it& #39;s interesting talking to #academics about why i don& #39;t want to stay in #academia. many tell me how stressed they are, how much work they have, how they took annual leave but worked anyway, then top it off with "but i do love what i do" 1/7
#AcademicTwitter #brokenacademia
#AcademicTwitter #brokenacademia
i look back at my journey and remember thinking *exactly* the same thing. when prospective #PhD students asked for advice id often say:
"you gotta NEED to know the answer to your question otherwise you will probably struggle. i hate around 90 % of my job... 2/7
"you gotta NEED to know the answer to your question otherwise you will probably struggle. i hate around 90 % of my job... 2/7
...but the other 10 % is so fantastic, the 90 % doesn& #39;t matter"
on the one hand this is true, i really love discovering things, interacting with participants (many now are some of my best mates), writing papers (yes, im *that* guy), learning, teaching etc 3/7
on the one hand this is true, i really love discovering things, interacting with participants (many now are some of my best mates), writing papers (yes, im *that* guy), learning, teaching etc 3/7
but the amount of BS that goes with all that: 18 months to publish a paper due to null results, editing to fit each journals formatting requirements, ENDLESS admin, the gaslighting, sexism, racism (even if doesnt affect me directly), hierarchies, time wasting procedures etc 4/7
i can now see this all as an outsider and my opinion is that for me, it is not worth it.
that 10 % is not worth my mental, physical, or social wellbeing. the freedom to think upon leaving is unreal. i can see how oppressive the system is. 5/7
that 10 % is not worth my mental, physical, or social wellbeing. the freedom to think upon leaving is unreal. i can see how oppressive the system is. 5/7
but it can exploit us because it knows we LOVE that 10 %.
so i guess the question is whether you value that 10 %* more than you value YOU?
*(or whatever the % is for you) 6/7
#ecrchat #AcademicChatter #brokenacademia #altac
so i guess the question is whether you value that 10 %* more than you value YOU?
*(or whatever the % is for you) 6/7
#ecrchat #AcademicChatter #brokenacademia #altac
(admittedly now is a tough time to be thinking about alternative careers, but when things have settled, don& #39;t forget how #universities have treated you during this time) 7/7
PS. recommend following @cjcornthwaite for insights into leaving academia
PS. recommend following @cjcornthwaite for insights into leaving academia