My PhD Is A Waste Of Time? F&*#!!!
The Economist is a brilliant magazine. Smart, dry, never apologetic, British. It is also the magazine with the best cover ever published:
That was for their The Trouble With Mergers cover from the Sept. 10th 1994 edition.
The article about PhDs in a recent issue makes me close my eyes, cover my ears, and yell with loud immaturity, “La la la la la! I can’t hear you! Shut up shut up shut up shut up!” Sadly, I fear there may be some truth in the article.
One thing many PhD students have in common is dissatisfaction. Some describe their work as “slave labour”. Seven-day weeks, ten-hour days, low pay and uncertain prospects are widespread. You know you are a graduate student, goes one quip, when your office is better decorated than your home and you have a favourite flavour of instant noodle. “It isn’t graduate school itself that is discouraging,” says one student, who confesses to rather enjoying the hunt for free pizza. “What’s discouraging is realising the end point has been yanked out of reach.” More…
Posted by Alexa Harrington
