Did I make the wrong choice?

[ny237]

Hey y’all, I’m kind of in a bind here: spent a lot of time applying to programs after my MSc, completely exhausted myself in the process, one supervisor ended up offering me a spot after an interview and I (maybe foolishly) said yes in a day, because I just wanted to stop the endless miserable grind of applications and do actual work.

For the record, the project is quite interesting, albeit it will require some considerable training in several areas for me, the lab is very new (PI just finished his postdoc last year) and funded by a government grant (the area is computational bio, with huge emphasis on the computational part - read: more ML/stats work than bio, 80% of my work will be purely theoretical, while my training is primarily in bio/programming).  I’ve lived with this decision for a couple days now and I am maniacally wavering between utter despair and being hopeful: for one, I realized I don’t feel particularly excited about the project (it’s something I would like to read about and something I could ostensibly do, but I’m not really deeply fascinated by the work, I suppose); additionally, as I mentioned, the lab is very new and the PI doesn’t seem to be well-connected in the areas I would like to continue doing research in (hasn’t worked with any big names, no publications in top journals). So going off research “prestige”, it would be a downgrade from my previous positions (this university is also maybe top 70 vs my top 30ish BSc, top 10ish MSc). I am already feeling a bit depressed and scared about this. On the other hand, this project will most likely have me learn A LOT of new things, including ML skills for a possible pivot into industry, the PI seems very hands-on and approachable, I know and love the city, the cost of living is truly incredible and the offer is funded by a 4-year grant, so there’s no worrying about money.

I am actually still waiting on another application in the same country, different city, which I am more excited about (closer to cognitive neuroscience, PI is also new, but extremely well-connected), but they only send out interview invites in January. Additionally, I have emailed another professor I would like to work with to see if he would be interested in new students. However, the current project also has a deadline due to a grant, so I don’t want to waste my/the PI's time with endless wavering.

For now, I've decided to start this program and see how I feel about it from the inside - if I absolutely hate it, I can always discuss it with my supervisor and start re-applying to places (hopefully, I'm not expected to be 100% in love with my project and entirely sure I'm able to pull it off before I even start), and if I love it - then I stay there and try more 'prestigious' spots for a post-doc. My other options are staying home and miserably freelancing while I apply for even more programs. Any input or similar situations? 

Edited November 20, 2019 by ny237

[Bird Vision]

I think it is now up to you to make the most out of the offer you accepted. Given that you listed many things in its favor, I believe it will not be too hard for you. Don't fret about whether you made the right decision, make this decision the right one.