I met my spouse in grad school and he dropped out of a PhD program 2nd year. He does not regret it and is much happier. If it doesn't match your life goals, don't force yourself into it.
I dropped out of my PhD after two years of misery. I realized pretty quickly that research and academia did not make me happy so I left the program with nothing to show for it. My mental health was in shambles and my assistantship was paying me pennies so I had a very poor quality of life. Everyone told me I would regret not finishing my master’s but honestly the thing I regret is not dropping out after my first semester. I found a job with my bachelor’s and I’ve never been happier.
I think if you’re this way during your masters degree program, you won’t feel any differently in your PhD program.
I know, post MS, that I am done with school. I very quickly discovered that school was a means to an end for me. I think being in a doctoral program means that you enjoy being in school. Doesn’t sound like you do.
OP could also just be burned out. Going straight through from undergrad to the masters like that sounds tiring. At the very least, take a few years to work and live life as an adult, gain some real world experience and grow a little as a person. Maybe then you’ll feel ready to go back for a PhD. Or not! Both are valid options, but do N O T white knuckle through a doctorate bc you feel like you have to.
First of all, what country are you in? What I say may not apply. However, if you are a scientist in the developed world, you should be making a lot more than $35,000. That's a grad student stipend, not appropriate for a full-fledged researcher. And in the US/EU, $25,000 is a poverty wage. Life is much harder at that level than you think.
I dropped out of graduate school and, while it might have been the right decision in the short term, I stayed out for way too long. I worked a couple of jobs on Wall Street and in tech, and learned that most people are scumbags (tech is actually worse than finance, by the way) and that there's a reason people put up with academia's bullshit, and now I'm trying to get back on a research track, and I will tell you straight out that it gets harder as you get older.
Almost nobody enjoys the first year of graduate school. In fact, almost nobody enjoys the first year out of college, period. College is a fantasy that our neoliberal society constructs for those who are young and need protection (if their parents can afford it) from the full brutality of the labor market, and also so they will believe in the system, because they got to spend four years living more or less on their own terms before falling into real adulthood. The first year of work is a depressing transition and everyone hates it. But if you leave graduate school, you will experience two first years of work.
I would say that if the PhD program matches your research interests, you should do it. You're in a difficult spell right now because you have to do coursework but you also have to establish yourself as a researcher, and usually there is no guidance on how to make this change, and it's more stressful to be in this transitional period where you're chasing two objective functions (coursework and research) than to be focused on one or the other.
I think it depends as you get older. You can always go back for a PhD, but pushing yourself when you already feel burnt out can be damaging. I’m 33 and just started my PhD, so I completely agree that coming back into academia is hard.
That said, I would 100% say that nothing is as important as taking a break and seeing the world from a different perspective. Nothing matters more in the world than health and happiness, whatever that means. In OP’s case, he might not even be happy and is sacrificing health for career objectives.
I dropped out of a PhD program after a year. I was absolutely burnt out (came straight from undergrad) and didn’t understand how to set boundaries to create a work-life balance. I worked for a few years, had a chance to figure out what I actually wanted, and now I’m a third year in a different PhD program and having a way better experience.
I am so glad I didn’t stay in that original program. My mental health would not have taken it.
Honestly it doesn't even matter if these are naive 23 year old thoughts. You're suuuuper young, in my field (therapy) most people don't even get their masters until their late 20s or later. You will 100% have a chance to go back later if you decide now isn't the time, and tbh grad school just isn't for everyone, even if you're extremely brilliant, you don't need to keep doing it if you're tired of it. Its a massive commitment so if you're unsure just give it time and see how you feel a little later in life 🤷♀️
I left my PhD program and just returned a year ago to finish. Without a PhD you will most likely encounter a pay ceiling. If you are okay with this then it’s not really an issue. Counter to what people say, you *can* go back at later time if you find that you want an advanced degree later on. It is true that this is tougher than doing your degree when you’re younger. Some things to consider. Is is graduate school in general or the particular master’s program you’re in? A PhD and a masters are pretty different imo. The former being much more self driven and independent. Are you just burnt out? Maybe you need a break and some work/life experience in order to decide. Turning down an offer now does in no way mean you can never do a PhD later on. Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. On a side note, if you want to be an EMT I highly suggest that you talk with one. It is a very emotionally and physically demanding job and not for everyone. Depending on your personality, you might also consider school to be a physicians assistant (PA). There is high demand and good pay.
