Tell me why!

[katpillow]

In an effort to kill boredom on a slow day at the lab, and to get a glimpse of the perspectives of all you interesting people... I ask one question: why are you pursuing the path of graduate school? And I don't want that "it feels like the next step I need to take" nonsense, I want palpable responses with depth, allure, and pizzazz. I hope that no one else has asked this, otherwise I'll feel redundant.

I'll start off with myself: I initially was inspired in the direction of medical science by the passing of an infant sibling who was born with a congenital heart defect. I was too young to really feel the impact, but it left a lasting impact on my parents, which in turn impacted me. I went to a great research university, got a 'real' taste of lab work, and then moved on to work in the industry for the past 2.5 years. My research experiences combined with my initial inspiration have pushed my interests towards microbiology and immunology, specifically drug-resistant bacteria, cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune disease, and transplant immunology.

Like I said, I'd love to hear what some of you guys are pushing for, regardless of your area of study!

[sjoh197]

I want to pursue a career in research... either in academia, or somewhere like the Astromaterials Lab at JSC. I just love research... I love learning, I love the academic environment. I particularly love my area of interest... geo/thermochronology. I applied for a PhD hopefully studying alpha particle thermochronology in carbonates or Argon thermochronology on rocks from the Himalayas. So getting a PhD doesn't just seem like a "next step" for me, it feels more like directing myself into a lifestyle that I wish to continue until I eventually drop dead from caffeine overdose. (Has that ever happened?)

 

Also... I began singing "I'm nothing but a heartache" after reading your title. Damn backstreet boys. 

Edited January 18, 2016 by sjoh197

[AngryRobot!]

Tell me why? Ain't nothing but a mistake.

[katpillow]

10 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

So getting a PhD doesn't just seem like a "next step" for me, it feels more like directing myself into a lifestyle that I wish to continue until I eventually drop dead from caffeine overdose. (Has that ever happened?)

Takes 75-100 cups of coffee for an adult to overdose (150-200 mg/kg of body mass), I wish you good luck on this endeavor. Also that's pretty fantastic and it's great that you are passionate in such a way. I love the freedom of the academic research climate, myself. Industry has its advantages, but you get tired of the 'one track' path that a lot of the work is designed to be. Also, I should have figured that Backstreet would echo with my title... worse things have happened.

[Neist]

Well, this is a pretty easy question.

I'm a pretty obsessive person, and I throw myself into my interests completely. I'd like to get paid (e.g., funded) while continuing my obsession, so a funded graduate school program certainly seems apt. I also have a daughter, and I've love to demonstrate to her that hard work can pay off. I'm from a lower income family and will be a first generation college graduate. Society certainly isn't as egalitarian as it should be, but I want her to know that many things in life are definitely possible if one is determined to work at them long enough.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

@Neist This is going to sound cheesy, but reading that really warmed my heart. I sincerely hope you do well!

[Neist]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

@Neist This is going to sound cheesy, but reading that really warmed my heart. I sincerely hope you do well!

Thanks! 

I hope we all do well. I know we've probably all worked hard to get to this point. Maybe some of us have had more hiccups along the way, but a journey to anything worthwhile is never easy.

[haltheincandescent]

Because I'm in love with my field, and nothing else has thus far been as rewarding, personally, as the research I've done and discussions I've had in courses and in various little literary circles. But I'm not the creative writer myself--rather I like sitting back, observing, trying to understand how language and communication work on an emotional, subjective, and aesthetic level, and how and why this has transformed and developed over time. And so the role of a researcher is appealing. Further, I adamantly believe that understanding how people (individuals, groups, past societies) represent themselves and their world through language is crucial to understanding and working through political, societal, and cultural relationships and conflicts. Thus, I'm driven to the teaching role of the academic, insofar as I want to help to continue the current work that's trying, always, to both explain and demonstrate to the younger generation how crucial--ethically, politically, individually--a deep engagement with the arts and the humanities, alongside--never in place of--scientific and technological work, is to human life.

That's the thumbnail version, at least.

[asurachm]

I knew since I was 12 years old that I wanted to be a professor in a university, and I am still now,haha 

[katpillow]

4 hours ago, Neist said:

Thanks! 

I hope we all do well. I know we've probably all worked hard to get to this point. Maybe some of us have had more hiccups along the way, but a journey to anything worthwhile is never easy.

Words well written, and words I can identify with. Determination and motivation are definitely part of the common stock on this site.

[hippyscientist]

When I was 3 I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up, out in the field, collecting data and then analysing it (although I'll admit the younger years were so I could play with the big whales like in Free Willy). When I got to 16 I realised that I didn't want to do all the plant stuff, and I was far more interested in humans and how they work. As a kid I was told that I'd never amount to anything in sport, and so here I am over 15 years later having competed for my country in 2 different sports and starting a PhD in a sport-related field.

