tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post8623413771387131756..comments2024-03-24T21:12:27.165-07:00Comments on 100 Reasons NOT to Go to Graduate School: 11. There is a psychological cost for quitting.100 Reasonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13655155303350793785noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-59009089692031192272020-04-29T14:15:18.957-07:002020-04-29T14:15:18.957-07:00Three years after quitting grad school, I still re...Three years after quitting grad school, I still read your post about once a month. It calms me down, and gets my self-esteem back where it needs to be.<br /><br />Actually I gave grad school a whirl twice -- after one year of it back in 1994, I was diagnosed with cancer and had to drop out. I spent the next 20+ years working in mostly-good corporate jobs and eventually started my own business.<br /><br />Three years ago, I decided to return to grad school and get my master's degree. My reason was twofold: to finish what I'd started two decades earlier, and because (I thought) I wanted to go into academia, which requires a master's.<br /><br />Worst. Mistake. Ever. I knew on day one I'd made a horrible mistake. My health and self-esteem plummeted to dangerously low levels, and I quit after one semester.<br /><br />I still have some pangs -- not so much pangs of regret, but pangs of "Why couldn't I do it?" Truth be told, I guess I didn't really want to do it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-77801842843563265722019-01-10T10:28:16.388-08:002019-01-10T10:28:16.388-08:00Academics are psychopaths.Academics are psychopaths.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17881308247623286366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-14271012192824308132016-10-10T09:20:46.966-07:002016-10-10T09:20:46.966-07:00I was in a masters program in electrical engineeri...I was in a masters program in electrical engineering and after 2.5 years into the program I switched to the PhD. after another 2.5 years of PhD, I had a big difference of opinion with my advisor and quit. I was lucky to come away with a masters. <br /><br />Doing a Phd and being in academia was what I wanted to do. I was passionate about my research, loved what I was doing and enjoyed the experience thoroughly. I had publications and had passed my qualifying exams. But the falling out with my professor who made several personal degrading attacks on me made me feel really bad and hit my self confidence really hard. So I quit.<br /><br />Initially, after I quit, I felt free. I got a job in the industry, got married and have been working for over 6 years now. But during this time, I have been quite depressed and unsure of whether I made the right decision to walk away. <br /><br />6 years after I quit, I still sometimes go into fits of crying and depression about this decision. It makes me question my entire life and existence and makes me feel like a complete mediocre failure. Even today, I cried for almost an hour thinking about this decision. <br /><br />The bottom line is that the regrets will always be there (for me at least). Till life takes you clearly onto a path that you can feel is more meaningful than your PhD, you will always feel regret. In my case, yes, I have a decent job, a loving wife, a house, I live in relative comfort, but the question I ask myself is - Is my current life more meaningful than academia? I have not been able to answer this question with a firm yes. There are aspects of my current life that I like, but I am always torn between where I am now and where I could have been if I had stayed on in academia. <br /><br />So if I were to ask myself the same question - Is my life more meaningful now? Yes on the personal front. I have a wife, we plan to start a family, we are comfortably settled. But no on the career front - While I like my job and what I do, it is not as interesting as doing research. I feel that I squandered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by not going further with the PhD. <br /><br />Some people may say, if you are so eager to do it, then why don't you go back to another university or another program and do your PhD? The answer to that question is also not that simple. If I were to quit my current job and go back to academia, then how can I pay my mortgage and other bills on a research assistant salary? How can I provide for my wife? <br /><br />I am stuck. I am stuck in this dreadful loop, where even though I have the ability to go back to being a full time PhD student, I simply cannot, because I am too heavily invested in my current life.<br /><br />It is quite a depressing situation. From the outside, everyone sees a happy, cheerful 34 year old smart electrical engineer with a loving beautiful wife, nice home and comfortable life. But on the inside, I am quite depressed and unhappy and filled with regrets.