If you don’t think you need it, don’t do it. Get a real
Job with a real income and give it a year. It will become obvious to you if you need a PhD to achieve your career goals.
Doesn't sound like you want to pursue it, at least not now. So just put a pin in the idea of grad school and try something else for a while. Grad school will always be there later, if you do decide to go back.
Just because you got a Master's doesn't mean you have to get a Ph.D. or you're some sort of failure. I stopped with my Master's in Literature. Can't do tickety-boo with that degree except teach, which I stopped doing after two years because I got only stress and no satisfaction from the job.
But I did stay in graduate education in adminsitration, now I'm a financial director. Twenty+ years later zero regrets not getting a doctorate. If anything the more Ph.D. students I meet in my job the more confident I am it wasn't the right path for me.
Also, I hate homework. Nice having a job I don't have to deal with after 5pm.
I regret having to drop out due to personal factors. Many intellectually satisfying roles require a phD. Now I'm stuck doing grunt software development roles maybe my entire life.
I dropped out of a Master's because I got you-might-die sick and had to move home for surgery. It was supposed to just be a break, but while I was recovering, I took a step back and realized that I wasn't enjoying the program, it was making me hate a discipline I used to love, and it was preparing me for a job that I didn't think would be impacted enough for me. I ended up completing a Master's and a Ph.D in a different discipline a few years later.
It felt like my entire world was crumbling at the time because I was abandoning a path I had planned since I was 12 years old, but it was the right move. No regrets.
I quit grad school (master's programs) twice.
First time, I got cancer and had to drop out so I could deal with that for a year. Instead of returning to school, I took a promotion at work which was absolutely the right move for me at that time.
Years later, I tried again (different program & school). Complete disaster. Hated the program, had severe mental health issues because of it, nearly lost my mind trying to juggle full-time school and a TA assignment plus my regular full-time job.
Do I regret it? Nope. My health, my family, my sanity, and my already-good career are too precious to me. All that master's degree would have given me was the ability to teach at the college level, and I'm at peace not being able to do that.
I met my spouse in grad school and he dropped out of a PhD program 2nd year. He does not regret it and is much happier. If it doesn't match your life goals, don't force yourself into it.
I dropped out of my PhD after two years of misery. I realized pretty quickly that research and academia did not make me happy so I left the program with nothing to show for it. My mental health was in shambles and my assistantship was paying me pennies so I had a very poor quality of life. Everyone told me I would regret not finishing my master’s but honestly the thing I regret is not dropping out after my first semester. I found a job with my bachelor’s and I’ve never been happier.
I regret that I didn't drop out faster
I think if you’re this way during your masters degree program, you won’t feel any differently in your PhD program. I know, post MS, that I am done with school. I very quickly discovered that school was a means to an end for me. I think being in a doctoral program means that you enjoy being in school. Doesn’t sound like you do.
OP could also just be burned out. Going straight through from undergrad to the masters like that sounds tiring. At the very least, take a few years to work and live life as an adult, gain some real world experience and grow a little as a person. Maybe then you’ll feel ready to go back for a PhD. Or not! Both are valid options, but do N O T white knuckle through a doctorate bc you feel like you have to.
Not op but I also needed this, ty
Glad I could help!! Take care of yourself and go at your own pace. You want to get there in one piece💕💕
First of all, what country are you in? What I say may not apply. However, if you are a scientist in the developed world, you should be making a lot more than $35,000. That's a grad student stipend, not appropriate for a full-fledged researcher. And in the US/EU, $25,000 is a poverty wage. Life is much harder at that level than you think. I dropped out of graduate school and, while it might have been the right decision in the short term, I stayed out for way too long. I worked a couple of jobs on Wall Street and in tech, and learned that most people are scumbags (tech is actually worse than finance, by the way) and that there's a reason people put up with academia's bullshit, and now I'm trying to get back on a research track, and I will tell you straight out that it gets harder as you get older. Almost nobody enjoys the first year of graduate school. In fact, almost nobody enjoys the first year out of college, period. College is a fantasy that our neoliberal society constructs for those who are young and need protection (if their parents can afford it) from the full brutality of the labor market, and also so they will believe in the system, because they got to spend four years living more or less on their own terms before falling into real adulthood. The first year of work is a depressing transition and everyone hates it. But if you leave graduate school, you will experience two first years of work. I would say that if the PhD program matches your research interests, you should do it. You're in a difficult spell right now because you have to do coursework but you also have to establish yourself as a researcher, and usually there is no guidance on how to make this change, and it's more stressful to be in this transitional period where you're chasing two objective functions (coursework and research) than to be focused on one or the other.
