If you don't need the rain now, don't curse the clouds. If you don't need the sun now, don't curse the light. Your level of optimism or pessimism, both are magnetic: and seek the similar forces around you. "a mind in its own place and in itself can a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven - Milton". And if you find no way out, Pray to GOD for the way out, for there is really no way out except by His Mercy.
my philosophy teacher told me to get a phd in philosophy, but i didnt turn in any homework on purpose. everyone in class would turn their heads when i spoke. college is for faggots that think they need something up their ass. all those trophies for no reason.
@gen6k if PhD is a consumption good, which is seems like it is solely because 1. people don't know how to "aim" or work "in concerto". (thesis on american indians or some worthless bull) 2. the education system is mind numbing with arbitrary directionality (math for no fundamental reason until its too late to notice)
You might want to type "phd and employment" on youtube. It should help you to understand what the "reality" really is. The problem isn't PHD training but the number of students who "think" PHD=job..
An optimist sees an opportunity even in the midst of difficulty, and a pessimist sees a difficulty even in the midst of opportunities. PhD is a respected and respectful degree. If you can't get it, don't say "grapes are sour". Cheers. I adore those who have sacrificed, are sacrificing, and will sacrifice their precious time for such a useful pursuit that will (InshaALLAH) benefit the humanity in one way or the other.
A negative person finds drawbacks even in the highest degree and instead of encouraging others to go on the right path, stops them from this with reasons. Don't you see a sign of frustration and false mark on such people's faces? ........................ Just go on and seek higher education as much as you can.............. and that is the best policy...........!!! He who stops form seeking education, and positive research (an addition in the knowledge of community), doesn't make sense.
Getting a PhD in economics may be a waste of time but you should see this video before you decide. You may think Alex Gheg has saved you alot of trouble youtube.com/watch?v=2c4mvGekYZY
The fact that there are PhDs means there is a reason for them to exist. There are many more of them than let's say 50 years ago, but this is better for society as a whole. The same applies to master's and bachelors. The society is much more educated these days than in Middle Ages, no doubt.
@userjhu While our society is more educated than in the Middle Ages, I strongly suspect that formal education has little connection to genuine dissemination of knowledge throughout the society. Consider that virtually all great intellectual transformations – particularly the Renaissance and the 18th-century Enlightenment – took place outside the framework of universities, which were generally quite ossified and resistant to change.
@userjhu In my view, university degrees are mostly a “signaling” mechanism for people to use in order to concisely demonstrate pre-existing talent, intelligence, persistence, and related virtues. The value of these individuals is genuine, but correlation is not causation. Simply because most such people happen to obtain certain degrees in today’s societal structure, does not mean that those degrees themselves conferred upon them the valuable attributes.
@userjhu To be clear, I do not doubt that there is some educational value to be gained in some university programs, but there is currently an oversupply of university attendees – leading to the quality being “watered down” and the earnest students being expected to serve more time in order to differentiate themselves from the typical crowd.
@userjhu By your logic, does the fact that there are serial murderers mean that there is a reason from them to exist? And who is to say that a more educated society is a better one? Read the headlines any day and tell me that we're well off nowadays.
The relevant question is thus: If one is able to obtain as many little league trophies as the gentleman in the video, and obtain a lot of money not unlike the aforementioned gentlemen, then why does one post such a video?
The answer is simple: When one realizes that one is nothing more than a paper pushing spreadsheet monkey and that money is not everything, one needs an excuse when one wonders why one has not developed ones full potential, and if one was too afraid to be a man and take a chance
@userjhu In terms of economic potential, high school and undergraduate college are likely to improve one’s prospects in today’s world (although they are both highly sub-optimal systems today and could be run much less expensively and with far greater quality). My argument here is that earning a PhD does not, in many cases, result in economic value added; a PhD is a consumption good, not an investment good. Those who want to pursue it knowing it be consumption – I have no problem with.
I think talk of decaying economic structures and the value of entrepreneurship is all fine and good, but I think it is intricately linked to healthcare. I would love nothing more than to be an entrepreneur, but I am completely uninsurable. I take expensive medication that I might die without. I've had to pursue employment with large employers because of this. I do not think a PhD would make me more employable, but being an entrepreneur is not an option.
@natalieapaul You are absolutely right. The link between health insurance and employment is odious and it limits job mobility and upward societal movement. The link was created in World War II, when FDR imposed a 100% marginal income tax on incomes above $25,000 – while health benefits offered by employers were exempt from tax altogether. Decoupling health insurance from employment would occur if we had a truly free market without perverse incentives.
I only have an MBA with honors. I have still not been paid for three university lectureships in France in 2010! This was my second time as a visiting prof and the pay was cut in half from a few years ago, and I still don't even have the last pay, as mentioned. We only get paid twice a year here. It's once a year in Italy and they also stiff people with pay. My pal here in Paris has been totally drained by PhD work and seems as though she is not going to make it.
PhD's are good for older wealthier students who have alot of time in their hands and no family obligations. They have the business and background experience. They already raised a family having life experiences.
The thoughts expressed in this video were interesting.
Would a chemistry PhD. make a good high school teacher? It seems that after a point, the PhD.'s ability to communicate his or her field with non-specialists would atrophy. Further, they might become far removed from the rudimentary course materials that are covered at the high school level. I think there should be some specialized preparation that is required for anyone entering the teaching professions.
@hedonism13 By "sell-out" do you mean that I actually make enough money to support myself and my family in a decently comfortable lifestyle -- while trying to look and act respectable in the process? If so, then I would fit that description, but I find the term a rather superfluous one, because there is a much better term for the same attributes. That term is "professional".
@mebell1948, I would only enroll if I received full tuition remission. At nearly all graduate programs in philosophy, students accepted to doctoral programs do not pay anything. In fact, they are given a stipend of ten to twenty thousand dollars (depending on the school) each year. It does actually happening that someone is accepted without his tuition being fully waived. If that were to happen to me, I wouldn't go. One of the reasons why admit rates are so low is because it's (usually) free.
Very informative. I am starting my undergraduate degree in Social Work and planning to attend graduate school in order to get my LCSW. I would like to have my own private practice. Question.. am I on the right track?
@laillusion100 It is difficult to say without knowing the context. I will only advise generally to consider what your opportunity costs are. What else could you be doing with your time, where could it lead you, and what could be the payoffs and risks? You could still end up sticking with your original decision, but you will be aware of many more of the implications.
@laillusion100 You're right on track for a fantastic bureaucratic job shuffling papers of a sick society. Since, for the foreseeable future, our society favors uselessness & treating the symptoms of our sickness I'm sure you'll be in fantastic position to capitalize of the parasitic nature of that line of study. I hope you have fun, but I can't see how anyone would be doing this line of work due to it being fun. It's really a shame this type of discipline really even exists at all.
@laillusion100 It's really too bad that our society has people thinking in ill based remedies or solutions: Social Work etc., No society ever took flight due to a bunch of social workers/psychologists standing in the wings ready solve maladies due to sick economies!! Societies move forward due to the blessings of good positive creation & entrepreneurship- products.People should foremost be thinking about the development of a goods services which create benefits & not jobs which symptoms of ills.
but just because I have a chem phd doesn't mean I'm a fit teacher
sure, someone without a chem phd but who instead has an education degree may not now as much about college-level chem, but that's not what we're teaching our 10th graders!
they're still learning about orbitals and such, something most 2nd year chem students learn is an extreme simplification
up until that last point you are spot on but its irresponsible to suggest that a phd is fit to TEACH
@overtherain Is it not part of the problem that what students are taught in high school is not just simplified, but outright false? If PhDs were allowed to teach the subjects to high-school students, they might dispel some of the simplistic misconceptions that students are taught by well-meaning teachers (e.g., the “ball and stick” model of atoms and molecules). I think it is important for even a basic understanding of a subject to be technically correct.
These remarks are generally insightful and useful. But you assume that someone considering pursuing a Ph.D. is going to be extremely concerned about his or her pocketbook. I'm planning on pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy. While money is obviously important, ultimately, the reason why I'm going for a Ph.D. is because I cannot imagine myself being happy doing anything else.
An Actuarial designation is better than Phd say in math. This is because you get paid while u learn. In Phd you pay to learn and when you finished you are considered an entry level. An Actuarial designation is ideal for math majors.
