TestMagic Forums - View Single Post - Advantages/disadvantages of graduating early from a PhD program?

currentstudent · 2009 July 4th, 10:21 PM

I am in a program where people usually take 5 years to get out. In the back of my mind I have always wondered -- could I get out a year early? Right now I am about to start my 3rd year and I have two decent half-completed papers which are complete enough to know that they have significant and interesting results (one is a previous term paper which I am in the process of revising). Probably both could be published in mediocre journals when they're done (by mediocre I mean maybe the "C" list here: http://www.ifw-kiel.de/research/Jour...20Jan%2009.pdf ). One will be co-authored.

Should I try to leave in year 4? I would "ask my advisor" but I think there's some pressure in my program to stay the 5 years, I don't want to seem too cocky yet (it might be a more appropriate question to ask in a few months when I see how everything is going a bit more clearly), and I don't even formally have an advisor yet though I know who two of them will be. I'm just trying to get an early impression.

Complications:
- The job market is bound to reek this year, and will probably still be bad the following year.
- I'm still uncertain as to whether I want to go into academia or somewhere else (I'd specify where but my main alternative would be too specific and I'd rather maintain anonymity). Presumably if I ended up choosing somewhere else, there would be no harm to trying to apply in my 4th year -- but I hear that people who go on the job market twice face huge hurdles, so I wouldn't want to go on it just for kicks. Could I apply to the non-academic option without "going on the job market" academically? Then if that didn't work out I could stay through the 5th year and go on the job market "one time only" as far as academic institutions were concerned?
- On the other hand, why would anyone want to leave early anyway? If I stayed for 5th year, I would have funding for that, and when else in your life do you get to spend a year just researching whatever you like without teaching obligations or etc.? I could in theory relax a bit, do some extra-curricular activities that I have put on the back burner....

Your thoughts? Many thanks.

2009 July 4th, 10:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
currentstudent I JUST got here. Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 6	Advantages/disadvantages of graduating early from a PhD program? I am in a program where people usually take 5 years to get out. In the back of my mind I have always wondered -- could I get out a year early? Right now I am about to start my 3rd year and I have two decent half-completed papers which are complete enough to know that they have significant and interesting results (one is a previous term paper which I am in the process of revising). Probably both could be published in mediocre journals when they're done (by mediocre I mean maybe the "C" list here: http://www.ifw-kiel.de/research/Jour...20Jan%2009.pdf ). One will be co-authored. Should I try to leave in year 4? I would "ask my advisor" but I think there's some pressure in my program to stay the 5 years, I don't want to seem too cocky yet (it might be a more appropriate question to ask in a few months when I see how everything is going a bit more clearly), and I don't even formally have an advisor yet though I know who two of them will be. I'm just trying to get an early impression. Complications: - The job market is bound to reek this year, and will probably still be bad the following year. - I'm still uncertain as to whether I want to go into academia or somewhere else (I'd specify where but my main alternative would be too specific and I'd rather maintain anonymity). Presumably if I ended up choosing somewhere else, there would be no harm to trying to apply in my 4th year -- but I hear that people who go on the job market twice face huge hurdles, so I wouldn't want to go on it just for kicks. Could I apply to the non-academic option without "going on the job market" academically? Then if that didn't work out I could stay through the 5th year and go on the job market "one time only" as far as academic institutions were concerned? - On the other hand, why would anyone want to leave early anyway? If I stayed for 5th year, I would have funding for that, and when else in your life do you get to spend a year just researching whatever you like without teaching obligations or etc.? I could in theory relax a bit, do some extra-curricular activities that I have put on the back burner.... Your thoughts? Many thanks.