why I chose to do a PhD

This is my first post on this page. I created this page to share my PhD experience and document the things I'm learning on my PhD journey. I figured the best place to start with this blog is to share why I chose to do a PhD in the first place.

For starters, I'm in my 1st year of my PhD in Hearing Sciences, and my PhD focuses on building scalable technologies to foster safe listening in music venues. Aka, I'm researching how to make music venues safer for people to attend without them damaging their hearing due to the loud volume.

Let's get into it.

Work freedom

Work freedom is one of those things that people say they want, but will often choose a higher salary to compromise against it. After my experience of working several internships and part-time work, I knew I needed work freedom.

To me, work freedom is knowing that I can work on whatever I want within reason. It's being able to choose what tasks fit under the brief, and being able to approach it in a way that makes sense for me.

There are definitely 9-5s that allow for this. But PhDs have this inbuilt. You're spending 3-4 years on a topic you're passionate about, and you're free to explore and research that topic in your own way. And you get to wear many hats in the process.

Within this is time freedom. I get to work from pretty much anywhere, as long as I have internet access. I can do whatever hours I want within reason, and that is a big weight off my shoulders. I can't imagine having a strict working schedule or having to be onsite.

Work freedom is worth it's weight in gold, and is one of the main reasons I chose to do a PhD.

Opportunity cost

I think of opportunity cost as the hidden cost of choosing one thing over another. If you spend £10 on a coffee, the opportunity cost would be missing out on using that £10 for something else. I say it's hidden cause a lot of people don't consider it in their decision making.

I think the biggest opportunity cost of doing a PhD is the time you spend doing it could be spent on the corporate ladder. You could be earning more over those 3 years than you would in the PhD itself.

That said, for me I'm happy to take that trade, especially as I chose to do a PhD straight after my masters. Getting it out of the way works out for me, because even if those 3 years don't turn into anything productive, I'm still able to choose corporate afterwards.

On the flip side, if I chose corporate over the PhD, I probably wouldn't be able to justify going back to do a PhD. For many people, doing a PhD later in life is a pay-cut and it's a lot of work to do for it to not necessarily translate into something greater.

Things like this justify doing a PhD sooner rather than later. And it helped I found a topic I liked when I was looking for a PhD.

Income

I think it's somewhat misleading to suggest that all PhD students are broke. Yes, the stipend we get paid monthly isn't a lot and for quite a few people it's not enough. But there are definitely ways to make it work.

I find that in the city I do my PhD in (Nottingham) the stipend is actually a pay rise from being an undergrad living on SFE. Yes, the cost of living here is increasing but the stipend isn't too bad against that. I'm able to cover essentials and have fun, whilst also putting money away for savings.

The income being reasonable + the work freedom was like a no-brainer. It's a very good deal when you look into it.

Skill development

There's something about spending several years on your own work, having to present it at several conferences and writing about it both online and offline. You learn a lot of skills at a rapid pace. These skills set you up for life.

A big part of the PhD journey is skill development. You're not expected to be a professional when you start, but overtime you get better and you improve. The investment you put into doing a PhD comes out both in the qualification and in the skills you take away from it.

That in itself is a major win for doing a PhD.

To sum up

I chose to do a PhD pretty early in my career for the doors that it opens. The work freedom, the income, the skill development. The ability to commit to research for a long time if I choose to do so, and the exposure to a wide range of people.

It's honestly been the best decision I've made and I can't imagine regretting it. It's only been a net positive for me.

I hope sharing this helps you to see the benefits of doing a PhD.