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />+Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-76592190001381919862016-09-02T17:26:36.645-07:002016-09-02T17:26:36.645-07:008 months ago, I quit a top program in psychology h...8 months ago, I quit a top program in psychology halfway through my second year due to theoretical disagreements with the professors. Some of the difficulties I faced afterwards included awkwardly saying goodbye to classmates, resolving the identity crisis that comes with losing the status of a doctoral student, dealing with family reactions, feelings of failure and regret, confusion about my future, and most of all, getting a job. <br /><br />My advice to finding a good job afterwards: <br />1) go to a community (not your college) career center for help with your resume. No matter how many resume examples you read online, it’s very hard to turn a long academic CV into a concise industry-friendly resume that’s 1-2 pages MAX, and shows clear work experience/skills.<br /><br />2) make sure you withdraw completely from the program and are removed from the school’s website before applying to your new dream job. I was still on my school’s website as a doctoral student and I was formally on a leave of absence, which was discordant with the “withdrew in good standing” statement on my resume. This created suspicion that I was just on a break from my program and probably contributed to being turned down. <br /><br />3) if you’re switching research areas (which is common if you did research on a social issue that is only studied in academia), make sure you research this new area extensively and come up with clear (even if not entirely factual) reasons why you want to switch research interests and you’re passionate about this new field. <br /><br />4) I found that most research coordinator openings for outside candidates are entry level, and although they were interested in me, I was overqualified. You can’t really avoid this problem, but it can still be useful to interview for entry-level positions since you can get a better sense of what jobs are out there, and they might pass your resume onto to someone else or decide to make a new position to fit you in. <br /><br />5) the hardest problem was what to tell the interviewers about why I left. The first 5 jobs I interviewed with asked me why I left my PhD program as one of the first interview questions. I wasn’t emotionally ready to reasons, so I made up a variety of excuses, from financial strain, to change of interests. These reasons were not convincing, and led to jobs turning me down. <br /><br />I think this problem was especially bad in my situation because I was in a very prestigious program, I left halfway through the year without finishing a masters, and I was applying to full-time research jobs in psychology that were often stepping stones for others to get into psychology PhD programs (so it was strange that I was going backwards). Indeed, one interviewer asked “people would kill to get into your school, why did you leave?” and then stared at me skeptically as I tried to explain. I would recommend, if you can, get a master’s degree before you leave. A master’s in psychology is not as useful as other degrees, but it looks way better on a resume, shows some accomplishment, and is much easier to explain. Otherwise, have a brief (2-3 sentence) explanation that’s convincing and doesn’t lead to tears.<br /><br />Where I’m at now:<br />After 3 difficult months of interviews, I was offered a really great position. It was also the only position in which the interviewer (my new boss) didn’t ask me why I left my PhD. I have no idea why he didn’t ask, but I just assume it’s because he’s the BEST PERSON EVER. Anyway, I love my job. I make in the upper 30’s, which isn’t my dream salary, but it’s much more than I would make in grad school. I enjoy the work and find it very interesting, and I use a lot of the skills I learned in grad school. I also love the work/life balance that actually leaves room for healthy relationships and free time to have fun. I have no idea what my future career will look like, but I’m much happier with my life now than I was when I attempted a PhD. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-33579361260076696512016-08-26T15:41:54.253-07:002016-08-26T15:41:54.253-07:00Whether it is love, knowledge or happiness, these ...Whether it is love, knowledge or happiness, these come your way to make you realize that you could be more that you imagined yourself to be. Never give up on something so precious. Fight until the end.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-90110562661455394352016-07-11T17:50:35.877-07:002016-07-11T17:50:35.877-07:00I went to study Masters right after college. I don...I went to study Masters right after college. I don't have any full time job experience, I'm a freelance writer and I used the money from my unconsumed educational plan to support myself in grad school. Now, I'm on the verge of quitting after spending two years in a masteral I thought I wanted. I realized that I didn't really want to pursue a career on the academe. Even though I have high grades, I've become depressed and unhappy which I try to hide all the time. Now all I wanted to do is leave grad school. I felt I lost sight of what really matters. A lot of things bothers me such as the disappointment of my family and the scrutinity of other people. I'll probably regret my decision but I'll probably much more regret not following my heart to go seek my passion. I don't know what will happen to me but I'm taking another chance in life. I will start over. The shared stories and notions on this page really helped me a lot. Thank you. