I did undergrad in marine biology, and this academia bubble popped for me when one of my professors said “economics have no place in aquaculture/ agriculture”. For context, I live in Ireland, where the agriculture industries are obviously to the development of my country So completely out of touch. I wanted to scream
Thanks for the video. I was on the verge of doing a literature PhD in the UK but finally decided against. It was a huuuge life crisis for me because that had been mi life plan for years. I haven’t regretted my decision since. I love my current job despite not being an academic, I work with kids and teens, I’m in my hometown close to my family and I could start a life with my partner which would have been impossible if I’d stayed in the UK trying to fight for funding every now and then. I miss university but it was just not worth it giving up on everything else. PhDs are just for people who can afford not to work or have good connections.
Thank you so much. I found it the most relatable video on PhD on UA-cam, to me. I also did not dream of it and I definitely feel trapped to continue playing the silly game of academia. Good on you for following your dream.
Thanks for sharing, I have a very similar story and I can definitely empathise with the "embarrassment to have a PhD" you describe, as well as that feeling of being lost in life, and needing to postpone the decision about what to do. I also did part of my masters and my PhD in the UK, and it was exactly to be abroad, and specifically in the UK, and because of the lifestyle more than anything else. So yeah I can relate to a lot of what you said, I thought I was alone, ahh! :)
Oh wow, absolutely everything you wrote there I could have said myself!! I also thought I was alone in the experience, and it's so good to know there are others out there, just finding our way 😊
I just finished a Master’s degree in Art Therapy, but decided during my last year of the program that the field wasn’t the right fit for me. I cringe every time someone excitedly compliments me on my achievement, and asks what my plans are for work. It’s so complicated and personal to explain. Most of my cohort has taken the straightforward path into counseling careers, and I feel like I’m lost and starting all over again, but I don’t regret choosing a different path.
Now my part-time entry-level job I had during my program has become my full-time job. Which doesn’t sound impressive at all! But there’s a lot of down time I can use to read, do my own research, and write down my little thoughts. Which is all I want right now. It’s freeing to give up on grandiose career goals, if they’re not aligned to you.
@@mariahgeiger2350 That impulse to cringe when someone congratulates you on your achievements is so real! When something doesn't feel right and authentic, it just gets hard to pretend after a while... I say congratulations on finding your own path! There's truly nothing better than time to read, research and write down your thoughts 😊
I went to a very research-oriented engineering school and when I started working at the Patent Office and considering law school I felt like I was "selling out" by not doing research. So I applied for a PhD and was planning to go back and be an engineering researcher, even though I didn't really like research after having done summer jobs in labs. I ended up not getting graduate housing and my lab being far off campus where I would be alone and no housing nearby. That convinced me not to go back. I ended up staying at the Patent Office, going to law school at night, and becoming a patent attorney. Very glad I did NOT get that PhD, for me, it would have been the wrong decision. Ironically, I met some of the brightest people from my class who DID go for the PhD and they are not working in my engineering field (materials), one does financial advising, one runs a software security company although both had worked in materials engineering. Meanwhile, as a patent attorney, I do many semiconductor, battery, and nanotech patent applications, all in Asia where most of the work is these days, outsourced myself many years ago to Asia. No regrets. You never know where life leads.
I always love hearing about other life paths, and really appreciate the reassurance that, no matter what course you take, things have a way of working out. Thanks so much for watching!