I thought this was a very interesting video. More and more people are considering alternatives to certain aspects of academia. I personally have committed to following an UnCollege method of higher education. I am also creating an educational co-op home in Kansas City, Mo.
There are many reasons not to pursue college degrees let alone a PHD unless you are a rich individual that can afford to waste 10-12 years of your precious life. Additionally, the number of competitors in this modern world have devalued higher education greatly.
@BeMyFirst I wish it were, but the typical graduate school requires a tremendous time investment; some have told me it is around 15-16 hours per day of work. A typical full-time job takes at least 8 hours per day. Unfortunately, there is just not enough time in the day to pursue these simultaneously. That being said, the academic world – and the world in general – would be much better if it were possible to pursue graduate degrees part-time.
@BeMyFirst I was trying to do that, but it is VERY hard to work full time and going to school part-time, or even working part-time; most professors also expect you to be spending every waking moment dedicated to your research, or teaching.
Could you tell me what was the actuarial certification program you undertook as a side-project while you were pursuing your undergraduate studies? I am interested in this field and do not want to get a PhD in Economics, which I think is useless. Thank you.
@Counterop In the US, the initial actuarial exams are offered jointly by the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries – so it is one track. For the upper-level exams, the CAS and SOA follow their own separate ways. The CAS path is for actuaries in property and casualty insurance. The SOA path is for actuaries in life and health insurance.
doing it because I genuinely want to reach the highest level of education. I want to pursue excellent, and I want to pursue a doctoral level of knowledge in this field. Money does not equal happiness. The last thing I want to do in my life is not continue my education, get old and always regret it. We will all get old regardless of if we go for a PhD, so I figure, I rather be old with a doctoral degree than be old w/ a mere BS/MA degree. I like doing research and pursuing excellence. Good video!
@xBl00dBrothersX Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your perspective. As long as you pursue a PhD knowing the opportunity costs and the fact that it is not (in most cases) a pathway to significantly greater income – as long as you are doing it for the love of knowledge and of pursuing your field of choice, and you know that this amounts to a consumption decision on your part – then I certainly see the merit in your decision.
If it's knowledge a person wants why not for example, download graduate level text books on topology, number theory, and real analysis through a torrent and study them? A typical PhD program will cost thousands of dollars whereas the graduate level math books will be free.
@elzoog I agree that this is a more economical (and often more effective) approach for the motivated student. This is the approach that I prefer for myself. Unfortunately, many academic fields these days have had de facto barriers to entry created for them in the form of degrees. Many people are knowledgeable in those disciplines but are ignored by the establishment for lack of formal credentials. Ultimately, this needs to be solved by changing the perception that Diploma = Competence.
@xBl00dBrothersX - be careful and self-aware of a fetish for education. Do you want to take your education as far as possible for "sake of completeness?" Is it because you have within you a slight disdain for the working world? Or fear of it? Do you like the self-paced, self-directed and "fun" research? Do you feel as if you're contributing to society by your personal higher ed trip, or only amusing yourself? That people your age are making more money being part of the mainstream economy?
@xBl00dBrothersX - You want to pursue excellence? Is that not possible with a "real job"? Don't you know that higher ed has been shown to be a big scheme, creating a giant oversupply of advanced degrees? And that there is no reason for them to turn applicants away, because of money? I save the world on my day job (compliance guy for hazardous waste transport company). I think society benefits more from me than from someone hiding in a college somewhere, creating nothing of value
@xBl00dBrothersX - I'm saying all this because i have a friend who is taking the PhD as far as she can go, is in her late 20s, never had a real job, is going to take 5 or years to complete a PhD in Humanities, and i daresay she has spent too much time and money not earned in this track.Don't fall into the higher ed fantasy, if you haven't already. Going to work is honorable. That in fact is what makes economies and societies truly great - workers, merchants, clerks, laborers, *making* things.
@decimated550 I'll be 24 by the time i am done with my PhD. If your friend is in her late 20s, then it's her fault for being so incompetent. PhDs don't hide themselves somewhere on campus doing nonsense research. You clearly have never seen PhDs doing research have you? You speak out of ignorance - that is perfectly clear. One of my Profs. is a neuropsychologist, she studies language and her basic research on campus has made contributions to understanding language impairments like: phonological
@decimated550 dyslexics, and surface dyslexics. And guess how this findings helped the real world? Children that are born with this types of developmental dyslexia are now taught by professionals that have learned the findings of the PhDs and use the findings to teach these kids. They know depending on the type of dev. dyslexia what the kids struggle most with and the proper methods of teaching them. It takes a few years of one-on-one teaching, but after a few yrs the kids can read ~like normal.
@decimated550 and no PhDs don't only do basic research on campus - that is false. PhD programs are extremely competitive, so only a small % get accepted each year. I am 19 1/2 now and I'll be 20 by the time I'm done with undergrad, and in 4 years I'll be done with the PhD I hope to get into. If I don't get in, at least I'll get into a PsyD (less competitive) which will also take 4 years, so whichever I get into, I'll be 24 by the time I'm done with my doctorate. Now, how is that bad? 24= doctor?
I'm currently an undergrad senior wanting to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I, on my own, through much reflection and meditation, figured out the cons against going for a PhD. The primary cost is my youth. I'm 20, and I'll be like 25 when I'm done. 5 years later I'll be 30. The second is of course debt and not much income return from when I get a PhD. While getting a PhD, of course, very difficult four years... But, I still am going for a PhD. I'm not doing it for the money, I am doing it
@xBl00dBrothersX if i were you i'd do some serious research on the matter before making the choice, especially as regards the cons. you may think you've looked at them, but you haven't. look around on the web a bit, you'll probably find blogs by real people who did phd's in psych and regretted it.
Also the book "The Millionaire Mind" backs the idea of C-students being statistically more likely to become a millionaire. Reason being? Many were told they were dumb and felt motivated due to the A-students and went on to disprove their detractors. Worth reading.
Forbes has shown that amongst the Forbes 400, people who go to college are at a *disadvantage*. This article, "College vs No College", is from some time ago (2003). The book "No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent" lists members of the Forbes 400 with degrees at a 2 BILLION dollar *disadvantage*. College is your next best chance of success assuming you don't go out and start a business. But there's always a law of diminishing returns.
Another point is the requirements of public school teaching. How do you control a classroom full of teenagers? How do you design tests and projects that measure student learning? How do you teach students with special needs and gifted students? And what are the laws about student rights? The list goes on and on. Yes, subject matter knowledge is important. But teachers need to be trained in the areas I mentioned and that's what a teacher preparation program and student teaching is for.
@dguim2006 Thank you for your observations. I would say that, as with most skills and knowledge, the ones you mention can and should be learned on the job. There is no reason to require extensive prior schooling in those areas in particular. That requirement only serves as a barrier to entry for people who are otherwise competent in these areas. It should be easier, rather, to both hire teachers and to fire them if they underperform.
I enjoyed listening to this and agree with most of what you say. I do have to disagree with one point, however. In order to become a public school teacher, you need to show your competency of the area you're teaching (English, Math, Chemistry) in a standardized test. This is on a state by state basis to determine the format and difficulty of the test, so I don't doubt that you will from time to time find a teacher that doesn't know the subject matter they're teaching as well as they should.
This does miss the point in one regard: Yes, someone could just go to a small town in Western Australia and do mining for over 120,000 dollars a year. The PhD students don't want to mine, even if it pays well. They want to read about elves, even if it pays very little. That's why they do it, oftentimes.
acadamia? u mean academics... u say words to make urself sound smart.... u have all those trophies to also farther the fact that u want to be a "trusted" individual. in reality i see right though you buddy. ur a poser and took the easy way out of a phd
you shouldnt care about the economy if you want a PhD, a PhD should be something you want to have because you love the subject and you want to increase your overall knowledge and ONLY because you want to increase your overall knowledge of the subject. Also the Dr. before your name is nice :)
A great link for additional guidance on the benefits of a dual M.D./PHD. LIfe is full of choices so you have to do what you love. Do not let money/salary alone motivate you.
Well, if one needs an argument to justify one's lack of the pursuit of academic progress, here it is. As for me, I don't buy into "the economy". It's merely an excuse used by people who want to stay stuck. Not me—I'm choosing to move forward, and that means a PhD. I'll let you know which University hires me as a full professor once I graduate (because, you see, I'm making a conscious choice to BE hired as a professor). :-) My Dad was a Stats man; stats can be skewed to fit the data, so...
