Why I hate being a PhD student -- Part 1
by prudence on 24-Mar-2010
OK, this has nothing to do with travel or food -- except insofar as being a PhD student makes you want more of both. We all know about comfort eating, but I reckon there's a phenomenon of comfort travelling as well. Great topic for someone's PhD :)
But anyway, here's what I hate:
1. Your interviewees never want to be interviewed. Well, not many of them anyway. The rare one that does, and who gives you real solid stuff -- well, you just LOVE that person. The others don't respond. Or they respond only after being prodded, which makes you feel bad. Or they respond, and say "contact me later" -- great, when you've got planes to book, finances to consider, forms to fill in... Or they respond -- and this is the worst -- and then make very clear they wish they hadn't, and they're actually far too busy to be doing this interview, and they're bored with it already, and who are you anyway? All of which does WONDERS for the self-confidence.
2. The thing's endless. Three years if you're lucky. And you never leave home without it. It's like a three-year pregnancy (not that I would really know...).
3. People never stop writing stuff. Which you have to keep up with. Sheesh, why can't you guys who've got your PhDs just stop writing for a while -- give us juniors a chance to catch up?
4. In the back of your mind, you can't help wondering whether it all matters...
UPDATE: 22 April.
Well, nothing has changed about 2, 3, and 4. But recently I've had many more of those interviewees that I LOVE, and it's a while since I had one of the bored and unwilling type. So, onwards and upwards... Even so, I recommend to anyone thinking of doing a PhD: Think very, very, very hard and long...
But anyway, here's what I hate:
1. Your interviewees never want to be interviewed. Well, not many of them anyway. The rare one that does, and who gives you real solid stuff -- well, you just LOVE that person. The others don't respond. Or they respond only after being prodded, which makes you feel bad. Or they respond, and say "contact me later" -- great, when you've got planes to book, finances to consider, forms to fill in... Or they respond -- and this is the worst -- and then make very clear they wish they hadn't, and they're actually far too busy to be doing this interview, and they're bored with it already, and who are you anyway? All of which does WONDERS for the self-confidence.
2. The thing's endless. Three years if you're lucky. And you never leave home without it. It's like a three-year pregnancy (not that I would really know...).
3. People never stop writing stuff. Which you have to keep up with. Sheesh, why can't you guys who've got your PhDs just stop writing for a while -- give us juniors a chance to catch up?
4. In the back of your mind, you can't help wondering whether it all matters...
UPDATE: 22 April.
Well, nothing has changed about 2, 3, and 4. But recently I've had many more of those interviewees that I LOVE, and it's a while since I had one of the bored and unwilling type. So, onwards and upwards... Even so, I recommend to anyone thinking of doing a PhD: Think very, very, very hard and long...