R3V Students thread

[freeride53]

Congrats, Sam.

Currently in my last month of university.

I started this thread in my first month of university, 4 years ago. Trippy.

Only have two classes (general education), and my senior thesis seminar.

I am writing my economics thesis on the economic effects of german reintegration on the german healthcare system.

[thatphysicsguy]

Had my last test in "thermodynamics & statistical mechanics" today. Check one off the list.

Now for photonics and Intro to quantum mechanics. The latter is going to be a bitch of a test I think.

[e30saam]

Yay! Finally transferring to the school that I wanted to go since I was a little kid. Hard work paid off. Can't wait! Any other Tech students on here?

[freeride53]

Graduating with B.A. in International Studies-Economics & a Minor in Business in 8 weeks.

Feels good. Feels better to have a job lined up, as many of my peers do not.

I am lucky because I networked hard, and had great internships and extra-curriculars.
My school has a fairly poor career services outreach, and is all around pretty bad at placing students in the real world.

Speaks overall IMO to the University of California system being based around research, rather than real-world application.

[Mr. Tasty]

graduating with BSE in Mechanical Eng in 4 weeks. So excited to be done for a bit.

[iXerces]

That's sweet, I hope to get a phd someday too

PhD here. Do it if it gets you to where you want to go (e.g. NEED the degree to get the job you want, like to be a professor or a high level researcher in industry). DO NOT do it "just because" you can't find a job at the moment, don't know what else to do, etc.

The opportunity costs in terms of time/money in a 4-8 year PhD are considerable. If you are lucky enough to be in a field like mine (science) where you get paid to go to school, you will still probably only gross ~$20K/year.

My friends from college are ten years into their careers and are starting families. Now in my early 30s, I might still be 5 years away from the job I was trained to do (if I ever even get there) and let's just say I've sacrificed a lot of financial and lifestyle stability/security in the meantime.

That said, the five years I spent in graduate school were incredibly amazing. A research degree is nothing like a course degree (ala a bachelor's or many master's), it is more like an apprenticeship. Between the things I learned, the new science I discovered, and the people I got to work with/get to know, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has completely changed my world view.

If this is a route you think you want to go, PM me and I can give a lot more individual guidance. I am sure there are other R3V'ers out there who can speak to this as well, and their mileage my differ.

[freeride53]

Aren't nearly all professors Phds though?

yes, at UC's. I'm at UCSD.

and graduating in 9 weeks.

Then moving East, then slightly West to Chicago.

[DER E30]

Aren't nearly all professors Phds though?

No, not at all, especially at the community colleges

[thatphysicsguy]

Ugh. Unless you like statistics, economics, or are a masochist ... good luck to you I say!

Aren't nearly all professors Phds though?

[325i]

4 weeks till graduation bump.
semester seems to be slowing down a little but there is still so much to be done.

[Gerta]

On the topic of PhD's,



Currently sitting in a 7 person seminar room being taught by a Economics PhD.

Ugh. Unless you like statistics, economics, or are a masochist ... good luck to you I say!

[freeride53]

On the topic of PhD's,

Currently sitting in a 7 person seminar room being taught by a Economics PhD.

[phreshkid]

It's a lot of work. I have about 12 months left to go in mine. Kudos to any that can do it because it was killing me.

Yeah I won't even consider it. I am always slangin something or making a buck somehow. I have owned companies since I was young, and have been wildly successful in a few ventures. But with success comes failures, and I am no stranger at those either. The only reason I say this is because I could barely handle 4 years in university for a major that taught me close to nothing. The material simply did not apply to me, but I didn't attend enough to actually care. I was always out doing deals. School became a hindrance to me so I neglected it.

BUT. I did finish, with respectable grades. But I still don't care. You can't gauge someone very well based on a spreadsheet of their last 4-8 years in school.


This is why I say good luck. You are doing something I simply cannot. I envy you to a degree. Keep it up.

[Gerta]

I hope you both get those phDs.

It's a lot of work. I have about 12 months left to go in mine. Kudos to any that can do it because it was killing me.

[phreshkid]

Im at Hopkins and the program is through a Hopkins school so they were helping with some of it which definitely attracted me in the first place. Biotech is still broad enough that there are a ton of options to go specialize in something. The PhD program I would like to be in is Environmental Toxicology, still requires biotech principles.

That's sweet, I hope to get a phd someday too

I hope you both get those phDs.