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[dindrane]

Hi All,

When I applied for grad school, I came in with the following expectations about what academic life would be like:

Costs:
-working my ass off
-working long days and weekends
- low pay (at least initially)
- working as a TA

Benefits:
-Getting to do what I love (something that the majority of people don't get to do)

So here I am, halfway through my PhD.  The costs so far are more or less what I expected, but what's missing is the benefit.  Between coursework (which is largely unrelated to my specific interests) and TAing (for a large class of largely apathetic undergrads), I have almost no time to pursue my actual research interests.  And on the rare occasions when I find myself with spare time, I'm too burnt out to do anything with it.  As far as I can tell, my personal life isn't eating up an unreasonable amount of time -- unless I have a long weekend or a similar break, I usually spend most of every day on academic work. 

Now I suppose I could deal with this for the rest of my PhD by laboring under the assumption that once I become a professor (or at least a tenured professor), my life will suddenly magically change, and, being free of the burdens of coursework and piles of essays to grade, I will miraculously find myself with oodles of time to pursue my actual interests.

But this is not what I observe with the faculty around me -- none of them seem to have enough time for both their individual interests, and the responsibilities expected of them by academia.  Some professors (including tenured professors) haven't published anything in years.  Others simply let important projects -- like that textbook they've been working on for 10 years -- continue to slide.  Still others decide to largely ignore the students enrolled in grad-level courses, by refusing to read or return their homework assignments or final papers.  Then there are some who simply restrict their availability to the students they're advising, by refusing to work with them during certain times of the year -- one professor focuses only on dissertating students over the summer, which makes it difficult for her non-dissertating students who need to use the summer to get other projects done.  In summary, it looks like tenured faculty have the same problem I do, except they can choose (with no consequences) to ignore their grad students in order to focus on their own work, whereas I am required to put my TAing duties before my own research interests.

So my question is, for those of you who actually made it through gad school to become a professor (tenured or not), does it get any better?  Once you go from the status of lowly grad student to esteemed colleague, do you get more time to pursue your own interests?  Or is what I've observed among the faculty at my institution the general case -- that when I become a professor, I must choose between being a passionate researcher, or being a responsible mentor?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[username2]

These observations about your professors indicate that you might not be at a research intensive school. If that is the case and you do not like teaching the students you have, you are going to be disappointed about the types of jobs that you can get, given the oversupply of PhDs in many fields, and the fact that people usually have to take jobs at schools a step or two down from their PhD school's level. This usually means a lot of teaching, and less time for research.

So you are right to worry about whether you're doing the right thing for you. Are there any industry jobs where you could focus on research that you like? That would be one possible solution.

[wildwest]

The six years after getting the Ph.D. will be worse.  First, you will be preparing courses at your new institution--lectures, assignments, etc.  That, and grading, will occupy all of your time for at least the first year.  Then, you will be working on getting tenure via research and teaching evaluations.  And this is if you are lucky and can get a tt job right off the bat.  Most people are taking non-tt, VAP, and adjunct positions in the current market.  A lot of people move from visiting job to visiting job each year until they can find something permanent.  Don't expect to have a "life" outside of your work.  After getting tenure, you will be so used to the workaholic lifestyle, that things won't change then either.

[hegemony]

My finding is that most academics are poor time managers and feel the attendant stress.  Their work sprawls into every cranny of their time and they naturally feel overloaded.  But it doesn't have to be that way.  Most people are not taught good time management in grad school, and the university will never say "Work less!  Take time for yourself!  Don't knock yourself out so much!"  It will imply that perfect performance is crucial and that perfect performance requires as much time as you have to give and more. 

What you need to do is to seize control.  Work efficiently (this will probably include cutting corners in multiple ways that don't matter to the outcome); streamline prep and grading; say no to extra assignments, projects, and responsibilities, unless they are very profitable; put priorities first (e.g. your writing is the most important thing in every day: everything else comes second); make sure that where you have choices in scholarship and teaching, you choose what you find most interesting; and deliberately schedule ample fun, relaxation, down time, and non-academic activities. 

