Comments on: Leaking From the Pipeline (Again)

By: Bill Tozier

Bill Tozier — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:04:07 +0000

Be proud, and don’t regret. But do everything you can to carry forward your interest, the passion that excused whatever strains you subjected yourself to.

We all do poorly when we let ourselves be stymied.

I’ve quit graduate school twice before. And I’m quitting again as we speak.

And proud of it.

By: DeliciousCijMatrix

DeliciousCijMatrix — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:58:04 +0000

Your decision will likely pay off in the long run. Especially when you finish in May and the Hayward decides to rip through campus in July.

By: Mom

Mom — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:28:22 +0000

I personally am saddened whenever society falls so short of optimal productivity of all of its members regardless of gender—it is such a struggle and has been such a struggle—it only hurts us all that women are continually disrespected. (Due to immigration tightening, we will be short of scientists and engineers compared to rest of the world in about 10 years and one viable way to remedy this situation without having to battle bipartisan bullshit is to encourage and optimize the productivity of US women in science—50% of our population) I also applaud anyone who tries to remedy their situation in whatever way they can—–I am happy you are happier—I support anyone who says this is not for me and leaves no matter what it is they are leaving in life (as long as the leaving encompasses responsibility)—to turn and try new things says you are NOT STUCK so BRAVO! -and I agree with all your friends who say that a Masters from Berkeley is NOT a booby prize at all!!! It is a wonderful achievement.

By: Gen

Gen — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:55:34 +0000

Thank you for posting this. I’m in a program where I’m pretty sure I want the PhD, after leaving an earlier program (even before the MS… or before completing the first semester…) but it’s early yet; I’m still keeping in mind all my options. Either way, I am a big supporter of bret’s advice to “leave leave leave leave leave” if graduate school is making you unhappy, and am happy for you that you made the right choice for you, for this point in your life.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:43:10 +0000

Ya gotta do what you want…bottom line.

I hate how MS degrees are looked down upon at big research universities. I got a master’s from a place that celebrated them…and now i’m getting a PhD at a place that almost literally laughs at it.

The way I look at this…even if you get an advanced degree and don’t “use” it in the applied sense, you learn a lot about the process of working on projects that will help you no matter what.

And I agree with most of the above commenters….ya gotta nip these kind of situations in the bud (like you are) before they get outta hand.

By: bret

bret — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:37:38 +0000

I’m a man, and I left.

I was miserable at Berkeley, for various reasons (crippling isolation, panic over directionlessness, others) that are too complex to sum up neatly, as these sorts of things often are. As you’ve found. The MS was the ejector seat.

A couple years later, I did discover a passion, THE passion, and it was something that I never would have found while slogging it out in grad school. So, that’s good.

The MS itself has been useless. (MSEE, BTW, so YMMV.) Useless when applying for industry jobs, and now especially useless that I’ve shifted fields entirely. So, that’s bad.

Some of the research I did has, you know, benefited things. So I guess that’s good.

I still think of my MS as a booby prize. When I even think about it at all. I usually retrospect about the Caltech years, and block out Berkeley. So, that’s bad.

But, the bottom line from my experience, and all I can tell you:

If you are unhappy with grad school, leave leave leave leave leave. Be happy you are leaving. Be confident you are making the right choice. Outside of academia lies freedom.

By: yami

yami — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:17:18 +0000

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and support. So much of this is stuff that I conscoiusly realize and value, and it’s fighting against really weird cultural status hangups that I picked up in a grotty alley somewhere and can’t seem to get rid of.

LL, I will definitely be hitting you up for that contact.

Zuska, it makes me sad too. Sad in general, happy in specific - kind of a weird tension.

By: Andrew Ironwood

Andrew Ironwood — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:50:10 +0000

“A PhD seems to limit opportunities more than create them”

I still remember one of my music profs putting in his bio fer some composer’s festival something to the effect of:

“He received his PhD in music composition at [wherever it was], and then realized in horror that his opportunities for gainful employment were now limited to teaching at the university level.”

(…yeah, one of my fave profs, cancha tell…)

By: Lab Lemming

Lab Lemming — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:23:12 +0000

I agree with Tectonite about the utility of various degrees. For example, a college friend of mine who “bailed” with a masters from a spiffy school has had all sorts of career goodness in the intervening decade, compared to those of us with phuds. Incidentally, she works for an environmental consulting firm with offices in both San Fran and Seattle, so if you want me to network y’all once the job hunt begins, just drop me a line.

By: Zuska

Zuska — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 03:34:29 +0000

If deciding to leave has made you happier about work, I’d say you made the right decision - everything is easier when you are happy, and it seems like the happiness has come from making the right choice for yourself. How you got there, why you got there….all a long story. It makes me sad for women in science in general, but glad for you that you are finding your way and feeling good about it! That M.S. will be no booby prize - it will be a great achievement and you never know what it will bring you in life! There are many wonderful things to do outside academia. And most of them pay better.