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-80190478404530613822016-01-15T14:32:07.178-08:002016-01-15T14:32:07.178-08:00I am acutely feeling this psychological cost as I ...I am acutely feeling this psychological cost as I am on the verge of giving up on my ambition of becoming a faculty member. A month ago, I was in the top four for a position, and I don't think that I can get through the pain that I felt as a result of not being picked. Giving up is painful because as a sociologist working on inequality, I feel that working towards reducing inequality is needed now more than ever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-56188676333309683612016-01-11T06:23:54.707-08:002016-01-11T06:23:54.707-08:00Thank you so much for your clarity and positive at...Thank you so much for your clarity and positive attitude. I am about to quit a prestigious PhD program in economics in my final year, and am just doing this to prove to myself that I can go back to being a productive and driven individual. I have been mentally paralysed, totally unable to work for around an year now. I want to feel a sense of purpose again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-25527700051558329072015-11-12T08:10:38.416-08:002015-11-12T08:10:38.416-08:00I have been in grad school for the past 9 years, a...I have been in grad school for the past 9 years, and still not close to finishing my PhD. Why I am still here? For fear of quitting, and because after you 5th year, the time invested starts to weigh in a lot. Lack of intelligence? I was top of my class, and still half of my cohort has not finished. Maybe its finally time to confront my fears and let it go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-85424075605074967412015-09-14T07:38:14.025-07:002015-09-14T07:38:14.025-07:00Nearly every day I wish I would screw something up...Nearly every day I wish I would screw something up bad enough that I'll be forced out, fired or something. I'm supported with an RA. Just a masters. I ended up on a project I didn't want, not in my interest area, and having nothing to do with bachelors. I have no background in this topic. It's nearly the same masters my advisor did 30 years ago, but in a different location and with better data. I didn't really get to choose my advisor either... time was running out, I hadn't learned I was accepted in the program until all the advisors were "full". None of them had background in my topic either. For the first year I spent all my time working on a curriculum project for my advisor. Annoying, but my BS was in teaching, so I understood why he gave it to me, and I did it. Now I'm scrambling to learn a whole new discipline, am behind on everything, I haven't defended the proposal I haven't finished writing. I don't even want to. I've become severely depressed (doesn't help that my mother died just two months before I started my masters). I see a counselor this Wednesday, actually, to see what I can do. I know I'll regret quitting, and I can't, really. So I just work on my other classes, put in some time here and there on my project, like sawing down a tree with a nail file. When I get a streak of motivation and try to hack at it, I get stuck by something I have no background in and it's like popping a balloon... "how am I supposed to work this out?"<br /><br />I don't know if I'm really asking for advise or venting. But though I always wanted letters after my name, I have no idea how to get there now. If I screw up this MS, I feel I'll never have a shot to get into a program or topic I actually wanted. I'll be signing off grad school forever. I don't even know if I have to pay back my paychecks if I can't make it. They make it hard to ask. Terrifying to think of asking anyone "so... what happens if I fail/quit?"WeyrCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03876325947460584571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-64582959090574504692015-09-06T00:50:15.442-07:002015-09-06T00:50:15.442-07:00"stumbling across this blog" 20 years af..."stumbling across this blog" 20 years after having left a program is probably not accurate. I suspect their visit was probably after having typed in some search as "phd program regret" or "phd program disappointment". For them, having left still lingers. I didnt leave, but I did have many of the same emotions in finishing. I couldn't let the experiences of others in my program define my experience, so I was different. I knew that from the get-go. I also knew that many who were TA's and expressed a disinterest in teaching also coincidentally expressed negative thoughts on the program. The two were tied up together. I didnt have that opportunity. I had to teach off campus, and boy was there no going back after that. I love teaching at the college level, and all the anguish to get a Ph.D. (2013) was worth it. And while I don't write my brains out every weekend, I do love to write (and have a handful of publications), and am constantly being productive in terms of academic work. As for adjunct-ing, there are colleges, believe it or not, that do not exploit their adjuncts. Some even pay extremely high. I have no problem bailing on a low paying college for one that pays well. Sure, academic life is intense, but at the end of the day I can't imagine not teaching. Because of changes in the academic market, I do believe it will be easier for Ph.D.s to have some stability as lecturers or to thrive at the community college level. I know several great academics who have careers at community colleges, and who are highly productive . If you're here because feelings of having left linger and you have a corporate job, perhaps you should try being an after hours volunteer tutor to some first generation college student.