Post grad winge - look away now if in good mood!

pug_in_a_bed

Hello,

I often pop over here to look at advice for student moneysaving and so on, but I'm afraid this will be a bit of a whinge - look away now if you're in a good mood!

I finished an MA in December, and applied for a PhD at the same uni, I wasn't sure about it but I thought I'll apply, and apply for funding, and if I get it, then that's the decision made for me.

I should hear next month if I got the money to do the Phd.

I'm just so fed up at the moment though; I'm not sure I wasnt to do more studying as I'll be 30 before its done, and even then I still might not be able to get a job. I haven't managed to get a full time, permanent job since I graduated in December. I've been working in a bar and tutoring for school students and doing the odd thing as I can find it. Its not for want of trying. I've been ok for money, I dabble in ebay and though I had to move back with my mum, I can just about afford her rent.

I just feel wretched today! I feel all ski wiff; I'm worried I won't get the funding for Phd, but then I'm worried I'll hate it, then I'm worried well what the heck will I do if I don't get it (I certainly wont be studying again as I can't afford to pay for it myself).

I just can't believe where I am at the moment, I've got a lot of work experience, I worked all the way through uni and holidays, I worked on my year out before my MA. Now I just don't know what to do. The last few applications I've sent off I've left my MA off them, to see if that makes any difference.

I know this is horrendous wallowing, and I really need a good shake!
Thanks for listening to my whinge.

crazyscientist

I'm a PhD student currently half way through my 3 years. It sounds to me like you are by no means certain that its what you want to do. And so my advice is don't take the PhD even if its offered.

Its 3 years of hard slog with very little reward along the way. The money is just about enough to live on - but no flashy student lifestyle!

It sounds like you have plenty of work experience and are obviously already educated to a high level. If i were you i would persevere with the job hunting. Maybe ask an old tutor to look over your CV / give practice interview?

Also maybe think about the type of jobs your are applying for? Maybe something less specialised would get you a foot in the door and then search around for something more 'ideal' in a year or so.

Honestly, if you are not 110% certain about the PhD then don't do it. I don't think it improves job prospects very much anyway (sorry thats my own self pity coming out there :-) )

s0198362

crazyscientist wrote:

Its 3 years of hard slog with very little reward along the way. The money is just about enough to live on - but no flashy student lifestyle!

If you are a crazyscientist, I can only assume you do a science phd funded either by EPSRC or BBSRC. Now the stipend for 2005/2006 is approx £12,000 tax free. Surely that leads to a very flash student lifestyle with more than enough to live on. For example max rent = £350 p/m (massive overestimate), yearly rent = £4200. That leads you with £7800 to spend on food and whatever the hell you want. (mainly booze in my case as I just can't help myself :beer: ).

But as you said, don't do it if you are not sure. It is hard work after the first year of doing nothing, trying to work out what you should be doing.

pug_in_a_bed

Funnily enough the second I stopped writing that post, work called with more shifts - just when I thought I was unemployed lol!

To clarify, my area is literature and language. The funding I've applied for is £12,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, for three years (no cash for teh final fourth, writing up year).

But out of that I have to pay £3200 fees a year, so that leaves £8800 per year approx, I've had so little money for the past few years that seems whopping to me lol

Everyone always says how determinedand driven I am, I did well in my MA and I kind of enjoyed the lonely research! So everyone thinks I'm really suited to the studying life, unfortunately I think I'm a bit sick of it. I know I would put myself in 100% because I always do, but the thought of waknig up every morning with that knotted stomach thinking about deadlines and papers and that, for another four years really scares me. I know not everyone has opportunities like mine, but I'm so confused! If I'd managed to get a job I might feel sick of that now and be ready to go back to uni.

