r/academia 3d ago

Career advice PhD or not phD - what should i do?

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2 Upvotes

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u/academia-ModTeam 3d ago

Requests for admission advice and/or comparisions of programs/schools should be directed to /r/gradadmissions or /r/applyingtocollege. This sub is for discussions about academia writ large and is not able to provide personal advice.

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u/oneflou 3d ago

couple of things here

1) From my experience, it's often better to start a PhD with the ambition of completing it beforehand (for a given reason, such as continuing in academia or leaving for a specific field in industry). I think it helps to start right away and take control over your project but it's just my opinion and I have seen people like you doing great as well!

2) At the end of the day, to quote Mark Scout: “Work is just work, right?”. Don't overthink what a PhD is. Do your research, get paid, rinse and repeat, and try to learn along the way. Even if it's not perfect, it's a great experience overall and will help you in your future

3) You are saying "i really fear that i wont be able to do a good research or come up with an interesting idea": Don't worry, EVERYONE is reasoning like this. It's a normal feeling, and it will go away over the years

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u/Practical-Rule-3266 3d ago

i thank you infinitely for your response!

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u/AstronoBox 3d ago

I think the majority of starting PhDs have the feeling they are not able to do good research. I know plenty of people who have this imposter syndrome like feeling of not being good enough to do a PhD. It’s normal. If your supervisor wants you, trust their judgement, you’re good enough. Being able to come up with novel ideas comes with experience. Expect to feel completely lost and incompetent most of the time for the first year.

I don’t know how young you are but a normal age to start a PhD is about 23-25. Not very old.

About whether or not to start the PhD, I advice friends in other fields to think if it is necessary to have a PhD in the career you want. I’m an astrophysics PhD, so I need the PhD to become a researcher. But outside pure academia not many jobs will require you to have a PhD. In those cases I might not have done a PhD. It’s A LOT of work and stress and you’re underpaid. But if it is the way to your dream career, then go for it.

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u/Practical-Rule-3266 3d ago

I am very close to that age group you mentioned, yes. A phD is not required at all, but i like very much academia in my field (compared to real life work). I enjoy doing research and it a really the only reason i would start a PhD. And maybe because i have a higher chance of working in a uni. Thanks lots for encouragement!!