I think if I was designing a PhD program one of the main things I’d want from the coursework phase is opportunities for the students to do work they were proud of so they’d have like... functional reward systems in their brains when they started trying to write a dissertation :)

I think one of its main goals would !not! be getting them to accept that they are miserable little worms with nothing to contribute to the world

As ever fewer graduates get academic jobs I think it would be good for departments to think about how to make their programs at all internally rewarding for people who are extremely passionate about the subject such as their students. Idk I feel this should be possible

People sometimes tell people considering a PhD that they should only do it if they’ll think it was worth it even if they don’t get a job but u just almost certainly won’t because they’re just not designed in ways that cultivate that kind of satisfaction and sense of achievement

I don’t want to say maybe there should be more consultants but idk maybe there should be phd curriculum consultants

Hire me I have 20000000 thoughts and only student experience