I need advice about continuing my PhD!

[slvrdlphn8]

I am currently finishing my first year as a PhD student. I have rotated in 3 labs and only found one I liked and she is not sure if she will take anyone. I am having such flip flopping feelings about staying. My life is split between UC Irvine and San Diego (where my boyfriend is).

I am only 22 and I pretty much only joined UC Irvine because I was accepted (damn UCSD) and I didn’t want to enter the “real world” and I hope to make more money with a higher degree. I figured why not do research I love, get paid (but not alot) and get my degree at the same time? I didnt know about all the hard work and abuse!) Looking back, these are pretty dumb reasons to get a PhD, but alas, I am already here.

I know I love research and it’s what I want to do. But do I need a PhD to do it? Maybe I should just get my Masters? Someone once said if it’s the bench work you like, just go to industry. If you want to create your own projects, you need a PhD. I am not sure if I even want to create my own projects. Maybe I just want to be told what to do?

I don’t know anyone who is in the industry and only has their BS, so I don’t know who to ask for advice. I do know a fellow grad student who worked for Amgen for 8 yrs with a BS and is 31 now getting his PhD. He was making $80,000.

Can anyone give me there opinion? I would really appreciate some input! Thanks!

Jenna

[Bio-Hazard]

Ask people with Master's degrees. Afterwards, ask people with Ph.D's. I don't think you ought to talk to many people here about that stuff, but perhaps email some others at universities.

Also, if you want people to take you seriously, study grammar and use correct spelling.

[mith]

Hey, I'm an undergrad at Berkeley. My boss is a Ph.D researcher for LBL and he seems pretty happy but I don't think he's making loads. He told me that industry might not prefer to hire Ph.Ds because they might run away as soon as they have a chance(the jobs being too lowly for them).

[Darby]

On a tour with Albany Molecular, I learned that most of their 4-5-person research teams were PhDs and BSs, but it was suggested that that might be because there just weren't that many MS applicants. One assumes that, on those teams, it's better to be a PhD, in terms of control and income...