their PhD. They all know they made the right call, but they all feel a bit ashamed. We gotta stop the shame!
It's like an achievement. They quit from a PhD, Permanent Head Damage avoided.
@@davemwangi05 😂😂😂 Maybe I could qualify for that. Though I'd consider it as the opposite of an achievement.
A Doctorate isn't the be all and end all. I have the experience research and writing experience and the paper certificate is largely meaningless to me. As are the other degrees. It's what we find in ourselves and the application to the career or work we choose that matters.
@@davemwangi05 lmfaoo
that shame is self-inflicted usually so no worries. people dont care u have a phd or not. ppl care if u have a job with good pay....thats from my experience.
I applied to 9 different schools throughout the US for a PhD in pharmacology after receiving my masters in the field at 40 years old. I had all A’s in my masters and had excellent recommendations. I wasn’t accepted into any program. I only had been called for one interview and was basically interrogated and shamed for my undergraduate performance which was more than 20 ago when so was a confused messed up kid. Despite the fact that I had stellar grades in my masters program and a successful career in information technology. While I was crushed at the time, looking back, I’m glad to have not been stuck in the toxic cesspool that is academia.
Sorry to hear that, My Master advisor said to me: You’re not a Ph.D. Material!!! He broke me so I’ve applied to a different university in US for my ph.D got my degree and now I’m an assistant professor and I have a US utility patent, so I’ve proven to myself that I’m worthy to get ph.D and so you are! It’s some of these bad examples of professors who are cruel and disgusting that ruin the image of academia.
Congrats, on getting a US utility patent! I got one too and it was hardwork! Also congrats, on earning your Ph.D. too!@@SpJrD
Good desicion.
I feel like you had bad luck. My dad is 60 and going back for his Ph.D in electrical engineering. My dad is kind of a legend since he’s simultaneously working full time as an engineer with a masters so it’s doable
Man now that is role model. I am currently working as a full time civil engineer and wanted to go back and do my PhD. My only concerns were if the PhD would start leaking into my work time and cause me the job since it so demanding.@@emiliomartineziii2980
We are so impressed by your calm, clear-headed approach to this transition, Toby! Both of us left our PhD programs ABD as well, and we never went back. Sometimes we wonder about the road not taken...but you are doing it with such a positive attitude! We think this will be very helpful to other grad students wrestling with this decision. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone.
Thank you :)
Blue Sky A bit something?
@@BlueSky-vd6qh "All but dissertation"
@@exoplanet11 i’ve also heard ABT, all but thesis
@@BlueSky-vd6qh Abraham Benjamin De Villiers
I’m so obsessed with the way you talk about the genuine feelings about Ph.D. and academic life. No resentfulness, no anxiety at all
My only observation is that TH-cam careers, even the most successful, tend to be like a box of fireworks. They are bright and boisterous, full of excitement and surprise, but they explode and fizzle out quickly. Fun, then aching emptiness, like a summer romance. If science communication is your passion, take every opportunity to transition to other media. You are very independent and self-driven, but you may just enjoy working in a team for a change. Leave the books and introspection behind by all means, but don’t put all your eggs into the TH-cam basket.
I realize that you're trying to look out for someone, but honestly, the biggest TH-camrs, the ones that now RUN teams instead of just being a part of one, began by committing 100% to making TH-cam work.
Also, you are very much at the mercy of random shifts in TH-cam’s policies. Like when they decide on a whim to “demonetize” your videos.
LivingEidolon but even those TH-camrs who “made it” are at the mercy of a whole slew of factors. Content claims seem to be the biggest issue with youtube at the moment. A very small handful of creators have had longevity in their youtube careers.
I imagine being on youtube is much more than only that. it's about meeting people, building up networks, finding out new areas of interest, coming up with new ideas, new plans, new projects. sure, it ends up on youtube, for now, but that is just the mushroom, what lies beneath the surface is an entire mycelium of activity and opportunity
she can always go back 🙃 she did the work
I dropped out of high school. Best decision I ever made. Left home, kicked around, did a lot of growing up, traveled (ironically, to Australia). After 3 years, I went back and finished high school with motivation, was accepted to a university, worked my way through a bachelors degree and PhD in engineering. I had a great career and am now happily retired. I laud your courage in leaving your PhD. You are lucky to have a path to follow that you love and the wisdom to recognize it. Two thumbs up.
1000% if I could have done this i definitely would have. I would always suggest to people I know who are younger than me that going to uni straight away is not a necessity. I wonder how much happier I would have been if I took your route!
Brian Taylor similarly, I dropped out of high school, moved away to different country, had a family and four children and now I am back enjoying every bit of it :D life doesn’t follow one path
@Tate Greeves Generally speaking I take exception to being called a liar, but in this instance I'll let it pass because you are either a troll or a fool, or both.
How is that ironic?
Good for you!
I barely made it through my master's degree at the end of 3 years. I learned there's a big difference between studying a lot of different topics and taking exams, versus banging your head against the same problem day after day, week after week (and often having few/no people to consult for help). I don't see any reason to feel shame if a PhD is not working for you. Good luck with whatever you pursue next!
Agreed. You have to be friends with failure. I've had to ask my professors for help with every single problem for the last year (math phd).
@@EpicMathTime
Wow, really?
This must suck. I mean, at some point your PhD should be _your_ work, right?
Or is your situation actually rather normal?
@@xCorvus7x I think my situation is rather normal, I'm not quite at the point where I'm doing my own research (nor have I 100% settled on an area of research).
It was hard at first, because in undergrad and early grad school, I was able to just sit down with a problem and solve it, maybe after some struggle. Now, more than anything, my ability to fight and be scrappy, to attack a problem over and over and over, hopelessly, is what's getting tested, and I think that's very important for research.
One of my current classes is basically like this: there are three students and the professor. Some days there are lecture, and we are told what to read before the next course and what problems we will be attempting. Next class, we divide into groups of two (one of us is with the professor of the class) and attempt to solve the problems together.
We divide up the work, each writeup some specific problem/part, and essentially "referee" each other's papers.
As my professor told me, "you have to be scrappy." Not being able to sit down and solve a problem was really hard for me and it made me give up and question whether or not I actually belonged, but my advisors and professors stress to me that it is supposed to be that hard.
