<p>I'm just curious as to why people are pursuing PhDs here? Is it love for research, jobs, "free" funding? </p>
<p>I've just been getting bad feedback from current grad students who all say their lives are pretty crappy. It could be I'm talking to the wrong set of people, but I'm just curious anyways ...</p>
<p>I'm going after a PhD so that I can spend my career on research, writing and teaching the music that interests me. I'm actually teaching music in a public school right now, and even though I do enjoy it, I do not get to spend much of my time teaching the music that really interests me. Also, it's really hard to find time to do my research and writing since the public school does not require it or get any benefit from it, and there is always some new activity that makes it harder to find time (not to mention the fact that my wife and I are planning to start a family soon).</p>
<p>I'd like to have a career in research. Not sure about the whole teaching thing, but we'll see. There are several paths you can go down with the degree (acedemia, industry, gov't, etc.). The work is interesting to me, and the prospect of finding something new that nobody else has ever described is exciting to me. It doesn't have to be a huge breakthrough, but any contribution I can make to the knowledge pool of our species seems like a pretty cool job at the end of the day.</p>
<p>I am getting a PhD because it is a de facto requirement for a successful career in research. It is impossible to ever become a leader in the field without one. I especially like the lifestyle associated with professorhood and hope to be on faculty in several years. Also, I have worked in research for 7 years now without a PhD and realize that this is as much of a dead end job as any can be.</p>
<p>The individuals **<strong><em>ing and moaning are often the same ones who would be *</em></strong>*ing and moaning about their jobs had they gone to law school, med school or right into the workforce. Nobody is happy with being on the bottom rung of the ladder but they shouldn't ignore the fact that their counterparts in other graduate/professional schools are going into 100's of thousands of dollars in debt and have residencies and fellowships to go before they can really repay any of that. Don't take the whininess to heart, if research is what you want to do, grad school is the right, and only, track you can take.</p>
<p>I want it for the money, power, and women.</p>
<p>Word to your mother.</p>
<p>Teaching at the university level is my dream. Also maybe running a study abroad office, managing trips, etc. (Although I don't think you necessarily need a PhD to do that, it would just be a nice addition to teaching foreign languages/cultures). I also like research.</p>
<p>I only have second hand info, but I have been quizzing DD about this lately to be sure it is the right path. She would be hugely employable in CS/Math area as she is personable and entrepreneurial. She is very interested in solving problems in her field. She is very inspired by the academic people (including grad students) around her who are so dedicated to working at these problems just for the sake of it. It is a lifestyle she wants. She really thinks that she has a unique mindset to bring to the table. Jobs and free are not in the mix. The free just makes it possible. She will be giving up income to go this route, I'm sure. I think it is so competitive, so I worry. But it is a dream to persue.</p>
<p>It's interesting to see so many similar responses on this board. :) I feel more or less the same way as everyone else. I'm mostly going back to grad school to explore a particular set of questions on a particular set of texts that I really love and feel are not well understood. I also love teaching: if I weren't going to get my Ph.D., I would teach somewhere else, but I would (oddly enough) probably stick with middle school rather than college-age kids. So for me it seems like the right blend of teaching and research. And also, frankly, I want to become a professor because it's a good fit for me and I feel like I would be good at it. I bet that this holds true for many or most of the other people on this board, too.</p>
<p>Getting a PhD so I can perform research and teach the rest of my life.</p>
<p>Don't forget about spending most of your time writing grants and dealing with tenure politics!</p>
<p>The reason I want to get my PhD is because it opens up a wide range of career options. While my heart is still set on teaching in a University and running a lab right now, I would love the options of working at a government agency (NIH, CDC) to set science policy or maybe one day I'd like to start my own biotech. I've worked in both clinical and academic research settings and there are too many barriers to reach certain career goals without a PhD (or masters). Lastly, I love bench work, I enjoy talking about science, I love teaching and mentoring younger students, and I'm always contemplating research projects that I would pursue if I had the time. After seriously talking to many grad students/post docs/faculty members about the difficulties and rewards of pursuing a science PhD, I know that this is the life for me.</p>
<p>I just want the pretty robe with the huge hood and floppy hat.</p>
<p>Oh, and also what most everyone else here has already said...women...power...money.........loving research. ;) Ah, Christmas Eve in the lab...:)</p>
<p>I'm getting my PhD because I want to become a professor. </p>
<p>... and unlike a lot of people around me (yes there are a lot of miserable students) I am loving it! I'm getting plenty of interesting and unique experiences that I will never get anywhere else. I'm meeting a lot of fascinating people who are influencing me positively. Yes, it's a lot of work for a very little pay, but getting a phD is not exactly a job, is it? </p>
<p>I must admit that there are many many PhD students who are miserable. There are also plenty of others who have admitted that the years they spent getting the degree was perhaps the biggest mistake of their lives. I think the most important thing to ensuring that your experience is positive is to get a GOOD advisor who you can work with and who will keep your interest at heart. There are many many bad ones out there, so choose wisely!</p>