A post I read struck me as very interesting when I stumbled across it. It's about the differences in lifestyle, and other soft factors, between getting a PhD and having an industry job. The author is trying to compare life and academia versus life in industry. Since I've been living some of that for the last decade(s), I noticed there are some things that aren't mentioned. So, a thread.
#academia #academiclife #lablife #researchers #universitylife
(1/?)
The OP is comparing their view of academic life, which appears, based on the post, to be comparing their PhD training period with an industry job.
Here in the US, many discussions of academic work versus industry work only compare tenured faculty members against, usually, senior researchers and industry.
In my experience there are lots of people who fill other roles both in academia and industry. My role at universities has always been below the level of professor.
I'm staff.
(2/?)
One of the things that we're constantly told is Central to academic life is intellectual freedom. I'm just going to say it:
Bullshit.
Academic life is nowhere near as free as people think it is.
Let's start with the usual one: you can research whatever you want.
I don't want to overuse this, but again, bullshit. The truth is that in many academic faculty positions a substantial portion of your own salary has to be covered by research. That research has to be funded.
(3/?)
doctorambient
Yaqub. M