by Stuart Henderson

Created on: January 05, 2011

Your undergraduate years are coming to an end and now is the time for, what the majority of non-students like to call, a real job. Or is it? If you have applied yourself well at university, then a Ph.D could be on offer. But, is it the right decision for you?

There have been many different reasons for undertaking a Ph.D. Indeed, the reasons do seem keep up with the trends of time. Back in the early days of the 20th century, only the very finest pursued the long journey a Ph.D presents. Their reason for doing so: to be the philosopher, the authority, the knowledge base of their subject. This was by no means an easy feat; only the very finest were accepted. Nowadays however, things are somewhat different. Reasons for undertaking a Ph.D now include hints of economy and fashion. That is not to say the old fashioned reasons don't apply; they definitely still do. But now for example, having a source of income for three years is not something to be sniffed at. Indeed, many who try for a job straight after their undergraduate degree suffer enormously at the hands of the recent global recession. This could be an indication that postgraduate degrees are beginning to become a  necessity in this current climate. I only need to look to my own reaction as I read those two letters, 'Mr', inscribed beside my 5th year lecturer's name.

Now, let us look a bit more closely at the pros and cons of pursuing a postgraduate degree. To begin, the obvious pro would (or should) be that you become the authority of your subject. You are at the cutting edge. Money, sadly, should not be at the forefront of your thoughts. The reasons for that being that although Ph.D students do get a modest wage, if you are looking for high salary earnings then more often or not, other options may be best for you. On the other hand, in a lot of jobs, having a Ph.D is essential if you are to climb high in the hierarchy of positions. Often people make the comment that, if you are going to pursue an academic career, then a Ph.D is probably for you. This is a fairly accurate statement. Although it is not essential, to demand the respect you will need in that career, you will need Dr before your name.

Towards the end of my degree, I found due to relative (relative to the days where only 1st class master degree students would be accepted) ease of being accepted onto a Ph.D, a lot of people were jumping on the band wagon, so to speak. It allows them to stay in their comfort zone of student-hood. They don't have to go out and face up to the hardships of finding a job and working their way up through sheer grit and determination. That is not to say if this is your reasoning it is wrong. Most certainly not. It takes only a very intellectual mind to spot the oppertunities that life throws at you. Ignoring them just for the sake of keeping face is not, in my opinion, a smart move.

On the other hand, it is important to bear in mind that this is going to be another 3 years (for the sake of my sanity I like to think of it as 3 years) of your life devoted to one subject. You must make sure you have the passion required to take you through some of the problems and exasperations which will be thrown your way through out. But, as you may find in this blog, there is always something to write home about throughout your career as a Ph.D student.

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