BootsnAll Travel Community

Getting my PhD in Ireland - more cost effective and the atmosphere of doing it here rather than in the States made a lot of sense to me. Well, that and I live here and finished my Masters here (much shorter than the States as well). I'm footing the bill myself, but I would have to do the same if I were doing Law School in the States. Ultimately it was cheaper and more reasonable to complete a doctorate than a JD.

The main difference is that I get to research what I'm interested in, and not worry about classes that cover topics unrelated to my own (e.g. law school). I teach once in a while, I'm not overburdened, and I get my stuff done in a timely manner to submit to my supervisor. I'm well on track and able to attend conferences, present my research, and travel as part of my work. I am LOVING it so far. Of course, I'd love to teach when I'm through, it's great fun and I appreciate the collegiate banter. I would also like to practice my work in a non-academic environment, which I'm getting plenty of experience in now. And I'm doing "Arts"!

So yes, of course, plan carefully on what you want to spend time and money on. I had a frank discussion with my supervisor before embarking on this, telling him of my time frame, budget, and what I want to get done. Having a supervisor who not only is your number one academic support/critic/cheerleader but also understands what you need personally is vital. Anyway, getting a PhD is not for everyone, but I'm very happy with the choice I made.

I'll be starting down the road to a Ph.D. in Cell Biology this fall. I guess I decided to do it because I've done research before and enjoyed it. I'll be in Europe this summer for a month though! Probably won't have time for a lot of international travel later, unfortunately