... no one has the right to avoid the real world, like using PhD as a consumer good as you call it, a leisure product just to kill time. but real scholarship makes a giant contribution to society if people would realize this. many grad students just don't take themselves seriously as scholars in society or, more generally, human beings adding to the collection of our wisdom. they play a game of imperial palace politics for an ever decreasing reward. but this is a moral failure, not economic.
some students (like you evidently were) have a professional attitude towards their studies, or truly love studying. but i think many are unconscious of the real value of schooling and also their own potential value, till later in life e.g. after working. that itself is a failure of education. if college students learned to find themselves and their true strengths, they would be ready to contribute to the real world with bachelor's degrees or have more serious influence in grad school
@GStolyarovII I just wanted to add, one should do a PhD if and only if they absolutely love it, and would do that work 12 hours a day for free anyway. One must really want to be a Professor, and do research, AND be better then the best of the best. If all of these apply, then getting a PhD is a fine idea.
@bfadds Here is an excerpt: "The premium for a PhD is actually smaller than for a master’s degree in engineering and technology, architecture and education."
@GStolyarovII Well, what I'm hearing in the video is this:
"Advancing themselves very little ... Studies have shown that the value added for most PhDs isnt much greater than the value added by an undergraduate degree or a Masters degree... And in some cases, it's even value diminished in terms of the average earning potential of a PhD graduate as compared to a Masters graduate or bachelors graduate."
@GStolyarovII The excerpt you mention above only deals with "earning potential," which to touch on. But the article doesn't equate "value" to "earning potential." There needs to be some sort of conceptualization of this word to have this make a little more sense to the audience/viewers.
Additionally, I still cannot find the studies that you or the author of the "The Economist" article (if that's where you did get it from) are citing. Is it mentioned more clearly somewhere else?
@bfadds I was using value in the sense of “monetary value” in that particular comment. I recognize that other kinds of value are possible, and I explicitly acknowledge this in the video. I am not criticizing those who pursue PhDs as consumer goods, for their own enjoyment (if they really do find this enjoyable). My critique is aimed at pursuing a PhD for financial reasons by those who perceive the process itself as unrewarding or frustrating.
@bfadds I have also now linked to the study in question in the video description. It is the new second link: "The economic contribution of PhDs" by Bernard Casey.
@bfadds Those who truly enjoy learning do not need to pursue a degree to learn; However, it does not hurt to do so. If having a doctorate doesn't get me the profession that I want...so be it. I'm still going to obtain a position earning a significant amount more than a receptionist. In the end, it isn't about money, career, status, etc. We all die and those who live happy lives are the ultimate achievers.
@ljpm2011 I don't understand why this is directed at me. I recognize that people who hope to learn something don't need a Ph. D. I know that the person who repairs my car or changes my oil is more learned to me in his or her particular field.
I agree with the later part of your statement. Is there something I said that you disagree with? I'm kind of unclear about your point.
@bfadds This is not directed at you - just an opinion and no offense intended. All stated commentary in your video is an opinion as many of us know that all research can be disproved. If obtaining a doctoral degree was/is not beneficial to some extent, then it is possible that less people would pursue the degree. However, I posit that the majority of us doctorate students/graduates conduct research prior to pursuing the degree. I feel as though your video is an attempt to jab PhDs.
@oldfairy The life of a tenured professor is a good one... *if* you can get it. However, since there are only 16% as many open academic positions as there are PhD holders, the chances of that more most PhD holders are slim. There is effectively an elite of professors who are indeed as advantaged as you say -- and a much larger underclass of PhDs who are either the de facto servants of said professors, or who work in fields where their degrees give little, if any, added value.
@boobtuber06 No -- I was salutatorian at a *very* private liberal-arts college (one that refused, as a matter of principle, to accept any government subsidies whatsoever).
Your comments do not apply to the sciences. There is no way someone can become an independent scientist, capable of conducting their own research, without getting a PhD. Also, I got mine in 4 years, not a decade.
People need to wake the fuck up and relaize one thing. I spent two years studying political science and realized "wait a minute where can i apply ANY of this in the real world" we in the west arte becoming poor and we wont be able to afford to send our kids to school therefore profs wont be needed. I finished my bachelor in polisci because i was only three credits short and am now pursuing a business diploma and am in the cga accounting program. Thank god i didnt pursue this shit.
One more thing from my earlier post, I was a class valedictorian in high school and got scholarships and grants to attend college. So I don't have much debt to worry about. I think the whole college admissions needs to be more strict, taking in quality rather than just taking anybody in. If you earn C's in high school, college IS NOT for you. You make it worse for those who actually work hard to get A's and B's and do well in college.
PhD? MA? There's just too many academics for few jobs. I said to my undergrad professors who tried to recruit me to go to grad school, I said empathetically no! With this job market, I'm going to make my own job suckers and start a business!
@Ractogon Awesome. To solve the problem of our country we can't be sitting and crying about no job. We have to innovate and use our talents to be the job creators. We can't ask for handouts or opportunities because they will not drop into our hands. We have to pick it out of the tree.
@jteruel671 What I was thinking! Many Americas have unfortunately lost the drive to do this. What business idea do you have? Mine is cybersecurity, since I am a hobbyist in that field.
To put it shorter, if I can find any job in the country where I am doing my PhD, even if I am offered only a minimum wage rate, I will be able to feed my family. That likely would not be that case if I did not pursue a PhD and stayed in my home country.
@Alex1SUN Thank you for your comments. In the situation that you describe, I agree that pursuing a PhD would make economic sense. It would also raise one's standard of living while one is in the country in which one is pursuing the PhD.
Thank you for the video. I agree that a PhD can be a waste of opportunity for those citizen of developed countries who are interested in securing their monetary future. It however can be very advantageous for people coming from second and third world countries, such as myself. I am in the middle of my PhD now, and my scholarship to cost of living ratio is a several times higher then top salary to cost of living ratios available for graduates in my home country.
Thanks for uploading this video. It was videos like this, and articles including The Economist one you discuss, that helped me to make the right decision not to do a PhD. I think the final nail in the coffin, which made me happy to have decided to leave university and go and start building a professional career, was when I walked into the study space on my last day on campus and saw a c.35 year old man lying on a sofa reading at 3pm in the afternoon - what a waste of a life!
As someone who graduated into a labor force that all but disappeared at the entry level, there's little choice but to enter a PhD somebody with an academic inclination. The years I'd spend in the entry level stages of a career would instead be spent as a waiter, bartender, truck driver, or any other job that doesn't utilize my degree. Entrepreneur? In what? New businesses fail at a higher rate now. BTW, my major is materials engineering.
@Hellerium The alternative is to take tests for professional designations in the field of your choice. I majored in economics, mathematics, and German during college and passed actuarial exams on the side, which allowed me to enter the insurance field upon graduation. The professions that allow advancement (or job qualification) on the basis of passing self-study courses and examinations are a viable (and often more remunerative) choice compared to pursuing a PhD program.
@GStolyarovII Its a FUCKIN LIE! College is a SCAM! Its all designed to take your money, Useless bullshit classes! and there's no jobs anyway! People with master's degrees are working in Home Depot!! You will need a PhD to work in Fast food soon! and wash dishes!!
can people not just do a PhD for the enjoyment of furthering their understanding of the subject?
That's my motivation. I'm not expecting or anticipating a ready made job waiting for me at the end of my PhD, I'll apply for what I am most interested in and take whatever opportunity I can get.
@jimmyshitbags If that is the motivation to pursue a PhD, then I have no issue with it -- as I stated in the video. But then it should be recognized that this pursuit is a consumption good, not an investment good. That is, one is pursuing the PhD for one's personal pleasure (often at one's personal expense, be it outright or in terms of opportunity cost), rather than as a way to earn more money in the future. I was criticizing the expectation that a PhD would result in greater monetary earnings.
@jimmyshitbags agreed. I would pursue a Ph.D not for economic reasons, but for advancing my knowledge and the knowledge of the human race. In my mind that is far more worthwhile than wasting years in a job that pays well but ultimately doesn't better the human race.
