Time to give up on academics

[deadwriter]

Hi There,

I need some advice. After many years of school, I have racked up 80 000 in student debt and am currently 33. My most recent schooling was a MA in English, where I did quite well. Unfortunately, all of my 8 initial applications to PhD programs were rejected. I did received one nice rejection from a very good school that encouraged me to reapply. Panicked, I looked for schools that accepted late applications, and am waiting to hear back from those schools. They are pretty much unknown, or bottom tiered schools.

My girlfriend (and potential wife) has been urging me to reconsider getting a PhD even if I am accepted and pursue another career. She is concerned that my job prospects will not be great because of the lower tiered schools, and that I would be missing out on 4-7 years of good income (4 for the degree, and maybe 3 or more after that before I get a stable position). She is not comfortable supporting me through that process, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if maybe it is time to move on. I would love the work of the PhD, but I would probably be in my 50s by the time I paid off my loan IF I got a tenured position. Since many successful English PhDs are unable to find tenured positions (especially those looking for contemporary lit, especially American, or Creative Writing in Canada) it may even be longer before my loan was paid off, and I may end up looking for a job outside academia anyway.

So, what is you advice? Are my perceptions of the academic job market inaccurate? Is it really not that bad? Or should I throw in the towel and look for something else that won't make me miserable?

NOTE: I have posted this in a few different forums because I am looking for as much input as possible.

[arlyn9391]

Hi There,

I need some advice. After many years of school, I have racked up 80 000 in student debt and am currently 33. My most recent schooling was a MA in English, where I did quite well. Unfortunately, all of my 8 initial applications to PhD programs were rejected. I did received one nice rejection from a very good school that encouraged me to reapply. Panicked, I looked for schools that accepted late applications, and am waiting to hear back from those schools. They are pretty much unknown, or bottom tiered schools.

My girlfriend (and potential wife) has been urging me to reconsider getting a PhD even if I am accepted and pursue another career. She is concerned that my job prospects will not be great because of the lower tiered schools, and that I would be missing out on 4-7 years of good income (4 for the degree, and maybe 3 or more after that before I get a stable position). She is not comfortable supporting me through that process, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if maybe it is time to move on. I would love the work of the PhD, but I would probably be in my 50s by the time I paid off my loan IF I got a tenured position. Since many successful English PhDs are unable to find tenured positions (especially those looking for contemporary lit, especially American, or Creative Writing in Canada) it may even be longer before my loan was paid off, and I may end up looking for a job outside academia anyway.

So, what is you advice? Are my perceptions of the academic job market inaccurate? Is it really not that bad? Or should I throw in the towel and look for something else that won't make me miserable?

NOTE: I have posted this in a few different forums because I am looking for as much input as possible.

It is up to you. You are only the one who can answer your question. Are your perceptions of the academic job market inaccurate or should you leave it and look for something else that won't make you miserable?

_________________

Ice Machine Parts

[little art tornado]

if you let someone else (girlfriend/potential wife) make the decision for you, then you run the risk of being embittered to that person as the one who kept you from achieving your dream. that's a lose-lose situation. if you can be happy doing something else, then that is another thing. it's all the mind moving pieces. only our emotions care what the pieces are made out of (words, paint, $, html, etc...).

in the next 8 months start your alternative career and then reapply and see what happens. that's a win-win strategy. whatever work you are doing will carry you through to the following fall. if your significant other is worried about supporting you and that causes tension then -- and you want to stay in that relationship -- it is up to you to figure out how to support yourself. you may be able to pick up stuff on the side depending on what work you are doing. you can definitely teach highschool, and will get more money by having an ma. you might even be able to teach some courses with an ma. my freshman english teacher only had an ma, and he was great. that was 8 years ago though.

i don't know too much about the process of applying for an ma in english. perhaps there are some things you can do in the mean time to build your profile. there are certainly things you can do to increase your chances... have you visited the schools to which you applied, met, and talked to faculty there?

if you have to get in next time, consider applying to some safety schools that aren't bottom tier, but not super-elite. if there are particular state schools, consider moving to that state to have in-state tuition the following year. you may also start taking grad level courses at most state schools. so you can start to meet faculty there. do well, impress them, and they'll want you in the program.

oh, and it should go without saying that your attitude will be the primary factor in determining the outcome.

good luck w/ the tough decisions.