I have wanted to pursue an academic career path for some time now. In Sixth Form, I can remember thinking about the prospect of potentially doing a PhD at some point in the future, not knowing then of course that three or four years later I would be a recipient of an AHRC 1+3 (MA & PhD) award, and actually on the road to achieving that glimpse of a thought.
I’m not going to tell a fib, although
it feels amazing to receive such a great funding award (literally, my life is
made!), I can’t help but feel a tiny bit deflated about the prospect of pursuing
an academic career. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly passionate and excited about
my subject area- but as soon as I type the likes of ‘doing a PhD’, ‘Academia’ or ‘Getting
a lectureship’ into Google, I’m faced with endless articles and
discussion forums that state that it’s all not worth it- whether you’re
passionate about your subject area or not.
Why is there SO much negativity
surrounding academia and doing a PhD? Of course, I’m aware that there is a lack
of job security in academia, and lectureships are immensely competitive to
attain. I am also aware that doing a PhD can be a tireless and isolating
journey, I was even warned about that by a lecturer in my department. But why
should these aspects be the only things that are emphasised on the internet? I
have rarely come across positive success stories online! By all means, I’m
categorically not saying that I will find pursuing the academic path an
easy task! I also know that when I eventually get around to
doing my PhD after I’ve completed my MA in 2017, there will be times where I
will feel lonely and isolated and tired and probably the list will go on… But,
why does the whole experience, according to the internet, have to be
soul-destroying? Why does there only seem to be articles elucidating people
quitting or failing their PhD's, rather than people excelling and having a
positive experience of it? Can’t we share more positive experiences of people
doing well and actually enjoying their postgraduate studies,
rather than being fed-up, down and pondering if it is all worth it?
Therefore, I
wanted to create this blog with the aim and determination to try and shed a
more positive light onto the profession I’m so passionate about entering.
Mainly because everything I read online is scaring me hugely and I, at least, want to try and foster a more positive atmosphere where people within an academic setting can share their experiences, and by doing so, help others. In the
same respect, I’m sure not all of the discourse will be wholly positive, I want
to be true to my own experiences along the way and will be willing to cover any
hardships and learning curves that will inevitably occur; also, others may share more negative experiences if they feel it is an important issue to talk about.
For now, though, let’s try and see
the positives of pursuing an academic path and not dwell too heavily on the
“soul-destroying” negatives that are so widely scattered across the internet.
