tomyum

So what kind of positions in industry pay a decent amount? something like 80 K? Before I decide on my PhD project, I just want to make sure that I will get a decent job in industry. I don't want to go into academia but seems like most people from my lab go to academia. I want to design my PhD in such a way that I will have lots of good options outside academia.

Hello everyone! Thank you for your suggestions. I dropped out of my Phd program in May and since then I had not logged into grad cafe, so I just saw the posts. I left grad school and now I work as a computer programmer. I am so glad that I made the move. The work hours are manageable and I have time to pursue my other hobbies. The increase in salary has been drastic and my quality of life has been splendid. Going to grad school was the stupidest decision I have ever made in my life.

Found an interesting article on one Douglas Prasher [link]. Poor guy, looks like he had a pretty bad falling-out with luck. What a waste of talent, going from characterizing GFP to driving a car for a living.

Are there any postdocs/post-docs on this forum? If so, do any of you regret attending graduate school?

Hello all,
 
I was a PhD student in a highly ranked institution (top 5). Since i was in a such a prestigious program, it was very hard for me to quit despite hating every day of my life at grad school. But finally I have made my mind and want to take a masters and leave. The thing that discouraged me from getting a PhD in physical chemistry was that most people who were graduating from my lab and other labs at my school were doing post-docs after post-docs to support themselves or getting really shitty jobs in industry. It does not seem like getting a PhD will advance my career in any way. My friends who I did undergrad with are earning much more money and have better job options than those that are graduating with a PhD. 
 
Money is not super importnat to me, but after all that hard work and sacrifice, I feel that I deserve better. I did chemistry and math as an undergraduate. I regret that I did not continue with my math career and went into some job that paid better. Has anyone made a transition form a science career to business or consulting or any job that pays well? If so, can you please give me some tips.
 
 

I was talking with a friend who is finishing up her PhD and her post doc position only pays about 40 K, which is just a little more than the regular graduate student stipend which has really surprised me. I heard that is typical salary for a post doc. Is that true? After more than five years of graduate school, does your earning potential only increase by 10 K. That is really disappointing. How much do people typically earn in industry or other jobs immediately after graduating?

I do quantum chemistry and a little bit of cheminformatics, so I am a bit scared that I might be stuck in academia. What kind of research in theoretical/computational chemistry has a good prospect in industry? It seems like pharmaceuticals is the easiest one to get a job in but my research group is not interested in that. I really like the research that I am doing right now but I don't want to waste my time doing research that won't be of much value to me later on.

I was talking with a friend who is finishing up her PhD and her post doc position only pays about 40 K, which is just a little more than the regular graduate student stipend which has really surprised me. I heard that is typical salary for a post doc. Is that true? After more than five years of graduate school, does your earning potential only increase by 10 K. That is really disappointing. How much do people typically earn in industry or other jobs immediately after graduating?

So what kind of positions in industry pay a decent amount? something like 80 K? Before I decide on my PhD project, I just want to make sure that I will get a decent job in industry. I don't want to go into academia but seems like most people from my lab go to academia. I want to design my PhD in such a way that I will have lots of good options outside academia.

So what kind of positions in industry pay a decent amount? something like 80 K? Before I decide on my PhD project, I just want to make sure that I will get a decent job in industry. I don't want to go into academia but seems like most people from my lab go to academia. I want to design my PhD in such a way that I will have lots of good options outside academia.

So what kind of positions in industry pay a decent amount? something like 80 K? Before I decide on my PhD project, I just want to make sure that I will get a decent job in industry. I don't want to go into academia but seems like most people from my lab go to academia. I want to design my PhD in such a way that I will have lots of good options outside academia.

So what kind of positions in industry pay a decent amount? something like 80 K? Before I decide on my PhD project, I just want to make sure that I will get a decent job in industry. I don't want to go into academia but seems like most people from my lab go to academia. I want to design my PhD in such a way that I will have lots of good options outside academia.

