

Ask HN: Is doing a PhD from Oxford a better option than a Research based Job? - ronzensci

I have got an admit for distributed computing in wireless sensors at Oxford University. After my M.S. and a couple of years of working in the silicon valley, I was inclined to look for a job in an innovative startup or an industry research lab. But because of being on a H1B, I could not find anything satisfactory in the time-frame I had (I had to urgently look for a job between March '09 and July '09 - and couldn't find anything at that time). 
Hence, rather than settling for a 'mundane' job, I decided to apply for a PhD. Now, after getting an admit at Oxford, I am at a crossroad- should I go in for a three year doctoral program or hold out for that 'Research focused Job' that I am looking for. 
Some factors to consider are- I am currently self-employed in my home country working on a well-paying but uncertainity laden freelance consulting gigs.&#60;p&#62;My topic of interest is here:
http://urbansensors.com&#60;p&#62;Any ideas or suggestions about the research interest or if there is something different that I should be exploring right now are welcome.
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cperciva
_a three year doctoral program_

You do know that's a myth, right? When I turned up OUCL for my DPhil, one of
the first things the department head told us was "in the history of OUCL, only
one student has ever done the DPhil in 3 years".

I'm not sure if that's true or if he was exaggerating slightly; but the norm
is 4-5 years, not 3.