@@EpicMathTime As a Maths Undergraduate I really appreciate your comments. It's incredibly helpful to know in advance how it is like after the more basic levels of higher education.
@@EpicMathTime
I see.
(Being in a class of just three students is probably helpful, too.)
Thanks for sharing and good luck.
Now this is a simply honest person. No unnecessary drama and exaggeration. SIMPLE. HONEST. TRUTH. You are such an inspiration. Thank you
UPDATE VID: th-cam.com/video/fRrdz54oH8g/w-d-xo.html
A huge thanks for all of the support you have shown in the comments. I'm happy to see so many stories from people who can relate and who have insights from their own experience.
If you would like to support my journey through Patreon you can do so here www.patreon.com/Tibees
Tibees thank you for your videos! Very helpful as I have recently started University Prep
Mathematics Fanatic the Ecu (Perth, WA) Prep Course includes Academic Writing, Academic Skills (Studying), General Math and Science
Mathematics Fanatic in 6 months I’ll enter Bachelor of Aeronautics or maybe Bachelors of Aviation
You did wrong, Toby. The biophysics department will play a very important role in the design of Liposomal Nanoparticles that will form the basis of future translational medicine and regenerative medicine therapies. You could have been working very well in high-paid positions and scientifically satisfied with your job.
In Medical Biophysics, you can make PhD , it is most effective job for you. I strongly recommend it as a doctor.All the best..
This is exactly what this platform needs: authentic people like you.
I wish you the best.
Amazing story! I wish you the best in everything and look forward to see more videos from you!! yay!
Omg the legend
@@deoxysgeneration2126 :o
@@deoxysgeneration2126 :o
do integral of x^x. jk
Woah, I know you, what!
Not a PhD, but I quit my first job after 3 months of working there. And the video seems like you've reached into my psyche and pulled out what I feel. Good luck to the both of us.
Me, but with 6 months. I dont even know where i am going after this. Good luck to all of us either way
I like this young lady , she has a calming spirit about her...
Just so everyone knows Elayna is definitely wearing underwear in this photograph. We were there. We have also double checked the photo, cross referenced it with the matching undies, done a high res MRI of the thumbnail and had our people in Coober Pedy (which is Australia’s Washington) go over it with a magnifying glass and fine tooth comb. They sent it to the International Classification of Media who sent it back to Australian where it ultimately fell under the “Classification (Publications, Films and Computer games) Act 1995” and after a 6 month trial an opinion poll and an online referendum the photograph was stamped in the high court of Australia as “Vagina Free Content” and has been given a Parental Guidance Recommendation in Australia and several other members of the United Nations but is still pending in Uzbekistan, New Guinea and Tasmania. Please, as always, relax and enjoy.
what?
@@stevethea5250 she's from. New Zealand
@@licoricecookie2212 How do we apply for the stimulus check if we didnt file taxes in 2018
@lethal hipster Thanks kittykitty
Got recommended to me when I'm joining PhD next month. Nice
Lolololol
hahah dont worry millions of students arent quiting too so..
lol
And I am think about it
Motivation is everything. It is tough, so being passionate makes a difference. Also, it's nothing like being a master student.
There is no need to be worried - it is all your choice; you do what is best for you. Good luck with everything you do.
i literally cried while watching to this! i just got my master's degree on science and i'm on the first year of my PhD in one of the most renowned universities in Brazil and i keep asking everyday "what am i doing, REALLY? does it worth, do i want to be a professor, etc" and it makes me so sad, so many people that would like to be here where I AM now and i just keep thinking that maybe this is not the right way to go RIGHT NOW. there is do many other ways to do R&D, but would i be able to do it in a big indrustry after 4 years without any experience? after all, doing PhD in Brazil is sooo frustrating, people don't see you as a worker, you're just a regular student "who get paid for studying" and most people, even your family, don't see you in a job when what we do is ACTUALLY our job.
A cultura de estudo no brasil é realmente uma bosta, se voce nao for mt forte e tiver mt convicçao vc se sente mal por ESTUDAR. Familia e sociedade nao entendem e só pioram a situaçao, mas tem que continuar!!! Voce é mt importante pro futuro da civilizaçao como um todo, forças aí!!!
Deixa de mimimi e vai terminar seu PhD… você contraiu a síndrome de não saber se casa ou se compra uma bicicleta…😂😂😂
eu terminei o meu há 35 anos, tive apenas 4 anos pra fazer mestrado e doutorado, casado com 2 filhos de 5 e 3 anos…
deixa de frescura e cai de cabeça na pesquisa… ou então larga tudo sem ficar dando desculpinhas…
Já tive muitos orientados q largaram o doutorado e estão muito felizes com a vidinha medíocre deles.
@@alvaromarcoperes8273 e aqui está uma prova ao vivo de porque a vida acadêmica no Brasil é péssima e quem são as pessoas que contribuem pra isso 🥰
@@ohanabergerdesouza4742 desculpe, não entendi seu comentário, vc poderia me esclarecer?
A pessoa diz que chorou com o video e voce ri dela?
I just got my Phd in physics in Nov 2018, took me 6 years total.
There are so many things I want to say, I could write pages. The stress and anxiety get worse, yes, its what happens when you put years of your young life into one basket.
Even if you stick it out and successfully defend, you need to make some really important decisions. What next?
Stay on the train or get off? Staying on means post-docs for another 2 to 5 years. Even then only like 10 to 20% of post docs get a faculty position.
Get off means starting a career you should have started 6 years ago. Most companies dont care about your obscure research. Hopefully you made a few contacts over the years, cause thats how you land an inyerview as a phd.
At this point your probably in your late 20s or well into your 30s. You start thinking about things that maybe you had to push off. All of a sudden that "its all about the science" attitude seems silly and you start considering salary, family, your future.
Can you explain the double slit experiment? ;-;
also, Congratz on your PhD
I am currently thinking of getting on the train and pursue my masters. But all of the things you mentioned has been on my mind since forever and I am still hesitating. It would be nice if you can share more of your thoughts, even though I am not in the science field.