@ddanielchen amen to that man. also, I don't know where you are or what you study, but here in the UK it's easy to get a fully funded PhD in some scientific disciplines. That's what I've done straight after graduating my first degree/masters, and it's so far just been like a 9 to 5 job with relatively low pay, but since I pay no tax I'm better off now than I've ever been in my life - whereas plenty of people who graduated with me are still unemployed. PhD's rock!!! This is a good time to do one.
@SimperingSimpleton I think that this is a fresh glitch on YouTube’s end; it had not been there before. Hopefully it will be corrected soon – though YouTube has done much worse and left it uncorrected in the past.
@SimperingSimpleton the way he doesn't blink is a technique used in hypnosis, and even the eyebrows disappearing could be the same thing. Also, the way he speaks slowly, pausing, is a hypnosis technique. He may be smart but there are a lot of smart people too lol
@onewhosubmits A piece of paper is just that. You have to be a productive worker to hold a job, and work your way up. School is hard, Working is harder.
@MiZZVMN That's the kind of thinking that will ruin your career. "I got my degree, i'm qualified, i don't have to do a good job." You really can "just work your way up" in any career, it's a MUST.
@onewhosubmits Alas, this is an example of the obstacles encountered by all too many educated immigrants to North America. I once met an elderly Russian Ph.D. inventor (an electrical engineer, I think, who had 32 inventions to his name in the USSR) who ended up working as a guide on bus tours between the US and Canada, because his opportunities in the highly protectionist US academia were so limited. It really speaks to the injustices of the present system.
You sir are a pompous twat! Stop dragging out every sentence for 15 minutes and trying your best to use the widest array of vocabulary possible. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You don't have to verbally molest us with your thesaurus.
@RespyWA I think it's more his pretentious cadence. It reminds me of the Rabbi that hits on Elaine (the shiksappeal bit) with a little mix of ChristianU2ber.
The NIH/NSF have been cutting back on research money. Those are the biggest science granting orgs in the world. Less research $ = less need for PH.D's. Period. Research is why you get a PH.d in sciences. This is the bottom line. Follow the money and it will tell you all you need to know....
I went to an orientation for a PH.D in Physics with a buddy at a UC. The prof who led the meeting told us that for the most part we couldn't expect much if any money but it was a honor for us to be able to work as slaves for the department. My buddy and I were older than the others,had been in the armed forces and weren't going to put up with this jackass. We told him to go to hell, that this was a scam. The others were stunned but the prof pretty much ratified what we said. Hubris aint missing,
You dude, talk faster. Grad school is what you make it. You aren't entitled to anything. I'm glad you didn't pursue a PhD and instead choose to make youtube videos displaying your busts and trophies.
If you want to become a tenured professor at an accredited university (or any post-secondary teaching position), then a Ph.D is necessary. However, it is not sufficient - you need to publish material in academic journals. Otherwise, a Ph.D is extraneous. Private industry (I'm in the software development field) does not esteem Ph.D's any more than those holding bachelor's or master's degrees. In fact, a Ph.D in unnecessary to do research in computer science. Research can be done independently.
Same damn thing here in the UK. The cost of higher education is going up, but the value of a higher degree is going gown. The bubble will burst just like the mortgage market.
To sum it up... What good is a college degree, if everyone has one? I got one and its like so the fuck what in interviews, now what job skills do you have?
@midarkmind It depends what kind of job you're applying for. Many jobs require you to have a bachelors degree (it can be in anything) and then make you take a test. The fact is though, It&
sorry, the true quote seems like this: The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven. thx.
MrShahenshah1 1 day ago
If you don't need the rain now, don't curse the clouds. If you don't need the sun now, don't curse the light. Your level of optimism or pessimism, both are magnetic: and seek the similar forces around you. "a mind in its own place and in itself can a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven - Milton". And if you find no way out, Pray to GOD for the way out, for there is really no way out except by His Mercy.
------------------------Mr. Shahenshah
MrShahenshah1 1 day ago
This has been flagged as spam show
my philosophy teacher told me to get a phd in philosophy, but i didnt turn in any homework on purpose. everyone in class would turn their heads when i spoke. college is for faggots that think they need something up their ass. all those trophies for no reason.
gen6k 2 days ago
@gen6k if PhD is a consumption good, which is seems like it is solely because 1. people don't know how to "aim" or work "in concerto". (thesis on american indians or some worthless bull) 2. the education system is mind numbing with arbitrary directionality (math for no fundamental reason until its too late to notice)
gen6k 2 days ago
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gen6k 2 days ago
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gen6k 2 days ago
You might want to type "phd and employment" on youtube. It should help you to understand what the "reality" really is. The problem isn't PHD training but the number of students who "think" PHD=job..
coacha2008 3 days ago
Hmmm, you might want to reevaluate your thoughts man...
coacha2008 3 days ago
An optimist sees an opportunity even in the midst of difficulty, and a pessimist sees a difficulty even in the midst of opportunities. PhD is a respected and respectful degree. If you can't get it, don't say "grapes are sour". Cheers. I adore those who have sacrificed, are sacrificing, and will sacrifice their precious time for such a useful pursuit that will (InshaALLAH) benefit the humanity in one way or the other.
MrShahenshah1 4 days ago
A negative person finds drawbacks even in the highest degree and instead of encouraging others to go on the right path, stops them from this with reasons. Don't you see a sign of frustration and false mark on such people's faces? ........................ Just go on and seek higher education as much as you can.............. and that is the best policy...........!!! He who stops form seeking education, and positive research (an addition in the knowledge of community), doesn't make sense.
MrShahenshah1 4 days ago
Getting a PhD in economics may be a waste of time but you should see this video before you decide. You may think Alex Gheg has saved you alot of trouble youtube.com/watch?v=2c4mvGekYZY
IlirMr 6 days ago
The fact that there are PhDs means there is a reason for them to exist. There are many more of them than let's say 50 years ago, but this is better for society as a whole. The same applies to master's and bachelors. The society is much more educated these days than in Middle Ages, no doubt.
userjhu 6 days ago
@userjhu While our society is more educated than in the Middle Ages, I strongly suspect that formal education has little connection to genuine dissemination of knowledge throughout the society. Consider that virtually all great intellectual transformations – particularly the Renaissance and the 18th-century Enlightenment – took place outside the framework of universities, which were generally quite ossified and resistant to change.
GStolyarovII 6 days ago
@userjhu In my view, university degrees are mostly a “signaling” mechanism for people to use in order to concisely demonstrate pre-existing talent, intelligence, persistence, and related virtues. The value of these individuals is genuine, but correlation is not causation. Simply because most such people happen to obtain certain degrees in today’s societal structure, does not mean that those degrees themselves conferred upon them the valuable attributes.
GStolyarovII 6 days ago
@userjhu To be clear, I do not doubt that there is some educational value to be gained in some university programs, but there is currently an oversupply of university attendees – leading to the quality being “watered down” and the earnest students being expected to serve more time in order to differentiate themselves from the typical crowd.
GStolyarovII 6 days ago
@userjhu By your logic, does the fact that there are serial murderers mean that there is a reason from them to exist? And who is to say that a more educated society is a better one? Read the headlines any day and tell me that we're well off nowadays.
JewishMusic 5 days ago
@userjhu
The reason for them to exist is to justify PhD programs that otherwise wouldn't be at all necessary.
belaghoulashi 4 days ago
The relevant question is thus: If one is able to obtain as many little league trophies as the gentleman in the video, and obtain a lot of money not unlike the aforementioned gentlemen, then why does one post such a video?
The answer is simple: When one realizes that one is nothing more than a paper pushing spreadsheet monkey and that money is not everything, one needs an excuse when one wonders why one has not developed ones full potential, and if one was too afraid to be a man and take a chance
hoffmann3353channel 1 week ago
I listened to this neat guy with a nice tie and made up my mind advising people not go into bachelors' or PhDs.
After all, you can learn the skills on the job and why waste 4-10 most productive years?
Similarly, why go into high school???
Why go into college and "waste" time, get into debt etc. when you can work and make money right away at some factory or business!
He supports Ron Paul in another video. They both like the idea of putting Americans from high skilled jobs back to factories.
userjhu 1 week ago
@userjhu In terms of economic potential, high school and undergraduate college are likely to improve one’s prospects in today’s world (although they are both highly sub-optimal systems today and could be run much less expensively and with far greater quality). My argument here is that earning a PhD does not, in many cases, result in economic value added; a PhD is a consumption good, not an investment good. Those who want to pursue it knowing it be consumption – I have no problem with.