I could tell you how many hours I work per week (moderate -- certainly less than 40), how much I publish (lots), how well teaching goes (pretty well!), how successful my career is (pretty much where I want it), and how much I adore this profession, but everyone would hate me.  But I'm here to say it can be done.  But you have to do it yourself.

[dr_starbucks]

Absolutely!  Even though conditions might be identical, at least you will commend a full-time salary with benefits!

[wildwest]

Absolutely!  Even though conditions might be identical, at least you will commend a full-time salary with benefits!

Yes, but be careful here.  There are many, many other jobs in which one can commend a much higher full-time salary with benefits. 

I know many full-time faculty with Ph.D.s who have salaries in the low 30s, with very modest benefits.  I know tenured faculty at the peak of their careers who make in the 60s.  A low salary is a struggle if you leave grad school with a lot of student loan debt or credit card debt.   

So check salaries in your field--salaries at moderately sized state universities (as very few folks get jobs at the coveted SLACS or Ivy Leagues).  Be honest about whether or not you love your subject and teaching enough to accept the average salary for as many hours as you will be working a week.
 

[dr_starbucks]

Absolutely!  Even though conditions might be identical, at least you will commend a full-time salary with benefits!

Yes, but be careful here.  There are many, many other jobs in which one can commend a much higher full-time salary with benefits. 

I know many full-time faculty with Ph.D.s who have salaries in the low 30s, with very modest benefits.  I know tenured faculty at the peak of their careers who make in the 60s.  A low salary is a struggle if you leave grad school with a lot of student loan debt or credit card debt.   

So check salaries in your field--salaries at moderately sized state universities (as very few folks get jobs at the coveted SLACS or Ivy Leagues).  Be honest about whether or not you love your subject and teaching enough to accept the average salary for as many hours as you will be working a week.
 

Good clarification -- my field is in the humanities and there isn't really much available outside of academia. 

[punchnpie]

OP - I went to a school that was on the quarterly schedule. It was awful. You no sooner started the term, when you had to think about your paper topics, start doing presentations, and research & writing the paper. I didn't TA, but I did have a 20 hr a week job with various professors until I got a steady gig in a research center. It didn't feel like whatever I fantasized PhD work was supposed to be about, it felt like rushing from one course to another and watching deadlines, not learning or synthesizing.

Once I finished coursework and prepared for the exam prior to working on the dissertation, then I had time to think and reflect. I had time to read those articles and books I had put off due to lack of time. In addition to writing the long paper (70 pages) that was part of the exam, we had an oral defense as well. Writing for 2 weeks and prepping for the defense was the first time that I felt I was doing doctoral work. My advisor even mentioned the difference in the work I produced post-exam.

If you haven't gotten to this point, I suggest you stick it out until you do - and then give yourself time to think and review for your exam. You aren't alone in your feelings. If you are still interested in your research topic, if you are still looking forward to working as faculty, then try to have a stiff upper lip and get through this hard part. It gets better; at least I think it does.

[totoro]

You haven't even finished your coursework yet. See how you feel when you are working on your dissertation. In my very large department (economics/policy studies) at an R1 type university (not in US though but I used to be in the US) professors break into two categories: Some have lots of PhD students and are very good mentors. Their students are doing most of the research for these professors. Others tend to do their own research and have few if any PhD students. I'm probably more like the latter though as I just got promoted to full prof. I'm trying to move to getting other people to do my research for me. I don't generally see bad advisers like you are talking about with lots of students. At a research university you will have time to do research. If you don't you won't stay there long... at more teaching oriented universities you might only really get to do research in the summer unless you are really good at doing a little bit at a time in the spare spaces between other things.

