thinking of embarking on a PhD - 'social science' arena.

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vladamir

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thinking of embarking on a phd - 'social science' arena.

1) not sure if i'm 'clever' enough; and

2) not sure if i have the motivation to get me through a five year thesis (i'd be part time - not lecturing either). i hear you asking, well then why am i doing a course if i'm not motivated - it would help career wise - and i've never been motivated before in the slightest but i somehow manged to get a first undergrad and am just coming to the end of a post grad - looking at getting a 2.1 or possibly a first. - both part time.

any phds out there with any comments? i have a feelilng, perhaps unrealistic, that a phd isn't anything special, just a slog.

love to hear any opinions - particularly from people working full time who have completed a phd.

thanks.
 
Re: phd

Career eh?...
I have 6 years colege done and came out with 2 seperate but complimenting diplomas. I now want to do a Bsc which I start in Sept, 2 more years!
Its a very commercial decision though as it will definitely help me in my current and future roles in my company.
I guess you gotta weigh up how much is it really worth or is it just about being called Doctor.
 
Re: phd

Vladamir, have you got a subject that you want to research? You would need to be very motivated to keep going for 5 years and not just do it for the sake of it. If you have a subject that will keep you going and are interested then I would say yes do it. By the way what are you going to be researching? and have you done your proposal yet?
 
Am coming towards the end of my PhD and have just spent 3 years on it. That included one year of a masters. I have also been employed full time (I'm a teacher though so I'm home early and also have very generous holidays). When I started, the PhD was the holy grail - i.e. what you had to strive for and it was the ultimate challenge. Now however, as it is nearing completion, I notice supervisors etc. talking about how it is only the first step and how it doesn't count for very much in academic circles! Don't know if that's any help to you - I suppose it's like that in any job, e.g. a lowly intern v a consultant etc.
 
thanks folks.

teaching hours would suit alright. unfortunately i'd have longer hours alright - and close to legal minimum holidays. my masters was two years part time! undergrad was 4. six now, another five is daunting.

thanks again for the comments.
 
My advice is to look very carefully at why you want to do a PhD. It is a requirement for academic jobs (but all it does is get you on the ladder). In other jobs (and I must clarify that my own PhD is in technology, not social sciences) it simply delays your career progression by 4-5 years. You need to be very clear at what you do and don't get.

In terms of doing the work, you need to treat it as a job - 8 hours a day! You need an innovative side to it of course, but a lot of it is about organisation and hard work.

best of luck
Diziet
 
I completed a PhD in 2003. What a hard long slog but I was motivated and most interested in my research. Even though I was registered to be doing it fulltime I had to work to pay bills and eat! This meant that i was usually up half the night every night stuck at a computer. No social life for sure!

It was so damn difficult..... I can't stress that enough. I cried over it on so many occassions!!! Now that I have it I look at it and think wow ...how did i do it! A PhD is a lonely road and if you haven't the motivation/determination forget it.

PhD= Permanent head damage!
 
I think a Phd would be nearly impossible to do while maintaining a full-time job. You would want to either go part-time in your job or try and get some funding from your employer.

I have agreement in principal from my employer for 2 full days per week on research. I would get them to pay for at least one of those days.

I am just completing a part-time BSc now and intend to go straight onto a 1-year full-time MSc in UCC while still maintaining my full-time job and full pay (thanks to a lot of flexibility from my employer). I think I would recommend to anyone to get a Masters under the belt first before starting research. Going for masters through research has no guarantees, just like Phd through research has no guarantees.

Phd has turned into a minimum requirement these days for academic positions, even in Institutes of Technology. I think a Phd with a lot of part-time lecturing and some publications (maybe in industry journals and a book or two) and lots of industry experience are what Universities and Institutes of Technology are looking for. And that can take 10 years of hard work!
 
vladamir,

1) If you can score a first at undergrad and, hopefully, masters level, you're almost certainly 'clever' enough. Completing a PhD thesis is usually, as the saying goes, about 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. I know several excellent academics/scholars who never completed one and, conversely, plenty of dullards who sailed through in 'paint-by-numbers' mode...

2) I'd certainly echo all the cautionary notes being sounded here about
(a) being very clear as to why (or whether) you really want/need a PhD, and what it's likely to 'yield' for you in professional terms,
(b) being realistic about how you'll fit it in around your other commitments, work and personal. My own PhD gradually turned from being a labour of love to, well, basically just a labour. It took me nigh on ten years, alongside fulltime work and 'serial' parenthood... :eek: and it was only sheer bloody-mindedness that kept me going. If you're only finishing up a current postgrad stint, you might consider taking a year out first to 'prep' yourself (define and research your topic, consider your choice of supervisor/institution, get as much of the groundwork done as possible, etc.) before registering, forking out fees and 'starting the clock'...

Have a look at wry take, it'll cheer you up or put you off, depending on your frame of mind...! ;)
 
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