@@hmzakhalid no
Ace young’s double slit experiment showed that light travels in waves. A light wave travels trough two slits, separating the wave thus creating two waves. These waves then interfere either constructively (peak+peak or trough+trough) or destructively (peak+trough) at different points. This causes the the pattern of numerous alternating light and dark bands you see, with constructive interference creating light bands and destructive interference creating dark bands (because the waves cancel each other out).
If light didn’t travel in waves, you would just see two light bands(which corresponds to the number of slits)
Congratulations on getting your Phd!! I’ll be starting college soon, but I am constantly plagued by one question: can people still be motivated and inspired by something they’ve been doing everyday for years? Would you say that when you go to work every morning, you don’t see it having to push yourself and are still genuinely excited by what you’re working on ? I would really value your input on this (specially since I also hope to continue pursuing my education in the sciences as part of the BME community) ! Nonetheless, I wish you all the happiness and success.
1:55 You could do a video about it. Tell us what you believe is wrong in the academic environment or make you feel uncomfortable. However it is strange what you say. I could not really get if you are really sure about what you are doing. Most of the people that quit are people who doesn't really care about being still learning new things. But that doesn't seem to be your case. It seems that you fancy this but is kind of tired with some other stuff. You are young and maybe with one year or two for yourself you might get better what is best for you.
I'm defending my PhD next month. I'm glad I followed through, but I'm also glad you had the courage to leave if you felt it was best for you. Everything about that "straight line" path is full of stress. Follow the path you feel is right. Humans are weird creatures, and our minds work better when we feel fulfilled. Pursue what inspires you.
Writing a thesis isn't a matter of smarts, it's a matter of how much you can suffer. But no matter whether you finally make it, you got the experience and the expertise and the time was not wasted if it brought you forward.
That's exactly it. My first job was a position that would have required, at least, five years of industry experience and I had none. Why did they hire me, anyway? Because that's how much the PhD counts out there in the work environment. It adds years to your resume.
It's very impressive how I found this video just in the right time, I quit my physics PhD also this week, and my thoughts about it were so confussing. I didn't know if it was right or wrong, if I was doing a favour to myself or just doing an stupid decision. But after hearing all of your reasons, I actually have to say that I'm so happy to have watched this video, you gave me a way to structurate my feelings and thoughts and they're so similar to the way I'm actually feeling. Thanks for that, and as you said, we are brave! And we will get through this! Greetings from Mexico! :D
que chido que en los 90s hacías cualquier cosita de doctorado y asegurabas una chamba chida con SNI y todo las renuncias a los doctorados se deben mayormente a la falta de empleos pero antes era bien fácil
It's called an ML algorithm. TH-cam, or more specifically Google, knows more about you than you think.
That's why this video was recommended to you. Most people don't know this but Google literally tracks you every couple of seconds via your smartphone. They even heuristically predict your mode of locomotion. Even if you're offline.
What a coincidence, I intend to quit my PhD this year too.
No coincidence lol. They track ya
I think you reached this decision fairly late considering your age based on your profile picture. Anyway, good luck.
Thank you for this. I recently withdrew from my PhD (September 2019, after beginning in summer 2015). So I spent most of the previous 4 years focusing on getting through my PhD, ignoring more and more signs that I wasn't in the right place.
I allowed my health (physical and mental) to suffer. I allowed my hobbies to fall by the wayside. Perhaps worst of all, I allowed the best romantic relationship I've ever been in (perhaps the best I'll *ever* be in) to suffer, and I hurt the most important person in my life because of my own blindness. I'll have to live with that forever, and it's a guilt that I wouldn't wish on anyone.
I don't mind making a misstep; I *do* wish I had learned my lesson at least a little sooner. I have learned from the process, but the price was too high. So props to *you* for making the right decision for yourself.
When it comes to my field, I'm a teacher first, and everything else second. The academic treadmill is unfair, abusive, and often stifling to the sort of passion and creativity that some of the best teachers and communicators have. People who say you should "just" finish a PhD are delusional; they don't understsnd what you're feeling if they can say so flippantly that you should continue subjecting yourself to the pain, stress, and dissonance that your studies were clearly causing.
So for what it's worth coming from someone in a very similar situation -- right down to being recruited with a prestigious scholarship (a fellowship, technically), having an adviser who was excited at the prospect that I might leave and be happy (she actually suggested to *me* that I leave because she saw the toll it was taking on me), and having a passion for learning and sharing that with others (I've taught in local colleges as well as online and plan to continue doing so) -- you're doing exactly the right thing.
That is, the right thing for *you*, and it is your passion to stay on that path that has earned the respect and admiration of people who follow your journey. If you inspire people, it isn't because you're chasing a piece of paper; it's because you're you. Continuing to follow the best path for you is the most inspiring thing you ever could have done. If you want to be that light for others, then you've only become that much brighter by sticking to a path that is true to you.
Keep doing what you're doing. That is, follow what you enjoy. The rest of us will be here excitedly watching and journeying with you 😊
Sincerely, Geoff -- Teacher... and Non-PhD
Geoff Futch congrats for taking the best decision, better later than never
Takes courage.Right now you seem to like what you are doing.Be happy.Wishing you the best.
You're strong. You're the inspiration for this world. Missteping sometimes is the best move we can do it. You've teached me lesson right now. You deserve more than a title of phd, you're a teacher.
Your mental and physical health are more important than a piece of paper 📝
@Marko You must be a really sad guy to say that. You will never achieve happiness with that mindset, good luck Marko.
I hear you. I am in a PhD program currently and I've thought about leaving a number of times. I have also become disillusioned with academia because of certain happenings. I still have a lot of things pushing me forward, but you are definitely not alone! I am glad you made the right choice for you.
Can you cite a few things which made you disillusioned towards academia? I felt the same for a time during my Masters in Engineering and after 3 years in the corporate I am thinking of going back to academia to pursue a PhD. Your examples may help me to gain a better clarity of my decisions are well thought out or not.
Lies again? Phd Photos
Update?
Hello, @@sage9836. I am current “ABD,” or “all but dissertation,” meaning I have finished all coursework and am just working on my dissertation now. So, I decided to stick with it. And I’m glad I did, because I have decided that I want to work in higher education, and for that, a PhD is recommended. Next stop is finding a job and graduation! I’ve learned a lot, and I’m going to be sure to look for a place with a work culture that fits with who I am.
