The idea of actually doing a PhD is a daunting one, and one that over the past three weeks has gotten more real than ever before. Before it was an ideal, a pipe dream. Now every other meeting or lecture it's brought up and all the signs are pointing towards doing it. I'm still torn, so purely for my own benefit, I'm writing a pros and cons to help settle my brain.
We'll start with the cons.590Please respect copyright.PENANA1ogpnpZ69z
- The cost. The huge, huge cost. £4,000 per year in fees totals £12,000 overall. The government loan of £25,000 will cover it - but will leave precious little for living and maintenance costs. Still living at home will be a huge advantage because of the cheaper rent, but with few hours spare to work in, I won't be able to work much more at my part-time job than I do now. There won't be much money to travel to London for the British Library, which I imagine I will need to do at some point. Navigating the financial side is going to be a massive challenge.590Please respect copyright.PENANAz7gjGQCtZk
- I'll be skint for another three years. Instead of getting a full time job and being paid a decent wage like all of my friends, I'll be choosing another three years of being a student. Am I prepared to skip nights out? To watch them go on holiday without me? How much do I really want this, because if I'm not prepared to miss out, then I don't think I can spend three years constantly missing opportunities.590Please respect copyright.PENANAYMzvtDg8Q8
- At the end, I'll be over-qualified for most jobs (though that's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard). Finding a job won't be easy, because with a PhD I will be "overqualified" for many jobs. Jobs in academia are few and far between and are competitive. What actually waits at the end?590Please respect copyright.PENANA6ZOMctVqcL
- The workload. Sure undergraduate was fun. Masters is shaping up to be fun, too. But can I really fill 60,000 words on a topic? It is a huge jump from a MA dissertation which is only 15,000 words. I have a year to write 15,000 words - with a PhD I'd need to write the equivalent of two masters dissertations per year. It will be a massive challenge.590Please respect copyright.PENANA9GHc6cjcL0
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And the pros:590Please respect copyright.PENANAGnqMSbf3E5
- I love it. With all my heart, I love doing it, and what better reason can I ever have than that? As one of my tutors said last week - I've got the rest of my life to get a job.590Please respect copyright.PENANA6fxW7TzUpT
- I've been told by my tutors that it is the most rewarding thing. The single most rewarding thing ever. I don't doubt it.590Please respect copyright.PENANAPUKLL0EWYQ
- I've come this far, so why stop now? To stop just one step short of the very top makes no sense. Why not just see how far I can take this whole higher education thing, and wouldn't it be amazing, incredible even, if I could actually pull this off?590Please respect copyright.PENANAB6FjFLZmLZ
- I don't want to regret it later. I don't want to get a job and always tell myself I'll go back, because then I'll be giving up steady wages for uncertainty and student loans again. Plus, by that time fees will have risen. It's better to do it now, to strike while the iron is hot.590Please respect copyright.PENANA5QlsS7U84b
- I'm already in thousands upon thousands upon thousands of pounds in student debt - probably around the 40,000 mark. Really, what is another 25,000 on top of that?590Please respect copyright.PENANARH0o1nwbPh
- Let's face it, how awesome would it be filling out online forms and stuff, to be able to put 'Dr' instead of 'Miss'??? Seriously. Awesome.590Please respect copyright.PENANALNHSTEia7h
- That feeling I got in my heart a couple weeks ago when I picked up a history book in Waterstones. Like a warmth. That more than anything is pushing me on, because I love doing this so, so much (already mentioned, I know), and I don't want to ever not be a history student.590Please respect copyright.PENANAeeFVg0fFlT
- I want a challenge. A real challenge. Not that my dissertation wasn't, but I want to be able to have something of real, huge substance to put my name to.590Please respect copyright.PENANAFdFIhoIEcU
- Familiarity. Comfort. I'm so comfortable at uni, I wouldn't dream of doing a PhD anywhere else. I know the buildings and the tutors - my supervisor this year has already said she's more than happy to take me as a PhD student. It's comfortable and I don't like change.590Please respect copyright.PENANA4X0q7J0Yq7
So. Yeah. That's where I am at the moment. Torn. The practical reasons speak louder than the pros - the cost, mainly. Everything I'll miss out on. But how much is that going to matter when I know it's something I'll love???? Ironically, my head is saying to be wary of embarking on this. My heart is telling me go ahead full speed. Ugh.
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