I think the research element is I love knowledge. I love theorizing and testing and puzzles, and that is what research is one big puzzle. If I can play puzzles with the end goal of reducing injuries in sport, shortening recovery time from reconstructive surgery and streamlining the physical therapy used for that, I'd be so happy. 

Plus, I've spent years working in offices and whatnot, I need to be mentally stimulated to function properly. 

[rosali]

Partly because I want to be a professor, and I need a PhD for that, and partly because I just can't imagine doing anything else. I absolutely threw myself into my senior thesis as an undergrad, and it was intense, and difficult, and frustrating, and I loved every second of it. My thesis was on translation, but now I'm hoping to focus on the creation of identity in immigrant/minority language novels, and how multilingualism and translation impact the development of identity on individual and community levels. Hopefully, this will be applicable to the real world, and I'll gain a better understanding of how to foster working multilingual/multicultural communities in the United States. 

Also, most programs require you to learn a bunch of languages, and I'm 100% into that.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

Ha I sound like a robot compared to everyone else! I'm going to grad school because that is how I'm going to be competitive for the jobs I want. I want to work in science museums as program coordinator. I want to get kids and the general public interested in science! I don't want all this research to be locked up in the "ivory tower" of academia. Plus this will give me the chances to volunteer for excavations which are super fun! I also want a job that is very close to 9-5. My parents didn't and I never saw them growing up. I love my work but honestly I love my personal life more.

[glueear]

Despite it being a lot of tough work, writing my master's thesis was academically one of my favorite experiences. I really enjoyed seeing it all come together and found it a remarkable feeling to be able to talk confidently about a subject and to have some information of my own to contribute. After graduating, I found work as a speech/language pathologist, and, although I do like my job, I quite miss the excitement of learning something new. Also, clinical practice is somewhat less quantitatively exact than I'm comfortable with and I'm eager to take a turn back to clearly defined problems and objective data.

[nikcav]

I feel like my answer is so different from everyone else's.

As an artist, it's really difficult to find a way to financially support that passion, so I set out to find a way to make enough to live comfortably while still being able to spend time creating work. And I've determined the best route for me to take is to become a professor. Professors in the arts are required to be actively making new work. And I am completely happy with the wages. Also, I thoroughly enjoy being in an academic environment, and I really look forward to helping guide young artists to perfect their craft and develop their unique personal styles. So it seems like a perfect fit.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I love, love, LOVE teaching at the university level (I've been a TA for ~15 courses now as a senior). There is nothing quite like being able to teach kids WHY gravity works the way it does, or why electricity can charge your cell phone, or to discuss with them the deepest questions (Is time really continuous? Or discrete?). I also have quite a bit of research experience and I absolutely love it, but I'm not sure that I have the brains to contribute meaningfully to any field of physics. Nonetheless, there's nothing else that I can see myself doing but studying physics more.

[papereverwhere]

In short: feels right, makes sense. 

[katpillow]

1 hour ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

I love, love, LOVE teaching at the university level (I've been a TA for ~15 courses now as a senior). There is nothing quite like being able to teach kids WHY gravity works the way it does, or why electricity can charge your cell phone, or to discuss with them the deepest questions (Is time really continuous? Or discrete?). I also have quite a bit of research experience and I absolutely love it, but I'm not sure that I have the brains to contribute meaningfully to any field of physics. Nonetheless, there's nothing else that I can see myself doing but studying physics more.

Hey now, last time I checked, we were still looking to flesh out the "why" of gravity, it's that we've got good modeling and math to describe how it "behaves". Maybe being a little bit of a smart ass?, though you've got oodles more physics education than myself, as I am simply a materials engineer by way of classroom. I can get behind the electricity bit, though!

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

11 minutes ago, katpillow said:

Hey now, last time I checked, we were still looking to flesh out the "why" of gravity, it's that we've got good modeling and math to describe how it "behaves". Maybe being a little bit of a smart ass?, though you've got oodles more physics education than myself, as I am simply a materials engineer by way of classroom. I can get behind the electricity bit, though!

Also true... but I also don't see anything wrong with teaching them something with a footnote that says "probably". Specifically, how forces aren't instantaneous but are intermediated by particles; my personal favorite is teaching mechanics, so I can't really use the photon as an example, so I have to resort to something kind of iffy like the graviton. Good point though  

Man, now I'm all excited. Look what you've done!

[katpillow]

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny glad to be of service. Glad you like physics, too, as it's not my cup of tea academically!

[SLPgradstudent]

Short answer: Speech pathology is my dream career.  I've been working on my prerequisites for 2 years now (2nd bachelor's).  To be a speech pathologist requires at least an MA, thus graduate school.