@@aylaludwig Hello, so good to hear that you've almost made it! I'm currently in the final year of my master's programme and intend to get a PhD after. Although I do have some doubts in my mind about it. Could you please share the experiences that led to your disillusionment with academia? If it's not too personal, of course. I wish you well on the rest of your academic journey!
theres something in her eyes that shows how hard she has worked! we are so proud of you
@@Faerytech it is
I love the fact that you just keep smiling all throughout the video, I love your content and I don't really care about what you strive for as long as you're happy, love you.
One of the survivor of pun-pun I see, greetings.
Hi punpun
No sensible person is going to judge you for quitting your Ph.D program. There is so many reasonable reasons for doing other things. In particular if you are not enjoying it anymore, then you have probably made a wise decision. All the best wishes to you! I hope you will keep making videos on related topics! You are a great communicator!
I have a PhD and I'm assistant professor in my dream university. Honestly, happiness can be achieved in many other pursuits. You are brave.
but dont u cry your self to sleep? lol.
how do you know>
@Late to the Game thx, I appreciate that
Look at it this way. As a result, you are here giving a real "original contribution to human knowledge" that reaches some 1.2M people. Not many PhDiers, including myself, can say that. Congratulations
She out here quitting her phd, when i feel like quitting my first year lol
Edit: i was close to giving up, now I’m transferring to one of the prestigious school in canada. Thanks for the support!
Hang in there. I was feeling the same but I decided to put the hours in and actually understand what I'm learning (Mathematics) and it's going much better. I will get a 1st even if it kills me.
I was very close to quitting my first year too, but stuck with it got a first, did masters and actually did my full PhD too. Then found out you do not simply go from PhD to teaching (well, you can, but it's like rolling a die, and I kept rolling a 1 for a couple of years, which btw is maybe more time than Tibees would have wasted if she had just completed her PhD anyway, but who am I to judge). I have seen other colleagues take many decades down that path even if they did get into teaching at uni, and still not get Professor status in their 50s and 60s. While one relatively young man (maybe in 40s) had been in industry and was accepted straight into Professor status when he rejoined academia. So that's a more promising route. I may be going down that convoluted route and eventually rejoin academia when I'm in my 40s or 50s - if I feel like it, that is. And if I get to be a Prof like that guy did.
Stick with it buddy 💪 a bachelor's degree is the new minimum these days.
I CAN HELP YOU PM ME
I quit my first semester haha
I was in a similar situation, but stayed longer despite increasing pressure, disinterest, and disillusionment. In hindsight, I wished I got out earlier than pushing on and digging myself deeper into what felt like an abyss. Mental health is real concern for the life of a PhD student, for many, spending long hours in a lab, or long periods working solitary in an office, can be demotivating. I think there is a cultural taboo within Academia to discuss these difficulties.
I actually didn't even know that you are a phd student, I just really like your inspiring attitude and as long as that doesn't change, I will be around for much longer : )
I quit my PhD 10 days ago and I got recommended this. I felt every single bit of what she was saying
Which subject was it? What are you currently pursuing?
Is there a possibility of chatting, im in my phd and i feel its the worst investment i m making yet I have invested 6 months now
@@elsyirany8103how is it?
Hey how is your phd going so far?@@elsyirany8103
@@elsyirany8103 So, how's it going?
When I saw the notification with title, "I quit my PhD", I screamed NO!!! mentally, but then snap because I understand that you have your reason, you know what's best for you, and as my inspiration, I'll support you with whatever good path that you will take! 😇
I hope you're doing well Tibees!! 😁😊
Same. I was inspired by her passion but was worried about the reality of it. This kind of adds into my decision thought process.
@@SreeTejaSimhaGemaraju Well, if we know ourselves better, I believe we can decide wiser for the best. Actually, sometimes we think that we're gonna make a wrong decision, but in some way, wrong decision can be really the right one.
I just love Tibees for being true to herself. That kind of authenticity is seemingly hard to find these days.
I have been following you for a year now. You are one of my greatest inspirations: You are polite, patient, kind and smart (really smart). For the past few months, I’ve been watching your videos on a daily basis and learning a lot more that I have ever learned in school. One of the things I noticed right away while hearing you expand on things, was that you had an entrepreneur personality. I honestly think that you made the right decision, because I am completely sure that whatever project you are working on is completely worth it. Let’s just say that you have that Elon Musk vibe...
She is SMART LIKE REALLY SMART SMART SMART REALLY SMART SMART (SMART) pretty, polite, kind she is a roll model for me UwU
No judgement here! Congrats on making the hard decisions! I quit a masters program in chemistry for similar reasons. I'm excited for what opportunities are going to open up to you now.
Fellow PhD dropout who is also quite disillusioned with the academic system! Thanks for putting this out there. People need to understand that it is not worth spending more time doing something that sucks joy out of you just because of "sunk costs" ♥️
Good luck to you Tibees. I love your videos. My daughter is a fan too.
I flunked out of a Master of Science education. Worked crap jobs for a year.
Started a new Master of Science education at another university and got my degree.
The road is not always straight or the path clear. Just walk it anyway and let things take care of themselves.
Thank you. I flunked my bachelors nearly 10 years ago as it wasn't the right time for me, but I felt and still feel like a failure.
I hope to return to another university next year to continue my journey.
got kicked out of uni a few days ago 😔 hope I will be able to continue eventually as well
My experience exactly!
You're fortunate you figured this out early, many people get into a career they don't like and stick with it because they invested everything into it. Being able to make dynamic decisions as you go is a valuable trait in life!
I quit my PhD 3 years after starting! I regret the time I spent not being happy, getting paid badly. Well done for taking this step at an earlier point! :)
What are you doing now?
U should have jusy got it if u were gonna quit you should have done it sooner
@@Mikesco10 that kind of mentality produces the "problem" it is trying to solve
@@montyi8 he works at McDonald
@@boredscientist5756 haha He deserves it 🤣
I also cancel my PhD, Pizza Hut Delivery.
As my cs professor used to say while in undergrad, “Boy, that manager trainee job at Pizza Hut keeps looking better and better...”
