Monday, March 21, 2005
Hypothetical Question:
Let us hypothesize that you knew a person who was well into a PhD program in Economics, and was doing moderately well, but realized after a year or so that he/she had talents which lended themselves better to a different field, say... political science. Furthermore, let us assume that this person realized increasingly that economics as a field was perhaps too entrenched in mathematics to be reasonably understood by any but fellow PhDs in the same subfield of economics, and that our hypothetical friend had a passion for communicating relevant material to the layman, a task which would be only questionably useful when 90% of an economists work has no relevance to interesting questions. Let us go one step further and hypothesize that this person realized that their test scores were higher than average for people entering the university of Chicago political science program, which is in the top five, while this person was in an economics program ranked somewhere around 30.
What should this person do?
To even out the question, let us also include the possibly relevant information that this person does not want to spend the rest of their life in grad school, and that political science PhD programs take 5-7 years to complete, and that this person has a wife and aspirations to raise a family. Finally, this poor conflicted student is still in love with the discipline of economics, even though the stuff he is doing is not relevant to what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
If you have an answer, feel free to comment, I find thought experiments like this to be extremely helpful at times.
Let us hypothesize that you knew a person who was well into a PhD program in Economics, and was doing moderately well, but realized after a year or so that he/she had talents which lended themselves better to a different field, say... political science. Furthermore, let us assume that this person realized increasingly that economics as a field was perhaps too entrenched in mathematics to be reasonably understood by any but fellow PhDs in the same subfield of economics, and that our hypothetical friend had a passion for communicating relevant material to the layman, a task which would be only questionably useful when 90% of an economists work has no relevance to interesting questions. Let us go one step further and hypothesize that this person realized that their test scores were higher than average for people entering the university of Chicago political science program, which is in the top five, while this person was in an economics program ranked somewhere around 30.
What should this person do?
To even out the question, let us also include the possibly relevant information that this person does not want to spend the rest of their life in grad school, and that political science PhD programs take 5-7 years to complete, and that this person has a wife and aspirations to raise a family. Finally, this poor conflicted student is still in love with the discipline of economics, even though the stuff he is doing is not relevant to what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
If you have an answer, feel free to comment, I find thought experiments like this to be extremely helpful at times.
Comments:
Ever since the discovery of the syphonic nature of liquids, there has been good money to be made turning lead into gold. Consider, if you will, the joys of a career in plumbing.
# posted by 
: 3/21/2005 4:15 PM
: 3/21/2005 4:15 PM
Well, Steve, a few things to consider:
1. What are your chances of getting into another PhD program at this moment, in a new field, with decent financial aid? Is this possible or would you have to go to a MA program first?
2. What is your end goal? There may be a ton of math involved now, but in the long run, after you have the degree, what do you ultimately want to do with that? If you have interdisciplinary interests, the actual area of you study doesn't matter asmuch. If you see a way to relate economics and other fields, then you can specialize in that way for your disstertation and eventual research goals. I for one, have NO use for stats, though I had to take it and many other things in this Communication MA program. But I see the degree as giving me enough value for my other goals that I grit my teeth through the bad and annoying.
3. This is the biggest: what are you hearing in prayer? What is Laura hearing? Let Adonai direct you, let Him open and close doors that you need. Even if this means leaving school and taking off a year or two to figure things out--pray that you will know His will, whatever it looks like.
No matter what, Steve, I know (as does Phil) that you have an amazing future ahead of you. I am excited to see what you end up doing and hope that even in our diverse areas of research, we can be colleagues eventually. Be blessed (and Phil and I miss you :)
1. What are your chances of getting into another PhD program at this moment, in a new field, with decent financial aid? Is this possible or would you have to go to a MA program first?
2. What is your end goal? There may be a ton of math involved now, but in the long run, after you have the degree, what do you ultimately want to do with that? If you have interdisciplinary interests, the actual area of you study doesn't matter asmuch. If you see a way to relate economics and other fields, then you can specialize in that way for your disstertation and eventual research goals. I for one, have NO use for stats, though I had to take it and many other things in this Communication MA program. But I see the degree as giving me enough value for my other goals that I grit my teeth through the bad and annoying.
3. This is the biggest: what are you hearing in prayer? What is Laura hearing? Let Adonai direct you, let Him open and close doors that you need. Even if this means leaving school and taking off a year or two to figure things out--pray that you will know His will, whatever it looks like.
No matter what, Steve, I know (as does Phil) that you have an amazing future ahead of you. I am excited to see what you end up doing and hope that even in our diverse areas of research, we can be colleagues eventually. Be blessed (and Phil and I miss you :)
It's always nice, in times of indecision, to have loving parents to support you.
# posted by : 3/24/2005 9:53 PM
: 3/24/2005 9:53 PM
Well, Steve, I read your post on Monday, and have been thinking about it since. I don’t have much to offer except personal experience from being in the same place.
Kirsten Todt, my roommate, and I have been processing through the same things, and the conclusion of it was that this time of life is really hard, and confusing (eg, you’re not alone; this is natural). What an opportunity to trust God more!
In particular, due to my own dismal results of grad school interviews, it has led to something my dad calls “the death of a vision.” I’ve had to resort previously held notions of what careers I had rejected outright, inventory gifts and interests, and lay it all before God. I still don’t have the faintest clue, but God is faithful.
The best advice I ever got (from the very wise, aforementioned parental) was 1) do the next thing and 2) pursue ____ until the doors close.
I hope that didn’t come across as preachy. Hang in there, trust God, and I’ll be praying for you.
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Kirsten Todt, my roommate, and I have been processing through the same things, and the conclusion of it was that this time of life is really hard, and confusing (eg, you’re not alone; this is natural). What an opportunity to trust God more!
In particular, due to my own dismal results of grad school interviews, it has led to something my dad calls “the death of a vision.” I’ve had to resort previously held notions of what careers I had rejected outright, inventory gifts and interests, and lay it all before God. I still don’t have the faintest clue, but God is faithful.
The best advice I ever got (from the very wise, aforementioned parental) was 1) do the next thing and 2) pursue ____ until the doors close.
I hope that didn’t come across as preachy. Hang in there, trust God, and I’ll be praying for you.
