So, what does /sci/ think of PhD Comics?

>>7842852
Mostly accurate except for the obvious exaggerations.

I tried to read all the comics in one sitting once. Failed. It gets really boring when he starts doing his trips talking to grad-students who dumbed down their research is a step up from pop-sci, but not as interesting as reading the front page of Nature.

I'd also like to see Mike's thesis defence, I'm considering just buying the book, but I'm kind of mad that the author took grad-school spots at top schools and a tenure track job only to quit and write comics full time so I'm boycotting his book.

>>7842862
>t gets really boring when he starts doing his trips talking to grad-students who dumbed down their research
You mean the tales from the road thing? I'm planning to read all of them in one sitting, the text on them is too fucking small for me to bother to put in that much focus when I'm reading the other comics for procrastination purposes.

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This one speaks to me.

>>7843080
Physics major here.

I made $120,000 by shorting mining stocks on leverage when the SHTF back in November 2015.

>>7843106
>still posting on 4chin
>still being a hedonist

>>7843106
Could you go in more details? What was your initial investment in this? How did you predict shit would hit the fan? etc

Are you even a grad student? These comics are very accurate.... well let me clarify... the comics depict experiences that many people go through in grad school, but they are not experiences that every person goes through.

For example, I know a person similar to the OP picture, but that wasn't my experience, because I didn't give a fuck to tell my adviser that I slacked off for three weeks but am going to start next weekend.

As a phd stud, I find them both boring and offensive.

>>7843080
>"Are you a farmer, brewer, or drug dealer"
>If yes, "You have nothing to worry about just hang a "blowjobs and chickens accepted" sign on your door."

>>7843080
>if you aren't a professor (the most competitive job field in the sciences) then you are screwed and have no chance at a job!!!1!1!1!1

Hilarious.

>>7843211
>Are you even a grad student?
Currently an undergrad, that's probably why I don't empathise with it.

>>7842852
I completed a PhD in Physics. I have read all strips so far and he really hits the nail on the head. I have experienced a lot of the situations described, it is rather scary. Life as a PhD student really is crazy.

>>7843569
>Currently an undergrad, that's probably why I don't empathise with it.
Right. Life as a grad student is more different from life as an undergrad than I had expected.

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I enjoy Existential Comics but it's on philosophy. I'd like something similar to EC on science but I've never been able to find one (xkcd is shit).

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>>7843753

>>7843753
...that's a weird one.

>>7843236
Do tell?

I'm a molecular biology grad student and I dont really find that PHD comics fits my experience.

>>7843236
>As a phd stud
>phd stud
>stud

I am not sure you are the target audience.

>>7843753
>>7843758
Existencial comics is fantastic one of the greatest webcomics out there, but it seems like it's not like PhD Comics at all from what I understand of the latter. It isn't about the academia/"post-grad life" as op put it.

>>7842852
Promotion à l'Americaine.

I can't relate to the elitist tone of the comic, but some situation are pretty common everywhere.

>>7847577
Doing a PhD is elitist.

>>7847669
it's pretty normal in russia for example. and speccially nothing outstanding in all other countries where PhD is not the highest academic degree.

>>7847683
What academic degrees are higher than a PhD? Where I come from traditionally all the brightest and smartest students get drafted to do a PhD.

>>7847688
in your country Anon, it may be the highest Degree. In other countries you have other titels like Doctor of Science and Doktor of Engeneering in UK in Germany and a habilitation title in Germany. Or even Doctor of Divinity speaking of real elitists.

>>7843753
>every /sci/ thread summed up in one comic

>>7847669
it's really not.
that's just an excuse they give you to lure people into going for PhDs.

>>7847717
Once you complete a PhD, you have the title of Doctor of Science dumbass

>>7847748
These are 2 different titles, since countrys have their own policy dealing with different subjects people graduated and promoted in.

Russian Candidate of Sciences is recognized as an PhD. The Doctor of Sciences is equivalent to Dr. in every country.

On the other side the US PhD wasn't recognized as Dr. in germany until 2004/2005 or something.

*insert preferable ad hominem here*

>>7847781
>until 2005
Ok but now it is the same thing (with a different title) everywhere

>>7847785
not really.
Doctor of Science still ≠ Doctor of Engineering.

In UK, US and Sweden is now the same. Other EU countrys like to differ. I think Asian countrys also differ.

My point was that you can study beyond PhD when you don't study in US/UK, have a different curriculum or graduate not individually but withhin a research group.

>>7847797
But a PEng is not beyond PhD, it is just an "alternative"

>>7847799
>depending where you live
why is it hard to understand this? are you a brit/usfag by the way?

>>7847799
and btw:

PEng < PhD <= Dr. Eng.

I'm German and i thought it goes like this:
Bachelor -> Master -> Doktor -> Professor

It doesn't matter much to me though, I'm aware I'm too dumb to ever get beyond a master's, and too poor too which is why I'll stop after my bachelor's to get a job. I don't even know how people can finance going to school for all of their twenties to get a PhD. Are you all rich or something?

>>7847879
In Belgium, University is cheap (~800€/year)
(+I am still a a basement dweller at mommy's house)

>>7847879
Profesor is not an academic degree.
A lot of people without a title teach more recent subjects.
Master is btw equivalent to Diploma, which qualifies you for specific works, but not for own independent scientific research.
Most people promote after Master mostly because they also work at their uni or a near research institute. Also because they don't tend to found a family and have no big loans. Sometimes it is really the love for the research, but these people end up with Prof.Dr.iur.Dr.rer.pol.Dr.habil.Dr...

>>7847887
Ah of course. I come from a small town so I had to move to a city in order to study. Otherwise I'd probably still live with mommy and daddy too

>>7843080
>if you don't go to college or are a professor, you're screwed!


Has this person ever heard of the phrase "Skilled Trades"

>>7842852
The first fifty times it's funny but it starts to sound really repetitive and really whiny after a while

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>1997
Do they really grade rules the way they describe in pic? wtf

>>7849794
""""skilled"""" trades

>>7849928
I recently moved to a grad school in the US. Yes, they do exactly shit like this. Which to an European is so far just baffling. Well, tests seem to serve a different purpose here.

>>7850144
Well, we have that shit in Europe too, but they adapt the exams to follow the mean (making it easier or harder).

>>7847717

In the UK, PhD is the highest degree with equivalent degrees like EngD.

EngDs were introduced to mean exactly the same thing as a PhD, but with a sponsor from an engineering firm which makes the degree take as long as 5 years while being done part-time.
EngD are typically oriented towards non-academic roles with a focus on research.
EngD in recent times has been superseded by a program called AEngD.


At the end of a PhD and an EngD you will end up with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Engineering, respectively.
The title remains Dr. for both degrees.

>>7850208
>In the UK, PhD is the highest degree with equivalent degrees like EngD.
Utopia.

>>7850164
Is it any different in America?

>>7842852
you know back in the day before serial binging, and societality accepted mental illness having someone read 1000 issues of anything would have forced that person to acknowledge it

these days plebs don't even acknowledge their lack of self control...
baka

>>7849794
has anyone heard of robot uprisings?
because ive been hearing whispers and im not sure they're outside my head

help me