Who should do Ph.D. and Why?

Who should do Ph.D. and Why?

July 8th, 2006 | By: Rise

So you are at a stage where you need to decide whether you shoulddo a Ph.D. or not. There can be a number of reasons for you to think ofpursuing a Ph.D. But the most basic question you need to answer is thatwhy you want to do it in the first place. This is tough to answer.Before even you start looking for the answers, you need to clear yourhead of any myths you have about Ph.D.I wish I knew these things earlier. Next you need to self-explore anddecide if you have what it takes to do a Ph.D. The following pointswill help you in assessing your capabilites.

• Previous research experience: Thisis not mandatory but it really helps to know what you are getting into.For every Ph.D. aspirant, I would suggest to first do a MS in thesis toget a taste of research. If you can get research experience in industrythat would also help you a lot in later phases of your Ph.D.
• Self confidence: This is aninternal quality that only you can build. If you have a slightest doubton your abilities, better talk to someone or re-evaluate your reasons.
• Long term goal: Ph.D. is not anend in itself. If it is required for your long term goal then only gofor it. Do you know what is your long term goal? Would a Ph.D. help inachieving that goal?
• Passion: This is reallyimportant because you cannot force it or build it. If you arepassionate about a research area/topic then only you’ll be willing tosacrifice some of the joys of life to finish your Ph.D.
• Curiosity: If you are used tothe traditional form of learning, Ph.D. might be little difficult foryou. It requires you to think differently and question each andeverything. Are you curious to know how things work?
• Creativity: It goes hand inhand with curiosity. Ph.D. requires you to be creative in your thinkingand not just curious. You should be able to see things differently fromwhat presented and come up with your own ideas.
• Analytical thinking/skills: Itinvolves analyzing what you see and developing your own mantra. Itdefines your ability to see through the things, grasp the gist, andlook at it from different angles. Were you comfortable with analyticalquestions in GRE?
• Self-motivation: It isimportant that you have the ability to work on a project without anyexternal motivation and encouragement. There are no midterms orassignments to keep you on the track. There is no way to compare withother students where you stand in your Ph.D. If you are in the habit ofdoing only what your professor or boss tells you then you are going toface lot of problems to keep yourself motivated throughout your Ph.D.Are you able to write your to-do list by yourself?
• Adaptability: Even if you arefully prepared for Ph.D., there will be moments when you might need tochange your way of thinking to progress successfully. It is never easyand that’s where this quality comes handy. Do you have the ability tochange?
• Vision: Doing a Ph.D. requires a vision. What exactly you want from your Ph.D.? How will it help in your long term goals?

If you think you can fulfill the above mentioned criterion then thenext step is to give a reason to your Ph.D. Why you want to do a PhD?

• Interest in research: If you don’t have anyinterest in doing research, don’t waste your valuable time in doingPhD. Do something else closer to your interest. PhD is a preparationfor a research career (though in later years you might be able to steeryour career in other directions). There are many organizations,institutes, and companies where you can work as a research scientist.
• Academic career: If you want to obtainan academic position then a PhD can brighten your chances. Most of theprofessors in major universities hold a Ph.D.

What are the benefits of a Ph.D. or a research career?

• You will meet and work with the brightest people.
• You will change the way people think.
• You will change the way people look at computers (or computers look at people).
• You will explore the unexplored and solve the unsolved.
• You will define new and betters ways to solve a problem.
• You will never be bored. There will be always something to explore and solve.
• You will increase your intellectual capabilities.

4 Comments

1. Comment by Daniel Poynter on July 8, 2006 7:06 pm

   Interesting post. Very interesting blog.

   I’ve been considering a Ph.D. program. My last post, at the bottom, mentions Joseph Campbell’s thoughts on such things.

   Of course, he was refering to Liberal Arts, mostly: http://www.dansmind.com/?p=181

   -Dan

2. Pingback by Stop Overthinking, Just Do It » Educated Being on August 28, 2006 10:38 pm

   […] It is characterized by lack of execution. It affects your decisionmaking process from simple everyday decisions, like where to go forlunch, to important life/career changing decisions like should I switchjobs or should I do a Ph.D. You face lot of trouble making suchdecisions because you are conditioned by your thoughts. You are afraidto take action and face the consequences. You want to somehow lookahead in time and make sure that everything will be perfect as youwant. You are afraid of failure. You want to avoid embarassment. Youare just lost. […]

3. Pingback by How to avoid frustration due to expectations in graduate school » Educated Being on September 30, 2006 7:42 pm

   […] Are you in graduate school doing a Ph.D. or a Master’s thesis? Ifyes, read ahead. Is it going well? Are you on schedule? If yes, thenyou don’t need to read any further. Ok, now that you are still with memeans not everything is as you expect. Let me tell you a secret - youare not alone. Ohh, you already knew that. Good. I bet you have alreadyread about the 6 Ph.D. myths, and who should do a Ph.D. and why. […]

4. Comment by Vincent on November 29, 2006 2:00 am

   I like what you did with the design of your blog! Compliments.

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