If you and your partner both have PhDs...

[Anonymous]

Two PhDs - neither wanted to teach or rat race for funding. Both had fully funded PhDs - so low risk high reward to finish at 26.

Don’t care what the kids do…common sense is more important to us, as is finding something you enjoy and can make a living doing. There are so many brilliant and dysfunctional people - we’re just striving to make kids who can contribute and be happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...does the apple fall far from the tree? Would you be surprised if your child earned a PhD as well? Apparently 22% of tenure-track professors have a parent with a PhD. For context, about 2% of adults in the United States have a PhD though I'm sure that number is much higher in the DC area.

One parent is a professor and one works in non-profit (non-research position). One DC is a big question asker, excels academically, and I could see them taking the PhD path if they wanted, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The other DC is more of a concrete thinker and lives mostly in the present. On some dimensions, DC 2 is more similar to certain extended family members.

We are both PhDs. My kid is intelligent enough to get one and smart enough not to.

This is funny, when I think PhD, I think privilege far more than I think "intelligent." A PhD is more about having the time and the privilege, and does not necessarily require any higher level of intelligence than a college degree, really. Now most of the PhDs I am thinking of are psychology, art history, history, etc. Once you get into the hard sciences then yes, that's pretty impressive. But still requires privilege.

Oh child. No. I was born dirt poor and first gen college. I have a doctorate. I don't need it though. Like Ms. MBA above said, i have a job where I don't need it. However, it's a science phd and I run a science-based org so it's good to have. ppl assume I know more than I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...does the apple fall far from the tree? Would you be surprised if your child earned a PhD as well? Apparently 22% of tenure-track professors have a parent with a PhD. For context, about 2% of adults in the United States have a PhD though I'm sure that number is much higher in the DC area.

One parent is a professor and one works in non-profit (non-research position). One DC is a big question asker, excels academically, and I could see them taking the PhD path if they wanted, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The other DC is more of a concrete thinker and lives mostly in the present. On some dimensions, DC 2 is more similar to certain extended family members.

Only is a family with both parents Ph.D. in Economics with three children. First child (son) is a drug addict and lives on the street. 2nd son is a functioning alcoholic. 3rd (daughter) has a Ph.D. in something and has three children by three different men and never married. Obviously, Ph.Ds didn't keep this family from being as dysfunctional as parents with no education.

Sounds about right for economists.

[Anonymous]

I work in a government agency with lots of PhD’s, and most are happy and enjoy their work. Not everyone with a PhD is going into academia. I wouldn’t expect my kids to pursue it because neither likes school very much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...does the apple fall far from the tree? Would you be surprised if your child earned a PhD as well? Apparently 22% of tenure-track professors have a parent with a PhD. For context, about 2% of adults in the United States have a PhD though I'm sure that number is much higher in the DC area.

One parent is a professor and one works in non-profit (non-research position). One DC is a big question asker, excels academically, and I could see them taking the PhD path if they wanted, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The other DC is more of a concrete thinker and lives mostly in the present. On some dimensions, DC 2 is more similar to certain extended family members.

We are both PhDs. My kid is intelligent enough to get one and smart enough not to.

This is funny, when I think PhD, I think privilege far more than I think "intelligent." A PhD is more about having the time and the privilege, and does not necessarily require any higher level of intelligence than a college degree, really. Now most of the PhDs I am thinking of are psychology, art history, history, etc. Once you get into the hard sciences then yes, that's pretty impressive. But still requires privilege.

Oh child. No. I was born dirt poor and first gen college. I have a doctorate. I don't need it though. Like Ms. MBA above said, i have a job where I don't need it. However, it's a science phd and I run a science-based org so it's good to have. ppl assume I know more than I do.

Oh don't worry. Most of us know that the PhDs in our field know much less than they think they do. You're not fooling anybody.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...does the apple fall far from the tree? Would you be surprised if your child earned a PhD as well? Apparently 22% of tenure-track professors have a parent with a PhD. For context, about 2% of adults in the United States have a PhD though I'm sure that number is much higher in the DC area.