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-6197627403848378322015-06-23T07:29:12.741-07:002015-06-23T07:29:12.741-07:00I have been to therapy. Had panic attacks in the m...I have been to therapy. Had panic attacks in the middle of research meetings and after quitting. Though very early in the program, I decided it is not for me, I stuck around for a little while and kept telling myself that things will get better and kept hurting myself. At some point I got an exit route and quit and till today, have anxiety issues which reflect on various other aspects of life. Though PhD is not the sole reason for these attacks and anxiety, its definitely a trigger.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-57500924157220746792015-06-17T12:46:04.245-07:002015-06-17T12:46:04.245-07:00I wish I could know your name, so to thank you for...I wish I could know your name, so to thank you for the thoughts you put in this message that resonated so much with me . It was as you gave voice to my thoughts.<br /> I, also, spent 7 years holding on the hope of finishing my PhD and then, after quitting, for many years I felt shame and guilt and that feeling that I couldn't start anything serious again, because of the fear that I might drop out. <br />It took me so much time to accept it and get over it. I like your "healthy" attitude: "old goals are just that ...old". thank you, dear anonymous Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-32911275648953019712015-04-19T17:17:36.656-07:002015-04-19T17:17:36.656-07:00I have a close friend who was working on a PhD (in...I have a close friend who was working on a PhD (in the humanities) a few years back.<br /><br />This article completely describes her. She dropped out of her program, but the build up was the most nerve racking thing she had faced. But looking back, she has no regrets.Mechienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-19849042935784844192015-04-18T18:06:14.496-07:002015-04-18T18:06:14.496-07:00I wouldn't worry about the 1 year of lost time...I wouldn't worry about the 1 year of lost time issue. If it comes up in an interview, you could tell them the honest truth. I tried it, figured out academics wasn't for me, and now I'm seeking a real job. Or you could tell them you were backpacking in Europe for a year. I can tell you from experience it doesn't have to be a liability. The ability to figure out things out quickly and learn from mistakes is a valuable skill. It's the people who persevere through a PHD who have a real challenge explaining why they are now seeking an entry level job outside the academy. <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-40139555099721395732015-04-12T09:35:23.972-07:002015-04-12T09:35:23.972-07:00At some point in my life I came to the conclusion ...At some point in my life I came to the conclusion and backed it up with a few brave souls that have researched this, that western education is psychologically damaging at profound levels. the wounds of our education system hit our cores at such a deep level, that one must truly take one hell of an honest look at oneself in order to spot it. <br /><br />this page and it's comments are perhaps some of the most damning proof of my above paragraph. people 20 freaking years later stumbling across this blog after having gone through grad school telling their horror stories. <br /><br />that really says a lot. it says all that needs to be said.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04812869394697655194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-51830488187937701192015-03-29T23:37:34.338-07:002015-03-29T23:37:34.338-07:00Haven't attended graduate school personally, b...Haven't attended graduate school personally, but a few close friends have, and have dropped out of PhD programs (in humanities). <br /><br />It was mental anguish for them, especially given how much blood and sweat they had put into their respective programs. However, after quitting, none of them had any regrets. The anxiety was all BEFORE they pulled the plug.<br /><br />This ''reason'' is dead on accurate, but rather disturbing to think about.Mechienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-37024117667176888162015-03-18T09:50:06.538-07:002015-03-18T09:50:06.538-07:00I am only on my first year in a PhD program for Ma...I am only on my first year in a PhD program for Material Science and Engineering and I am sure that I will not finish. I want to talk to my advisor this week about switching into a Master's program but I am scared that my funding is going to dry up. I know the "smarter" path is to just lie and leave once I get the master's, but I just couldn't live with myself if I told my advisor (who is a very nice guy) that I was going to work for him for the next 4-6 years and then leave after 1. <br /><br />I have begun to wonder if it really is such a bad thing, because academia just is not for me and in the end I have a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, which has some weight in the job market. This year has been one of the most stressful and frustrating years I have had. I am basically just a teacher as my courses are horrendously taught (for a top 60 program nationally) and I have been put in research purgatory where I cannot get any real work done until May.