don't listen to doomsday naysayers. you are already aware of this stuff. this is written in a very negative fashion. you absolutely have to try for it, because it's what you want and what you'll be great at. i'd look past all these facts and focus on the fact that almost every academic you meet seems to want to give you a job!
I know darling - it's just that the news never gets any better and you deserve the best. I can't give you that as a bloody scientist. Happily (sort of) ditching the academic path isn't even something i can worry about till i have a visa that let's me apply for other jobs. So for now i'll worry about being a good scientist - and worry about the other stuff later i guess. i love you.
i love you too! though maybe you'll love me less when i admit what i have to next: i can't figure out how to work the power drill. it's lying on my table like a dead orange and black carcass splayed every which way. i DIDN'T read the directions because they fold out. like a map.
also i made a small hole in the wall by trying to hammer a large screw with a regular hammer. i am sorry. i meant well.
I'm not even done with my Ph.D and I am already ready to quit! I can't wait until I leave universities forever. Lots of my friends are off to do postdocs, some overseas, but I'd rather cut off my own arm. Well, almost.
There was a good article in the Higher Ed. section of The Australian yesterday about how universities are struggling in general to retain academics. According to the article it's becoming a bit of a crisis because so many academics are retiring and no one is coming in to replace them.
Yeah I know that there are quite a lot of academic positions in Australia, but the trend is quite the reverse here - a lot of people trying to get a very few positions, and not much funding for those who get the positions. I think the problem with replacing academics in Australia is one that exists outside the Go8 mainly... and (to be terribly cynical) if they were the institutions I'd be applying to for a chemistry/oncology position, I'd give it all up anyway.
Umm... the situation in the UK is a little tricky - especially with the 'physical sciences'. They don't tend to be as forward looking - continental Europe is moreso, especially in physics/astronomy. Of course they all have baseline funding to get scientists to astronomy equipment, but as always it's getting the faculty position that's the challenge. England has been talking about restricting the number of universities that conduct research to only 8 (!) in physics and chemistry, which makes things difficult.
In Australia things are looking up - plenty of astronomy research infrastructure with a perr-reviewed access plan, and a doubling of federally funded postdoctoral positions and PhD research scholarships.
oh...America has the most funding by a country mile, but the funding has been flat for a few years, and the number of applicants is soaring, so the % of succesful applicants is low here (less than 20%) - Germany is 40% by comparison, and Australia about 32%.
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also i made a small hole in the wall by trying to hammer a large screw with a regular hammer. i am sorry. i meant well.
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There was a good article in the Higher Ed. section of The Australian yesterday about how universities are struggling in general to retain academics. According to the article it's becoming a bit of a crisis because so many academics are retiring and no one is coming in to replace them.
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;)
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how is the situation in Australia or in the UK? i heard a few years ago that we have more science funding but i don't know...?
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In Australia things are looking up - plenty of astronomy research infrastructure with a perr-reviewed access plan, and a doubling of federally funded postdoctoral positions and PhD research scholarships.
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