Why do older grad students become bitter?
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Why do older grad students become bitter?
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Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#2> A decent STEM PhD student stipend in the US is about $40k.
I don't know where that number comes from. In most universities you'd be looking at $20k-lower 30k, sometimes less. In fact, in public schools, salaries for teaching assistants/research assistants are public data and people can look them up.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#3They... don't ?
I don't know where the person is studying, but it's not a general phenomenon.
I have still students around me, and the number of years don't seem to make them more or less bitters.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#4I’m just waiting for my depressing postdoc to end so I can take the money and then im out of here. Have hated every moment of it, considered suicide multiple times, etc. Very bad
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#5Only 15% of postdocs end up being tenure-track faculty.
And what percentage of PhD graduates get postdoctoral positions? I saw a statistic somewhere (sorry, no source at the moment) that showed something like 2% of PhDs actually making it to a faculty position.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#6I feel like most people have to evaluate their chances to bail out once in a while, as they get lost in their path. It prevents hours, days and years of useless anxiety for the weaker of us.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#7I’m just waiting for my depressing postdoc to end so I can take the money and then im out of here. Have hated every moment of it, considered suicide multiple times, etc. Very bad
You considered suicide but not quitting? You're still waiting for your contract to end? I don't understand.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#8> A decent STEM PhD student stipend in the US is about $40k. I don't know where that number comes from. In most universities you'd be looking at $20k-lower 30k, sometimes less. In fact, in public schools, salaries for teaching assistants/research assistants are public data and people can look them up.
It depends on how you want to compute the stipend. Many stipends are officially $50K or more but that's because they include the tuition (which is kind of silly as most PhD students aren't really students in the traditional sense beyond the first year or two, but still officially have to pay tuition). But yes, students are unlikely to see more than lower $30K as actual pay as the tuition is generally taken out automatically.
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#9I’m just waiting for my depressing postdoc to end so I can take the money and then im out of here. Have hated every moment of it, considered suicide multiple times, etc. Very bad
You considered suicide but not quitting? You're still waiting for your contract to end? I don't understand.
It’s guaranteed money for the next year and a half and I’m basically totally isolated with no expectations of me actually doing anything. In addition, I will be forced to leave the country if I quit. Therefore it makes no sense to quit. Also there is not anything else I want to do. I would not be less suicidal if I quit
Re: Why do older grad students become bitter?
#10They... don't ? I don't know where the person is studying, but it's not a general phenomenon. I have still students around me, and the number of years don't seem to make them more or less bitters.
A long time since I was a Research Associate at a UK university (salaried short term contract) and trying to finish a PhD and I remember someone from outside of academia describing me as "hyper cynical" - that was after 5 years or so.
I left, co-founded a startup and never regretted leaving academia.
Edit: That comment didn't make me leave but it does rather reflect my state of mind at the time - which was pretty bitter....