Quit Phd?

[Just_Me]

New comer here so go easy on me About a year into a Computational physics/applied modelling PhD at a top school in the UK and working incredibly hard at it. Topic is numerical stochastic PDE's. I went into the PhD wanting to stay in academia, but the experience has changed that. Industry is also a bad option as the pay is a insult - same starting salary as bachelor's degrees.

My main problem is that I'm not enjoying academia, love research, hate academia - so considering quitting. I can leave with a masters in hand (Mphil). I'm just not sure getting a PhD is worth the time and energy I'm putting into it? I don't want to work my ass into the ground only to go into a HF/quant shop and still be working insane hours. I don't even get to direct my studies or guide the project - its all micromanaged. Ok I like my subject, but I expect to work to live and unlike the departments work to live attitude - I'm treated like crap basically.

So do I put up with another 2 years of this soul destroying lifestyle and get a good quant job? or a trader job? Or do I grab an internship and get out? And hopefully find somewhere less stressful and more respectful? People who went through the PhD process - did it pay off? Or is work experience valued more/equally? The PhD should only be done for the love of it - I agree - but if that comes at the sacrifice of the next 40 years of work, its one I'd rather not take. I've also considered going into actuary as I hear they work family friendly hours and get a good salary, Ok the work looks incredibly boring - but I'm kinda board with the constant thinking involved in academia.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[Barny]

Your story is inconsistent.

You claim you love research, yet you don't want to do your PhD. That doesn't make sense, because especially as a PhD student, you have minimum exposure to 'academia'. You then also claim that you're bored with the constant thinking that's involved in research. This is not unique to research. I have friends who are lawyers who work a 16 hour day and then spend the rest of their free-time worrying and thinking about work, too.

You sound like you're chasing the money to me, especially since you claim that industry salaries are an insult. By any normal person's standards, the salaries on offer to a PhD qualified researcher are luxurious.

So in conclusion, do what you enjoy and want to do, forget about 'sacrificing' X years of life for something you hate, because a) you won't last the X years b) it won't help you in the end anyway. So it sounds to me as if you should drop out and become an accountant or something. Good luck.

 

[kwlmy]

Life is hard no matter which path you choose.

 

[Umnik]

If you want to quit, just Stop doing anything and use time you still have scholarship for travelling, having fun etc. in several months they will make you quit but you will win extra months of happy paid life

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Don't quit. Stick it out for the rest of the journey.

but I'm kinda bored with the constant thinking involved in academia.
Do you implement your PDE models in C++? (good way to shake up lethargy)

PhD >> ABD

 

[Ken Abbott]

PhD >> ABD

I work closely with dozens of quants. Some have Ph.Ds and some don't. I have no idea who has one and who doesn't.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

I work closely with dozens of quants. Some have Ph.Ds and some don't. I have no idea who has one and who doesn't.

Of course; I agree.
But it's more of a personal thing I suppose that people tend to regret not having that piece of paper to show to mama and papa. It makes no difference on the work floor I suppose, with the exception of how problems are tackled. An MSc is not the same as a PhD but that may be of no consequence in the current context. In some cases it may be important.

In my day, at least, you did PhD in maths because 1) you wanted to, 2) it was fun and 3) it was prestigious. Money did not come into it. (there were no jobs anyways).