Comments on: Was it worth doing a PhD? Part 2: Asking interesting questions http://hummingbird604.com/2009/05/24/was-it-worth-doing-a-phd-part-2-asking-interesting-questions/ The personal blog of a Vancouver-based educator in environmental issues Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Sam http://hummingbird604.com/2009/05/24/was-it-worth-doing-a-phd-part-2-asking-interesting-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-4445 Sam Sun, 24 May 2009 20:43:10 +0000 http://hummingbird604.com/?p=3126#comment-4445 Hi Raul, When people ask me if it was worth doing a PhD I say, "Yes." When they say, "Should I do one?" I always say, "Absolutely NOT." The rigour one acquires from the PhD process is possible without embedding oneself in a stale, ugly hierarchy that cares nothing about your life, experiences, and worth outside the academy. As far as I'm concerned, the academy is The Amazing Power Maintenance Machine, which keeps power at the top firmly. It is not interested in "rigour" so much as control. Creativity? Inspiration? Social change? I don't think so. Was my PhD worth it? Yes, but for other reasons. I learned how terrible it is to be treated as a research "assistant" or teaching "assistant" even though you have more than a decade's worth of skill and experience. I also learned that I really don't like people telling me I should "cite more." I kid you not. Hi Raul,
When people ask me if it was worth doing a PhD I say, “Yes.” When they say, “Should I do one?” I always say, “Absolutely NOT.”

The rigour one acquires from the PhD process is possible without embedding oneself in a stale, ugly hierarchy that cares nothing about your life, experiences, and worth outside the academy. As far as I’m concerned, the academy is The Amazing Power Maintenance Machine, which keeps power at the top firmly. It is not interested in “rigour” so much as control. Creativity? Inspiration? Social change? I don’t think so.

Was my PhD worth it? Yes, but for other reasons. I learned how terrible it is to be treated as a research “assistant” or teaching “assistant” even though you have more than a decade’s worth of skill and experience. I also learned that I really don’t like people telling me I should “cite more.” I kid you not.

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