GStolyarovII 1 week ago
@userjhu I read comments like this and conclude the country really is hopeless. It's full of complete idiots who can't even follow a simple argument.
tewj57 4 days ago
fucking seel out!you think that cuz you have ejucasion yer better us
GohModley 1 week ago
I think talk of decaying economic structures and the value of entrepreneurship is all fine and good, but I think it is intricately linked to healthcare. I would love nothing more than to be an entrepreneur, but I am completely uninsurable. I take expensive medication that I might die without. I've had to pursue employment with large employers because of this. I do not think a PhD would make me more employable, but being an entrepreneur is not an option.
natalieapaul 1 week ago
@natalieapaul You are absolutely right. The link between health insurance and employment is odious and it limits job mobility and upward societal movement. The link was created in World War II, when FDR imposed a 100% marginal income tax on incomes above $25,000 – while health benefits offered by employers were exempt from tax altogether. Decoupling health insurance from employment would occur if we had a truly free market without perverse incentives.
GStolyarovII 1 week ago
I only have an MBA with honors. I have still not been paid for three university lectureships in France in 2010! This was my second time as a visiting prof and the pay was cut in half from a few years ago, and I still don't even have the last pay, as mentioned. We only get paid twice a year here. It's once a year in Italy and they also stiff people with pay. My pal here in Paris has been totally drained by PhD work and seems as though she is not going to make it.
slobomotion 2 weeks ago
School sucks, get used to it. The whole school system as we know it was created during the industrial revolution. Industrialization is over.
VeryHugeAss 3 weeks ago
There are PhD's that have opened up companies..
Dalmato1000 3 weeks ago
PhD's are good for older wealthier students who have alot of time in their hands and no family obligations. They have the business and background experience. They already raised a family having life experiences.
Dalmato1000 3 weeks ago
22 people failed their GED
blindedby2monkeys 3 weeks ago
The thoughts expressed in this video were interesting.
Would a chemistry PhD. make a good high school teacher? It seems that after a point, the PhD.'s ability to communicate his or her field with non-specialists would atrophy. Further, they might become far removed from the rudimentary course materials that are covered at the high school level. I think there should be some specialized preparation that is required for anyone entering the teaching professions.
HyrbidHermit 3 weeks ago
You're wearing a suit and tie. All I get from this is that you're a sell-out.
hedonism13 3 weeks ago
@hedonism13 By "sell-out" do you mean that I actually make enough money to support myself and my family in a decently comfortable lifestyle -- while trying to look and act respectable in the process? If so, then I would fit that description, but I find the term a rather superfluous one, because there is a much better term for the same attributes. That term is "professional".
GStolyarovII 3 weeks ago 3
@GStolyarovII
Oh, well fair enough then, if you have to support your family.
hedonism13 3 weeks ago
@GStolyarovII Awesome!
PrevelantPredators 3 weeks ago
@hedonism13 Go back to your little mosh pit punk!
blindedby2monkeys 3 weeks ago
1. Pursuing a hobby twice a month increases happiness by more than a salary increase of $1000.
2. Completing a PhD should not be about increased wealth but about increased knowledge.
3. Money does not buy happiness, but knowledge gives fulfilment to a life.
Sandcat87 4 weeks ago 2
@mebell1948, I would only enroll if I received full tuition remission. At nearly all graduate programs in philosophy, students accepted to doctoral programs do not pay anything. In fact, they are given a stipend of ten to twenty thousand dollars (depending on the school) each year. It does actually happening that someone is accepted without his tuition being fully waived. If that were to happen to me, I wouldn't go. One of the reasons why admit rates are so low is because it's (usually) free.
ChaneyBrinkmanBurlin 4 weeks ago
Just do it to get Doctor behind your name. At the end of the day, that is what we all want.
Kenppachi 1 month ago
He should consider getting a P.h.D in something related to this. I think he would be in the top 16%.
rejlau 1 month ago
@rejlau funny!
eplebel 1 month ago
Very informative. I am starting my undergraduate degree in Social Work and planning to attend graduate school in order to get my LCSW. I would like to have my own private practice. Question.. am I on the right track?
laillusion100 1 month ago
@laillusion100 It is difficult to say without knowing the context. I will only advise generally to consider what your opportunity costs are. What else could you be doing with your time, where could it lead you, and what could be the payoffs and risks? You could still end up sticking with your original decision, but you will be aware of many more of the implications.
GStolyarovII 1 month ago
@laillusion100 You're right on track for a fantastic bureaucratic job shuffling papers of a sick society. Since, for the foreseeable future, our society favors uselessness & treating the symptoms of our sickness I'm sure you'll be in fantastic position to capitalize of the parasitic nature of that line of study. I hope you have fun, but I can't see how anyone would be doing this line of work due to it being fun. It's really a shame this type of discipline really even exists at all.
QuantumBunk 1 month ago
@laillusion100 It's really too bad that our society has people thinking in ill based remedies or solutions: Social Work etc., No society ever took flight due to a bunch of social workers/psychologists standing in the wings ready solve maladies due to sick economies!! Societies move forward due to the blessings of good positive creation & entrepreneurship- products.People should foremost be thinking about the development of a goods services which create benefits & not jobs which symptoms of ills.
QuantumBunk 1 month ago
PRAISE BE, JASON SCHWARTZMAN!
rudles 1 month ago
most of your insights are spot on
but just because I have a chem phd doesn't mean I'm a fit teacher
sure, someone without a chem phd but who instead has an education degree may not now as much about college-level chem, but that's not what we're teaching our 10th graders!
they're still learning about orbitals and such, something most 2nd year chem students learn is an extreme simplification
up until that last point you are spot on but its irresponsible to suggest that a phd is fit to TEACH
overtherain 1 month ago
@overtherain Is it not part of the problem that what students are taught in high school is not just simplified, but outright false? If PhDs were allowed to teach the subjects to high-school students, they might dispel some of the simplistic misconceptions that students are taught by well-meaning teachers (e.g., the “ball and stick” model of atoms and molecules). I think it is important for even a basic understanding of a subject to be technically correct.
GStolyarovII 1 month ago
These remarks are generally insightful and useful. But you assume that someone considering pursuing a Ph.D. is going to be extremely concerned about his or her pocketbook. I'm planning on pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy. While money is obviously important, ultimately, the reason why I'm going for a Ph.D. is because I cannot imagine myself being happy doing anything else.
ChaneyBrinkmanBurlin 1 month ago
@ChaneyBrinkmanBurlin How are you planing to pay for the degree?
mebell1948 1 month ago
An Actuarial designation is better than Phd say in math. This is because you get paid while u learn. In Phd you pay to learn and when you finished you are considered an entry level. An Actuarial designation is ideal for math majors.
lvgcoolman13 1 month ago
PhD is for love of science not for earnings
frajirek90 1 month ago 14
I thought this was a very interesting video. More and more people are considering alternatives to certain aspects of academia. I personally have committed to following an UnCollege method of higher education. I am also creating an educational co-op home in Kansas City, Mo.
-Crystal Williams
cwilliams247.tumblr
Oatmealears1 1 month ago
Good for you man. You made the right choice.
Sublue 1 month ago
There are many reasons not to pursue college degrees let alone a PHD unless you are a rich individual that can afford to waste 10-12 years of your precious life. Additionally, the number of competitors in this modern world have devalued higher education greatly.
zen5678 1 month ago
going to school is not economically advantageous
LeRationnel27 1 month ago
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ilovetvb 1 month ago
i stopped my university studies, i study Zen now and feel that i'm adding way more value to my life
Koryo8 1 month ago
Can I merge the best of the two world? By getting a relatively safe and secure job while vying for a Master/PH.D?
Is that a plausible course of action?
BeMyFirst 2 months ago
@BeMyFirst I wish it were, but the typical graduate school requires a tremendous time investment; some have told me it is around 15-16 hours per day of work. A typical full-time job takes at least 8 hours per day. Unfortunately, there is just not enough time in the day to pursue these simultaneously. That being said, the academic world – and the world in general – would be much better if it were possible to pursue graduate degrees part-time.
GStolyarovII 2 months ago
@BeMyFirst I was trying to do that, but it is VERY hard to work full time and going to school part-time, or even working part-time; most professors also expect you to be spending every waking moment dedicated to your research, or teaching.
