This article is me getting my thoughts down after checking out this study showing that PhDs aren’t great for your mental health. I do networking events all the time to answer questions for undergrads and I am frequently asked whether or not they should do a PhD. I always give them the same answer and here are my extended thoughts.
Edit: I realized this article can come across negative and almost as if I’m trying to convince the reader not to do a PhD and that was not at all my intention. I want to make it clear that doing a PhD can be a very positive and uplifting experience and I know many people who have had such an experience. This article is meant to help you decide if it’ll be a good experience for you.
In my opinion, there is only one good reason to do a PhD.
I don't have a PhD, but I spent a long time deciding whether or not I would pursue one. I spoke to many people: those with PhDs, those who advised PhD students, and those who decided against it to gain the context and knowledge to make that decision. It was a decision I spent a great deal of time struggling with and needed help from others to make.
It’s a tough decision because at the time a student needs to make it, they don't have all the information they need to do so. I also find that most students wanting to do a PhD don’t want to do it for the good reason, they want to do it for a bad reason. Without the right information, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Now that I’ve come out the other side of the decision and I’m confident in the choice I made, I want to put my thoughts into writing. These thoughts are the same thoughts I express when I’m asked this same question by students at a networking event. I hope this article can provide perspective for anyone deciding whether to do a PhD and I hope it can be a platform for discussion.
I implore you to add your perspective—I’d love to learn and discuss together. Deciding on a higher education isn’t easy and the ideal isn’t a one-size-fits-all. There's no right or wrong answer; otherwise, everyone would make the same choice.
The Good Reason to do a PhD
The only good reason to do a PhD: an absolute love of what you're going to be studying and a love of studying it.
I’ve met a lot of students who want to a PhD without any prior research experience. Research is a specific type of work that many people simply won’t enjoy. A PhD requires five to seven (or sometimes more!) years of dedication toward a research goal. Research can be a grueling, mentally taxing, and slow-moving process.
There are positives to a research gig, of course. You’ll dig deeper into a topic than anyone ever has. That's the purpose of a PhD - you're going to break new ground in your field with your research, which is an incredible opportunity...if it's something you want to do. If not, those years will be hell.
In order to fully appreciate the work put into a PhD and the results you’ll get out of it, you need to love digging into the topic you’re research day in and day out. You also need to love the research process. Without this love, a PhD is just a terrible job.
The Bad Reasons to Do a PhD
The following two reasons are bad reasons to do a PhD. One is definitely worse than the other, but these are (surprisingly!) the two most common reasons I’ve encountered in my discussions about getting PhDs with students and doctorate holders.
The first bad reason is: the job you want requires a PhD. At face value, this seems like a good reason because you can’t get that job without the proper qualifications. The issue here is the job that you might want may be very different in half a decade. Either your opinion of the job or the job itself will change.
Of course, the PhD will still qualify you for similar jobs in the same subject area but those jobs won’t be ideal unless you enjoy the topic you’re researching. The five to seven years spent on the PhD also won’t be enjoyable if this isn’t the case.
This brings us back to the good reason to do a PhD addressed earlier. Essentially, getting a PhD for a specific job becomes a good reason when the good reason is also a motivator. Thus, the motivator really is above listed good reason—not the job.
The second bad reason (ironically the worst motivator but the most common) is: doing a PhD because you don’t know what else to do. I’m shocked at the amount of individuals I talk to who want to do a PhD or did a PhD because they didn’t see a clear career path with their current degree. I’m less surprised at the amount of these people who work in careers that don’t require their doctorate.
A lot of people approach this as “I don’t know what to do so let me continue my education”. This might not be a bad approach in general, but it’s definitely a bad motivator for a PhD. In case I haven’t mentioned is previously, a PhD is a difficult, mentally taxing, and long process even for the brightest individuals.
Choosing to do a PhD because you don’t know what else to do is the equivalent of being at a crossroads, looking at all your options, and deciding to venture on the path with the highest mountain just because you can.
Other Factors for Doing a PhD
A lot of students deciding on a PhD lack a comprehensive view of all the considerations they should be putting into the decision. There’s more to research and getting the PhD than just the work. There’s also:
Financial considerations: not only do you not get paid well as a PhD student, you also need to ensure your funding will be steady throughout your degree so you can continue to do your research.
Advisor: a good advisor makes or breaks your experience and your success. I’ve spoken to many people with great advisors that dedicated time to helping them obtain their degree. I’ve also spoken to many people whose advisors barely knew they existed. I’ll let you take a guess at which was reported as the better experience.
Research institution: research at the appropriate institution for the work you’re doing will make securing funding and finding a good advisor easier. It also holds weight with how valuable your degree is when pursuing future opportunities. A degree from an institution known for research in your field will be more valuable than one that isn’t as well-recognized.
Working conditions: I’ve heard many reports of PhD students having to do garbage work for garbage pay without a way toward progressing their degree. No matter where you work, you want to ensure this won’t happen to you. It’s particularly easy to take advantage of PhD students.
The degree itself: you should know before you begin how usable your degree is toward progressing your career goals. I’ve spoken to far too many people who didn’t know what to do with their PhD after they had gotten it. Luckily, all of them found a path forward but planning ahead will avoid this situation.
Can you gain these skills on the job? This applies more to a master’s degree, but I wanted to add it here as well. A motivator for some to get a higher degree is to get hired at a higher level at a company. This can work, but there are also many jobs where working the job can teach you the skills you need without the degree. In these jobs, it’s possible to not only reach the higher level faster by working, but also get paid well to do it.
It all boils down to this: Don't do a PhD unless you absolutely love what you're researching and the process of researching it.
Let me know what you think! I might have a completely biased perspective and be missing context. If there are points you’d like to add, please do so. This way we can all learn together!
Thanks for reading!
Always be (machine) learning,
Logan
