Is a Ph.D. Worth It? Reflection on the Journey
Earlier this summer, I was chatting with a student about future plans for graduate studies and remembered the best advice I got from a cherished friend about pursuing a Ph.D. “Don’t do it unless you cannot imagine not doing it.” Undoubtedly some of the best advice I received! The work and commitment required to finish a doctoral program is intense – no one should take that on unless it feels essential!
No one needs a fresh article from me about 10 reasons why to earn a Ph.D. or not – there are zillions online. People will tell you it’s not financially worth it or useful in a career. There are cases where, of course, that is true. For many in my own Ph.D. cohort career was part of the choice, but for others it was a lifelong dream, or a choice to move into a post-retirement adjunct life, or any other number of things. The only person responsible for deciding you can’t imagine not doing it, is you.
There were other pointers along the way to the Ph.D. path for me, including my graduate advisor at Abilene Christian University encouraging me to consider it as a next step. I have never been sorry (even when I wanted to quit and even when I am paying my sizable student loan balance each month – or not some months, who can keep up with the drama right now!?!?).
Here are some reasons why earning a Ph.D. has been worth it for me – this might be helpful to others.
I am fulfilled by learning and writing. Even now, the time I am able to spend on my research is incredibly rewarding and the moments I feel most like myself. During my administrative stint a constant nagging in my brain was “but your research.” (I was able to publish two chapters during that time, but research definitely took a “back burner” to other responsibilities.)
I met a nearly lifelong dream. I nearly always wanted to teach. Though I took some other paths and imagined some other careers along the way, I always came back to it. While I was balancing teaching with administration, I started to realize the joy I felt in connecting with my students and supporting their writing improvement, helping them “get it” with research, etc. That sense of joy in leaving a meeting is different than any other work accomplishment for me. It’s part of how I know I want to do this.
I needed it to advance in my chosen career. Some fields are easier than others to teach without a terminal degree, but in most cases, a career professor needs to finish the terminal degree.
My particular field lends itself to other careers if I start to hate my chosen career. Having just returned to full-time teaching from an adjacent role I honestly feel like I’m living my best life most days. I don’t expect to suddenly hate teaching. But even if I did, a Ph.D. in organizational leadership is useful in consulting, corporate roles, etc. I don’t feel locked in to a single career with my degree choice.
I thrive with goals. When I finished the Ph.D. I asked, what’s next? (But I did take a reasonable break from that mindset!) I enjoy setting and achieving goals – it’s a part of who I am and how I best thrive in life. Obtaining my doctorate was a huge goal and very rewarding to achieve for many reasons, of course. It also makes other goals feel very achievable now – if I survived working full time while also teaching full time, working as a TA and RA, going to school at the doctoral level full time, and attempting to have some semblance of a life all at once, what can’t I do? (There are things, of course. But I use that time to remind me that I can do hard things and achieve what I set my mind to.)
I am unintimidated by long projects. Earning a Ph.D. is hardly a quick process (if it is, reconsider the school you selected…). I knew it would take me significant time, but I am not discouraged by important things taking time. I took the time needed to do my work well and be proud of the finished product. I was not first to finish in my program, but it wasn’t a race for me against others. I was focused on my personal best and am confident I got there.
My particular program was deeply meaningful. My choice to study at Eastern University was more expensive than other choices I could have made, but it was 100% the correct choice for me. The university focus on faith, justice, and reason not only deeply resonated with my personal world lens, it shifted my thinking on these matters in significant ways. From the first semester, the ability to integrate those topics into my work shaped who I would become as a researcher and how I focus my work even now.
And that is a huge part of how I found myself. I imagined a lot of different paths in life, including motherhood. After a deeply painful and traumatic loss, my husband and I had to come to terms with a path that did not include children. In the grief that followed, I couldn’t find my footing or a path forward. I had so much support around me, but the shift that changed everything was my mother asking, “If you’d never been planning on children, what would you be doing?” And without hesitation I answered, “Going back to school and earning my Ph.D.” I was not surprised by my response, but I was perhaps surprised by my clarity. I needed my mother to nudge me towards that sense of focus and accomplishment again. And now, nearly three years without her, I am more grateful to her than ever for pushing me to persevere in spite of. She still does.
Earning a Ph.D. is a long journey. It is not easy or designed to be easy! There are days you will want to quit (sometimes for weeks or months at a time). But if it feels like the thing you have to do for yourself, in spite of all the challenges, you can find your way forward. And maybe find yourself along the way too.
More advice for grad students and graduate-level writing can be found here.