I think as a society we need to tell women it’s okay if they don’t want to have big careers. Sounds like if you have just had freedom to study what you wanted and not be tied down to a job, that was the lifestyle you were looking for.
thanks for sharing! youtube will push anything trashing academia to my feed (and despite what you say, there is A LOT of that, and no wonder) and you bet I'll watch it. At least originally impostor syndrome was about feeling like an impostor, ure discussing being one here. I don't think you should feel ashamed if you reason through it, most people still believe academia is still respectable so they won't think low of you, and for those who do maybe you can show this video, that explains that you are not really a leech. I think you shouldn't want a world where academia not only is not serious but also it doesn't take itself seriously though. You should want a world where academia either deserves the money it gets or disappears. Nothing wrong with intellectual curiosity and freedom, as long as whatever feeds you is actually useful for society. If you think adulthood should be about having fun then maybe you should feel ashamed. Having fun is fine but you shouldn't take money you don't deserve 💀. Actual jobs are not much better though. I'm in a similar position too, I'm in optimization and it is fun and I learn and whatnot but is it a huge public money pit, where we spend years to develop some tool for the european comission to go "cool, but we will never use it cause it's too complex, have these milliions", as if if they used it they would save the world. I cope telling myself it's the same shit anywhere (which is true).
Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! I hope I can do it justice 🙂. I completely agree that whatever we do in life needs to be useful to society, and in a way, that gets to the heart of my discomfort in the post-PhD world. Where I had quite a relaxed (and indeed, sometimes fun experience of doing my degree - and I get that that's an exception to the rule!), I found after the fact that it pushed me into a hyper-professionalized, burnout-inducing world. I've unfortunately had a few "real", non-academic jobs that have really reinforced how the world of work is all about chasing funding, generating money at the expense of wellbeing. And who benefits? I suppose I still feel that something can be serious in its aims while also being fun - if we don't prioritize enjoyment of life, what do we really have? That's where I've landed at the end of all this, anyway. Your work sounds interesting, and I completely get the frustration of pouring a lot of time and effort into something that never gets used! I hope one day it gets the recognition it deserves 🙂
Way to bury the lead. Sort of a degree in German, Masters degree in European Studies, and apparently a PhD in Public Health somewhere in the UK. One could do far worse, but neither is it obviously a sound financial path.
I think you should hold your nose and go teach at a High School. The pay and benefits are good and you can teach the next generations of kids what not to do in College.
But like what program did you study, if it was in medicine or something like that it would be useful, but if it was in arts or something random def not worth it.
It was public health, so... I guess fairly "useful"? But also, I'm one of those people who thinks the arts are one of the most important things we can do in life
You could get a 2nd or 3rd phd!🙃 if it was so great during that time lol. Personally, as a feminine woman myself who also enjoys intellelectualism and enjoyed a lot of academia.. I think most women will not find fulfillment without being invested mothers who focus on that..I realize that's an unpopular opinion now, but I believe strongly that's why many women feel lost and unfulfilled nowadays, including many career women who appear less lost. I don't think ambition and overwork is a very female trait (testosterone creates high energy etc..), plus that's just my observation and also personal experience. But anyway it can take time to explore yourself and life and what is for you, I would know😊 God bless with that❤
Haha you know, I honestly have thought about going back for a second masters... talked myself out of it for the time being, but time will tell 🙃🙃I completely see the need for slower, calmer lifestyles (whether that will look like motherhood for me, we'll see...), and I agree that so many of us are struggling in a society that pushes us into overwork. Hopefully we can all find a way to fulfillment! Thanks so much for watching and for the comment ❤
I have to agree with you. As it is, I do happen to be intellectual and ambitious … but the older I get the more I realize what an outlier I really am. And I don’t mean I’m better, or worse … but I’ve come to feel that perhaps some women just have more masculine energy or something like that. The traditional life gets a terrible rap, but looking around me, I think it is the right choice for most people.
The only truly consequential thing you could have done in your life is having kids, and that train seems to have pretty conclusively left the station. So relax and do whatever the hell you feel like without regret/embarrassment/fear/etc
I did undergrad in marine biology, and this academia bubble popped for me when one of my professors said “economics have no place in aquaculture/ agriculture”.
For context, I live in Ireland, where the agriculture industries are obviously to the development of my country
So completely out of touch. I wanted to scream
Thanks for the video. I was on the verge of doing a literature PhD in the UK but finally decided against. It was a huuuge life crisis for me because that had been mi life plan for years. I haven’t regretted my decision since. I love my current job despite not being an academic, I work with kids and teens, I’m in my hometown close to my family and I could start a life with my partner which would have been impossible if I’d stayed in the UK trying to fight for funding every now and then. I miss university but it was just not worth it giving up on everything else. PhDs are just for people who can afford not to work or have good connections.
