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03.07
Take the Jump
By Patrick E. Meyer
Last May, I obtained my Master’s of Science in
Science, Technology and Public Policy from the Rochester Institute
of Technology and was suddenly faced with one of the most monumental
decisions of my life: to Ph.D. or not to Ph.D.?
Over the past three years, I have held enough
internships and research assistantships to adequately fortify my
resume. What I lack is a full-time, long-term (long-term these days
being two to three years) position from which I could learn how
things work in the “real world." So, I had to decide whether to
continue immediately into a Ph.D. program, or if I should first
obtain some relevant, long-term work experience — then return to
academia.
Thousands of recently-graduated students face this
same dilemma every year.
I sought the advice of professors, deans, professionals, fellow
students and family members. Their responses allowed me to
understand the full scope and impact of the decision at hand. The
mixed advice made me to realize that on one hand, I could work for
three years, obtain real-world experience, earn some money, network
with industry-oriented institutions, and shed light on my true
interests via the application of my education thus far. On the other
hand, I could go on for three to five more years of schooling,
network with research-oriented institutions, obtain immeasurable
amounts of book-knowledge, and better fortify the base on which I
would operate for the rest of my life — all the while digging myself
into further debt. I would acquire a decade of college education —
without ever having held a full-time job.
Ignoring the prospect of debt, I chose the second
option. I applied to and was accepted into the Center for Energy and
Environmental Policy’s Ph.D. program at the University of Delaware —
one of the most prestigious and grueling energy and environmental
programs in the nation. As one can imagine, however, I was concerned
that I was on my way to being a highly-educated, over-qualified,
under-experienced policy analyst.
Did I make the right decision? While I cannot
provide the definitive answer to the dilemma, I can provide some
insight based on my recent experiences. Starting my Ph.D. program at
age 23 puts me far ahead of the game in terms of age, but this means
relatively nothing in the academic environment. I am among the
youngest in my program, but the older participants benefit from
years of real-world experience. So far, I have made contacts with
researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab and have become extensively
involved in a BP Foundation alternative fuels project. Networking
does exist in academia.
While the knowledge base I amass is rapidly
expanding, it has required thousands of hours pouring over
manuscripts and the outright elimination of anything I once thought
of as a weekend. Obviously, my enthusiasm towards this arrangement
is mixed. I am only three months into what I expect will be a
five-year plan. At this point I believe I made the correct decision.
Students in a similar situation should consider foregoing the two or
three years of post-Masters experience and jump right into a Ph.D.
When it comes down to it, I entered this program
still not knowing what I want to do when I “grow up.” I believe that
by the end of my term here I will know — or at least have a better
understanding of what I want to do with my decade of college
education. I believe continuing on with my Ph.D. will provide me
with direction, purpose and a specialized interest path that will
lead to the job best suited to my long-term goals. I recommend
anyone in a similar situation take the jump to a Ph.D. Your social life
may never forgive you, but your intellect will thank you for the
rest of your life.
Patrick E. Meyer is IEEE-USA
Today’s Engineer Students’ Voice Editor, and a doctoral student
at the University of Delaware.
Comments may
be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.
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