One parent is a professor and one works in non-profit (non-research position). One DC is a big question asker, excels academically, and I could see them taking the PhD path if they wanted, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The other DC is more of a concrete thinker and lives mostly in the present. On some dimensions, DC 2 is more similar to certain extended family members.

Only is a family with both parents Ph.D. in Economics with three children. First child (son) is a drug addict and lives on the street. 2nd son is a functioning alcoholic. 3rd (daughter) has a Ph.D. in something and has three children by three different men and never married. Obviously, Ph.Ds didn't keep this family from being as dysfunctional as parents with no education.

Sounds about right for economists.

LOL, it's always fun to dunk on economists.

[Anonymous]

I have a PhD and would not encourage my child to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...does the apple fall far from the tree? Would you be surprised if your child earned a PhD as well? Apparently 22% of tenure-track professors have a parent with a PhD. For context, about 2% of adults in the United States have a PhD though I'm sure that number is much higher in the DC area.

One parent is a professor and one works in non-profit (non-research position). One DC is a big question asker, excels academically, and I could see them taking the PhD path if they wanted, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. The other DC is more of a concrete thinker and lives mostly in the present. On some dimensions, DC 2 is more similar to certain extended family members.

My spouse and I both have our PhDs, in the same field. His dad has his PhD and his mom and sister have MBAs. His brother has a PhD. His aunt has her Ed. So lots of degrees there- but they discouraged my husband from pursuing his degree, maybe for the same reasons above?

Neither of my parents finished college but two of their kids have PhDs.

I think at least one or two of my kids will end up in grad school- just the nature of their interests. One wants to go to med school.

The PhD was such a slog for us we definitely will help our kids think seriously about whether they really want to do it. We didn’t pay for our degrees though- you get fellowships etc.

I don’t use mine, but I guess I am glad I have it- we talk shop all the time. My husband still uses his and has had a good ROI for it.

It wasn’t easy, though! At my school in my department they seemed to relish making it hard to finish!

[Anonymous]

lol.

A PhD requires far more intelligence than is average. One simply does not pass doctorate level mathematics, theoretical physics, quantum physics, fluid mechanics, interfacial sciences, etc. with ease to meet the core requirements for a PhD in engineering. Sorry, but a typical undergrad would bomb those courses when they struggle with elementary classes like linear algebra and complex analysis.


Ask me how I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lol.

A PhD requires far more intelligence than is average. One simply does not pass doctorate level mathematics, theoretical physics, quantum physics, fluid mechanics, interfacial sciences, etc. with ease to meet the core requirements for a PhD in engineering. Sorry, but a typical undergrad would bomb those courses when they struggle with elementary classes like linear algebra and complex analysis.


Ask me how I know.

I think you’re the same person who posted in the college forum about being annoyed at high schoolers emailing you asking for internships.

[Anonymous]

A PhD is more about endurance than intellect

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of when I was a military officer…the officers who had a parent who was a career military officer seemed to glide through the various challenges with relative ease. They had grown up in the environment, & seemed to instinctively know what to do.

[Anonymous]

People working at universities get a massive break on tuition at the school where they teach (and often at other universities as well?) Makes it easier to be a perpetual student when you're not saddled with undergrad debt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This reminds me of when I was a military officer…the officers who had a parent who was a career military officer seemed to glide through the various challenges with relative ease. They had grown up in the environment, & seemed to instinctively know what to do.

Same with medicine. So many med students have MD parents. It’s just easier to do what you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This reminds me of when I was a military officer…the officers who had a parent who was a career military officer seemed to glide through the various challenges with relative ease. They had grown up in the environment, & seemed to instinctively know what to do.

Same with medicine. So many med students have MD parents. It’s just easier to do what you know.

This all makes sense.