Absolutely, academia is not worth all the sacrifices! So glad you found something you love to do and got to stay close to family ❤
@@sarah.gabriella 🥰🌸
I got a masters degree, while I was there it felt like a good thing to do w my time, but I’m not sure I’d do it again
I know exactly how you feel! Always seems like a good idea at the time 🙃
Thank you so much. I found it the most relatable video on PhD on UA-cam, to me. I also did not dream of it and I definitely feel trapped to continue playing the silly game of academia. Good on you for following your dream.
Ahh I'm so glad it resonated!
Thanks for sharing, I have a very similar story and I can definitely empathise with the "embarrassment to have a PhD" you describe, as well as that feeling of being lost in life, and needing to postpone the decision about what to do. I also did part of my masters and my PhD in the UK, and it was exactly to be abroad, and specifically in the UK, and because of the lifestyle more than anything else. So yeah I can relate to a lot of what you said, I thought I was alone, ahh! :)
Oh wow, absolutely everything you wrote there I could have said myself!! I also thought I was alone in the experience, and it's so good to know there are others out there, just finding our way 😊
I just finished a Master’s degree in Art Therapy, but decided during my last year of the program that the field wasn’t the right fit for me. I cringe every time someone excitedly compliments me on my achievement, and asks what my plans are for work. It’s so complicated and personal to explain. Most of my cohort has taken the straightforward path into counseling careers, and I feel like I’m lost and starting all over again, but I don’t regret choosing a different path.
Now my part-time entry-level job I had during my program has become my full-time job. Which doesn’t sound impressive at all! But there’s a lot of down time I can use to read, do my own research, and write down my little thoughts. Which is all I want right now. It’s freeing to give up on grandiose career goals, if they’re not aligned to you.
@@mariahgeiger2350 That impulse to cringe when someone congratulates you on your achievements is so real! When something doesn't feel right and authentic, it just gets hard to pretend after a while... I say congratulations on finding your own path! There's truly nothing better than time to read, research and write down your thoughts 😊
I went to a very research-oriented engineering school and when I started working at the Patent Office and considering law school I felt like I was "selling out" by not doing research. So I applied for a PhD and was planning to go back and be an engineering researcher, even though I didn't really like research after having done summer jobs in labs. I ended up not getting graduate housing and my lab being far off campus where I would be alone and no housing nearby. That convinced me not to go back. I ended up staying at the Patent Office, going to law school at night, and becoming a patent attorney. Very glad I did NOT get that PhD, for me, it would have been the wrong decision. Ironically, I met some of the brightest people from my class who DID go for the PhD and they are not working in my engineering field (materials), one does financial advising, one runs a software security company although both had worked in materials engineering. Meanwhile, as a patent attorney, I do many semiconductor, battery, and nanotech patent applications, all in Asia where most of the work is these days, outsourced myself many years ago to Asia. No regrets. You never know where life leads.
I always love hearing about other life paths, and really appreciate the reassurance that, no matter what course you take, things have a way of working out. Thanks so much for watching!
Loved the rant / life-lesson!
Thanks so much for watching!!
Thanks for a great video. Very relatable.
Thanks so much for watching!
I think as a society we need to tell women it’s okay if they don’t want to have big careers. Sounds like if you have just had freedom to study what you wanted and not be tied down to a job, that was the lifestyle you were looking for.
thanks for sharing! youtube will push anything trashing academia to my feed (and despite what you say, there is A LOT of that, and no wonder) and you bet I'll watch it.
At least originally impostor syndrome was about feeling like an impostor, ure discussing being one here.
I don't think you should feel ashamed if you reason through it, most people still believe academia is still respectable so they won't think low of you, and for those who do maybe you can show this video, that explains that you are not really a leech.
