Anyone here have a Ph.D.?

I got accepted at Ole Miss to work on a Ph.D. in political science. However, I'm struggling to decide if I want to pursue it or not. It's obviously a huge commitment for the next 5-7 years, and I'm wavering on whether or not its worth it.

:P

Teach or go into PS?

PS at first, then teach eventually.

have to jump through. I have a flaming hoop on Monday to jump through. i have to turn in my prospectus. (GULP)

Professional Highway Driver ... well ok, I USED to drive semi's but not anymore.

The coursework was interesting, my advisor was an ass. New advisor is nice, but finishing up a two-year stint abroad. After I showed up, my department (not poli sci) splintered, fractured, melted down, and released toxic waste all over the students. I asked the right questions, but my fellow-students-to-be didn't know if they could tell the trust; I yelled at them.

Track down 3 or 4 students in the program if you're nearby; preferably they should be advanced to candidacy or taking their comps (if they're required) this year.

Take them out drinking, 2 at a time. Get them completely soused, and ask about funding. Ask them about the last outside review, and what was turned up. Ask if professors take an interest in students' work or require that students parrot the professors' work in order to have any interest shown?

Ask about what students do in the dept.--are they on the committee that invites speakers? do they have an in-house or regional conference they sponsor? do they get offices/desks, is there a reading room or meeting place? are they on the support committee? on the admissions committee?

Ask about placement rates. How many of their friends that recently graduated have jobs in any way related to their PhD or MA.

And find out if they routinely issue the MA half-way to completion. I've known more than one person who started a PhD program and was glad that the intermediate MA was awarded. Otherwise they'd have dropped out after 4 years and had nothing.

Also, I would ask yourself whether you think its worth it or not to sacrifice the lost income for the next 5-7 years.

-SM, Ph.D.

Do you get a stipend or are you on your own to support yourself?

How old are you? It's much easier to start if you're in your 20's than if you're in your 30's...

Good luck! :-)

-SM

I'm on the waiting list for funding. And I'm currently 22.

Thanks for the help.

If you don't have any dependents, and can get funding and/or find a way to support yourself, I'd say go for it. If you get 2-3 years in and decide it's not for you, you could hopefully get your Masters and move on.

I got my degree in a scientific field with full funding, so my situation was a bit different. I was 24ish when I started but it dragged out for ~9 years, partially for reasons beyond my control (My advisor moved across the continent and I had to go with him to continue my research). I can't stress enough how important it is to find an advisor who has an interest in what you're working on, otherwise it can be a long, lonely slog.

-SM

(all but dissertation) with no chance of getting a real job in my field and a lot of student loans. Education is never wasted, but look at the program carefully to see if they actually graduate students in a reasonable amount of time and they find employment.

many of my friends bit the bullet and finished, but it was a shitload of work. I think it depends on your field and how much energy you have.

Ph. D. in linguistics with a concentration in Japanese.

I loved being in graduate school, living on an exciting university campus with things constantly going on and making friends with people from all over the world. I would never give up that experience. I was lucky in that about half of my grad study was fully subsidized, so I was in debt, but not too deeply, when I finished.

However, it was three years before I got a fulltime job, and after eleven years of teaching at several different schools, I was denied tenure.

Well, it was a stage of my life, and on the whole, it was good.

But I'm glad to be out of academia now. Everyone I know who is still in it is depressed.