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[autumn11]

I have an opportunity to do a PhD, fully funded through a grant from my professor, with a topic that really interests me. The problems are, I don't really know if I can handle the isolation, the self-motivation, and frankly, I'm not even sure if I want to become an academic or what I would actually do with the PhD afterward. The problem is, if I start, it will be difficult to back out as it is to be done in conjunction with other research. It's in the humanities.
The other problem is, that I've never really been amazing at writing essays. I've only gotten a few high distinctions in my life. I would feel like a fraud doing a PhD and not being able to even get A's. How could I possibly become a professor and have to grade papers that were better than I achieved?

As I mentioned, I really like the topic, in fact I wouldn't have considered doing a PhD if this specific scholarship had not been offered to me. Any advice?

[autumn11]

Just to explain, I got offered the scholarship because it's through a particular professor who got a grant. I was really interested in his subject and actually did get a high distinction for his class, but I still feel like I'm not a very good "academic" or researcher generally. Some people I know get straight high distinctions, these are the people who should be doing PhD's, not me, right?

I could never just sit writing for 8 hours a day, alone. Is this how a PhD is?

[pink_]

It's not 8 hours a day every day--those are the good days.
It's also reading and studying, going to class, giving presentations, and studying some more.
If you are lucky, there will also be teaching and grading involved.

If you don't like writing, it's probably not for you.
The first part of the degree is structured, and there are lots of external deadlines.  But once you get to the dissertation phase, you really need to be self-motivated and disciplined enough to write the dissertation amidst all of the other requirements and demands on your time.  Add to all of this the fact that you will likely be living at or near the poverty line unless you have a partner with a well-paying job, and you will have to move to where the job is if you are lucky enough to get a job.

You don't mention what part of the humanities you are interested in, but if it is English or History, do yourself a favor and do something else.  The job market is horrendous in both of these fields--there are a lot of very talented people from very strong programs who don't have jobs.

I don't say all of this to be mean.  If you can't imagine doing anything else with your life, then you should pursue the degree.  But if you have other options or you cant stand writing and/or research, you will probably be happier in another profession.  If you are considering the degree because you aren't sure what else to do with your life, you should probably do something else.

[larryc]

What Pink said.

[merce]

If you are asking us and you are in the Humantities then you probably shouldn't.

There are many discussions here and articles in the Chronicle and InsiderHigherEd that will give you insight into the bleak future that awaits on the other side of the Humanities (MLA & History in particular) PhD.

[autumn11]

Hi again, actually it is in philosophy, more specifically, applied ethics. So I would be dealing with a very particular real-world problem and coming up with an ethical appraisal.

[peppergal]

... in fact I wouldn't have considered doing a PhD if this specific scholarship had not been offered to me.

This right here tells me that the academic life is not for you.

[autumn11]

To be honest it's a combination of the scholarship and the topic. Had this particular scholarship, on this particular topic, at this particular time, not arisen, then I would have been exploring other options and then possibly come back to doing a PhD at a later time if I felt it was right. This particular opportunity has forced my hand, in a sense, to consider this earlier than I would have liked.

[jackit]

The PhD is not an end-in-itself.  If you have no clue what you would do with your life afterward it is definitely not for you.  & I agree with the other comments about red flags discussed above.

I also have to say I do not like the way this professor has approached the situation.  Instead of discussing a potential future in Philosophy in detail with you, and whether you are right for said future, s/he just seems to be pushing the project because s/he is funded. 

(Word of warning:  I am in the medical sciences, so YMMV.)

[merce]

Of course, thinking further on this it occurs to me that if your BA is in Philosophy your current post-graduation plans might be something  you can do post-PhD.
A job of a certain kind, Law School, etc.

Perhaps you are willing to do the PhD and go into whatever your current plan for your life is-- a job in X, law school, or whatever, then why not I guess?

But if you want to do a PhD and then become a professor on the Tenure Track, well, then it doesn't sound like that plan is right for you.

[carebearstare]

Could you work for the professor as a research assistant, or get a terminal MA instead of a PhD? Given what you've said in your original post, it sounds like a bad decision.

I am curious, too, about the ranking of this program, given that the professor can just offer you a slot, without your applying, simply because s/he has funding. Surely this professor could fund a student who has formally applied and will be admitted in the fall, or a currently enrolled student? Is the program new? If it is new, in all honesty the doctorate might not be competitive for a few years, which doesn't matter if you're not planning to pursue an academic career but will matter significantly if you decide to.

[embitteredhistorian]

You have to face the possibility that your Ph.D. may not be enough to get you a job and you may have to do something else (law school, another applied degree, certification, etc.). Your Ph.D. also might hurt your employment options in the future outside of academia. I think this is an enormous consideration.

[merce]

The fact that a PhD might hurt the OP's chances of getting the job they'd be happy to get right now without the grad credentials is something I meant to ask about when I said she could do the PhD if she could enjoy it then get the kind of job she was planning on getting before this opportunity materialized.

This is a very important thing to consider.

[wet_blanket]

OP, does your use of "high distinction" indicate that you are Australian/at an Aussie uni?

If so, I might qualify the comments you've received already.  The differences are that the degree is shorter and the stipend from scholarship is likely to be more liveable.  This means doing this may not be SUCH a foolish idea.  You'll only be spending 3-4 years of your life, as opposed 6+.  If the living allowance of your scholarship will allow you to live modestly (as opposed to on the bones of your arse) then 3-4 years doing something you'd enjoy isn't necessarily a bad idea.

However, the job market in Oz is likely just as bad as has been described in the US.

[midwestgrad]

Hi again, actually it is in philosophy, more specifically, applied ethics. So I would be dealing with a very particular real-world problem and coming up with an ethical appraisal.

I'd recommend that you research potential applications of this PhD to non-academic fields.  I'm very familiar with this area of study, and I can tell you that "applied ethics" is an area where Deans love to hire, but departments themselves tend to really hate.  True applied ethicists tend to be used as adjuncts, while people who have a "secondary" interest in the field tend to get the jobs (enough to satisfy the Dean, enough-not to satisfy the departments).  Plus, a Philosophy PhD is one of the more difficult humanities PhD's to achieve (the field is rather rigorous and dogmatic).

However, there are some applied ethicists with Philosophy PhD's working for governments and NGOs.  Look into that and see if you'd be interested in those jobs.  If so, it's worth considering.