I just got into PhD and I am loving it. Doctor of Phudi.
Good one mate, it cracked me up :D
All the best for a wonderful career ahead :)
hahaha
@@kanchabeni6743 johny sins
I did the same thing last year. Quit my PhD position in NYC and moved back to europe in my third year. It was the best decision in my live, I now have a great job and I am about to be married to a wonderful woman
Congrats!
I took two years out working in industry between finishing my Masters in Electronic Engineering and just recently starting a PhD in Quantum Engineering and I'm super glad I did. Working in industry I met lots of cool people, learnt lots, became more confident in my abilities (and my employability) and it allowed me to generally mature. I wish you the best of luck!
Probably those cool people showed you how you can score some cheap heroin
I think having industry experience helps narrow things down and gives u mix of experience. As opposed to the the straight academic route.
This helped me during a tough time. Seeing someone redirect their life for themselves is refreshing.
Wow, I just discovered your channel and I think you're really cool. Good for you for making such a difficult decision.
Hey, I recognize you. :P
@@danielsayre3385 same here😊
You are my fav ♥️😶
Life is too short to do something you don't enjoy. I quit college and my job. I moved 1600 miles away and I am now writing a book because I want to be an author. Chase your dreams! 😊💕
SOUNDS AWESOME , Happy for you :)
I would read the book.
All the best!
Let us know when you complete it. I want to read it!
do you have a real job or might this turn out really poorly?
I really struggle with my self confidence and what I want to do with my life. I've always felt inferior to people who've achieved academic success. It's comforting knowing that people, even when they seem so above me, go through the same struggles. Thank you for your honesty on the subject. I hope that we all can find our own version of happiness.
No need to feel inferior! We're all human and with the same struggles and emotions. Nobody takes their degrees and accolades to their grave. There are things that matter WAY WAY more. Selfless service to the country or to the poor and destitute counts for more in my books.
Ye youtube is like Instagram sometimes where people just show how good they're doing everyone has rough patches hang in there!!
The rise of anti-intellectualism in America has progressed at a "stupindous" rate. Better stay away from Academia.
I can totally relate. I quit my PhD in plant genetic resources as well and I feel that anyone should quit anything when they can't do it anymore. It shouldn't be normal to feel this way during a PhD and it is important to find the courage to walk away. I have friends who gave up their life for the PhD and I genuinely feel sorry for them. Great to hear your story!!
This is how I feel in my Masters program but everyone around is telling me “Don’t quit.” I never quit... I’m not a quitter but as I’m closing in on year 2 of 3 the journey gets less appealing. I haven’t quit because I’m terrified of giving up and am on the fence. Thank you for sharing this... it helps to know other people feel the same way.
If you're not happy mate pull the pin and do something you enjoy.
@bihbhkjbnlk if you are feeling this way i suggest you to drop out there are alot of things you can do. It is the worst thing to continue doing things that you don't want to.
Felt the same way. You will feel satisfied when you know you wanted to do it and actually tried it and realized it wasn’t for you. No regrets there. You gave yourself the chance and found it it wasn’t the best for you.
Misery loves company.
brr johnson I guess you’re keeping us company? 🤗
These are the moments when you must rely on your instinct to define your path. You must not feel that you are a disappointment to anyone - quite the opposite Tibees, as you inspire me and countless others to revel in the joy of learning. Thank you! Know that you are indeed appreciated and admired for all you do, and the courage you display!
Dear Toby,
You have been blessed with the kind of personality that I wish was more common in the world. You have no idea how precious you are. Keep doing what you are with this channel. My faith in humanity remains intact.
Respectfully.
While I knew that my phd wasn't for me anymore, I struggled with admitting it to myself and to the people around me. I was mainly afraid of disappointing my mentor (whom I appreciate a lot). Your way of explaining your thoughts process leading to your final decision really resonated with my own and I now feel less anxious about it. So a huge thank you from a new fan on the other side of the planet!
A year later and we are still supporting your decision, we are proud of you
I recently stepped out of my phd program too and completely resonate with your thoughts. It has been 20 days and so far there is always one moment in my entire day where I contemplate and ask my inner voice whether I made a right decision or not but this feeling of enthusiasm that "i can pursue my passion now" overpowers any exasperation related to my decision whatsoever. A big thing about a higher education degree such as PhD very less people know is that "it can be pursued anytime in your life if it is not your dream career and is just an "add on" achievement to your persona. Thanks for voicing the exact thoughts of people like us!
Perhaps you should choose a PhD subject that is your passion.
I just want to say that I appreciate your candor and honesty in this video. I just finished my PhD (graduating this Sunday) and I can empathize with your various points. I've been there as well. There are many paths and not everyone can or should do a PhD. There is lots of institutional problems with the system that need to be addressed. Thank you for helping to bring them to light. Ultimately, happiness is more important than a PhD.
I'm a 3rd year PhD student and I struggle with data analysis that makes me sometimes feel frustrated. I think your supervisor who can help you to achieve your goal or force you to quit your phd.
I know I'm coming in a bit late into this video, but I did just want to contribute to this conversation as a fellow PhD student that pursuing a PhD takes an incredible amount of passion for the topic you study. A lack of passion can make it incredibly difficult to forge through a graduate-level program, and I think the discordance of pursuing a PhD without that passion is injustice to the pursuer and their intellectual potential. Finding the right field of study, lab and/or university requires much of the intimacy, passion, and vulnerability to finding the right partner. For many of us, we don't find the perfect partner the first time, and likewise, we don't find the perfect graduate program the first time. I am humbled by your bravery to both acknowledge that you were not in the right field of study and to also take action to address that by leaving the program - many of us would have suffered through the program to only end up burnt out with a degree we never wanted. I am so confident that you will find your fulfillment, and I can't wait to learn more about your adventures getting there.
Very well said. I agree with the overall sentiment of what you said!
