Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

PhD Simulator

research.wmz.ninja

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 285 posts

Re: PhD Simulator

#121

Post by krastanov »

chias wrote: post #54
lqet wrote: post #5

This is great and exactly captures the PhD experience. Both in the simulator and in real life, I mostly survived until the end by slacking off frequently, and needed around 5 years. Some highlights: > INBOX: Based on the reviewers' comments, we regret to inform you that your manuscript has been REJECTED for publication. One of the reviewers pointed out that there is no comparison with a state-of-art method. > You cam…

One dynamic I experienced that also isn't in the simulation: if you focus too much on classwork early on in order to pass your RPE, it can actually be hard to find an advisor. Classwork is basically dead-end work and the more you focus on it the less you have to show for yourself when trying to convince an advisor to work with you. Your goal should be to optimize for doing just well enough to pass your classwork. Als…

This would be incredibly bad advice in half of Physics and most of Math. An adviser would simply not trust a graduate student with middling grades to be competent enough to work with.

Re: PhD Simulator

#122

Post by waveBidder »

whatever1 wrote: post #53
eagleseye wrote: post #52

I notice a lot of negativity and "do not recommend" regarding pursuing a PhD on HN recently. That raises the question: Why would you go for it?

1. If you manage to get through it, you will be a world expert in a niche that can be valuable. $$$$$$$$ 2. You will develop the invaluable skill of not giving up even when all the odds are against you 3. You will be able to swim by yourself, parsing enormous amount of literature, identifying what is useful and useless and solve problems that no one else before you has solved. 4. Access to academic positions that off…

doing a PhD for the earning potential is hilarious. you'd be better off getting a normal job, living frugally, and pumping as much into savings for the same amount of time

Re: PhD Simulator

#123

Post by glomgril »

eagleseye wrote: post #52

I notice a lot of negativity and "do not recommend" regarding pursuing a PhD on HN recently. That raises the question: Why would you go for it?

As painful as it can be at times, it is a truly beautiful phase of life during which your main obligations are to become an expert in something that interests you and to make enough money to not starve and have a place to live. If you are single, coming directly from the "broke college student" lifestyle, and end up at a university with a good stipend, it won't even feel like you are "poor" and the money is mostly enough. But the life of a grad student in a large public university can come with much more financial instability and heavier teaching loads from day one, with less time for slacking off and letting ideas marinate. Less so if you are in a field/have an advisor with good/consistent funding. The devil is in the details.

Wouldn't change it for the world though, and anecdotally most people I know who ended up finishing the PhD feel the same way.

Main shortcoming of the (American) grad school experience imo is lack of preparation to join the corporate workforce (in my field, there are easily >10x the graduating PhDs each year than there are available university jobs). Academia has done a terrible job preparing grad students for the harsh reality of a non-academic career. Keeping this in mind throughout grad school will help a lot -- you can see the difference in non-academic career trajectory between people who had a backup plan and those who didn't.

Re: PhD Simulator

#124

Post by PakG1 »

eagleseye wrote: post #52

I notice a lot of negativity and "do not recommend" regarding pursuing a PhD on HN recently. That raises the question: Why would you go for it?

Me? I just realized I'm not motivated to get up to work in industry. I just can't get up to chase and achieve goals that serve the needs of shareholders or any other stakeholders. In academia, I probably still won't care about the stakeholders, but I'll at least get to explore stuff that interest me. Well, that's the hope anyway! Haha!

Reminds me of how many entrepreneurs don't become entrepreneurs to become rich. They do it to become free from having bosses. Except for me, I'm not sure I'd be able to make it as an entrepreneur if I only chase what interests me instead of what a market wants. If I chase what the market wants instead of what interests me, my motivation drops. Been there, tried that. So... here I am. Even though it's painful right now.

Re: PhD Simulator

#126

Post by whatever1 »

waveBidder wrote: post #122
whatever1 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. If you manage to get through it, you will be a world expert in a niche that can be valuable. $$$$$$$$ 2. You will develop the invaluable skill of not giving up even when all the odds are against you 3. You will be able to swim by yourself, parsing enormous amount of literature, identifying what is useful and useless and solve problems that no one else before you has solved. 4. Access to academic positions that off…

doing a PhD for the earning potential is hilarious. you'd be better off getting a normal job, living frugally, and pumping as much into savings for the same amount of time

Same can be said for a startup.

Re: PhD Simulator

#127

Post by krastanov »

NooneAtAll3 wrote: post #92
lqet wrote: post #5

This is great and exactly captures the PhD experience. Both in the simulator and in real life, I mostly survived until the end by slacking off frequently, and needed around 5 years. Some highlights: > INBOX: Based on the reviewers' comments, we regret to inform you that your manuscript has been REJECTED for publication. One of the reviewers pointed out that there is no comparison with a state-of-art method. > You cam…

> Teaching obligations any advice for people aiming for teaching instead of all the publishing stuff?

If you want to have a tenure track "professor" position focused on teaching in a top-tier university, you need to be a great researcher as teaching skills are not considered much -- you just get to decide to focus on teaching after you get tenure. Thankfully, many universities (even the prestigious ones) are now starting to hire more semi-permanent teaching-focused staff (and some even use the title professor for these). You do not get as much independence in such a position, especially if you want to make a class for more senior students, but it is a good middle ground. Or you can be a professor at a school that is not in the rat-race to be "top-tier research institution" - you still need to have some small research output (but that is actually an awesome way to introduce a couple of undergrads a year to research) and you get to focus on making awesome classes (of course, there is still the expectation that you have a PhD to apply for these positions, but at these places your teaching experience is actually taken seriously in the hiring process).

As to what to do during your PhD: find an advisor that is happy to have one or two students focused on teaching and outreach (they would like to have that because when applying for grants it makes it easier for them to explain how they have broader impact, pointing to your work).

Re: PhD Simulator

#128

Post by glomgril »

PakG1 wrote: post #124
eagleseye wrote: post #52

I notice a lot of negativity and "do not recommend" regarding pursuing a PhD on HN recently. That raises the question: Why would you go for it?

Me? I just realized I'm not motivated to get up to work in industry. I just can't get up to chase and achieve goals that serve the needs of shareholders or any other stakeholders. In academia, I probably still won't care about the stakeholders, but I'll at least get to explore stuff that interest me. Well, that's the hope anyway! Haha! Reminds me of how many entrepreneurs don't become entrepreneurs to become rich. Th…

Savor it while you can. As a former academic, for me the lack of intrinsic motivation to "create value for shareholders" is the hardest part of working in industry.

Re: PhD Simulator

#129

Post by bluedevilzn »

lqet wrote: post #5

This is great and exactly captures the PhD experience. Both in the simulator and in real life, I mostly survived until the end by slacking off frequently, and needed around 5 years. Some highlights: > INBOX: Based on the reviewers' comments, we regret to inform you that your manuscript has been REJECTED for publication. One of the reviewers pointed out that there is no comparison with a state-of-art method. > You cam…

Was it worth it?

Re: PhD Simulator

#130

Post by logifail »

b555 wrote: post #119
logifail wrote: post #70

In the sim, at "Year 3 Month 9" I apparently "lost all hope and quitted your PhD". In my real one (20+ years ago), I submitted my thesis after 3 years and 6 months, by which point I was no longer on speaking terms with my supervisor and was hanging on to my sanity by the skin of my teeth. My viva went surprisingly well, after which I did the minor corrections that were requested, handed in a copy of my thesis, packed…

if given a chance to do it all again, would you?

> if given a chance to do it all again, would you?

Yes, definitely, but maybe(?) in a different research group.

Post reply on HN