Why I'm Getting a PhD

Re:Why I'm Getting a PhD by enraged_camel on Monday September 16, 2013 @01:47PM (#6394578)

I don't have a PhD, but I hear it depends a lot on the school, the field of study, and most importantly, the mentor they assign you. Your mentor specifically has the ability to make your life hell and completely obstruct your learning.

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Re:Why I'm Getting a PhD by burntsushi on Monday September 16, 2013 @02:13PM (#6394768)

A few points:

1. My mentor is not the same person as my advisor. (I use the word "mentor" to describe a professor who is both my friend and someone whose advice I value deeply.)

2. My advisor is not the same person as the advisor I was assigned to when I entered graduate school.

But I agree with your main point: your advisor (and the way you receive your advisor) can play a big role in the level of misery of your graduate student years.

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Re:Why I'm Getting a PhD by eli_gottlieb on Monday September 16, 2013 @06:08PM (#6396236)

Oh GOD yes. I was assigned my current MSc-thesis advisor from the small selection of experts remotely close to topics I was interested in, by an admissions committee reading my personal statement.

Now that I'm looking at actually doing my MSc thesis (writing the proposal these days) and inshallah going on to a PhD, I'm having to think hard about where to get an advisor and what sort of topics to do.

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