[wildwest]

[/quote]

Good clarification -- my field is in the humanities and there isn't really much available outside of academia. 
[/quote]

What about:  non-profit administration, technical writing and editing, government agency work, think tanks, high school teaching, business, sales and marketing, higher ed administration, for-profit online education, instructional technology and design, and the list goes on.  There is a book called "So What Are You Going to Do With That"?  which is about alternative careers for Ph.D.s.

Sorry, lukeurig.  I don't mean to be picking on you.  :-)

I have some young friends bound and determined to go off to Ph.D. programs, despite the market and economy.  I'm telling them to have a "plan B" and to actively pursue that plan in addition to their graduate work.  In this day-and-age, you really need to have options. 

[dr_starbucks]

Good clarification -- my field is in the humanities and there isn't really much available outside of academia. 
[/quote]

What about:  non-profit administration, technical writing and editing, government agency work, think tanks, high school teaching, business, sales and marketing, higher ed administration, for-profit online education, instructional technology and design, and the list goes on.  There is a book called "So What Are You Going to Do With That"?  which is about alternative careers for Ph.D.s.

Sorry, lukeurig.  I don't mean to be picking on you.  :-)

I have some young friends bound and determined to go off to Ph.D. programs, despite the market and economy.  I'm telling them to have a "plan B" and to actively pursue that plan in addition to their graduate work.  In this day-and-age, you really need to have options. 
[/quote]

No need to apologize!  My institution didn't really push the full range of options outside of academia. Thanks for the book recommendation. I've been trying to pursuade quite a few students of late from considering a Ph.D. and will urge them to consider a Plan B before embarking on that long and arduous journey . . .

[wildwest]

Here is the link:  http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Going-That/dp/0226038823/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323277500&sr=1-1

I'm worried the info might be a little dated considering the current economy, but it is a start.  A lot of people like the "What Color is Your Parachute?" book, but I never found that one useful.

[farm_boy]

It's good that you're observing your professors now to try to get a handle on their happiness.  When I was in grad school I was extremely naive and focused only on my idealistic notions of my discipline.

There are two other important factors: administrators and students.  

Unless you are already on your way to being a leader in your field, the job you get (if you ever get one) will be at an institution worse than the one you're in now.  The administrators will be more evil than you can imagine (pressure to inflate grades and mislead students about the "great jobs" they will get with a degree in your field).

The students: Look around you.  Are your fellow students passionate about their discipline?  Right now I work closely with students in a masters Spanish program, and I get to know many of them personally.  I can't think of anyone in the program who is passionate about learning Spanish and reading literature.  All of them are in the program because they think they'll get a better job with their degree; they tolerate their classes and their professors.  And these are the graduate students.  Chances are, if you get a job, you will teach mainly the undergrad gen ed courses where no one cares about the subject and where every year there are more and more hostile students.

Actually, my first four years on tt I was very happy working 80 hours a week.  I resigned after getting tenure.

[pedanterast]

I would advise reading Farm Boy's posts in this section very carefully, and then doing the exact opposite of what he did.  A lot depends on your major, of course.  But it does not sound like you chose your program very wisely.  Why would you be taking so many courses unrelated to your interests?

I'm coming to the end of a pretty mediocre career and I had a lot more freedom, free time, and travel opportunities than my non-academic friends.  I had a professional career for about ten years before that and it was much more restrictive and stressful. 

Did I mention it depends a lot on your major/field?  You need to be in field where demand exceeds supply or you will have an inherent struggle throughout your career.

[msparticularity]

Did I mention it depends a lot on your major/field?  You need to be in field where demand exceeds supply or you will have an inherent struggle throughout your career.

This really is the crucial issue. I am interested in hearing your answers to two questions:

1.) What is the overall hiring situation in your field? (IOW, do you have a real chance at getting a job once you're done?)

2.) What is the placement rate for your particular institution? You mention a lack of faculty attention, which makes this a matter of some concern.

A lot of our advice, quite frankly, is going to hinge upon the chances that you'll actually be able to gain academic employment if only you can survive long enough.