Deepdesert 1 month ago
Could you tell me what was the actuarial certification program you undertook as a side-project while you were pursuing your undergraduate studies? I am interested in this field and do not want to get a PhD in Economics, which I think is useless. Thank you.
Counterop 2 months ago
@Counterop In the US, the initial actuarial exams are offered jointly by the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries – so it is one track. For the upper-level exams, the CAS and SOA follow their own separate ways. The CAS path is for actuaries in property and casualty insurance. The SOA path is for actuaries in life and health insurance.
GStolyarovII 1 month ago
if you rely on an institution to teach you, you'll never learn anything.
statikreg 2 months ago
doing it because I genuinely want to reach the highest level of education. I want to pursue excellent, and I want to pursue a doctoral level of knowledge in this field. Money does not equal happiness. The last thing I want to do in my life is not continue my education, get old and always regret it. We will all get old regardless of if we go for a PhD, so I figure, I rather be old with a doctoral degree than be old w/ a mere BS/MA degree. I like doing research and pursuing excellence. Good video!
xBl00dBrothersX 2 months ago
@xBl00dBrothersX Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your perspective. As long as you pursue a PhD knowing the opportunity costs and the fact that it is not (in most cases) a pathway to significantly greater income – as long as you are doing it for the love of knowledge and of pursuing your field of choice, and you know that this amounts to a consumption decision on your part – then I certainly see the merit in your decision.
GStolyarovII 2 months ago
@GStolyarovII
If it's knowledge a person wants why not for example, download graduate level text books on topology, number theory, and real analysis through a torrent and study them? A typical PhD program will cost thousands of dollars whereas the graduate level math books will be free.
elzoog 1 month ago
@elzoog I agree that this is a more economical (and often more effective) approach for the motivated student. This is the approach that I prefer for myself. Unfortunately, many academic fields these days have had de facto barriers to entry created for them in the form of degrees. Many people are knowledgeable in those disciplines but are ignored by the establishment for lack of formal credentials. Ultimately, this needs to be solved by changing the perception that Diploma = Competence.
GStolyarovII 1 month ago
@xBl00dBrothersX - be careful and self-aware of a fetish for education. Do you want to take your education as far as possible for "sake of completeness?" Is it because you have within you a slight disdain for the working world? Or fear of it? Do you like the self-paced, self-directed and "fun" research? Do you feel as if you're contributing to society by your personal higher ed trip, or only amusing yourself? That people your age are making more money being part of the mainstream economy?
decimated550 1 month ago
@xBl00dBrothersX - You want to pursue excellence? Is that not possible with a "real job"? Don't you know that higher ed has been shown to be a big scheme, creating a giant oversupply of advanced degrees? And that there is no reason for them to turn applicants away, because of money? I save the world on my day job (compliance guy for hazardous waste transport company). I think society benefits more from me than from someone hiding in a college somewhere, creating nothing of value
decimated550 1 month ago
@xBl00dBrothersX - I'm saying all this because i have a friend who is taking the PhD as far as she can go, is in her late 20s, never had a real job, is going to take 5 or years to complete a PhD in Humanities, and i daresay she has spent too much time and money not earned in this track.Don't fall into the higher ed fantasy, if you haven't already. Going to work is honorable. That in fact is what makes economies and societies truly great - workers, merchants, clerks, laborers, *making* things.
decimated550 1 month ago
@decimated550 I'll be 24 by the time i am done with my PhD. If your friend is in her late 20s, then it's her fault for being so incompetent. PhDs don't hide themselves somewhere on campus doing nonsense research. You clearly have never seen PhDs doing research have you? You speak out of ignorance - that is perfectly clear. One of my Profs. is a neuropsychologist, she studies language and her basic research on campus has made contributions to understanding language impairments like: phonological
xBl00dBrothersX 1 month ago
@decimated550 dyslexics, and surface dyslexics. And guess how this findings helped the real world? Children that are born with this types of developmental dyslexia are now taught by professionals that have learned the findings of the PhDs and use the findings to teach these kids. They know depending on the type of dev. dyslexia what the kids struggle most with and the proper methods of teaching them. It takes a few years of one-on-one teaching, but after a few yrs the kids can read ~like normal.
xBl00dBrothersX 1 month ago
@decimated550 and no PhDs don't only do basic research on campus - that is false. PhD programs are extremely competitive, so only a small % get accepted each year. I am 19 1/2 now and I'll be 20 by the time I'm done with undergrad, and in 4 years I'll be done with the PhD I hope to get into. If I don't get in, at least I'll get into a PsyD (less competitive) which will also take 4 years, so whichever I get into, I'll be 24 by the time I'm done with my doctorate. Now, how is that bad? 24= doctor?
xBl00dBrothersX 1 month ago
I'm currently an undergrad senior wanting to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I, on my own, through much reflection and meditation, figured out the cons against going for a PhD. The primary cost is my youth. I'm 20, and I'll be like 25 when I'm done. 5 years later I'll be 30. The second is of course debt and not much income return from when I get a PhD. While getting a PhD, of course, very difficult four years... But, I still am going for a PhD. I'm not doing it for the money, I am doing it
xBl00dBrothersX 2 months ago
@xBl00dBrothersX if i were you i'd do some serious research on the matter before making the choice, especially as regards the cons. you may think you've looked at them, but you haven't. look around on the web a bit, you'll probably find blogs by real people who did phd's in psych and regretted it.
clockworkscott 2 months ago
You choose your undergraduate majors well.
Badmusicpeoplelove 2 months ago
"reverse Faustian bargain"
XD
LiteraryCupcakes 2 months ago
Also the book "The Millionaire Mind" backs the idea of C-students being statistically more likely to become a millionaire. Reason being? Many were told they were dumb and felt motivated due to the A-students and went on to disprove their detractors. Worth reading.
NinjaRunningWild 2 months ago
Forbes has shown that amongst the Forbes 400, people who go to college are at a *disadvantage*. This article, "College vs No College", is from some time ago (2003). The book "No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent" lists members of the Forbes 400 with degrees at a 2 BILLION dollar *disadvantage*. College is your next best chance of success assuming you don't go out and start a business. But there's always a law of diminishing returns.
NinjaRunningWild 2 months ago
Another point is the requirements of public school teaching. How do you control a classroom full of teenagers? How do you design tests and projects that measure student learning? How do you teach students with special needs and gifted students? And what are the laws about student rights? The list goes on and on. Yes, subject matter knowledge is important. But teachers need to be trained in the areas I mentioned and that's what a teacher preparation program and student teaching is for.
dguim2006 2 months ago
@dguim2006 Thank you for your observations. I would say that, as with most skills and knowledge, the ones you mention can and should be learned on the job. There is no reason to require extensive prior schooling in those areas in particular. That requirement only serves as a barrier to entry for people who are otherwise competent in these areas. It should be easier, rather, to both hire teachers and to fire them if they underperform.
GStolyarovII 1 month ago
I enjoyed listening to this and agree with most of what you say. I do have to disagree with one point, however. In order to become a public school teacher, you need to show your competency of the area you're teaching (English, Math, Chemistry) in a standardized test. This is on a state by state basis to determine the format and difficulty of the test, so I don't doubt that you will from time to time find a teacher that doesn't know the subject matter they're teaching as well as they should.
dguim2006 2 months ago
This does miss the point in one regard: Yes, someone could just go to a small town in Western Australia and do mining for over 120,000 dollars a year. The PhD students don't want to mine, even if it pays well. They want to read about elves, even if it pays very little. That's why they do it, oftentimes.
Floodlezoot 2 months ago
BA, MA, + PhD of Arts + $1.50 = 1x 20oz bottle of soda
captainofiron 2 months ago
acadamia? u mean academics... u say words to make urself sound smart.... u have all those trophies to also farther the fact that u want to be a "trusted" individual. in reality i see right though you buddy. ur a poser and took the easy way out of a phd
ty99999returns 2 months ago
@ty99999returns Exactly what I was thinking...
Samonuh 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ty99999returns Exactly what I was thinking...
Samonuh 2 months ago
you shouldnt care about the economy if you want a PhD, a PhD should be something you want to have because you love the subject and you want to increase your overall knowledge and ONLY because you want to increase your overall knowledge of the subject. Also the Dr. before your name is nice :)
MrLukasLindwasser 2 months ago
Very revealing and scary...
