If you have talked to me about school in the past 2 years, it is very likely that you have heard the following points
1. Academia is a Pyramid Scheme
2. I would NEVER do a PhD
And if you have talked to me within the past 2 weeks, you'll know that I am in fact going to school next year* for a PhD in Geology, and I am still a fervid believer that Academia is pyramid scheme. So you may be asking yourself "Kyle, what changed?" And to answer that question, nothing really, I just responded differently to some aspects of my life. If that seems vague, it is but I need to give some context before I can elaborate on that.
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| Pictorial depiction of Academia as seen in "The Art of Being a Scientist: A Guide for Graduate Students and their Mentors" by Roel Sneider and and Ken Larner. Available free online and I'd recommend any prospective scientists checking out |
Flashback to my youth
I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school. I decided when I was in middle school, touring the University of South Florida for my sister's upcoming senior year of high school. I saw a booth for their graduate school advertising Master's and PhD Degrees and I (rather arbitrarily) declared "I want a Master's degree but not a PhD." Did I know the difference? Did I know what that entailed? Absolutely not. But I knew I wanted to get "even-higher" education, but not commit to the highest degree. And I've always carried this mindset of wanting a Master's degree.
Jump to my college career, where I learned about different kind of degrees and graduate school and whatnot. I found myself in my final year of undergraduate education, doing Honors research, reading a GRE study guide book, crafting my first resume, all with the intent to bolster my application. At this point my mindset was "I want my Master's and if I like it, maybe I'll go on for the doctorate."
And my Master's has not been the most picture-perfect experience. While I have no regrets and have learned a lot from every experience, there have been a number of challenges, negative stress, and overall hard times. And I would describe my general attitude toward Academia as "Get me OUT." The past 4 months, I applied to 40+ jobs with the intent that maybe they will have a position for me come my graduation in May. But at the same time, I also researched a number of different PhD programs and fantasized the idea of applying constantly. And then I did apply at FSU. And then I accepted. So after all the negative experience, distaste of Academia, and disgust with a PhD, what factors made me decide to stay in Tallahassee another 4 years?
1. Career Opportunities
My dream is to work for the U.S. Geological Survey as a Hydrologist. I want to be a part of those who do scientific research for the government, even if lawmakers may not always pay attention. As I frequently say, "Everyone needs water" and I want to be part of the body that progresses the regulation and understanding of America's water resources. I had the opportunity to interview a "higher-up" with the USGS Colorado Water Science Center and while she made it clear that they hired Master's and PhD holders pretty equally, I know that those with doctorates can advance higher and do more with their careers. While the USGS would be the dream, I have also considered working for the Department of Energy's National Labs and independent research institutions. Ultimately, a PhD would help me here. Who knows, maybe Academia is in the stars for me.
2. Getting South
Another one of my dreams as a geologist is to work Down South. I don't mean Florida or even South America. I'm talking about South South. Antarctica. I learned about antarctic geology research in my very first geology lab and it became a dream of mine to do research there. Unfortunately, I became interested in hydrogeology and the prospect of going to a frozen world didn't quite align with this. BUT I came to learn that there is a group at the University of Colorado who focuses on stream and lake hydrology in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (https://lternet.edu/site/mcmurdo-dry-valleys-lter/). While I missed the deadline to apply to this PhD program, I floated the idea of waiting a year to apply, but ultimately decided that I may work the next 4 years in making connections and attempt to land a Postdoctoral research position here after I graduate. If it's in the cards, it'll happen but we'll have to wait and see.
3. Hydrogeology Aspirations
Within my Master's Degree I have focused on a very small component of hydrogeology (groundwater seepage) and have not been doing much large scale investigation. I feel like I am able to conduct scientific investigations, but not hydrogeologic investigations. A PhD program is where I can learn and hone the skills required to do big things, novel research, and work towards becoming an expert in my field.
4. My Advisor
Ultimately, I decided I'd apply to FSU's doctoral program when I was moving into FSU's new EOAS building. As I stood in appreciation for FSU's investment in the department and potential future work here, I came to realize that I really appreciated working for my advisor. While we have a different approach to science and life, I know there is so much I still can learn from him. On top of this, he has expressed his genuine belief in me and my work in a way that I have not felt before. He has been very explicit in his desire for me to continue with a PhD and has been very vocal in how he appreciates my work ethic as a graduate student. It is human nature's most primal desire to feel wanted or needed, and ultimately my advisor broke me down. Especially after hearing horror stories about graduate students and their relationships with their advisors, it is refreshing to have a good one. After talking with him for hours about my future and further school, he is the reason why I applied to FSU for a third time.
While I still don't know how to feel about entering a doctoral program and am not excited about a number of things, I am excited for the future and for all that I will learn. So here's a toast to climbing the pyramid!
*All this is dependent on me writing and defending my thesis which is becoming an incredibly taxing chore. So we'll see if it gets done
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