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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer



Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time)
#23634209 - 09/10/16 10:29 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I would like advice from people who have Ph.D's, and perhaps also doctors, lawyers, or anyone in a career that took many, many years of post-secondary education.
I expect to graduate with MS in a year and am thinking about applying for some Ph.D programs. I am almost 25 years old. The thing is I've been poor/broke (mostly broke) for almost my entire life and could really use a salaried job, not to get rich but just to know what it's like to have a decent amount of money.
Do you think it was worth it to get your Ph.D? Did it really help you earn more money in the long run, or was it a fascinating experience for you?
Also what advice do you have on comparing Ph.D programs? What criteria would you use, etc.
Thanks for advice.
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Crystal G



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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Celestial Traveler]
#23634340 - 09/10/16 11:09 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Try this thread, quite a few people with graduate degrees responded in my thread. I would track them down and send them private messages with any questions you might have: https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/23565013/fpart/1/vc/1
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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer



Registered: 03/03/11
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Loc: Idaho
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Crystal G]
#23634352 - 09/10/16 11:14 PM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks
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Oggy
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Celestial Traveler]
#23634484 - 09/11/16 12:30 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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You really don't want to work a job on salary..
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Konyap

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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Oggy]
#23634524 - 09/11/16 12:59 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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why is that?
do people get terminated for coming in late?
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JWils
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Celestial Traveler]
#23634533 - 09/11/16 01:04 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I have a PhD in Machine Learning. I have found it 'worth it', both financially and personally, but it's a big commitment. For me the number one criterion for comparing schools is your potential adviser; your relationship with them is probably the best predictor of happiness in grad school - usually much more so than with a Masters.
What would you be doing it in? That makes a world of difference, particularly when it comes to the question of increased salary vs. doing it for the satisfaction. Given that you're about to finish an MS there may not be too much bonus in terms of salary; typically the jump from BS to MS is larger than MS to PhD. If your MS can't make you the kind of money you want, a PhD probably won't either.
If you mentioned your age because you think you're too old, forget about it. You could still finish a PhD by 31 or so, which is an entirely reasonable number - a not insignificant portion of my cohort entered in their late 20s.
Happy to answer questions, especially if you're aiming for the tech industry.
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Crystal G



Registered: 06/05/07
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Konyap]
#23634570 - 09/11/16 01:36 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Konyap said: why is that?
do people get terminated for coming in late?
It's because they can make you work overtime or work extra hours or even on holidays and you won't get extra cash for that, since your salary is set to a fixed number per year.
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Konyap

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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Crystal G]
#23634573 - 09/11/16 01:40 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I don't think humans should work more than six hours we need a lot of breaks...
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goldcaphunter
EMS Medic



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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Konyap]
#23634685 - 09/11/16 03:41 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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I don't think humans should work. Just give me money.
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  The picture to the far left is a reminder to our users to stay safe and healthy, that's my third open heart surgery due to over use of amps. Stay safe kiddos
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Konyap

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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: goldcaphunter]
#23634724 - 09/11/16 04:37 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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What if you need sleep?
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goldcaphunter
EMS Medic



Registered: 07/29/12
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Konyap]
#23634765 - 09/11/16 05:59 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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They give us money for that now?
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  The picture to the far left is a reminder to our users to stay safe and healthy, that's my third open heart surgery due to over use of amps. Stay safe kiddos
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Crystal G



Registered: 06/05/07
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: goldcaphunter]
#23634778 - 09/11/16 06:11 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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NASA paid people quite a chunk of money (tens of thousands of dollars) to sleep in a bed for 10 weeks. But you had to stay in bed the whole time, you weren't even allowed to sit up to use the computer or anything.
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goldcaphunter
EMS Medic



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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Crystal G]
#23634846 - 09/11/16 07:11 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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What kind of cooked ass reason did they have for that one?
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  The picture to the far left is a reminder to our users to stay safe and healthy, that's my third open heart surgery due to over use of amps. Stay safe kiddos
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Crystal G



Registered: 06/05/07
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Loc: outer space
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: goldcaphunter]
#23634850 - 09/11/16 07:14 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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They wanted to see how people would react in space to extended periods of bed-rest and limited mobility.
Turns out a lot of people suffered from depression and mental problems while doing nothing but laying in bed for months straight. Go figure.
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luvdemboomers
loner with a boner
Registered: 01/11/13
Posts: 5,054
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Konyap]
#23634852 - 09/11/16 07:15 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Konyap said: What if you need sleep?
No worries, I'm sure they'll find someone that doesn't.
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Celestial Traveler
Random Observer



Registered: 03/03/11
Posts: 7,639
Loc: Idaho
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Re: Who here has a Ph.D? (or equivalent degree that takes really long time) [Re: Celestial Traveler]
#23635341 - 09/11/16 10:59 AM (7 years, 4 months ago) |
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. When I said "working on salary" in the OP, what I meant is working a job that actually pays decently, enough to afford my own place, pay all of my own bills, and still have enough leftover to actually do things. The emphasis in that comment was not on pay structure (as in pay/hour vs. pay/year) but rather level of income.
But on that note, what other kind of jobs are there that pay decently and aren't salaried, besides freelance gigs (most of which I would consider self-employment) and crappy blue-collar wage jobs?
I might be naive to how employment works, but I've always had this dichotomy in my mind that 99% of jobs are either salaried and pay average-to-well) or wage/hour pay poorly.
Edited by Celestial Traveler (09/11/16 12:43 PM)
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