What's your end game?

[pea-jay]

I'm a planner

...

Plans help me sleep at night.

I like your way of thinking

[Aspiring Shrink]

Good question.

I am pursuing a PhD because I want to do a number of things; I would like to teach psychology, conduct research, have a private practice and hopefully write books. An eventual dream would be to teach online, so I can travel the world and visit other cultures and communities and have time for writing and public speaking.

Hey, a man can dream.

[kobe36]

my plans are a little different... i guess because i am probably one of the few that is going to get my master's in social work ... I am hoping to get in this year (fingers crossed), get my license in LCSW, find a job as a therapist for juveniles, work for a couple of years, gain tons of experience and open up my own center for juveniles... yes ?? no ?? actually this has been my plan for couple of years already, but I just recently set it into motion by applying for grad school...

[Lantern]

Field work with pelagic fish. The more time in the field the better, which is why I have no interest in a PhD. In my field a PhD will guarantee you a job in an office/classroom, which is not what I'm looking for.

[somethingelse]

I have a few ideas:

1. Do the PhD and go into academia. Get a professorship somewhere, teach and research.

2. Do the PhD and go back into public or private sector. Consulting for federal government or think tank. Then maybe return to academia after 10-15 years.

3. Don't do the PhD and go into policy analysis with the federal government or think tank, building off my MPP degree.

4. Don't do the PhD and stay in urban planning (currently employed in planning).

5. Don't do the PhD, get out of urban planning, don't go into public policy, and be a stay at home dad.

Some days Option #5 seems like the best one, really.

Edited February 18, 2010 by somethingelse

[(A)musing anthropologist]

Right now my goals post-grad schools are to work in a research firm that is focused on consumer culture and neoliberal capitalism, and maybe do some double-dipping teaching at colleges and universities in the same field... end world hunger and war... you know, the usual

[Strong Flat White]

Professorship and novelist (like Branwen daughter of Llyr!!).

But in being on a campus, what I'd REALLY like to do is get involved with international education and develop "faculty-led" study abroad programs during summers... with my wife... meaning that all of this nervous energy floating around this cool site goes double for us, since we're looking for programs to do simultaneously in the same town or city (polisci for me, anth for her). So, that would be the dream.

[ArsVitaAmericana]

As a Theatre professional and going back for a more academic masters, I'm not that interested in a Tenure Track. I mean, that would be fantastic, but I'm not expecting it. Actually, I'm going back for a Masters to get Adjunct positions. I'm sick of working stupid jobs (read: not in my field or remotely related) which trying to run arts organizations and get them off the ground. My thought is that I can probably rake in enough funds with Adjunct positions and professional gigs to be a full time Artist. That's the goal. That's the dream. Oh also, I want to change the world with theatre. But first I'm working on financial viability....

[Lousy Test taker]

I'm into drug design bullshit,so that allows me to continue with research forever!I guess I will go post-docing..hopping from one university to another:)

[HelloKaty37]

I'm with coyabean on this one. I have more plans than all my friends and family members (of about my age) put together.

1. Finish off strong in grad school and don't burn out/grow a distaste for academia while writing my dissertation. Get awesome career as a professor, but ideally as one who does more teaching than research. Guessing that would not be TT.

2. Finish off strong in grad school, get the Ph.D. and decide I would rather not be a professor. In this case, I become a professional baker, work my way up in the wedding cake industry, possibly gaining a Food Network show/special.

3. Same as #2, but rather than spending all day in a hot bakery, I utilize my knowledge of literature to write a best selling novel.

4. Finish grad school (strong or not), become high school English/Latin/Italian teacher.

5. Scrap all of this, move to Ireland, have lots of kids, and raise an entire clan of academic bada**es and one future NFL safety. (J/k on this one... or am I?)

[kismetcapitan]

I guess this is pretty out of the ordinary in terms of plans, but my plans are to...return to exactly what I'm doing now - running and teaching at the school I founded in South Korea. Grad school will hopefully equip me with what I need to grow the school to its ultimate goals, but even if it remains the tiny private/alternative school it is now, at least I'll be a better teacher, and even though I'm in my 13th year of teaching full-time, going back to school would get me out of any pegagogical ruts I might be in - it's very hard to objectively evaluate one's own teaching style and if efficacy can be improved upon.

[Tiglath-Pileser III]

Plan A:

• Earn my PhD
• Do research
• Write lots of books
• Teach at a seminary
• Be an itinerant preacher
• Be happy
  Plan B:
  
  • Attempt to get into a PhD a second time
  • Teach computer science at a seminary for a year
  • Learn Luvian, Hittite, and polish up my Akkadian
  • Get a part-time computer job to pay off some student loans
  • Resume with Plan A

  Plan C:

• Give up on the PhD
• Get a permanent computer systems administration job
• Pay off my student loans
• Be bitter and miserable (but well paid) for the rest of my natural life.
  

[Emily K]

Eventually I want to get my PhD in Creative Writing with an emphasis on young adult, however my Masters will be for Publishing. After I get that I would like to be a literary agent and while doing that works towards my PhD....

Failing that...I'd be more than being a successfully published author. (Realism much? )