TheLoyalOfficer 3 months ago
This "study" has no credibility unless it was carried out by people who have PhD's.
LOL
amjams 3 months ago 18
A great link for additional guidance on the benefits of a dual M.D./PHD. LIfe is full of choices so you have to do what you love. Do not let money/salary alone motivate you.
profb44 3 months ago
Chemistry PhDs can become certified though.
User5973 3 months ago
Well, if one needs an argument to justify one's lack of the pursuit of academic progress, here it is. As for me, I don't buy into "the economy". It's merely an excuse used by people who want to stay stuck. Not me—I'm choosing to move forward, and that means a PhD. I'll let you know which University hires me as a full professor once I graduate (because, you see, I'm making a conscious choice to BE hired as a professor). :-) My Dad was a Stats man; stats can be skewed to fit the data, so...
jrberry63 3 months ago
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sexysailor25 3 months ago
... no one has the right to avoid the real world, like using PhD as a consumer good as you call it, a leisure product just to kill time. but real scholarship makes a giant contribution to society if people would realize this. many grad students just don't take themselves seriously as scholars in society or, more generally, human beings adding to the collection of our wisdom. they play a game of imperial palace politics for an ever decreasing reward. but this is a moral failure, not economic.
0davus 3 months ago
some students (like you evidently were) have a professional attitude towards their studies, or truly love studying. but i think many are unconscious of the real value of schooling and also their own potential value, till later in life e.g. after working. that itself is a failure of education. if college students learned to find themselves and their true strengths, they would be ready to contribute to the real world with bachelor's degrees or have more serious influence in grad school
0davus 3 months ago 2
You quoted a study saying that ph.d's have less value than their BA counterparts... What study was that? Do you have a link to it?
bfadds 3 months ago
@bfadds Look at the first article linked to in the video description.
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
@GStolyarovII I just wanted to add, one should do a PhD if and only if they absolutely love it, and would do that work 12 hours a day for free anyway. One must really want to be a Professor, and do research, AND be better then the best of the best. If all of these apply, then getting a PhD is a fine idea.
analyticannoyance 3 months ago 15
@bfadds Here is an excerpt: "The premium for a PhD is actually smaller than for a master’s degree in engineering and technology, architecture and education."
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
@GStolyarovII Well, what I'm hearing in the video is this:
"Advancing themselves very little ... Studies have shown that the value added for most PhDs isnt much greater than the value added by an undergraduate degree or a Masters degree... And in some cases, it's even value diminished in terms of the average earning potential of a PhD graduate as compared to a Masters graduate or bachelors graduate."
bfadds 3 months ago
@GStolyarovII The excerpt you mention above only deals with "earning potential," which to touch on. But the article doesn't equate "value" to "earning potential." There needs to be some sort of conceptualization of this word to have this make a little more sense to the audience/viewers.
Additionally, I still cannot find the studies that you or the author of the "The Economist" article (if that's where you did get it from) are citing. Is it mentioned more clearly somewhere else?
bfadds 3 months ago
@bfadds I was using value in the sense of “monetary value” in that particular comment. I recognize that other kinds of value are possible, and I explicitly acknowledge this in the video. I am not criticizing those who pursue PhDs as consumer goods, for their own enjoyment (if they really do find this enjoyable). My critique is aimed at pursuing a PhD for financial reasons by those who perceive the process itself as unrewarding or frustrating.
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
@bfadds I have also now linked to the study in question in the video description. It is the new second link: "The economic contribution of PhDs" by Bernard Casey.
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
@bfadds Those who truly enjoy learning do not need to pursue a degree to learn; However, it does not hurt to do so. If having a doctorate doesn't get me the profession that I want...so be it. I'm still going to obtain a position earning a significant amount more than a receptionist. In the end, it isn't about money, career, status, etc. We all die and those who live happy lives are the ultimate achievers.
ljpm2011 2 months ago
@ljpm2011 I don't understand why this is directed at me. I recognize that people who hope to learn something don't need a Ph. D. I know that the person who repairs my car or changes my oil is more learned to me in his or her particular field.
I agree with the later part of your statement. Is there something I said that you disagree with? I'm kind of unclear about your point.
bfadds 2 months ago
@bfadds This is not directed at you - just an opinion and no offense intended. All stated commentary in your video is an opinion as many of us know that all research can be disproved. If obtaining a doctoral degree was/is not beneficial to some extent, then it is possible that less people would pursue the degree. However, I posit that the majority of us doctorate students/graduates conduct research prior to pursuing the degree. I feel as though your video is an attempt to jab PhDs.
ljpm2011 2 months ago
@ljpm2011 I agree with your last line. That said, this isn't my video. Shoot those comments toward: @GStolyarovII. Thanks for the conversation.
bfadds 2 months ago
To compare a PhD student salary with one employee salary is not making any sense.
Most PhD students tuition are waived. In some private universities, the tuitions will cost you >50K a year.
10 years experience with PhD degree
and
14 years experience with BS degree
Who has the advantage?
Many professors could make more than 200K , 300K.....annual salaries without worrying about being laid off.
And look at normal employee in industry, when the economy down, they suffer several years
oldfairy 3 months ago
@oldfairy The life of a tenured professor is a good one... *if* you can get it. However, since there are only 16% as many open academic positions as there are PhD holders, the chances of that more most PhD holders are slim. There is effectively an elite of professors who are indeed as advantaged as you say -- and a much larger underclass of PhDs who are either the de facto servants of said professors, or who work in fields where their degrees give little, if any, added value.
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
3 majors, did you go to a state school?
boobtuber06 3 months ago
@boobtuber06 No -- I was salutatorian at a *very* private liberal-arts college (one that refused, as a matter of principle, to accept any government subsidies whatsoever).
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
Great video, thank you for an insightful well thought out response to this problem.
quinnrin 3 months ago
@quinnrin You are welcome -- and thank you for your comment!
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Paul Krugman? Great discussion, I agreed with you on every point, and you were very insightful.
nonchalantd 3 months ago
@nonchalantd Thank you!
GStolyarovII 3 months ago
2:38 omg he's a reptile AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH run away run away
HaphazardCrappola 4 months ago
Your comments do not apply to the sciences. There is no way someone can become an independent scientist, capable of conducting their own research, without getting a PhD. Also, I got mine in 4 years, not a decade.
yanika37 4 months ago
People need to wake the fuck up and relaize one thing. I spent two years studying political science and realized "wait a minute where can i apply ANY of this in the real world" we in the west arte becoming poor and we wont be able to afford to send our kids to school therefore profs wont be needed. I finished my bachelor in polisci because i was only three credits short and am now pursuing a business diploma and am in the cga accounting program. Thank god i didnt pursue this shit.
ITHEREONETHATHASNT 4 months ago
One more thing from my earlier post, I was a class valedictorian in high school and got scholarships and grants to attend college. So I don't have much debt to worry about. I think the whole college admissions needs to be more strict, taking in quality rather than just taking anybody in. If you earn C's in high school, college IS NOT for you. You make it worse for those who actually work hard to get A's and B's and do well in college.
jteruel671 4 months ago
PhD? MA? There's just too many academics for few jobs. I said to my undergrad professors who tried to recruit me to go to grad school, I said empathetically no! With this job market, I'm going to make my own job suckers and start a business!
jteruel671 4 months ago
@jteruel671 Im right there with you!
Ractogon 3 months ago
@Ractogon Awesome. To solve the problem of our country we can't be sitting and crying about no job. We have to innovate and use our talents to be the job creators. We can't ask for handouts or opportunities because they will not drop into our hands. We have to pick it out of the tree.
jteruel671 3 months ago 2
@jteruel671 What I was thinking! Many Americas have unfortunately lost the drive to do this. What business idea do you have? Mine is cybersecurity, since I am a hobbyist in that field.
Ractogon 3 months ago
To put it shorter, if I can find any job in the country where I am doing my PhD, even if I am offered only a minimum wage rate, I will be able to feed my family. That likely would not be that case if I did not pursue a PhD and stayed in my home country.