You have to make time for some type of friend outside of your classmates, you know normal folks. They help to keep you grounded and give you a sense of perspective that is lost in the lab grind by the rest of us. For instance, I used to drink beer with the night janitor while getting my MS. When 11pm rolled around, I'd stop what I'd be doing and we would walk the halls drinking Bud Lights in koozies, bullshitting, and I'd help him empty the trash. I'd tell him about my problems, he'd tell me his, I'd explain my project to him, and he would ask me why I was doing something. I still miss our evening constitutionals, where we discussed life, science, why the PI down the hall was such a bitch, and whose turn it was to buy beer.

Moral of the Story: Make some damn time for friends. You are never going to have balance all the time in your graduate career. At some points you will feel like you are spending too much time in the lab or too much time on your personal life. That's fine, just let it balance out in the long run. How many scientists were there 200 years ago? A shit ton son! How many can we name? Not too many. Science is not your life, its something you are passionate about and do to live your life. Enjoy the people around you and let them enjoy you.

Now get your ass out of the lab and make friends. Oh and study too.

Tonyum--

Hang in there. You can do it!

Remember that your department believes in you, your ability to work hard, and your potential--otherwise they'd not have offered you admission. Your department believes in you. Trust their wisdom. It wasn't by accident that they said "Come, be one of us."

Right now, the learning curve looks steep because you're building upon your previous experiences to build new skill sets. As formidable as the new terrain may seem, you have it within you to figure out ways to navigate it successfully.

Let go of fear. Your legs are shaky now. Yet visualize yourself on that day in the not so distant future when you'll be running, looking over your shoulder, and laughing "Hey, slowpokes, keep up!" You can do it.

Now, in addition to the options outlined above, please consider the utility of the following.

Get to know some of your professors. As they have been there and done that, they know what you're going through. Among them may be a professor or two who can offer words of wisdom, an empathetically appropriate response, and maybe even friendship. (If a friendship does develop, keep the boundaries clear in your own mind. And remember that empathy is different than sympathy.)

Get to know some of the grad students who have been around a while. They may know some tricks of the trade that will benefit you.

Carve out some "me time" in your schedule. As an example, when I was doing my coursework, the interval between the end of my last class of the week and the evening of the following day was mandatory decompression time. Concurrently, I made a commitment to watching most of my favorite team's games--no matter what.

Now and again, these requirements led to some long nights to make a deadline. And maybe I'd have been better off missing a Lakers' game to peck away at a draft. But sometimes you just have to stick it to the man.

If you do designate "me time," consider a counter-programing approach. For instance, if you're going to have a "Friday night" make that night Wednesday. This way, you'll have to deal with less traffic at popular venues.

Carve out some discretionary funds in your budget. I know times are hard and the life of a graduate student can be austere. But designate a certain amount for certain activities and then pursue those activities. As an example, budget fifty bucks a month for music and/or a similar amount for Starbucks. Spend some of your "me time" leisurely spending your money. (Alternatively, you could get some magazine subscriptions at the student rate.)

Then, just before you get ready for another session of hitting the books, put your feet up on a chair, take a sip of your mocha while you listen to your iPod, look around, and take pride that you are on your way to knowing more about chemistry than most people who will ever walk the face of the Earth.

Have you talked to the professor(s) for these classes?

I'd just be honest, assuming you think they're decent people- ask if you can talk about the midterm, and lay out your worries. Mention that you haven't had a lot of similar material as an undergrad, and it just seems like you're having a hard time playing catch up in addition to learning the new material- and see what they say. They might have some helpful study suggestions for you, additional works that might bridge the gap- or they may say you're not failing according to how they're planning on grading at the end.

If you want to PM me a bit more about the courses you're taking, I might have some suggestions. Some courses are just brutal overall.

Yes, we have had a couple of grad students get bounced out for grades. I like to think that grades can only hurt you, not help you. And what I mean by that is in graduate school (in so far as the sciences) you are really gauged on how productive you are, not how good your course work was. You just need to do good enough to get by so far as grades.

If you tank a class and go on academic probation, so what, just repeat it. It sucks, but it is not the end of the world, even though it may seem as much right now. Keep your chin up.