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Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

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Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#181

Post by zmb_ »

ghego1 wrote: post #169
dunefox wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I would be very suspicious that they will burden me with all kind of side activities (e.g. tutoring undergraduate students, handling bureaucracy, paper work, etc.) that are not really of any actual help towards the thesis. So, every PhD position? I have looked at dozens and almost none don't require teaching, paper work, bureaucracy, organisational work, etc. done. I was even warned by one person that this weekend…

I'm sorry the hear that, and I think it's mostly worng. I should add though that some activities are indeed useful, one of those is certainly teaching. If PhD students have full responsibility over the course, or part of the course, of which they're entrusted, it can be a very productive activity. It is particularly formative if PhD students are entrusted with teaching activities covering subjects closely related to…

> I'm sorry the hear that, and I think it's mostly worng.

I think there is just a large variance between countries and/or fields. I've worked in CS/EE in three top EU universities, and in every case I've seen, PhD students working in a research group had a heavy load of both teaching and project work on top of their PhD research.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#182

Post by eatYourFood »

tombert wrote: post #3

This is really cool. I'm 30 right now, and only just recently finished my bachelors and have been looking to get a PhD, but it's really hard to find a program that will let you work full time while doing it. It doesn't help that a part of me does sort of feel "too old" to do this sometimes. The PhD system in the US is really tailored around the assumption that you haven't entered the corporate world yet. Anyway, it's…

York University (UK) will let you do a part time distance PhD in computer science: https://www.cs.york.ac.uk/postgraduate/research-degrees/phd/...

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#183

Post by jstx1 »

evanb wrote: post #111
melvinmt wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, part-time PhD's are pretty common in Europe. They also commonly take 3-4 years instead of 6...

… if you already have a master’s degree, which takes 2 years. In the US many 5-6 year PhD programs do not require—and in fact include—a master’s degree.

This isn't the case in England. Most master's degrees are 1 year and a master's isn't a requirement for many PhD programmes. So it's possible to do your entire higher education, including a PhD, in 6 years (3 years of undergrad + 3 years full-time PhD).

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#184

Post by vaylian »

CalRobert wrote: post #157
azhenley wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Professor here. You definitely aren’t too old, but I would never take on a PhD student that wants to continue working elsewhere. A PhD is a full-time job. It took me 6.5 years and was hard enough with very little outside distractions.

Why should someone give up several years of income for a PhD?

Because money isn't everything. Indulging in an intellectual pursuit in an environment that fosters investigative minds can be a wonderful thing.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#185

Post by zmb_ »

qxfys wrote: post #149
tombert wrote: post #3

This is really cool. I'm 30 right now, and only just recently finished my bachelors and have been looking to get a PhD, but it's really hard to find a program that will let you work full time while doing it. It doesn't help that a part of me does sort of feel "too old" to do this sometimes. The PhD system in the US is really tailored around the assumption that you haven't entered the corporate world yet. Anyway, it's…

A fellow PhD student here. Come to Sweden (or, rather, Nordic countries in general). There are a lot of opportunities as an industrial PhD student. There are at least 3 out of 10 PhD students in my group doing research while still working in the industry. Usually, the deal is 80% PhD and 20% industry, but I know someone doing 50:50.

I would add a word of warning here. In the multiple research groups that I've worked in, the completion rate for industrial PhD students has been way less than 50%.

The industry part (whether 20% or 50%) easily ends up being close to 100% in practice. And many industrial PhD positions only last a few years, after which you get a normal full-time position and are expected to finish the PhD on your free time. Realistically, this makes it practically impossible to conduct the kind of research that you need to get a PhD from top programs.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#186

Post by qwerty456127 »

tombert wrote: post #3

This is really cool. I'm 30 right now, and only just recently finished my bachelors and have been looking to get a PhD, but it's really hard to find a program that will let you work full time while doing it. It doesn't help that a part of me does sort of feel "too old" to do this sometimes. The PhD system in the US is really tailored around the assumption that you haven't entered the corporate world yet. Anyway, it's…

AFAIK at least on some European countries, especially in the east this is not so and used to be almost the opposite in the past. People are expected to upgrade from an engineer (~master) to a doctor (or a candidate of sciences first in some post-soviet countries) in parallel with their work as they gain real-life expertise and age. And in general I think it always is a great idea to study abroad (needless to say European universities are generally cheaper and easier to get in). So I think I would probably consider an European university if I were you.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#187

Post by agustif »

‘My students never knew’: the lecturer who lived in a tent

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/30/my-student...

I say fuck to those big name universities that pay peanuts to their most overexploited workers.

===

Edited: no absolutisms is better

Do only a PhD if you're sure you can afford it.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#188

Post by threatofrain »

agustif wrote: post #187

‘My students never knew’: the lecturer who lived in a tent https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/30/my-student... I say fuck to those big name universities that pay peanuts to their most overexploited workers. === Edited: no absolutisms is better Do only a PhD if you're sure you can afford it.

For many places, at least a masters or phd is the credibility doorway to do interesting work. By choosing not to get these credentials, you are also choosing to greatly narrow your opportunity in those lines of work.

Being able to do the work is figuratively 30% of the battle, whereas having the opportunity to do it is the real challenge.

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#189

Post by agustif »

garmaine wrote: post #167
blip54321 wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

New continent: - Full time commitment seems critical to the process. A Ph.D is a time of intellectual exploration, and you can't really do that fighting work and family deadlines. - On the other hand, time can be squished for older people by virtue of industry experience making them more efficient - I'd be hesitant about remote, since so much of a Ph.D is learning from others. Hallway conversations are critical. That…

> Full time commitment seems critical to the process. A Ph.D is a time of intellectual exploration, and you can't really do that fighting work and family deadlines. This is BS. In every other field great strides have been made by individuals who balance a multitude of life requirements. Being able to devote every waking hour to something only results in burnout. And, I suppose, graduate students slave labor, which is…

Yep, I agree 100%. Its just about full-time slave-ownership on disguise, you don't want to share your little slaves with any time sucker like family, hobbies, or whatever outside work they might enjoy... Better to have them full time working for nothin'. While our real professors just do nothin'

Re: Physics Student Earns PhD at Age 89

#190

Post by [deleted] »

dunefox wrote: post #161
ildon wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU Professor here. You're right, expectations are very different in the "old continent". Things very quite significantly from country to country, but generally speaking in most EU you can do your PhD while working. Retrospectively, knowing what I know know, I should add that if I were to start a PhD now I wouldn't trust a university that asks for a full time commitment, no exceptions. I would be very suspicious that…

> I would be very suspicious that they will burden me with all kind of side activities (e.g. tutoring undergraduate students, handling bureaucracy, paper work, etc.) that are not really of any actual help towards the thesis. So, every PhD position? I have looked at dozens and almost none don't require teaching, paper work, bureaucracy, organisational work, etc. done. I was even warned by one person that this weekend…

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