 Quitting Graduate School
Hey Everyone,
Starting Monday morning, I'm slated to become a graduate student taking a Ph.D. in Economics. I don't really want to do it - I got into the program because it was an easy, secure path out of my undergraduate degree.
Quitting isn't going to be easy, even though I know that in the long run I will be happier I did it. It's like a job - it provides the income that I live off of. My scholarships pay the rent, car payments, groceries, etc. Not having the income could cause financial ruin, whatever that means.
I was going to go ahead and get into this program, but Steve's latest article, "Life Sucks, then you die" sort of gave me a tip in the other direction. This is exactly why my life sucks. I've been treating it as something I have to get through alive rather than something that I actively create and enjoy. I've been doing things because they're practical and secure. I cannot say I have any genuine interest in graduate school. But I'm not sure I'm prepared for the possibly disastrous consequences of leaving. Deep down, I have a feeling for what I'd do if I did leave graduate school - go back to my hometown of Calgary, get a job (because of the oil boom there even a menial job pays a decent wage), do lots of yoga (I'm thinking of eventually becoming a teacher), join 2-3 Toastmasters clubs (I love doing speeches) - and eventually, find my life purpose. I could do the same once graduate school is over (I can leave after 1 year with a Master's degree). On the other hand, that's one more year of suffering through something I have no interest in doing.
Has anyone else had an experience leaving a similar situation? |