Useless degrees

History of Ideas (18th century political philosophy).

I've taken time off here and there (a few years before my undergrad, which was also part-time for a couple of years [needed to work to pay my way through before I finally sorted out loans], a year between my masters and PhD).

I'm sceptical of people who go from undergrad to masters to PhD without any time off (especially in the UK, where programmes are shorter). I find it very hard to talk to those people.

Here's hoping the cuts don't affect the job market too much (again, assuming I get to that point).

Wow-sounds interesting. Who/what interests you the most? I'm big in to Lukacs and Debord atm-not so familiar with the earlier political theory but I should make the effort as its all important. Ditto on folk that go straight through education without a break-it's like at what point do they experience any semblance of real life? Being at Uni is such a small environment even if you're in a big city-it's always been a total relief to me to finish up for holidays etc and get into a 'real' environment.

I'm sceptical of people who go from undergrad to masters to PhD without any time off (especially in the UK, where programmes are shorter). I find it very hard to talk to those people.

I've done this, not entirely planned as it all seemed to just happen. I also skipped the masters and went straight into PhD. Not really sure how this happened as I've not met anyone else who has done it.

The right project came up when in my final year of undergrad and I just applied and got it. So cancelled the masters and got on with it. I guess it makes me sound a bit of manic academic careerist but I don't really think I am.

Now 2 years and thoroughly enjoying it, and the current field (sea ice modelling - theoretical geophysics if you will) i'm in. Saying this I've not yet started writing up and if the ending is anything like my transfer viva it will be hell. I'm not very good at writing up, I did a maths degree.

Also since starting the PhD I've had a kid and got married, and I'm still only 23

YouTube - The Specials - Too Much Too Young

perhaps. not planned though, funny the direction life take you in.

As much as I wanted to study contemporary continental political thought, there wasn't much opportunity in Canada (or here). Although my MSc dissertation mixed Arendt and Gadamer with English coffee-house culture in the 17th and 18th century and Hobbes' and Locke's political thought. That was fun, and although I got a distinction, I imagine it's unpublishable.

For my PhD I'm working on Rousseau and conceptions of political foundations, and the role of lawgivers. There's a lot that can come form the topic, out of the history of the ideas and into contemporary political thought though (in fact, a friend is working on founding moments as seen in Leo Strauss, Arendt, and Voegelin, and we often see parallels between our two topics "eras").

^ boring!

ok I'll try and out do that

My PhD is focusing on meoscale atmosphere - ice - ocean dynamical interactions at the sea ice edge (or marginal ice zone). The main process I'm investigating is the possible formation of jets of high velocity at the extreme edge and how this will affect the development of the sea ice cover. These jets are commonly found on coastlines.

To this I'm using the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model, altering grids, parameterisation, etc along with my own idealised modelling using a Hibleresque Viscous Plastic nonnewtonian sea ice rheology.

^ boring too

^ boring!

not if you like the history of ideas it aint. Must be a niche market for chatting up girls though... (does having this kind of thought betray an eminent unsuitability for academia?)

I've done this, not entirely planned as it all seemed to just happen. I also skipped the masters and went straight into PhD. Not really sure how this happened as I've not met anyone else who has done it.

The right project came up when in my final year of undergrad and I just applied and got it. So cancelled the masters and got on with it. I guess it makes me sound a bit of manic academic careerist but I don't really think I am.

Now 2 years and thoroughly enjoying it, and the current field (sea ice modelling - theoretical geophysics if you will) i'm in. Saying this I've not yet started writing up and if the ending is anything like my transfer viva it will be hell. I'm not very good at writing up, I did a maths degree.

Also since starting the PhD I've had a kid and got married, and I'm still only 23

perhaps. not planned though, funny the direction life take you in.

Can't fault you for falling into doing something you like and want. And you may be the exception that proves the rule. No idea. But in general, people who have no non-academic life experience are the only-children of the academic world, imo.

And what's the deal with PhD student having kids? It happens quite often. As if you don't have enough work (although it seems to be a good way to get an extension).

I played around with retrotransposon sequences and helped with a genome sequence.
I devised a test to determine the presence of parasitic material in human foodstuffs.
I smashed DNA into microscopic animals for postdoctoral work.