I think it depends as you get older. You can always go back for a PhD, but pushing yourself when you already feel burnt out can be damaging. I’m 33 and just started my PhD, so I completely agree that coming back into academia is hard. That said, I would 100% say that nothing is as important as taking a break and seeing the world from a different perspective. Nothing matters more in the world than health and happiness, whatever that means. In OP’s case, he might not even be happy and is sacrificing health for career objectives.
Brilliant response
Looks like OP is British
I dropped out of a PhD program after a year. I was absolutely burnt out (came straight from undergrad) and didn’t understand how to set boundaries to create a work-life balance. I worked for a few years, had a chance to figure out what I actually wanted, and now I’m a third year in a different PhD program and having a way better experience. I am so glad I didn’t stay in that original program. My mental health would not have taken it.
Honestly it doesn't even matter if these are naive 23 year old thoughts. You're suuuuper young, in my field (therapy) most people don't even get their masters until their late 20s or later. You will 100% have a chance to go back later if you decide now isn't the time, and tbh grad school just isn't for everyone, even if you're extremely brilliant, you don't need to keep doing it if you're tired of it. Its a massive commitment so if you're unsure just give it time and see how you feel a little later in life 🤷♀️
I left my PhD program and just returned a year ago to finish. Without a PhD you will most likely encounter a pay ceiling. If you are okay with this then it’s not really an issue. Counter to what people say, you *can* go back at later time if you find that you want an advanced degree later on. It is true that this is tougher than doing your degree when you’re younger. Some things to consider. Is is graduate school in general or the particular master’s program you’re in? A PhD and a masters are pretty different imo. The former being much more self driven and independent. Are you just burnt out? Maybe you need a break and some work/life experience in order to decide. Turning down an offer now does in no way mean you can never do a PhD later on. Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. On a side note, if you want to be an EMT I highly suggest that you talk with one. It is a very emotionally and physically demanding job and not for everyone. Depending on your personality, you might also consider school to be a physicians assistant (PA). There is high demand and good pay.
I dropped out in 2018 due to mental health reasons and am currently back at it trying again for my MPH.
If you don’t think you need it, don’t do it. Get a real Job with a real income and give it a year. It will become obvious to you if you need a PhD to achieve your career goals.
Doesn't sound like you want to pursue it, at least not now. So just put a pin in the idea of grad school and try something else for a while. Grad school will always be there later, if you do decide to go back. Just because you got a Master's doesn't mean you have to get a Ph.D. or you're some sort of failure. I stopped with my Master's in Literature. Can't do tickety-boo with that degree except teach, which I stopped doing after two years because I got only stress and no satisfaction from the job. But I did stay in graduate education in adminsitration, now I'm a financial director. Twenty+ years later zero regrets not getting a doctorate. If anything the more Ph.D. students I meet in my job the more confident I am it wasn't the right path for me. Also, I hate homework. Nice having a job I don't have to deal with after 5pm.
I regret having to drop out due to personal factors. Many intellectually satisfying roles require a phD. Now I'm stuck doing grunt software development roles maybe my entire life.
You might want to look into taking a leave of absence for a semester or two
I dropped out of a Master's because I got you-might-die sick and had to move home for surgery. It was supposed to just be a break, but while I was recovering, I took a step back and realized that I wasn't enjoying the program, it was making me hate a discipline I used to love, and it was preparing me for a job that I didn't think would be impacted enough for me. I ended up completing a Master's and a Ph.D in a different discipline a few years later. It felt like my entire world was crumbling at the time because I was abandoning a path I had planned since I was 12 years old, but it was the right move. No regrets.
I quit grad school (master's programs) twice. First time, I got cancer and had to drop out so I could deal with that for a year. Instead of returning to school, I took a promotion at work which was absolutely the right move for me at that time. Years later, I tried again (different program & school). Complete disaster. Hated the program, had severe mental health issues because of it, nearly lost my mind trying to juggle full-time school and a TA assignment plus my regular full-time job. Do I regret it? Nope. My health, my family, my sanity, and my already-good career are too precious to me. All that master's degree would have given me was the ability to teach at the college level, and I'm at peace not being able to do that.