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Osaka27149 Posts
As the age of TL rises and we progress through the various stages of our education, I thought something like this would be relevant.
Matthew Might, a computer science professor at the University of Utah, writes: “Every fall, I explain to a fresh batch of Ph.D. students what a Ph.D. is. It’s hard to describe it in words. So, I use pictures.” Here it goes. Matt’s Illustrated Guide: We all start empty. By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little: By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more: With a bachelor’s degree, you gain a specialty: A master’s degree deepens that specialty: Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge: Once you’re at the boundary, you focus: You push at the boundary for a few years: Until one day, the boundary gives way: And, that dent you’ve made is called a Ph.D.: Of course, the world looks different to you now: So, don’t forget the bigger picture: Keep pushing.
I once asked uhjoo about his decision to take a phd. He told me it was something you have be willing to spend a little time on every day. I also talked about it with a professor of mine who said even once a week would be enough. Otherwise you will end up like the many who simply let it rot on the corner of their desks. Since then I have watched both sides of the spectrum, from the crazy motivated to the 20-year phd student who never finishes.
For those TLers pursuing higher education, do you have any thoughts on the PhD experience? Does the above ring true for you? Any advice for those looking to start?
The author has a simple site here with advice to grad students: http://matt.might.net/articles/
I pulled this article from a blog everyone should spend time at: http://www.openculture.com
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Lol great post, really true about the PhD specialization. I got my masters about 4 years ago and after recently being laid off I am really debating going back for a PHD. Everyone I've talked to that pursued the PHD in my field (aerospace engineering) truly enjoyed their experience and pretty much took 1 class a semester and did research all day. Having extreme freedom.
I always wanted to be a professor (I've taught at community colleges but not acredited), so PHD perhaps is in my future. I'd love to hear personal PHD stories.
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PhD = Permanent Head Damage
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I don't know much about PhDing (except my older sister is working on her final thesis), but I'm sure that you shouldn't read too much PHDcomics if you wanna stay motivated!
ps. thx Mani for unbanning me . lol
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On September 14 2010 10:53 Gokey wrote:
PhD = Permanent Head Damage
this sounds about right
welcome to my life
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I am going to be doing a PhD. I know it for sure.
It's just about learning something you enjoy.
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Really interesting view of the PhD. Something to think about at least.
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im working on my bachelor of biomedical engineering, plan on going for masters and then phd and help you guys stay alive longer ;D
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Just looks another teacher trying to justify to themselves all of those years they spent getting a PhD. It's an interesting illustration, but it also runs off of this presumption that those with PhD's simply know more than those without PhD's. There are computer programmers I know that have far more knowledge having worked in the field for 30 years than these new young "whipper-snappers" could gain with a PhD in Comp Sci (if anyone even goes for that).
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I'd have to say that, first of all a phD is not for everyone. For some, it's a way of not taking responsibility and just wanting to stay a student for many years. For others, a phD is their "now what?" moment. After you finish college, your life as a young person ends and for the majority of people it's time to get a fucking job.
And then there's those people who are just so motivated, specially in the sciences. I've met some pretty smart kids who really want to make a difference in their world and want to make their mark in their respective disciplines.
Personally, I could never complete a phD. The workload is overwhelming and the pay sucks. For some degrees like education a phD is highly recommended though and very much necessary.
Additionally, the phD market is saturated with top talent from all over the world. There are better career paths out there.
EDIT: phDComics makes getting a phD look like a getting a rectal exam. It looks like a downward spiral of depression and boredom.
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I think I'm kind of like a grunt, an ogre. I don't like listening to professors, I would never in a million years want to be a teacher. I would never work towards a phd. I prefer practical things. Creating things out of nothing. Whether it be a restaurant, coal factory, or CERN. For example, physics fascinates me. so do great leaders and ancient civilizations. But i would never in a million years dedicated so much time of my life in order to obtain a title of phd. regardless of the field.
