Life Beyond A PhD
There was a time when I worked so hard,
Getting A’s at university
But the acolade I wanted most
Was the prestigious PhD
I’d work late into evenings,
Running from the library to and fro
All in the hopes I’d be accepted for a PhD
Letters I did’t fully know.
I tried to please my teachers,
While the pressures grew and grew
Overworking till my fingers hurt
So that all spare time was few
Many would think its in my best interests,
A golden opportunity
But now I’m not so purely sure
I need that PhD
Many friends already have one,
They showcase it with glee
And sometimes I feel like the only one
Who lacks fancy post-name letters - 1, 2 and 3
I know it means more prestige,
And fancy letters to my name
But the life it drains in the process
Now thats a risky game.
I’ve finished undergrad,
And now even an MSc
Will it really make me a better person
by completing a PhD?
Perhaps I’ll earn more money,
Or be commended for a research breakthrough
But what about the soul passions I’d leave behind?
I can’t decide between the two.
Yes I know I’ll seem to have life sorted,
With a more triumphant looking CV
And yet it feels like a heartless journey
To pursue one’s PhD.
I’ve heard it can give careers more ‘Oomph’,
Bringing security in a crazy world
But what if it closes life in on me
Before its even unfurled?
Most PhDs mean paying to work,
With tired eyes and fingers throbbing
Now correct me if I’m wrong,
But where I’m from thats called robbing
I thought we'd abolished slavery,
and yet students still pay through their teeth
To write their own thick document
That could easily rival War and Peace
I’ve already paid for my education,
And my grotty student lets
Perhaps I’d be more willing
If I wasn’t drowning in my debts
I now dread being trapped in an office,
Staring at screens 3 years or more
Swamped in wastelands of research papers
While longing to seek what’s beyond the door
I know some PhDs are key,
To securing a better social future
But if you’re looking for someone up for that task
Please don’t pick me as your suitor
For far too long I’ve wasted
Basing self worth on certificates
I’ve already had my share of accolades
And even fancy hats
Now life seems to call a different cry,
To seek, explore, have fun
Will that be allowed in research labs
Where there’s minute rays of sun?
PhDs bring safety and authority,
Things of which I would be glad
But along with nervous stress and teaching brats
It could also drive me mad
Perhaps its quite a risk to say no,
And throw the towel in
Wasting all my past achievements
To turn life’s yang more yin
I’ve wasted far too much life already,
When there’s so much love and beauty to feel
The wonders of the universe don’t reside on paper
A PhD isn’t truly real.
Im not another number,
I have dreams left to create and do
I think I could find more meaning and fulfilment
Than a PhD or two
So for now I’ll take my chances,
Experience the liberation to be free
Perhaps I’ll still relish life and travel the world
Without a PhD.
