PhD? What PhD?

[ironphoenix]

I have officially terminated my PhD program. My supervisor and I discussed what remained to be done, and having come to the conclusion that it's somewhere between 1000 and 2000 hours, and that this would require me to spend some 10 to 20 hours per week for the next year to two years in order to complete it in a reasonable time, it's not going to happen.

How do I feel about it? A bit sad, but a lot relieved. That thing has been stressing me out quite a bit, and now it's gone. It closes a few doors: I'll probably never teach at a university quite the way I originally had in mind, for example. However, I am pretty well-established in a successful career, and I like managing, so I'm not too badly hurt. As much as anything, it's a blow to my ego, but one which I can weather.

What now? Well, I've decided to take a few months to rest and let the facts settle in, rather than leaping onto my next project. I'll start thinking seriously about my next major undertaking in late July, after my vacation.

Comments

[squireofmichael.livejournal.com]

Being someone who is looking to eventually pursue a PhD, may I ask a) what was the field you were studying in and b) was this a recent decision, or something you've been comtemplating for a while?

I'm glad to hear you're at peace about it!

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

a) Electrical engineering.

b) I've been thinking about it for about a year. My parents had been nagging me incessantly supportive of my continued efforts, but the part-time thing just wasn't working out. Work has gone from fairly intense to very intense as I've moved into management, and I don't want to back away from that; increasingly, I realized that there just wasn't enough of me left to do the thesis work and maintain my marriage, work performance, and sanity. This is something I'll have to keep in mind for my next undertaking, too.

My advice, if you're inclined to hear it, is: don't set yourself on a track where the only successful (or perceived successful) endpoint is a PhD. You will likely encounter other opportunities along the way, and it's always a bit dodgy to put so many eggs (typically 10 or more years from start of university to PhD) in one basket. Intermediate exit strategies are valid options.

And thank you!