On: Liberal Arts Professors on Attending Grad School--Is it the same in Comp Sci?

[npk]

I can't say anything about CS, but in physics, these comments are spot on. The essay points out: "A Ph.D in the humanities is useful for one thing only these days, and that's being an academic." Ok, a phd in physics gives you more flexibility, but while you're in grad school, your professors expect the best and brightest to go into academia, the less smart go off and work in industry.

Again, I don't know if the "academia uber alles" attitude pervades CS. But, suppose it's common. Imagine how that will make you feel if you want to go work in something so undignified as consumer internet applications. The academic attitude is really a brainfuck, UNLESS, you want to be an academic :)

[nostrademons → npk]

"while you're in grad school, your professors expect the best and brightest to go into academia, the less smart go off and work in industry"

I'm not sure that's unique to academia though. I've met several financial types that expect the best and brightest to go into finance, and the less smart to go off to academia. And several startup types that expect the best and brightest to go into startups, the less smart to go of off into finance or academia. And several bums that expect the best and brightest to drop out of school and play World of Warcraft all day, while the less smart spend all their time slaving away for the man.

Everybody wants to feel like they made the right choice. Hence, even if they didn't make the right choice, they assume that their choice requires superior intellectual ability. You get a lot of self-justification.

Me, I knew I would suck at academia, so I went and joined a financial software startup. Then I found I sucked at finance, so I'm founding my own startup. Maybe I suck at startups too, but it's what I want to do. If it totally fails I can become a bum and play WoW all day. ;-)