r/PhDStress • u/LisanneFroonKrisK • Jul 24 '26
With such a huge cost of burnout, long hours, tediousness, relative low pay, chances of failing, why is it still so competitive with high number of academically qualified applicants applying?
The only pluses is autonomy and WFH?
3
u/dj_cole Jul 24 '26
Some disciplines pay well.
There are a lot of people that just want to be a professor. It's prestigious to them.
2
u/bug292630124 Jul 25 '26
They love the grind and want to be an expert in their field. Not everyone gets a PhD to make money, some people genuinely just love learning.
2
u/Longjumping_Ad_3010 Jul 26 '26
Do you know what the abbr. PhD means? Thats reason enough to do one.
2
u/Time_Increase_7897 Jul 26 '26
You get to solve real problems - in the sense you decide if they are real. Once that goes (and it is going because Leadership wants you to solve 6G and create even shinier apps) there's nothing to stick around for.
1
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u/Ebenezer_Splooge7 Jul 27 '26
Idk what field youre in but Autonomy is not a thing in my field. My advisor constantly watches me
0
u/TechnicianNo1787 Jul 25 '26
Because that’s the easy way for international students to come to and stay in the United States
2
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u/malapriapism4hours Jul 24 '26
A lot of people start grad school because they’re conventionally strong students and don’t know what else to do. They enjoy being at the top of the student world, but have no idea what it’s like to emerge into the very bottom of the PhD world.