Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

news.ycombinator.com

21–30 of 48 posts

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#21
post #8
post #7

UK will be faster. US if you get into Stanford or another big name school.

Sorry but you cannot compare quality over time, even for a big name school. PhD students will have to work to earn the degree, no matter what.

I think it's simply a fact that the UK will be faster than the US. A UK PhD or DPhil must be done within four years if funded by the research council (the usual method for funding) and most are done in around three. Finishing a US PhD in four years would be pretty extraordinary.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#22

I recall reading some article about someone who got into a pickle financially in part because they went to school overseas, so their American student loans were due while they were in college overseas because being in college elsewhere somehow didn't count for deferring payment or something. Make sure you understand that angle. Find out before you go overseas whether or not that has material impact on your student lo…

That's weird because you can use US student loans to fund education in the UK..

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#24
Look at the University of Luxembourg, the best salaries in Europe, good conditions and it's a good point to travel around Europe for conferences. They do a lot of biology and CS. The LCSB is focused on parkinson and other stuff. They have good resources to send you to conferences or courses.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#25
post #22

I recall reading some article about someone who got into a pickle financially in part because they went to school overseas, so their American student loans were due while they were in college overseas because being in college elsewhere somehow didn't count for deferring payment or something. Make sure you understand that angle. Find out before you go overseas whether or not that has material impact on your student lo…

That's weird because you can use US student loans to fund education in the UK..

It might be that some institutions are in the US system and some aren't. I don't know.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#26
Echoing what others I've already said, it's your supervisor and topic should be your main criterion.

Secondly, it depends on what you want to do afterwards whether is a career in academia or industry. If academia see the first point I made.

If it's industry then I'd stress on the networks the institutions afford you. OxBridge in the UK and the usual suspects in the US including Stanford. Remember in industry, the value of the PhD is more in the process rather than the achievement of the title,

Finally look at the time and monetary cost. It takes less time in the UK (3/4 yrs Vs 5/6) and you obtain the same utility from the title as you do from the US equivalent if and only if your optimising for industry placement.

Personally I think the right mix for industry is Undergrad in the US, PhD in the UK; and for academia UK for undergrad and US PhD ( all things being equal).

I hope this helps.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#27
post #13
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, in short, US and UK will be faster? How come? Now the guy is more lost than before... I would choose the advisor regardless of his/her physical presence (whether at US or UK) and then follow my decision accordingly. I know for a fact that you want to have a friend on your side for the next 4 years or so.

So, in short, US and UK will be faster? A UK PhD takes 3 years, a US typically 6 because it is padded out with running errands for the prof and other time wasting.

Some of that time-wasting is likely to be teaching, which may or may not be a useful thing to have on your CV.

But even after that, you will spend longer immersed in research in the US. Some kinds of thinking take wall-clock time. One other result of this is that there's a bit more room to change direction half way through, should you need or want to.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#29
UK, you can be done in 3 years and if the Wellcome Trust are still running their program getting STEM graduates into Neuroscience you can get about £20k per year stipend and your fees paid (my wife was in the first year of this program).

I would say that getting paid to do your PhD and focusing on getting in and out as quickly as possible should be your focus (I am prepared for the downvotes, I was 2 years 10 months and started my business at 2.5 years). A PhD is a tool to entering academia (if you want) or getting a higher degree to stand out from the crowd in industry (the reason I did mine)/raising money.

Re: Ask HN: PhD in the UK or US?

#30
Talk to grad students of these professors, find a professor who is good to their students and who you know will match what you need. This is like a boss on steroids, if they want to they can snip years off your career and fail you on a whim. Also dont incur debts, it shouldn't be done for a PhD
Post reply on HN