<br /><br />Reading some of the above posts makes me feel a bit better. I have been having panic attacks, mood swings, and crippling depression which never occurred before graduate school. My girlfriend (who is going to be going to MIT for her PhD, academia works well for her) insists that the degree is worth getting and that even with my bachelor's employers are going to question what I accomplished this last year. I just do not know what damage this next year will do to my emotional health.<br /><br />I realize that there is no organization to what I wrote, but it was nice to vent.<br /><br />I wish everyone the best of luck who has been sucked into the system and is trying to find the best way out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-45399484610506706882015-03-03T14:48:32.871-08:002015-03-03T14:48:32.871-08:00"While I was funded, I was shocked to learn t..."While I was funded, I was shocked to learn that no one in the cohort lived on their funding: they all had Mommie & Daddy Fellowships, too, which I did not."<br /><br />I had the same shock going into grad school, and soon figured out I had a crippling disadvantage. I was the only one in my cohort foolish enough to attempt the program on the meagre funding provided to a TA. The money barely covered rent in slum level housing and food. So while my colleagues were enjoying a few hours of R&R on the weekends and restaurant meals, I was spending every spare moment on basic life maintenance problems, such as fixing up a dying car, and shopping for cheap food. Within a few months I was totally exhausted. There was no way I could compete.<br /><br />I looked ahead toward possibly ten more years of this grief and I bailed out. No way was this worth it. <br /><br />Every success story I know from graduate school had at least one or more advantages. There were "mommy and daddy scholarships", supportive spouses, outside funding, trust funds Prospective students without such support systems really should think long and hard about what they are getting into. Reading this blog and the responses, I suspect many of the responders who object to the "100 reasons" are in the advantaged group. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-38655297416881018502015-02-28T17:18:17.014-08:002015-02-28T17:18:17.014-08:00It has been over 20 years since I bagged out of so...It has been over 20 years since I bagged out of social science grad school, and still I find my way to this blog, which shows how the experience affected me for the long term. Here and there I wonder if I should have pushed through and at least gotten an MA for my efforts(would've taken another 1.5 years). I have read most of the posts in this list of "100 reasons" and all of them are right on the mark. I saw all of these problems in academic grad school, but it was impossible to have an discussion with anyone. The professors were just cogs in the corporate machine. The students were as confused as I was, but wouldn't admit it. I tried two different grad schools and then bailed out . <br /><br />I realize with years of experience that a lot of this is my own responsibility. I went into academic grad school with unreasonable expectations and a need to "define myself". Where I think the institutions are responsible is the lack of honesty in selling the programs. If you really want to be an "academic" then go to grad school. All the stuff about career opportunity in "applied sociology" and the like is pure fantasy. <br /><br />So even after all these years reading this blog has been a cathartic experience. Now I can see I am not alone in my graduate school experience. I just hope this blog helps a few students figure it out without spending years of their lives in the process <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-9552559783575220342015-02-23T18:44:52.003-08:002015-02-23T18:44:52.003-08:00I don't really know if this will help anyone b...I don't really know if this will help anyone but I work in the CareerLink and I see many many many people of all degrees. I have worked with Cancer Surgeons, M.D students, Masters, PhD, Counselors you name it. Honestly nothing is assured in life not even life itself. You can kill yourself all your life getting a higher education and that still does-not mean you will be set for life. Reality is you have to do what makes you happy no matter how difficult. Honestly out of all my customers those with Masters have had better jobs opportunities then those with bachelors and those with High School are the ones that are way way worse off. I am currently pursing my MA simply because I know that many management positions request a Masters but i have yet to see jobs request a PhD unless you want to teach. Honestly unless you want to be a researcher or a professor you are really just paying for the fancy title, that's it. I think you should never expect to be set for life just because you have your PhD and honestly you should always way the Pros and Con. Reality is why would you want to spend 10+ years of pure headaches and 200K+ in loans if you don't really need a PhD in the field you want to go to. You at least want a be able to get a job that will pay those loans off because trust me interest do accumulate. