E.C.D.

"The ticket out (or the ticket to get in the line to get out) is to have your PhD, pure and simple." UGH. I know I'll never finish. And I know I'll never live in another shitty rural dump. Guess it's a 9-5 for me then.....good luck everyone.

How long do you think you have to adjunct for before someone will take you full time? Could you just string together some shit jobs (adjunct, retail, etc.) until a full time teaching job opens up?

HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS MESS? HOW DO YOU START FROM SCRATCH?

haha at thinking you would be hanging out with cool people in grad school...it's full of nerds, social outcasts, and the socially awkward. Try to find a cooler department (psych, crim j, comm) to hang with - still dorks but at least they go out. i am in poli sci and it's a bunch of friggin' losers. 4 years of these clowns and i've had it. i have an undergrad GF too - good deal if you are good looking and cool enough to swing it - most grad students aren't. do your best to meet new people - join an intramural sports team or volunteer or something. and don't tell me you are too busy. if you have time to sit around and whine on here, you've got time to get out there and meet some new people.

Drop out. You obviously can't handle it.

Oh my GOD. The people in political science are so fucking petty. It's an accomplishment. Get over it.

"if you "don't even like politics or political science anymore" I like teaching it a lot...I'm still passionate about that aspect of it. I just could care less about the boring minutia of it - I really think it's silly to spend years on a research project that no one will care about.

"As an adjunct, you could easily make less than $10,000 a year, even teaching 3 courses per semester." Are you fucking serious? What's the fucking point of doing that? How the hell would you make ends meet? This is bullshit. I can't believe I diluted myself into thinking that this was a good idea. Fuck my life. Getting a PhD in this field was a TERRIBLE idea.

Do whatever the prof tells you to do - who cares if the undergrads don't like you? They are only being nice in hopes that you'll fluff their grade - they know you are young/new and are trying to take advantage of you. The prof is your BOSS. Do what he/she says.

Thanks everyone. I know for a fact you can get a "full time" position w/o a PhD - I personally know someone. Although I'm sure it's MUCH easier and you get paid MUCH more if you have the doctorate.... I know I want to teach. The PhD would only be to beef up a resume and get a shot at a better/higher paying CC job......especially as these jobs get more competitive. I just don't know if it's worth the misery of doing the diss - at this point I don't even like politics or political science anymore, the people in the field, or the solitude. I'd much rather be out teaching and interacting with people. I am also an urban guy and can't stand living in a small college town...so there's that too. I may make less money in the long run, but I'll be much happier.

I am ABD with a MA in poli sci and want to break into the CC world - how do I do this? Anyway to get a full time job? Or only adjuncting? Good areas/cities to look?

I am ABD with an MA in poli sci and want to break into the community college world. How do I do this? I want a full time job. Can I start with adjuncting and work my way up?

Thanks guys...I think I am just SO burned out at this point that I need a break. I can't get "into" it, although I still have energy for other things. I have struggled a lot more than others have in the past few years and the thought of doing a dissertation makes me so frustrated. I am way behind my cohort in terms of progress on it, and I feel like it could be an enormous waste of time and money to keep at it. Sure, in the long run it would be worth it, but just getting started on it seems insurmountable. The boredom and loneliness of grad school is just too much for me - not to mention the fact the I am not at all enthused about the program. I enjoy teaching and want to do that.

pullman is a complete dump and wsu is an awful college - no "name" can overcome the fact that your phd is from a garbage school

Losing my mind trying to do a dissertation - ready to quit. What kind of job can I get MA/ABD in political science from a 3rd tier program? Community College? Government? Please help!