Alex1SUN 4 months ago
@Alex1SUN Thank you for your comments. In the situation that you describe, I agree that pursuing a PhD would make economic sense. It would also raise one's standard of living while one is in the country in which one is pursuing the PhD.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
Thank you for the video. I agree that a PhD can be a waste of opportunity for those citizen of developed countries who are interested in securing their monetary future. It however can be very advantageous for people coming from second and third world countries, such as myself. I am in the middle of my PhD now, and my scholarship to cost of living ratio is a several times higher then top salary to cost of living ratios available for graduates in my home country.
Alex1SUN 4 months ago
Comment removed
Alex1SUN 4 months ago
Thanks for uploading this video. It was videos like this, and articles including The Economist one you discuss, that helped me to make the right decision not to do a PhD. I think the final nail in the coffin, which made me happy to have decided to leave university and go and start building a professional career, was when I walked into the study space on my last day on campus and saw a c.35 year old man lying on a sofa reading at 3pm in the afternoon - what a waste of a life!
Callaz3 4 months ago
you forgot the fact that there is more C students than A student...
BOWENSblog 4 months ago
As someone who graduated into a labor force that all but disappeared at the entry level, there's little choice but to enter a PhD somebody with an academic inclination. The years I'd spend in the entry level stages of a career would instead be spent as a waiter, bartender, truck driver, or any other job that doesn't utilize my degree. Entrepreneur? In what? New businesses fail at a higher rate now. BTW, my major is materials engineering.
Hellerium 4 months ago
@Hellerium The alternative is to take tests for professional designations in the field of your choice. I majored in economics, mathematics, and German during college and passed actuarial exams on the side, which allowed me to enter the insurance field upon graduation. The professions that allow advancement (or job qualification) on the basis of passing self-study courses and examinations are a viable (and often more remunerative) choice compared to pursuing a PhD program.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@GStolyarovII Its a FUCKIN LIE! College is a SCAM! Its all designed to take your money, Useless bullshit classes! and there's no jobs anyway! People with master's degrees are working in Home Depot!! You will need a PhD to work in Fast food soon! and wash dishes!!
5tonyvvvv 4 months ago
Excellent Video Phd is a waste of time
WaqasKhan411 4 months ago
can people not just do a PhD for the enjoyment of furthering their understanding of the subject?
That's my motivation. I'm not expecting or anticipating a ready made job waiting for me at the end of my PhD, I'll apply for what I am most interested in and take whatever opportunity I can get.
jimmyshitbags 4 months ago
@jimmyshitbags If that is the motivation to pursue a PhD, then I have no issue with it -- as I stated in the video. But then it should be recognized that this pursuit is a consumption good, not an investment good. That is, one is pursuing the PhD for one's personal pleasure (often at one's personal expense, be it outright or in terms of opportunity cost), rather than as a way to earn more money in the future. I was criticizing the expectation that a PhD would result in greater monetary earnings.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
@jimmyshitbags agreed. I would pursue a Ph.D not for economic reasons, but for advancing my knowledge and the knowledge of the human race. In my mind that is far more worthwhile than wasting years in a job that pays well but ultimately doesn't better the human race.
ddanielchen 4 months ago
@ddanielchen amen to that man. also, I don't know where you are or what you study, but here in the UK it's easy to get a fully funded PhD in some scientific disciplines. That's what I've done straight after graduating my first degree/masters, and it's so far just been like a 9 to 5 job with relatively low pay, but since I pay no tax I'm better off now than I've ever been in my life - whereas plenty of people who graduated with me are still unemployed. PhD's rock!!! This is a good time to do one.
jimmyshitbags 4 months ago
It's weird how your eyebrows disappear for 30 seconds starting at 2:28.
SimperingSimpleton 4 months ago 17
@SimperingSimpleton I think that this is a fresh glitch on YouTube’s end; it had not been there before. Hopefully it will be corrected soon – though YouTube has done much worse and left it uncorrected in the past.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
@SimperingSimpleton the way he doesn't blink is a technique used in hypnosis, and even the eyebrows disappearing could be the same thing. Also, the way he speaks slowly, pausing, is a hypnosis technique. He may be smart but there are a lot of smart people too lol
wholelover 4 months ago
@SimperingSimpleton Blame YouTube's bizarre processing. The original video file had the eyebrows intact. :-)
GStolyarovII 2 months ago
Yo your last comment is exactly correct!
My dad has a Ph.D in Chemistry, he researched a new compound for solar panels in 1991 (he was a Pakistani Nuclear Scientist before he came to America)
He ended up teaching at colleges in the states
We moved to Canada to get papers for my mom, and he got screwed again career wise, they wouldnt let him be a teacher, he even worked in factories....
Yet he can teach people in colleges and universities
Guess what he does now? Teach in a jail....
onewhosubmits 4 months ago
@onewhosubmits A piece of paper is just that. You have to be a productive worker to hold a job, and work your way up. School is hard, Working is harder.
TumisHumis 4 months ago
@TumisHumis depends what kind of job youre getting, if you go into the sciences you cant really just work your way up anymore
MiZZVMN 4 months ago
@MiZZVMN That's the kind of thinking that will ruin your career. "I got my degree, i'm qualified, i don't have to do a good job." You really can "just work your way up" in any career, it's a MUST.
TumisHumis 4 months ago
@onewhosubmits Alas, this is an example of the obstacles encountered by all too many educated immigrants to North America. I once met an elderly Russian Ph.D. inventor (an electrical engineer, I think, who had 32 inventions to his name in the USSR) who ended up working as a guide on bus tours between the US and Canada, because his opportunities in the highly protectionist US academia were so limited. It really speaks to the injustices of the present system.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
Is that a hair piece?
MBJB07 4 months ago
@MBJB07 No.
GStolyarovII 4 months ago
You sir are a pompous twat! Stop dragging out every sentence for 15 minutes and trying your best to use the widest array of vocabulary possible. Say what you mean and mean what you say. You don't have to verbally molest us with your thesaurus.
RespyWA 4 months ago
@RespyWA I think it's more his pretentious cadence. It reminds me of the Rabbi that hits on Elaine (the shiksappeal bit) with a little mix of ChristianU2ber.
666asiamalaysia999 4 months ago
If this is your thesis, you need some revisions.
But, I do like the questions raised.
soilbiogeochemist 4 months ago
Comment removed
soilbiogeochemist 4 months ago
The NIH/NSF have been cutting back on research money. Those are the biggest science granting orgs in the world. Less research $ = less need for PH.D's. Period. Research is why you get a PH.d in sciences. This is the bottom line. Follow the money and it will tell you all you need to know....
ripperduck 5 months ago
I went to an orientation for a PH.D in Physics with a buddy at a UC. The prof who led the meeting told us that for the most part we couldn't expect much if any money but it was a honor for us to be able to work as slaves for the department. My buddy and I were older than the others,had been in the armed forces and weren't going to put up with this jackass. We told him to go to hell, that this was a scam. The others were stunned but the prof pretty much ratified what we said. Hubris aint missing,
ripperduck 5 months ago
@futuremat good one
pukasmom 5 months ago
Did he read all of that, because that's not the way people talk, at least the people I know?
matrixkernel 5 months ago
You dude, talk faster. Grad school is what you make it. You aren't entitled to anything. I'm glad you didn't pursue a PhD and instead choose to make youtube videos displaying your busts and trophies.
TheFutureMatt 5 months ago 2
If you want to become a tenured professor at an accredited university (or any post-secondary teaching position), then a Ph.D is necessary. However, it is not sufficient - you need to publish material in academic journals. Otherwise, a Ph.D is extraneous. Private industry (I'm in the software development field) does not esteem Ph.D's any more than those holding bachelor's or master's degrees. In fact, a Ph.D in unnecessary to do research in computer science. Research can be done independently.
scottvska 5 months ago
Same damn thing here in the UK. The cost of higher education is going up, but the value of a higher degree is going gown. The bubble will burst just like the mortgage market.
PhantaJisto 5 months ago
wow you said man, the things u said are so so true, and so few people are even aware of them.
corm1000 5 months ago
@corm1000 Thank you! It is my hope to spread this awareness to others.
GStolyarovII 5 months ago
Despite the fact that you are rather sinister, what you say is interesting.
thisaccursedman 6 months ago
To sum it up... What good is a college degree, if everyone has one? I got one and its like so the fuck what in interviews, now what job skills do you have?
midarkmind 6 months ago
@midarkmind It depends what kind of job you're applying for. Many jobs require you to have a bachelors degree (it can be in anything) and then make you take a test. The fact is though, It&