I picked up the New Scientist Graduate Careers Special (28 October 2006) at the Careers Service yesterday. There is a gem of an article by Matthew Killeya (PhD statistics). This is his list of eight rotten reasons to apply for a PhD.
- I want three more years of life as a student.
- I’ve got nothing better to do.
- I fancy my lecturer. (!)
- I want to pull students (“Don’t even go there – much, much worse than pulling your lecturer.”)
- I want “Doctor” on my credit card (“In fact, most people with a PhD are reluctant to flaunt their title. Imagine somebody introducing themselves as “doctor” in a pub – you’d probably think they were a prat.”
- They offered me a place.
- I’ll be raking the cash afterwards.
- I want to know all the answers. (“…expect your PhD to throw up more questions than answers.”)
Oh!
Well I guess I won’t apply for one then.
(You know Joel’s only doing it so he can make us call him doctor joel.)
Which of the eight reasons would you have fallen victim to, vera?
I dont *just* want to be called doctor joel, vera. I also want to pull students.
I think vera would like you to be dr joel as well. Authority, mmm…
Are you thinking of being Dr Ko?
Oh, it would have been “I fancy my lecturer”.
Joel, if you were my lecturer, then it’d all work out well for both of us!
Hi 3088 silver. No, not thinking of doing a PhD any time soon. I seriously doubt my self-discipline and interest. In fact, of the eight rotten reasons that could have tempted me to do a PhD, I would have put up 5, 7, 8. Maybe even 3, if the right lecturer came along 😉
Reason 8, actually, has reared its ugly head of late. Problems seem to be getting more and more huge and complicated and simple at the same time. I might have done a PhD in the mistaken belief that it could provide clarity. Better to be ignorant and stubborn, eh.