Having finished my PhD I can confirm - at some point you have to find passion for your subject. For me it came with a visualization - I could literally see in my mind eye what I expected to happen. From that came the experiements I wanted to do to confirm my expectations and a huge part of the thesis is literally just showing charts with the results of the experiments. Sure - writing the stuff down was the hard part for me - I don't think you can get through that if you are not convinced of doing the right thing. With hindsight - I finished the PhD almost 30 years ago - I don't think it was much of an advantage for my carreer. Nonetheless it feels a privileg to me, if you get payed (poorly) and (elderly) equipment to follow your passion.
Now you can start enjoying mathematics and physics.
Lol
Lol, true.
As a hobby!!! I've been doing that all my life in parallel with another fairly serious career.
G
@@slappingvegans7940 I like your kind of humour. I laughed so hard that I got spat out my coffee on my screen.
ironic, isn't it.
I quit my PhD, my wife quite hers and after a little while is doing another one. Sometimes it's just not the right path. By having the guts to quit you learn more about yourself than you would if you just stayed on because it was the default path. Good luck for the future.
I liked because it had 69 likes :C
Stop going to school and have kids!
I think you guys are just lucky with so many opportunities
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT
People need to embrace the grind.
@ITHEREONETHATHASNT It makes for weak people but it isn't a bad thing for those willing to put in the sweat and tears needed to reach the top. We're living in weird times man.
Good for you. I wish I’d realized when I was younger that I wasn’t doing what I really wanted and was instead doing what was easy for me.
I actually got really inspired by you years ago and I started a physics degree around the same time I started watching you. I hated the degree but I felt like I had to keep investing in the mistake just because I had spent so much time on it. I saw this video and I was surprised that you quit but it helped me leave my degree behind and study something I found more fun even thought I still enjoy your videos and learning about physics in a non academic context!!!
Yep. Sunk cost
You'll find your way! 👍🏾
Honestly, I needed so badly to hear this today. You are even MORE of an inspiration to me than you already were. As someone who is taking a non-traditional path through academia, I often feel anxious and that I've done/ am doing something wrong... That I am somehow less-than because I encountered obstacles and needed to do things a little differently. It is really comforting to know even someone who is as bright and accomplished as you isn't sticking to the first path you showed. The conventional way isn't the only right way to do something!
I'm a PhD student myself (EE) and I've thought about quitting multiple times (and I don't even want to be a professor, just work in industry). Dropping out is a very common thing, and part of me is jealous of those who do...
Cheers from Stanford!
OMG from Stanford!! You are lucky man
Why dropping out is very common? Is life so difficult after a PhD? :(
I want to get my PhD too but I have ZERO desire to be a professor. I just wanna work in industry as well and say I have a PhD
A PhD is not really necessary for working in the industry. Experience is more valuable. If you already have a Master's degree and you don't want to be a professor, a PhD is not really worth it. Good luck with whatever you choose!
@@551223 you wnana have a phd just to say you have a phd? lmfao
Thanks for sharing this video. I’ve just decided to take a leave of absence from my phd program after finishing 3 years. At first, I thought I shouldn’t have dragged it this far, but I’m glad I did. It’s bittersweet but I can’t wait to finally explore life, explore myself! If there are anyone considering quitting or taking a break, you are not alone.
You’ve said that somewhere along the way you’ve lost what you initially wanted from physics. I got drawn into physics for the same reason as you did, I also wanted to know the answer to all those big questions like the nature of the reality, is there anything fundamental that we don’t see. Now I’m in a similar situation as you. I’m in my early years of physics PhD program. I’m doing high energy theory/gravity theory at Princeton, the place where this stuff is supposed to be good. I can tell you that this area is dead, though many people are reluctant to admit it. To keep things short. We’re very unlikely to get any new fundamental physics which is different from good ol’ quantum field theory from 1970s below Planckian energies, and we are not going to get there experimentally. All the big theories like strings and holography also mostly ran out of ideas. Every year people are studying either simpler or more technical or mathematical theories than in the past. I can elaborate on that, but this is where we stand. It is very likely that our understanding of fundamental laws of nature is going to halt for a while. Maybe people will discover something new, but it will unlikely happen in our lifetime. I’m sure I’m not the first person who tells you all this. Of course physics will remain a good problem solving area, but it will not be about those grand questions you wanted to discover, which was my dream too. Physics and academia are strange places and certainly don’t have a monopoly on interesting and challenging stuff. I wish that you find what you truly like and passionate about.
I can totally relate with you. I can promise u I have had that feeling in me, doing my PhD had like threw me into nights where I have literally horrified and terrified and left me in total tears. But but but I knew if I just left I would have been labelled a quitter and me being an international student will leave me no where but to go home to my country of origin, tell u what that was my main motivation that kept me going and going and going and finally in March 2020 I survived PhD. I got my PhD. I know there were downside of doing a PhD but the reasons to stay outweighed the reasons to quit my PhD and finally I got my PhD. Now I have a PhD at 28 years of age and now trying to figure out what am i supposed to do with my life.
Same here!
What are you doing now?
@FlyingMonkies325 so true 😲😲😲
I'm only 5 minutes into the video, and I had the same experience, well although I didn't even make it nearly as far as you in education, but never the less I decided I could do better things on my own. Basically I really wanted to learn, but I felt that the time I was spending in college was getting in the way of learning.
We actually choose what to study and develop, unlike in undergraduate programmes where you have to pick courses from a list. I meant there is nothing there to get in the way. But rather what we study has no answer and we have to produce our own proof to justify our own conclusion to a problem.
This is possibly the most candid, heartfelt video I've ever seen by an academic scholar.
As someone who contemplated leaving grad school before completing a PhD (in astrophysics), I congratulate you in your clarity in making the right decision and your willingness to share your thoughts with us. So many will benefit from this video.
People pursuing academic studies should be aware that the amount of time it takes to finish a PhD is uncertain. It sound like you, Toby, were 2-3 years away. But it always takes longer than one thinks, especially for brilliant people such as yourself, who have many interests, other pursuits, and/or who wish to explore many of the "side paths" of their own research project. This is normal, not bad, but it is time consuming.
And bad things can happen along the way also. PhDs are only granted to those who have contributed original research. That means that if someone else publishes the discovery you are working on, it is no longer original. There were two people in my PhD program who had to abandon years of research because they were "scooped" by a discovery made by someone else! One of them switched his research to a simpler project using a local telescope....which was then damaged and put out of commission by an earthquake! Two of my classmates in grad school took 9 years to earn their PhD, and then immediately left the field, disenchanted.
pursuing
Thanks again for making this video, and I look forward to viewing your other videos, and seeing what you come up with next.
