Why graduate school may not be your best choice in life
Disclaimer:I have written this with no other purpose that sharing my point of view, based on personal experiences. I am neither responsible for your own decisions, nor pretending to induce misbehaviour from readers. This site may make use of cookies.
1. You will have to face the fact that very few vacancies are being offered worlwide. Too many graduates every year, very few opportunities. Even the best professors have to struggle day after day to attract funds for research, publish, manage lab assistants, students, and projects - and a family in many cases.
2. As a result, after graduate you will have to start your postdoctoral limbo. You will meet a new place, new people, make new friends, learn a new language. If you're single and under your 30s, maybe no worries for you. That may actually pose an advantage on dating an marrying a foreigner - one important step for permanent residence in a foreign country (make it Japan, the US, Canada). On the other hand, you'll struggle with solitude and far from your family ties. Precious years - family years - will be swept from your hands.
3. Still, you will not have a job that leads you to a career. While your high school mates have already worked at industry for 10, 15 years, a stable career, probably a house, one or two cars, a stable marriage, spare family time, you will probably have none of these.
4.If you are looking for a scientific research career at industry, and still want to go to grad school, search for countries and institutes that have strong ties with industry. Find out where students go after graduating. Also check statistics. Do your homework. Life cost may be higher or similar. Weather may be an important factor. Is the cultural background family friendly? Also consider that you are, in a way, representing your country.
Once there 'work hard and play hard'. Get involved, we can always learn good things - while keeping bad ones out - from almost every country.
5. Now, if you do insist on an academic life, you shall keep struggling with points 1 through 3 for years to come.
The end? Not for sure. There is a saying: 'the grass looks greener on the other side'. Another option is to re-enginer yourself: start an on-line business, write a book, travel, learn a new language, learn to code, take your body back to workout (swimming, karate, mountain bike, or simply hiking) go back to undergrad school - please do not choose a scientific path this time, but one that takes you where you want to.
