Boyfriend or career?

[Citizen Drawn]

Ok just to add some more input on this -- These would be my own list of pros and cons from an academic perspective

 

Pro's

- Better students, will be able to inspire you and good contacts

- More oriented towards a successful PhD experience (well organised deadlines, frequent monitoring etc.)

- Your research group will probably better and so will your co-authored publications and people to learn off as a result

- High ranking academics belonging to the department, and coming in and out of the department for talks

- Better reputation (does open a few more doors but really this is not so high on the list)

- Good links to industry

- Good students to teach (although this can be challenging!)

- Usually higher success rate of students passing

 

Cons

 

- You are pretty much gambling on your supervisor if you have not met them that much (this really is the biggest con for me). This person will have to support you through 3 years of study and they are incredibly important.

- You will have to organise a new external support system

- You really need this if things turn sour with your supervisor (do not underestimate how easily this happens)

- Really tough, very high expectations of you (although this could be a pro in some ways)

- Academics are often busy and inaccessible

- Cuts are currently being made in a lot of departments in high ranking UK universities (check this out before you apply)

- 3 years in the UK - daunting to add on top of the study and you are a LONG way from home. Could be overwhelming and distract you from research.

 

On the whole I would say it's better for your career to be at a better institution, however you really do have to be weigh this against the gamble on your supervisor, the adjustment support wise, and to a new place, as this will have a huge impact on your ability to do the required research. If you're demotivated in the UK in your second/third year it's going to be much tougher than if you're demotivated in NZ. If you're confident that you can get the supervisor right and are comfortable with getting a new support system then you should be ok to go, however if you have any reservations about these things take them seriously! I would also check out the % of students that pass as this varies between institutions.

[Sam Spade]

So I throw away what could be a wonderful life long relationship, the source of all true happiness... For a phd at a university with a slightly better name? I may still not even get a job anywhere. I also may give it up for kids - probably will in a few years.

 

Thanks for your responses... I am swaying that way. The more I think about it the better I feel about it. Plus we just had a huge fight and perhaps its been decided for me. Gosh this is SO MUCH WORK!!!

 

"slightly better" university name won't get you a good job. Unless you have the option to study at an actually good school (tier 1), it is not worth to wreck the relationship for marginally better school - marginally better crap is still crap.

I work in academia and PhDs from tier 2 schools do get decent jobs, ONLY if they publish their ass off while still in graduate school. Which is of course harder when you start at a disadvantage.

 

Even with all that considered, most relationships don't survive the PhD, so why bother , might as well break it off anyway.

[Thornton]

I second the fact that publications are more important than which university you go to. people will employ you because they've heard of you and/or have read your work and are impressed. You will meet people at conferences... but how many conferences will you realistically get to go to while living in NZ? I got to attend a number of European conferences because it's only a short hop by plane to most countries - NZ is a long way from anywhere, will your university fund you to travel to conferences? Remember that better universities usually have more funding too, including travel funding, and your papers are more likely to be accepted for publication if a good supervisor has helped you to write them.

[utterer of lies]

I second the fact that publications are more important than which university you go to. people will employ you because they've heard of you and/or have read your work and are impressed. You will meet people at conferences... but how many conferences will you realistically get to go to while living in NZ? I got to attend a number of European conferences because it's only a short hop by plane to most countries - NZ is a long way from anywhere, will your university fund you to travel to conferences? Remember that better universities usually have more funding too, including travel funding, and your papers are more likely to be accepted for publication if a good supervisor has helped you to write them.

 

Yes, the supervisor is very important. A well-connected professor will get you into many more conferences/journals, just because he's a known name in the field and having him as second or third author of a paper will increase your range.

 

I know the theory of blind peer-by-peer review is great, but in practice, in many fields, the reviewers will be able to guess the source, especially since most papers are incremental and cite lots of own work.

 

And if you have the chance to go to a university that people know the name of even if they're not scientists, use it.

[hendersongirl]

I just got an email saying my article I submitted has been accepted!!

 

So, I hope everyone is right about publications!! :)

 

I think what I might do is stay and do the Masters... I don't want to make a hasty decision regarding my PhD either way. Problem is, my bf will be a year into his PhD by then and so there will be no option of both of us moving.

 

YAY I'M A PUBLISHED SCHOLAR!!!

[Citizen Drawn]

Well done, a publication getting accepted is always a good feeling but the first is quite special

[sb129]

Congrats HG.

 

Yes the first is special-- esp if, as in my case, its the last!