Sorry if I'm waffling, typing away is helping me consider all my routes!

melancholly

s0198362 wrote:

Surely that leads to a very flash student lifestyle with more than enough to live on. For example max rent = £350 p/m (massive overestimate), yearly rent = £4200. That leads you with £7800 to spend on food and whatever the hell you want. (mainly booze in my case as I just can't help myself :beer: ).

it may be (ok - definitely is!) flashy relative to an undergrad lifestyle but i'm trying to claw may way out of debt from a self-funded masters with my stipend. I'm trying to put money away and live off £500 a month. it is a hell of a lot better than when i was doing my BA and masters, but when all my friends have 'proper' jobs it doesn't really compare!!

and the other downside of a PhD is that you do end up working very very hard, so even if I did want to spend the rest of money on booze (instead of exciting things like bills, rent, car tax and insurance, debt etc etc) I don't think I could do that and get the work done!!

be very clear if it is what you want - it is nothing like an undergrad degree - no long summer holidays for example, but i am really glad i chose to do it. although saying that, i'm in a very panicy stage at the moment - i'm terrified that i won't finish in time and feeling under pressure to get publications out..... but there's nothing like a good whinge on here to make you feel better!

crazyscientist

melancholly wrote:

I'm trying to put money away and live off £500 a month. it is a hell of a lot better than when i was doing my BA and masters, but when all my friends have 'proper' jobs it doesn't really compare!!

and the other downside of a PhD is that you do end up working very very hard, so even if I did want to spend the rest of money on booze (instead of exciting things like bills, rent, car tax and insurance, debt etc etc) I don't think I could do that and get the work done!!
QUOTE]


This is what i was trying to say in my first post. If the OP isnt sure about what he/she wants to do then another 3 years of study are pretty pointless. They are already highly qualified - is a PhD REALLY going to make that much difference?? IMHO, might as well persevere with the job hunt and get earning some decent money.

Sillychuckie

I'm not sure all these extra qualifications do any good.
I'm just about to grduate having done a BSc and when asked in a recent interview why I wouldn't want to do an MSc (or anything higher), I said that nothing is more important than commercial experience. I've worked with people in the past who had far more qualifications than myself but were simply 'out of touch' with the real world. The interviewer agreed and stated in the past that they have chosen the lesser qualified BSc candidate over one with an MSc. They don't even bother to consider those with PHD's.
Perhaps (as you said you are now trying), leaving all those extra qualifications off the CV might be worth a try. A company might want someone that isn't over qualified whom they feel they can 'mold' or whatever.
It might not be the case for all sectors, but certainly IT recruiters don't always rate the extra qualifications (in my experience).

nearlyrich

I know I would put myself in 100% because I always do, but the thought of waknig up every morning with that knotted stomach thinking about deadlines and papers and that, for another four years really scares me.

Lots of jobs well paid or not involve deadlines and reports and there are lots of people who hate their job, not me thankfully but I have had my share of bad 'uns.

My advice is do what makes you happy but remember it's harder to come back to study from a well paid job if you go the employment route then change your mind.

Good luck whichever way you decide.

Gem_

There is a govt wages survey around somewhere that shows this really well - BA = increased earning capacity
MA = even higher earning capacity
PhD = actually reduces earning capacity to that of a BA again!

So really really dont do it for job prospects (unless you want to be a lecturer) or for the money afterwards.

As someone who started a phd because they could not find a job. Luckily I do now care about what I do, but the pain, suffering and bordom all in the name of getting two letters in front of your name - you have to be more driven than you would ever belive to actually finish

Good Luck with your jobs search in the mean time

Gem

[Deleted User]

The best think I did after my MSc and a couple of years working as a research assistant was.. ditch academia, an offer of a PhD and get a job in the commercial sector.

SeanW

My careers adviser spent a whole hour telling me I should do a phd, he thought work would bore me.

For a while I half considered it, but I knew that after 16 years of education, I was finally bored of it, and just had to stop, another 3 years of education would bore me, not work.

Initial job seeking wasn't successful, and the reason was lack of commercial experience, doing more education, then looking for a job, would have hardly increased my chances considering I was predicting a 1st Class Degree on my CV. I did find a job though within a very short time of graduating, and I am glad this is the route I chose and basically ignored the careers adviser.

I have deadlines in my work, but that all stops at 5, and I can just forget it