• reallykindasorta@slrpnk.netEnglish
    723·
    2 months ago

    This just confirms what every young person in academia knows: gotta get on uppers to be competitive.

    My partner is a PhD candidate and at a recent party a postdoc was telling us how he acquired a giant crack rock at the beginning of his grad career and whenever he needed to finish a big assignment or something he would lick it.

    • Bassman1805@lemmy.worldEnglish
      40·
      2 months ago

      This definitely seems like the more likely explanation. There certainly is a mental/emotional hell you go through in academia, but with this y-axis being specifically about psychiatric medication… all I’m seeing is that grad students like/need Adderall.

    • ALostInquirer@lemm.eeEnglish
      73·
      2 months ago

      Are doctorate/grad school programs distinctly competitive? My impression was that they were more challenging but similar in nature to undergrad insofar as loads of coursework to stay on top of to complete courses and ensure you got some of the most expensive, “You endured it!” paperwork in the world.

      • restingboredface@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        12·
        2 months ago

        I agree with other replies here with one addition. People who get into grad school are generally the high achievers from their high school and undergrad programs, so they are used to being the only or one of few star students. In PhD programs everyone is a star student, so it can be a bit jarring to folks used to being head of the class when they suddenly aren’t.

        It can cause a bit of jealousy and competitive thinking but most of the time students get past it and focus simply on enduring the gauntlet.

      • reallykindasorta@slrpnk.netEnglish
        10·
        2 months ago

        Getting a. PhD isn’t super competitive (speaking from the US), but if you aim to get a professorship at an R1 it’s somewhat competitive across the board. The program coursework vs undergrad depends on the program too— I would say most differ somewhat substantially though. For most humanities degrees you’re doing coursework for 2-3 years and teaching undergrads while you prepare for qualifying exams, then you teach and write your thesis for a few more. The graduate courses are often in seminar (circle discussion) format rather than lecture.

        • ALostInquirer@lemm.eeEnglish
          3·
          2 months ago

          Thanks for some detail! What you describe reassures me in my decision not to get further into it, particularly as a professor path seemed one of few traditional options with what I studied.

          • reallykindasorta@slrpnk.netEnglish
            2·
            2 months ago

            Yeah it’s not the best path for everyone, and some subject areas just don’t have enough teaching positions to reasonably expect to get one

      • Contramuffin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 months ago

        Definitely not the same, at least in my experience. It differs by field, but in my field, grad programs basically have zero classes, and whatever classes there are are generally automatic A’s. In turn, the difficulty comes from the fact that you are basically in indentured servitude to your advisor, and there is no actual recourse for trivial things like “overwork” and “burnout.”

        I know of people who did 70 hour work weeks, and for a period of time, I had to do that as well. Also, you get paid less than you would if you had just gotten a 40 hour per week job at a company.

        Anyways, the advisor that you pick really makes or breaks your experience.

      • quixotic120@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        Depends on the program. Diploma mills for graduate degrees absolutely exist but many are extremely competitive.

  • Yeller_king@reddthat.comEnglish
    30·
    2 months ago

    It’s fucking terrible. I was on something by year 2…

    Having a PhD is awesome. Getting one is awful.

    • BeigeAgenda@lemmy.caEnglish
      131·
      2 months ago

      And they only managed to finish because of all the meds.

      Sometimes you are forced to change the subject part way through a PhD, and this subject was already on the author’s mind.

    • 𝓔𝓶𝓶𝓲𝓮@lemm.eeEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I went the route of substance desensitisation and copious amounts of self delusion. I am doing super fine 🌈

      The alcohol is actually so good because not only it makes you happier for a time but also makes you dumber

  • adr1an@programming.devEnglish
    12·
    2 months ago

    It’s difficult to know if this might just be a correlation to age of onset, plus the effect of new project or work. Maybe other graduates of similar careers (i.e. chemists going into big pharma) that doesn’t go into PhD programmes would be a nice control. But there’s no curve there.

    Alas, I know academia is difficult. But I wouldn’t dare drawing conclusions without a proper comparison.

  • weariedfae@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 months ago

    I’m staring at a PhD and genuinely considering it. I already have an M.S. and that was brutal. But my career stalled and nobody is hiring. Plus I hate myself. Should I do it?

    I just want to do a cool project. I have no interest in academia, lol.

    • reallykindasorta@slrpnk.netEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      If it sounds interesting and other things just don’t I say go for it if you can get a funded position. Definitely ask other students before choosing an advisor so that you don’t get someone who is completely unavailable or a dick

    • TheBloodFarts@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      What’s your field? People love talking shit about getting a PhD and that they’re pointless, but in some fields they’re essential for career growth.

      Source: got MSc, got job, saw that career would be hampered by not having PhD. Went back and got PhD, got great job, huge salary increases on the horizon

      • weariedfae@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        Geology. A PhD is unnecessary unless you want to work in academia (bleh) or for the USGS, which is prestigious but hard to get into even with a PhD. So I’ve heard. There likely would be no appreciable salary increase and in fact would fall into the “overqualified” trap. Master’s is the standard level employers desire.

        I’m unemployed and bummed about it and looking at the PhD because having a project like that sounds awesome.

        • TheBloodFarts@lemmy.caEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          Fair enough, in that case it definitely wouldn’t be worth it. And yeah the independence and cool project aspects of the PhD are appealing, but it really does suck ass and ruin you mentally for a long period of time until you finally achieve your goal (failing is also a possibility)

          Best of luck, I hope you’re able to find a position

  • Goodie@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    Partner has a phd. Can confirm she recommends no one ever do it.

    She only finished it out of spite, so her paper work no longer has miss/Mrs and no relation to her marriage status.