This circle diagram is excellent, really really nice visual demonstration of knowledge and education.
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I've already PHd'd my whole circle.
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Really great post, a very interesting way to represent what a PhD is. Makes me kinda wanna get one now so I can keep pushing that boundary back.
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This is a cool way of explaining it. I've also heard that after high school you think you know a lot, after a bachelor's you think you know even more, and it isn't until you start a PhD you realise you know barely anything.
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I'm in a PhD program right now, for cognitive psychology. I love every bit of it though since I dig doing high-level research and teaching
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I can only talk about my wife's struggle with Ph. D. (M. D. more like it) degree right now (I'm still struggling with my Bachelor's even though I have accumulated like 6 years of study at the university in Philosophy, History and Maths, but that's a long story).
I'm not really sure how this works elsewhere, but in Poland you need to have a good grade on your Master's, then if there's a spot open at the university you can apply for a Ph. D. and if you're accepted you have 4 years to accumulate enough publications and write your paper.
It's my wife's 4th year now, she has a month to give the preliminary on her paper for review and she has barely started it a few days ago. But I've got good feelings about it, even though Medicine isn't really my kind of thing, I'm going to help her in any way I can, just like I helped her with her Master's (editing stuff mostly, I'm pretty good at that and it can really take up a lot of time. So I'm helping her with it while she focuses on what to actually put there).
After I get my Bachelor's (will be next year if all goes fine) it's then fairly easy to transition to Master's and if I'd have a shot at it, I'd definitely go for a Ph. D. (already got some propositions for a spot at univ, but need my Master's first...). After all, it's great to do research on stuff that's really interesting for you and being rewarded for it.
Personally, I find Ph. D. more of a byproduct of your work, rather than a goal you should strive for (if you're good at your research and it's pretty innovative, Ph. D. should come without problems).
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well, a phd on the surface is of course just a piece of paper. it's the learning and change from within that makes the dent 
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On September 14 2010 10:59 Aberu wrote:
Just looks another teacher trying to justify to themselves all of those years they spent getting a PhD. It's an interesting illustration, but it also runs off of this presumption that those with PhD's simply know more than those without PhD's. There are computer programmers I know that have far more knowledge having worked in the field for 30 years than these new young "whipper-snappers" could gain with a PhD in Comp Sci (if anyone even goes for that).
You totally misunderstood it... I suggest you go over it again with a more open mind.
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Describes my life.
/Current PhD student
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On September 14 2010 10:59 Rev0lution wrote:
I'd have to say that, first of all a phD is not for everyone. For some, it's a way of not taking responsibility and just wanting to stay a student for many years. For others, a phD is their "now what?" moment. After you finish college, your life as a young person ends and for the majority of people it's time to get a fucking job.
And then there's those people who are just so motivated, specially in the sciences. I've met some pretty smart kids who really want to make a difference in their world and want to make their mark in their respective disciplines.
Personally, I could never complete a phD. The workload is overwhelming and the pay sucks. For some degrees like education a phD is highly recommended though and very much necessary.
Additionally, the phD market is saturated with top talent from all over the world. There are better career paths out there.
EDIT: phDComics makes getting a phD look like a getting a rectal exam. It looks like a downward spiral of depression and boredom.
Funny you brought up phdcomics. I just want to say that although it's very funny, the views in the comics are largely biased toward phd students in biological sciences and chemistry.
I believe those fields require so little technicality that doing a PhD in those fields is the same as doing a job as a lab technician for a PI. When you read their thesis it is really obvious that nothing fancy is going on - as just about anyone can understand it after spending two weeks on it on the relevant background information.
Doing a PhD degree in mathematics, physics, computer science, and statistics is completely different from what phdcomic depicts. In those fields you are truly approaching the boundary of human knowledge and you really have to learn a lot in order to complete it. PhD thesis of students from those departments are highly original and they are mostly products of true ingenuity instead of sleeping in a lab for 2 years straight.
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