What other path can you have after that? This makes me really scared I just a bachelors in physics programme
i am also a phd, struggling to graduate, even though i wont quit since i still have interests in my research. I am glad you made your choice and best luck to rest of your new life!!
A brave decision that I truly respect. I'm studying psychology (I'm mostly here to learn a bit more about physics), and being a master student for half a year now I already know that I won't apply for a PhD. I love what I'm doing, but it always feels like..., I don't know, fighting? I have lost quite a few of my hobbies over the past few years, I always have to make compromises and there is only so much time to invest. I'm happy with what I got, but I feel like that's gonna be it. It might be still a bit away, but I'm already happy with the decision that I'm going to make.
So yeah, I really understand and respect that.
I just discovered your channel today, and I've been listening while I grade calculus finals. I don't have a PhD; I felt like I bumped my head on the ceiling when I was finishing my master's program. I've been a "professor" (my official title) at a community college for 40 years, and I love teaching these students. Do they have community colleges in Australia? You're definitely a great teacher and maybe youtube is your best way to share your gifts. It also occurs to me that someplace like Khan Academy could use your talents. But there are also colleges that could really use good online teachers.
I also want to commend you for not just plowing on because that's the path you were on. My sister did that. After 8 horribly grueling years she got a PhD (in history) and at the end of it she was so sick of it all that she never returned to academia, never applied to be a professor, never pursued the subject at all. Like you, she followed a completely different path (she's a storyteller.) Sometimes a PhD can take someone's love of a subject and destroy it. You are so wise to listen to your heart.
@conacal rubdur History isn't brainless memorisation. You've obviously never studied liberal arts properly.
@conacal rubdur The real value of a history degree is to try to keep us from making the same mistakes over and over again. As the saying is, "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
@conacal rubdur Well, I'm a math professor getting ready to retire after 40 years of teaching, so I'm not looking for a good job in industry or academia :-) My brother is a history professor and he has a pretty good job in academia.
Hi Toby, just found your channel. I withdrew from my Phd in Astrophysics at the end of 2019 and I resonated with everything discussed in your video. Wishing you all the best. What you said about not working to answer the questions that drove you into science was what I realised I wasn't doing either.
Well, your benchmark for producing TH-cam videos should be no lesser than your PhD work. TH-cam can use super specialists more than specialized generalists. We will always follow your work. All the best Tibees.
You're young once.
That means way more than a couple of letters do.
Knowledge means nothing without motivation.
Chances are if you take the time and find out you do want to go back, you'll do it better anyway.
That's what I found: Flunked out of undergrad physics/chem in my last year because I was doing it for the "get the degree" reason, when I wanted to focus on music.
Focused on music and worked several different jobs for 6 years, letting my mind do its own thing, making sense of the world, exploring ideas creatively instead of didactically.
Went back last year to do a B. Math Sci looking to get into research, am acing it, I'm a great tutor because I have other ways of explaining problems than the simple "this is what the book says" way, and already doing some research work with Professor's because I know what questions I want/need to ask.
The straight and narrow path is A way of getting to A goal.
There's also a huge number of other goals you can't know are there until you go looking off that path.
A surface integral has more than a single axis of orientation.
We're not computers. Efficiency isn't everything.
Particularly for those interested in theoretical math and physics. Those fields are more creativity than simple textbook practice.
Ket that's true
Very heartfelt message in this video. I'm a final year physics undergrad, and i don't know if I want to pursue a PhD later on. I'm not even totally sure about the field I want to work in because the current field I'm working in isn't interesting as much to me.
It's so great to see this kind of content, it's really nice to have a whole community of educators on TH-cam. It's so right that I learn a lot here, on this platform.
This video got recommended to my now, 2 weeks after I finished my PhD (physics and geology) and honestly it couldn't be more relatable. I struggled a lot because I wanted to quit but I also wanted to finish and now I still feel confused about how I feel about this "accomplishment", I feel very proud of it but no one in my life understands me but at the same time it has not given me a future since, even if I finished it, I can't become a professor because that is just not how it works here so... I'm proud of me even if no one else is but I don't know what am I proud of since now I have to pursue a different career path and I will be struggling a lot this year because of it. I think you were so brave to quit in time and to be able to tell what would make you happy and what not. In the end, I did not quit because I couldn't find this special something that would make me happy :)
Why you can't be professor, give me some info about your case! I am sure that u will be able to become professor, this is the point of the P.hD i guess!
Phd is not for everyone. If it takes away the very passion that made you start it in the first place, it's definitely not worth it. You'll definitely move on to better things.
Seems like you couldn't finish your degree.
Seems like you couldn't finish your degree.
@@eve3363 LMAO 😂
@Men in black No. To earn a PhD , one has to write a research paper. That definitely does not entail sitting on one's ass. Many do not have the focus nor patience to earn a PhD, and that's ok. But it's not OK to ridicule those who want to pursue a doctorate. That's why I speculate many people who do so are upset because they do not possess those traits necessary to earn a doctorate. Many of these people were lied to about their intellectual abilities.
@@eve3363 Satish did not deny what you are saying!!! but it seems you are a kind of person who do not have real friends in life.
I had a friend in college who quit his PhD in math to become a trapeze artist! Follow your bliss!
hahahaha what a privileged dumba** if he is real.
if he actually made that choice, it wouldn't be inspiring, i would just wonder how the heck that large of a career shift even happens. thats some serious career whiplash
@@julius3671 not strange at at all many have precure from parents what they should do and sometimes enough is enough and you swish to what you want!
Wtf 😅
Brave step. Hope it didn’t all fall through.
Why is it that when people overly smile I usually get annoyed, but with her I just feel so calm and happy?
Thank you for sharing your story! I am on leave from my PhD program for many of the reasons you mentioned and am currently trying to decide whether my leave should be permanent. I completed 2 years of my program (MA), so it's a good inflection point. I think for myself, I feel a lot of shame as well as a sense of failure for not thriving in the path that I set out upon. I thrived in undergrad and dreamed of becoming a professor in my field, and even though I think I know deep down that the right decision to is quit I can't help but think that I was the problem, that I wasn't enough, that I didn't try enough.
