Word on the STEM straße is that the Nerd Borg is shrinking at an unacceptable rate and that we must brainwash more young and gullible potential-laden youths into joining our illustrious Order. We hold retreats and workshops, enter classrooms to show demos, and make super kewl websites to convince the kiddies that Science is Aweshum!11!!!1!
Figure 1: But he promised there was candy in Sciencelandia, and I never had to grow up to be stuffy Industry Peon! Especially if you figure out the magical magicks of Telomeres!1!!
Breaka-a-a-a-a-a-a-a
But I’m growing increasingly concerned with the happy sing-along-song and dance a lot of academics seem to do when speaking to older students (e.g. undergraduates). We have presumably evolved beyond kindergarten-style presentation of career options, where Everything is Perfect and Exciting All the Time, yet I find that is not the case when many scientists deliver their spiel. Time and time again I observe our Academic Career Salesfolks displaying willful obstinance to admitting drawbacks about the job. No, the money never matters if you do what you love. You might work hard sometimes, but if you truly love your science it will be fun. Gender/race/sexual orientation doesn’t matter, your work will speak for itself. Science is all about collaboration, there’s no politics like in business or industry.
I’ve mentioned before that being disillusioned that Academia is not Science Rave Funtime 24/7 is kind of ridiculous. However, can we really blame young n00bs for being woefully unprepared if the overwhelming volume of information we provide them is unbalanced and unrealistic? I was lucky enough to work in a number of different laboratories before finally entering the STEM Order officially, so I knew how to filter the bullshit. But what about kids who haven’t had the same opportunities? What about students who don’t have mentors who are knowledgeable enough, or willing, to divulge the uglier aspects of our line of work? How can we roll our eyes at the masses of n00bs who ‘can’t hack it’ and leave utterly disillusioned with Academia when we’re enthusiastically contributing to the problem?
If you don't cover the hook with the worm, how do you expect to catch the fish?
Personally, I'm worried more about the massive nets that strangle the dolphins than the plastic fakeworms we bait our hooks with.
I haven't had a lot of contact with undergrads but I'm teaching 2 bio labs this semester. I'm really clear with the students that science isn't always easy and experiments don't always work - but it can also be rewarding and fun. We have to balance realism and encouragement.
I think part of the problem is that a lot of people who do make it in science - certainly those in my university - really really can't see themselves doing anything else, and can't see why anyone would want to do anything else. I know friends of mine who don't want to go into academia tend to avoid mentioning that to academics because they don't understand (or so I'm told).
You had lab experience; I read blogs
Which is why the current grad students gotta keep it real with the newbs (or potential newbs). I'm not gonna tell you it's a Care Bear tea party, cuz it ain't. It's not impossible either, plenty of us are doing it.
As a *recruiter*, I do say why I think my program is awesomesauce - but I don't pretend it's easy or for everyone. I just think if you're going to do *science* my brand of science is SUPER COOL.
As I like to say - I have no vested interest in whether or not you come here, but I only want you here if you want to be here. Otherwise, you're taking a spot from someone who DOES want to be here and that's bunk. There ain't that many spots to go around these days....
Let's be honest here tho. I mean, damn, there's bullshit and politics EVERYWHERE - you gotta grow up yo, like stat, no matter whatcha wanna do in the long term. (I don't bond with my parents over my science - they're not scientists - but man do they have some good advice on the politics!!!)
Plus, academia tends to keep the smarties regardless of their various sociopathic tendencies and other personality disorders - they can be some crazy folks. [Thinking of departmental faculty meetings makes me shiver and go "I wanna do that?!?!?! *whimpers*]
Keep it real, y'all... for everyone's sake!
this is why i loathed being anything official on recruiting weekends as a grad student, unless it was official free-drink-on-the-university-tab-haver.
now part of my approach with the undergrads is telling them they are intellectually capable of achieving whatever degree they choose to chase down [in the cases that they are, i mean] but that itself is not a reason to chase it down- and grad school is a long and crappy road when you don't know why you're there in the first place.
we tend to oversell the things we like to do. but not everyone likes the same things we do.
dont drink the kool-aid.
id be considered one of those "success" stories bc i got a job that i love right out of grad school, but i make shit money & really after 5.5 yrs of training, this is it??? this is all brain & abilities are worth?
i encourage the students who are thinking of leaving with a masters & i set the delusional undergrads straight.
I don't think science is any different from any other profession involving human beings. There are crappy politics, unfairness, and soul sucking situations in any job. At least grad school (in science) is covered by a stipend! I know a few unemployed lawyers who are screwed beyond belief for life (because you can't discharge student loans in bankruptcy--how is that fair?).
When advising undergrads, I try to give a balanced picture. But I love my job, I enjoyed grad school, and I might have gotten a PhD for the fun of it even if I didn't need one in my career (like several of my friends who are now rabbis, high school teachers, and nurses), though I really wanted a career in science, so I can't really say what I would have done in that case. It is easy for me to talk about the downsides, but I am not bitter or passionate about them, and people have the most amazing ability to tune out what they don't want to hear. I do encourage my grad students to tell prospective group members the truth about what it is like, but I don't actually know what they say. The funny thing is that as an undergrad and PhD student, I swore that I would NEVER be an academic. It is hard to say how life will work out!
@Lisa
If you have a job you love and you needed a PhD to get it, then I would also consider you a success (as long as you can live on your shit pay). I know too many people in awful soul-destroying jobs (with and without advanced degrees), some of whom need more than one of them to live on, to really think that is a failed outcome. Of course, you get to decide for yourself if you are a success story, but some of the people who you are advising might also wonder about this, depending on their prior experiences.