Longer answer: I've always known I've wanted to go into a helping profession.  From the time I was 7 until high school, I though that meant med school.  But when I was in high school, the subjects I had loved (math and science) because unbelievably difficult for me.  Turns out I had something called hydrocephalus, and needed brain surgery.  Because of this condition, I had developed a learning disability, among other challenges.  I had surgery just before my 18th birthday, but it wasn't as successful as we'd hoped.  I continued to struggle academically until my junior year of college, when my neurosurgeon determined that the first surgery had failed (or not been successful in the first place) and I did indeed need another surgery.  Although I had been struggling to maintain a C average until this point, the semester after my surgery in December 2008, I managed straight As.  I've kept a 4.0 since then, including through my 2nd bachelor's degree.  My experience struggling with this medical condition and associated disability has given me compassion for other's struggles.  Combined with my strong interest in language development and disorders, fascination with anatomy & physiology and desire to work in a clinical setting, speech-language pathology is the absolute perfect fit for me.  It is a career that will not just pay the bills, but give me purpose and fulfillment each day I go to work.  I have so enjoyed my prerequisite course work, and know I will continue to enjoy my studies as I enter graduate school.  I can't wait to start grad school, and I can't wait to become a practicing SLP!

[katpillow]

2 hours ago, SLPgradstudent said:

Short answer: Speech pathology is my dream career.  I've been working on my prerequisites for 2 years now (2nd bachelor's).  To be a speech pathologist requires at least an MA, thus graduate school.

Longer answer: I've always known I've wanted to go into a helping profession.  From the time I was 7 until high school, I though that meant med school.  But when I was in high school, the subjects I had loved (math and science) because unbelievably difficult for me.  Turns out I had something called hydrocephalus, and needed brain surgery.  Because of this condition, I had developed a learning disability, among other challenges.  I had surgery just before my 18th birthday, but it wasn't as successful as we'd hoped.  I continued to struggle academically until my junior year of college, when my neurosurgeon determined that the first surgery had failed (or not been successful in the first place) and I did indeed need another surgery.  Although I had been struggling to maintain a C average until this point, the semester after my surgery in December 2008, I managed straight As.  I've kept a 4.0 since then, including through my 2nd bachelor's degree.  My experience struggling with this medical condition and associated disability has given me compassion for other's struggles.  Combined with my strong interest in language development and disorders, fascination with anatomy & physiology and desire to work in a clinical setting, speech-language pathology is the absolute perfect fit for me.  It is a career that will not just pay the bills, but give me purpose and fulfillment each day I go to work.  I have so enjoyed my prerequisite course work, and know I will continue to enjoy my studies as I enter graduate school.  I can't wait to start grad school, and I can't wait to become a practicing SLP!

That's a heck of a story you've got there.

[CornUltimatum]

I am pursuing geology and am trying to focus on research concerning structure and tectonics. 

I've always had a draw to science. Through elementary school I read through ALL of the books on reptiles in the library, and then on planets, and then on dinosaurs. I remember reading through a giant book on eggs, how they formed and what not. 

I knew I wanted to pursue a science field in college, I decided on geology as I knew it had a lot of good career options: oil, government work, GIS work, land development, its a good list. I also pursued geology because I always thought it was cool as heck. I never had plain chemistry or physics connect to me the same way until it got applied to geology (geochem and gephysics, both cool courses I have taken!). I zeroed in on structural geology because it encompasses numerous fields of geology and applies knowledge from a lot of specialities. So depending on what projects I take on I'll learn vastly new things for each one!

My current goals are to get into a masters program, and I'm open to pursuits of academia or industry, but I'm leaning toward industry. My parents were poor, and we grew up poor so I'm being cautious on my career path. My dad got a business degree in management that didn't work out well which has made me aware of knowing where your degree can go. I also want to be sure I can be a stable foundation for my brothers. Without getting into too much detail, I know that my younger brothers are going to have a more difficult time getting a higher education. Loans and other issues are going to be a problem for them and my parents are doing little to help. Family has to stick together, and sadly I think a PhD may not be an option for me in the future if I want to help them out of the slump. At least a PhD is something I may be able to pursue later, though, and any experience in industry may be applicable later! 

[SLPgradstudent]

11 hours ago, katpillow said:

That's a heck of a story you've got there.

The longer version is really still a very condensed version.  But you get the idea.

What's more, I'm one of the lucky ones.  Many people with hydrocephalus need dozens of surgeries and shunt revisions.  They get infections, have life-long seizures (I've only had one), or are severely physically and/or mentally disabled.  And there is no cure.  The only treatment is brain surgery.  How selfish would I be if I didn't use this incredible gift I've been given of a working brain and a functioning body to give something back to the world?  That must sound incredibly sappy, but I just can't believe that my purpose in life is only to find personal fulfillment.  Not that I can't do both!   I love my life.

[SLPgradstudent]

Also, you can't do anything with just a psychology undergrad.  I had to go back to grad school for something if I wanted to make a living!