I’m leaving for same reason… I can not sleep or eat properly, my stress is too much to handle. I’m sad and depress for the environment of my lab. But we are enough, we are not the problem and I’m sure we can find better job with better salary💪
You may be feeling a bit numb immediately after making the decision. A change in direction in life, especially early on, seems huge! I was set to finish my undergrad in 4 years, on time/on target, but I ran out of money in my 3rd year.
I joined the National Guard (which in the States is an Army and Air Force reserve military organization which resides in the States). The State where I was going to school had a Special Forces unit (think Special Air Service Regiment) and that sounds like loads of fun and very challenging. (It was!)
When I finished my training two years later, at Special Forces graduation, I was pulled aside and offered a position on a HALO/SCUBA detachment (HALO is High Altitude Low Opening parachuting). A chance to go to HALO and SCUBA schools back-to-back, especially as a really young guy, was unheard of. Plus, it sounded like great fun. So I did. That was a four year commitment, so I said, what the heck...
A year later I was offered the chance to go to a clandestine Special Forces unit in Berlin with German language school on the way. I jumped at the chance - an exciting opportunity - one of the best decisions I ever made!
And so it went. When I got back I was afforded opportunity after opportunity. I became a senior NCO after only 7 years in the Army. I was invited to become an officer at 9 years and finally retired at 20 years after seeing (and making) history, both known and just now being revealed.
I did go back and finish my degree. I was making over $100,000 dollars at the time. I didn't need it to advance in my career, but it was one of those unfinished things that were important to me personally. It worked out.
Lesson 1: Life doesn't end up the way we expect it to.
Lesson 2: The path of life is ALWAYS crooked and twisting.
Lesson 3: It's NEVER too late to go back to revisit your old goals.
I wish you all the best. Your video was rather wistful - BE HAPPY! BE EXCITED! You are smart, you are young, you are attractive: those things will work in your favor. Find YOUR path, watch for other chances to succeed, look for things that interest you that are off the path.
You'll do just fine.
Tom
Former Action Guy
Former Action Guy = Acronym becomes a rude name for a gay person lol!
Hey Tom. Write a book.
You should write a book.
me too, I quit my MSc. & start doing what I really like ( teaching maths). You are so inspirational. Thank you.
Your description about cycling in - that is exactly how I feel driving in. I get there and just feel so miserable and uninspired. My PhD is predefined and it is extremely difficult as I feel like a research assistant when it should be my research. I don't even want to do any work in the evening and just go to bed as the emotional turmoil is utterly draining. I'm concerned about not getting accepted on another funded PhD.
This video was incredible! I did something similar to this nearly 3 years ago when I decided to switch my major 8 semesters in. I was scared my parents would be angry, but when I told my mom she responded with "it's about time you did that". It was the best decision of my life!
A very courageous move and a very understandable motivation.
This takes much courage, impressive.
Dear Tibees, is that your name :) ?
I have had a rather heavy heart today.
I had to let go of my Ph.D. application, even upon the professor insisting that I do. I am going onto to continuing my present track to see some bigger dream come true, which again holds so many uncertainties along the way. Perhaps, the path of least resistance would have been to turn a blind eye to gains years from now to hiding in academia for a degree, in a way. But this bigger dream has always been about giving myself the opportunity to travel, see and be in many and more parts of the world. Staying where I am, should catapult me places a few years from now.
However, letting this go makes me realize and appreciate what I have for me in the present. Makes me take a voluntary step into life now. NOt just hard events, but hard choices inculcate perspectives which were unknown to one in the past. The authenticity with which you speak reveals the melancholy of the hard decisions you made. Sometimes I feel alien among STEM practitioners (students, academia, and professionals) where logic takes over the conception/abstraction capacity to see bigger beauty of things, the daily interactions are just... dry. Seeing this kind of articulation just makes me empathize how lonely it might be there.
All I wanted to say was, be proud of this decision. This decision is an amalgamation of your spirit and ambitions and true spirits. It deserves nothing less than to be applauded (by you, for you).
If you felt alone along the way, don't. Here I am. Just a random dude out in the woop-woop somewhere on the other corner of the world, made the exact same decision today.
Not an avid commenter on things on the internet, heck, let alone on a channel, that was randomly suggested 5 min before the application closing out randomly. Not sure, whos gonna spam or ridicule or this can be the butt of a joke somewhere in a Reddit thread. But hey, decisions right ;) ?
/K :)
P.S
Yes. Not kidding when I say Woop-Woop.
More than 1.5 million views for this video! Imagine the level of global frustration around the world, how many people are suffering doing a Ph.D. (including myself)!
I hear you loud and clear. I quit my PhD at an Australian university after 2.5 years of awful experiences. The university let me down badly by failing to provide me with adequate supervision. I was on my own without a supervisor for over a year. My PhD was 75% complete when I quit. Quitting my PhD was the best decision I ever made. It was immediately freeing and I never looked back. Now I have a job where I earn great money and I can switch off my brain at 5pm when I leave the office and not take it home with me.
oh my goodness! NO supervision for OVER a year?! I hope you weren't at any WA Universities
As a PhD aspirant can you please advise me on how a supervisor is important? Your advice would be very helpful as you have faced it all.
Wow I cannot describe how much better this video made me feel. I did physics and just one week ago took a leave of absence from my biomedical engr PhD program for exactly the same reasons. This was just so encouraging what a perfect time to see it. Thank you so much
" . . . disillusioned with the academic system as a whole . . . " 2 minutes in and this keeps getting more and more relatable to my college experience!
I worked as a senior tutor and part-time lecture when I wasfinishing up my research master. It was a real eye opener. I thought politics in business was bad until I worked at university. So, I returned to business and never looked back.
Yes, i understand 100% I am pursuing a bachelor degree and i am disillusioned with the Academic System.
Thank you for such an authentic video. I am currently doing my masters and resonate with so much of what you said. I am halfway through and will likely try to stick it out. But it is so reassuring to hear that changing one's path is not the end of the world.