What is the point of it all?

closifer

Sorry in advance that this thres is negative...

I am a 3rd year PhD student. I graduated at the top of my class in both my undergrad and my MA but I am really struggling wth the PhD.

I cant motivate myself at all, mainly because I just know deep down that it is pointless. I actually had a relatively well paying job that quit to go back to college. I know its highly unlikely that even when I finish the PhD i will have a job that pays well...what is the point really??

CaoimH_in

Well, your almost entirely finished the 4 years. If you left you would be at square one, except much less better off. You will have your Phd for your life, who's to say it won't come in handy. In honesty, you'll have to continue and, to be brutal, you can stop whinging now. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Your in a mess, you can stick at it and get out of it, or feel sorry for yourself.

So, in a friendly tone, cop on.

VALIS

The Phd may well place you on a fast-track to promotion and will place you well for a career in academia where the salary is attractive enough even for starters. Also remember that pay is secondary to job satisfaction.

It sounds like you're burnt out and disinterested, I know that feeling from doing a 4 year undergrad degree, but you must think of the reward and prospects at the end.

Take some time out, get some rest, unwind, exercise, talk to friends and try to give your morale a boost--you're on the home stretch man!

LilMsss

closifer wrote: »

Sorry in advance that this thres is negative...

I am a 3rd year PhD student. I graduated at the top of my class in both my undergrad and my MA but I am really struggling wth the PhD.

I cant motivate myself at all, mainly because I just know deep down that it is pointless. I actually had a relatively well paying job that quit to go back to college. I know its highly unlikely that even when I finish the PhD i will have a job that pays well...what is the point really??

I know exactly how you feel. I was high achieving while doing my BA and MA and extremely motivated. I had written two longish dissertations which I loved researching and writing and knew I wanted to get to the next level.

I'm starting the second year of my PhD now but I struggle with motivation as well. Obviously I really want to do the PhD but I also really want to work, earn decent money, have a challenging career and a good quality of life. If I'm being honest, if I had a choice between a full-time permanent teaching job and the PhD I don't know if the PhD would win out.

My issue is that the PhD is definitely something I want to do and am capable of but it involves major financial and lifestyle sacrifices that I have to ask myself (at 30) if they are worth the end goal. At the moment I'd like to think they are and I'm going to give it my all for as long as I'm able to.

Why is it unlikely that you'll finish? You've gotten this far. I'm assuming you have your literature review done and are working on your methodology - how far into your research are you? It could be that you've burned yourself out and like other posters said, need a break. It could feel like you are hitting a brick wall with a particular aspect of your research so some time away could be just what you need.

Or it might be that the PhD is just not for you, but you have to be honest with yourself and ask if you leave now (a) what will you do and will it be more satisfying than following your research? And (b) will you look back always regretting never having finished your project?

Without knowing your personal situation it sounds like you could be depressed. If depression is contributing to your lack of progress the PhD could be a symptom rather than a cause of your unhappiness. If you have been feeling like this since day one then maybe you need to make a clean break from it and see it as a learning experience and move on. I'd like to think if I was at the stage you are at and feeling the same way then I'd have the courage to walk away and find another path to get what I want from life.

Good luck!

LilMsss

Just one more point!

If you are planning on leaving the programme is there any way you could convert the work you've done to date to an M.Phil or Master of Research, so at least you'd be leaving with something to show for your time there.

itzme

First off you're confusing two things, you're lacking in motivation and obviously stressed and you're looking for reasons. You're blaming the PhD (which is fair) but for some reason you are questioning its purpose, I don't know where thats come from.

Nearly every single person who has ever successfully finished a PhD at some stage has questioned it, lacked motivation and struggled thats something worth remembering. Doing a PhD is mostly an individual task and is very hard on the person, there are very few things particularly qualifications that are as independent of colleagues and peers. If it wasn't as hard everyone would be doing one. It sounds like you need to get your work routine back on track for that I would advise looking through these presentations for help, clarity and motivation http://ncg.nuim.ie/redir.php?action=events/20110325

On whats the point, I understand your frustration but that is a silly,silly question. I'm assuming you are doing a PhD in Humanities from the BA and MA. So first off, before you started you had to know that the primary career path out of the PhD was academics, pretty much lecturing. The point of it is that it proves you can carry out novel independent research to the highest standards that is judged and evaluated by the expert peers in your field. It proves you can present and write to the highest standards and that you are determined and focused. It proves that you can become an recognised expert in a field, not just good at something but an expert. If you can't see how these traits are something that you can use to sell yourself to a prospective employer (if you don't go down the academic route) then you are letting your frustration cloud and warp your perspective. If you work hard, get publications, get presentations, do some lecturing if you can or demonstrating and build up the skills that doing a PhD nearly exclusively offers you can create for yourself some great opportunities. You seem to be expecting just doing a PhD to give you opportunities, thats not going to happen.

By the way I finished my PhD about 4 years ago and am currently supervising 2 PhD students one who is writing up and the other going into their third year.

2Scoops

If you can finish in 12 months if you put your mind to it, then I would say stay, if only to explain the massive gap in your work history. If you're very far off, just walk away. Talk with the registrar about deferring a year or a similar deal so that you still have an option to go back if it's just acute burnout. People defer ALL the time, it's no big deal.

Either way, start looking for and applying for any well-paying jobs you are qualified for immediately - it will keep you sane and improve your options.

djpbarry

2Scoops wrote: »

People defer ALL the time, it's no big deal.

I think this is something that a lot of PhD students need to be more aware of – if you miss your submission deadline, for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean that your career as a researcher is over before it’s even begun. Although I guess it’s understandable that this is kept under wraps – life is a whole lot easier when things get done on time.

postgrad23

CaoimH_in wrote: »

Well, your almost entirely finished the 4 years. If you left you would be at square one, except much less better off. You will have your Phd for your life, who's to say it won't come in handy. In honesty, you'll have to continue and, to be brutal, you can stop whinging now. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Your in a mess, you can stick at it and get out of it, or feel sorry for yourself.

So, in a friendly tone, cop on.

That's terrible advice! You don't know the person or the situation. It's entirely possible that they would be better off without a PhD. A PhD makes you less employable than a masters and is a lot more difficult. A lot of people get depressed and demotivated and either drop out or end up dawdling for the best part of a decade.

A couple of years work experience adds more to your salary than the equivalent time spent doing a PhD unless you find a job in exactly your area. I don't know the statistics, but it seems to me that people finishing up are finding it difficult to get decent jobs.

I'm doing a PhD because I love it, and I don't think there is any other reason to. The workload is generally 10-12 hours a day if you want to get in done in four years with a couple of publications. Unless you have a good supervisor, it's very lonely.
It also requires a lot of creativity, which you can't force, even if someone tells you to cop on. :rolleyes:

I've had jobs too, and a PhD is twice the effort for half the pay. If money is your thing, write up a masters.

postgrad23

I meant to add that publications are worth a lot too, so if you write up a masters and get a few publications, it'll still look great on your CV.