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14323205453663936007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-36677963264149051982014-11-14T08:41:35.566-08:002014-11-14T08:41:35.566-08:00 When I quit my PhD program after two years with a... When I quit my PhD program after two years with a masters, it was psychologically devastating. I know that sounds so dramatic, but it’s true. I had anxiety attacks. I felt insecure. I felt like a failure. I could hardly function… Three years later, I realize it was the best decision ever. You often don’t realize all of the psychological pressures that keep you tethered to your PhD program, but once I quit, I realized how much bullshit there was and how that crazy, publish or perish tournament was intellectually arrogant, unproductive and exhausting. <br />When I first quit, it was very hard. I was unemployed for about 8 months. I had a lot of panic attacks. The truth is, however, if you’re smart enough to get into a PhD program, you’re smart enough to do far better in life than a PhD academic. Once I got a job in corporate America (doing new things I never thought I would do), I worked hard (much less hard than in the PhD program, to be sure). Now I work far less than the academics I know, I get paid far more, I have time for other things in life and I have benefits, responsibilities, opportunities and challenges that academia could have never offered. I’ve grown and learned so much more outside of academia. It’s hard to realize while you’re in the department, but there’s more to life than a PhD that no one outside of that department actually gives a shit about. To all of the smart people out there who want to quit their PhD but don’t have the courage, a successful life outside of academia awaits (very likely with more adventure and money); so just quit already. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-79616478029738401452014-06-21T07:41:34.800-07:002014-06-21T07:41:34.800-07:00Thank you for sharing yr stories...
I am a first...Thank you for sharing yr stories... <br /><br />I am a first year PhD student in life science. I am going to reach my second year mark and I can clearly see how the whole process of pursuing PhD affects me mentally and physically. Not only that, it strains my relationship with friends and family. After realizing how the whole academia runs and how ugly it can gets in claiming credits, the thought of quitting came strong. However, I decided to persevere a while and see how things will turn out. The final push is when they reviewed my PhD, the PI told my committee members and my second PI how poorly he thinks of me. That is a wake up call. <br /><br />I came to realize that it does not matter how many long hours or efforts I have put in, it just don't make my main PI happy. He is never content with my work and always complain about the standard of the current PhD students. I asked myself if I will want to try get a PhD under the "guidance" of him and my heart tells me a big fat NO! <br /><br />in short, the lack of guidance, empty promises and never-ending hole of expectations made me realized that I am not suitable for PhD.<br /><br />the whole process made me felt that I am stupid and not worth for a PhD. It is extremely damaging to my self-esteem and I am being increasingly insecure and negative. <br /><br />So for those who are still struggling in this journey, it is alright to quit. No point persevering in a race that is not meant to be. Remember, we have a choice in choosing which obstacle to overcome. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-18614639260028181362014-05-28T13:28:16.712-07:002014-05-28T13:28:16.712-07:00The left likes to claim the economic policies of t...The left likes to claim the economic policies of the last several decades are at fault. It's part of their tiresome "Reagan is the root of all evil" diatribe.<br /><br />Instead let's focus on the following questions:<br />1) Who made "identity" more important than "merit" in academia?<br />2) Who made higher education unaffordable for most in the name of making it more broadly available?<br />3) What party champions public education, but educates its children privately?<br />3) Whose policies are pricing basic necessities out of reach (food, water, gas, electricity)?<br />4) Finally, where does this aristocrat class mostly live, and what entities do they work in and serve? (Here's a hint: a good portion of the aristocrat class lives in and around Washington D.C., an area with six of the ten highest household income counties in America).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4276812992911002375.post-17465801685899424872014-05-06T10:27:47.455-07:002014-05-06T10:27:47.455-07:00If quitting is too difficult just hang in there, o...If quitting is too difficult just hang in there, one day at a time. Eventually you may hit pay dirt with an acceptable tt-job. More likely, at 38, after fours years of adjuncting (with no health care or other benefits) the Market will make your decision for you when your contract isn't picked up. Saves a lot of agonizing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com