^
fucking dull.

not if you like the history of ideas it aint. Must be a niche market for chatting up girls though... (does having this kind of thought betray an eminent unsuitability for academia?)

You kidding? Academia is a filthy filthy place. A microcosm of weird power relationships that result in unholy acts between incompatible people. At least in humanities.

See: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090985/plotsummary

I played around with retrotransposon sequences and helped with a genome sequence.
I devised a test to determine the presence of parasitic material in human foodstuffs.
I smashed DNA into microscopic animals for postdoctoral work.

^
fucking dull.

Your work involved/s parasites and smashing stuff into other stuff. That sounds pretty rad.

I know. I was looking for a handjob...

(so does the stuff up there^)
(everyone else's research>your research)

^^haha... such a cliche... but there be truth in the cliche a lot of the time. Tutors at art school where epic in their mischeviousness. The men that is. All the females were a bit lame in that respect, or just had some scruples.

I did an undergrad in Art History and only really got the the interesting social theory philosophy near the end... took two years out and ended up going to art school to do a BA, which was cool in the end cos I got a scholarship, and now four years on am starting to feel capable of going back and doing more... had a place at the Courtauld to do a really good course called 'Aestheticising Politics-Contemporary Art and Global Politics' but couldn't get the cash together and now they've decided not to run it next year so I'm a bit gutted. Now I'm not sure if I should do an MFA leading to art Phd or stick to the theory... either way I guess I need to get on it now and start hunting down funding opportunities.

Yeah I totally get the no non-academic life experience thing, though I've done enough shit jobs in my time to hopefully have some sort of idea.

I guess having a kid does bring you back to reality a bit. I haven't had the chance to let my research consume me, and I don't have the time to be a complete uni freak.

I've found that having a baby whilst doing a PhD is actually quite cool (well my PhD at least). I'm really flexible so can take a day off (if I catch up later) at odd times to do some child care, and I can work from home a lot of the time. Also my wife is still a student (for another couple of weeks at least) so we're a bit of a tax anomaly. No income apparently.

Sounds like you're happy so that's the most important thing... and its a rare thing that chances present themselves so readily so can't blame you for grabbing it with both hands!

Tax anomalies ftw-always a satisfying feeling, enjoy it while it lasts...

Grades permitting i'll be doing an MSc next year and am considering going onto a PhD afterwards, my final year project is mainly research-based which i've really been enjoying. So if that keeps up a career in academia may be on the cards. Also, it's one of the few roles in my field that would still allow me to live in London.

After a few years in the wilderness i'm studying Zoology, will bump in three years.

Three years/five months. I dropped out, what a waste of a year.

I'm rocking on the Prince's dime.

It's funny, I've not recruited staff before now, but I've been knee deep in CVs recently and without fail I skip over the education part. It's all about the job history (and only the last 2 jobs) and the portfolio. If I have to actually read the other bits of their CV to find out if I want to interview them, I probably don't.
Now OK, this role has very specific requirements, but nevertheless I could conclude that if you are recruiting for a role that requires experience of a specific technical area, all degrees are useless. Or at least irrelevant.

^ Yeah, but this happens after you've got a bunch of CVs from recruiters, no?

The recruitment company will have already filtered out !degrees.

I don't think I've met a single person who has completed a PhD and enjoyed the experience.

Neither have I.

It's not really meant to be enjoyable. It is work.

Mark, work can be enjoyable. :)

David, I imagine having beaten a significant increase in fees is reason enough to lean back and say: 'Good timing.' Well done for getting through it and still being able to do so much in parallel!

I'm rocking on the Prince's dime.

Nhatt, I keep hearing that the 'royals' don't handle money themselves. This may be a myth. I've never tried to check whether it's true. :)

^ Yeah, but this happens after you've got a bunch of CVs from recruiters, no?

The recruitment company will have already filtered out !degrees.

That's possible, although I did not specify any educational requirements beyond a good standard of written and spoken English (which rules out 50% of graduates anyway)

I just see the CVs the girl in HR gives me. She might be weeding out everyone with an F in their name for all I know :-)