I think you shouldn't want a world where academia not only is not serious but also it doesn't take itself seriously though. You should want a world where academia either deserves the money it gets or disappears. Nothing wrong with intellectual curiosity and freedom, as long as whatever feeds you is actually useful for society. If you think adulthood should be about having fun then maybe you should feel ashamed. Having fun is fine but you shouldn't take money you don't deserve 💀. Actual jobs are not much better though.
I'm in a similar position too, I'm in optimization and it is fun and I learn and whatnot but is it a huge public money pit, where we spend years to develop some tool for the european comission to go "cool, but we will never use it cause it's too complex, have these milliions", as if if they used it they would save the world. I cope telling myself it's the same shit anywhere (which is true).
yes I am fun at parties. This is no party
Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! I hope I can do it justice 🙂. I completely agree that whatever we do in life needs to be useful to society, and in a way, that gets to the heart of my discomfort in the post-PhD world. Where I had quite a relaxed (and indeed, sometimes fun experience of doing my degree - and I get that that's an exception to the rule!), I found after the fact that it pushed me into a hyper-professionalized, burnout-inducing world. I've unfortunately had a few "real", non-academic jobs that have really reinforced how the world of work is all about chasing funding, generating money at the expense of wellbeing. And who benefits? I suppose I still feel that something can be serious in its aims while also being fun - if we don't prioritize enjoyment of life, what do we really have? That's where I've landed at the end of all this, anyway.
Your work sounds interesting, and I completely get the frustration of pouring a lot of time and effort into something that never gets used! I hope one day it gets the recognition it deserves 🙂
Ok
I stumbled upon someone who got PhD by accident lol. Some who goes by "I just went there". And then I got PhD. Took it.
Wow. What?
Way to bury the lead. Sort of a degree in German, Masters degree in European Studies, and apparently a PhD in Public Health somewhere in the UK. One could do far worse, but neither is it obviously a sound financial path.
I think you should hold your nose and go teach at a High School. The pay and benefits are good and you can teach the next generations of kids what not to do in College.
Haha someday, maybe!
Thank you for sharing your experience.
But like what program did you study, if it was in medicine or something like that it would be useful, but if it was in arts or something random def not worth it.
It was public health, so... I guess fairly "useful"? But also, I'm one of those people who thinks the arts are one of the most important things we can do in life
You could get a 2nd or 3rd phd!🙃 if it was so great during that time lol. Personally, as a feminine woman myself who also enjoys intellelectualism and enjoyed a lot of academia.. I think most women will not find fulfillment without being invested mothers who focus on that..I realize that's an unpopular opinion now, but I believe strongly that's why many women feel lost and unfulfilled nowadays, including many career women who appear less lost. I don't think ambition and overwork is a very female trait (testosterone creates high energy etc..), plus that's just my observation and also personal experience. But anyway it can take time to explore yourself and life and what is for you, I would know😊 God bless with that❤
Haha you know, I honestly have thought about going back for a second masters... talked myself out of it for the time being, but time will tell 🙃🙃I completely see the need for slower, calmer lifestyles (whether that will look like motherhood for me, we'll see...), and I agree that so many of us are struggling in a society that pushes us into overwork. Hopefully we can all find a way to fulfillment! Thanks so much for watching and for the comment ❤
I have to agree with you. As it is, I do happen to be intellectual and ambitious … but the older I get the more I realize what an outlier I really am. And I don’t mean I’m better, or worse … but I’ve come to feel that perhaps some women just have more masculine energy or something like that. The traditional life gets a terrible rap, but looking around me, I think it is the right choice for most people.
The only truly consequential thing you could have done in your life is having kids, and that train seems to have pretty conclusively left the station. So relax and do whatever the hell you feel like without regret/embarrassment/fear/etc
Wtf why do you feel comfortable saying that to a woman
@@frida_m4426 I practice meditation.
The train has left the station? Really??????
I don't know if that's offensive or just bizarre.