When I first went to university to study political sciences, I realized very quickly that in truth I’d gone there for the social side of it, rather than the educational side of things. I did work hard of course but the reality of it was that I just couldn’t wait to get out of the university, get my degree and get started with my life. My friend who I went to uni with, John, he pushed on a bit harder and he ended up becoming John Denboer PHD. At the time I thought he was crazy for staying on at university for so long to get his Masters and then his Doctorate, but looking back, he was the one who made the smart move. There are a number of reasons why you may wish to study a doctorate, and these are the small regrets which I have.
Career Choice
The most obvious reason to study for a doctorate is to greatly broaden your career choices. Naturally this is going to depend what your career choice happens to me, if you have dreams of one day becoming a great hedge fund manager then a PHD probably isn’t going to serve you very well. If however you wish to become the leader of a scientific institute, then a PHD certainly will work in your favor. It is not just the jobs which open themselves up to you, but also the positions which you may be able to take on, your entry level will be very high given your educational accomplishments.
Learning More
Although many who study for a PHD are doing so in order to gain a certain career, there is a he percentage of them who are studying because they love it, they want the challenge and they want to know more about their chosen subject field. The world of science and chemistry is filled with experts who studied certain areas to PHD level not because they wanted to become a wealthy scientist, but because they had a raw passion for learning and academia, and this drove them to the point where they are studying a highly specialized subject at PHD level.
Intellectual Potential
Make no mistake, this is a course which is monumentally challenging and only the very best can earn a PHD in any field. The course takes between 3-4 years and the percentage of those who drop out is worryingly high. This is why many view getting their PHD as the height of intelligence and something which people really want to test themselves with. Even qualifying for a PHD is difficult, which is a clear indication of just how hard the course itself is, no matter whether that is in the sciences or something else. Anyone who takes on this course will tell you that the idea of being challenged and tested in this way is a key part of the reason as to why they signed up.
If you think you can handle it, this could be a great move for you.
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