OP clearly failed JMC
Why do people in academia think it's the best job ever?
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This is one of the most on-topic threads I've seen on EJMR in months. This "go back to reddit" trolling is unwarranted.
I suspect the folks that think this are some combination of:
- Lexicographic preferences for academia
- Got the job a while back and are stuck (due to location/skills constraints) and are rationalizing
- Independently wealthy, and it is a status symbol
- Foreigners using it as an immigration vehicle to escape terrible home countries
- Don't know any better (undergrad/grad students, those who can't internalize sunk costs) -
- Got the job a while back and are stuck (due to location/skills constraints) and are rationalizing
i haven't put in an honest day's work in over a decade and made six figures the whole time.
if you know of a better way to make free money, more power to you.
yes, I have talked myself into accepting endless guaranteed cashflow in exchange for nothing. pls help, how in the world did i get stuck in such a bind?!?
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- Intellectual freedom, I work on what I want when I want
- Job security (when tenured)
- Rural/low cost of life locationWhat is the alternative? Working 9-7 for an Indian MBA for 250-300k in a high cost of life area would leave me with far time to enjoy life, lower urban quality of life and not really more money once all the additional costs (housing in particular) are factored in.
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Many of us have personalities and preferences that tilt toward academics. Intellectually, there are more opportunities to learn and use basic (!= easy) ideas in math, statistics, and economics. Many of us prefer not having any bosses or fixed schedules. Summers are unstructured. Sabbaticals allow you to live in a different part of the country or world for a year. Teaching remains a useful way to learn or reinforce ideas. You can have low to zero productivity for a stretch without any career risk. Those are some positives from the perspective of some academics, including me.
The downsides are pretty obvious and align well with OP's list.
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This is one of the most on-topic threads I've seen on EJMR in months. This "go back to reddit" trolling is unwarranted.
I suspect the folks that think this are some combination of:
- Lexicographic preferences for academia
- Got the job a while back and are stuck (due to location/skills constraints) and are rationalizing
- Independently wealthy, and it is a status symbol
- Foreigners using it as an immigration vehicle to escape terrible home countries
- Don't know any better (undergrad/grad students, those who can't internalize sunk costs)The problem is the whole question is underspecified. If I have a hamburger tonight, does that mean I think hamburgers are "the best food ever"? No, it meant that given my budget, preferences, etc., I bought and consumed a hamburger.
I don't know what "the best job ever" is. Do you? I have preferences and constraints, and academia fulfills them, for now, better than consulting or whatever. Mystery solved!
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f0ea noted lexicographic preferences for academia. Mine are for teaching.
I worked in a box factory for a while. It wasn’t fun but it paid ok.
I taught privately for a while (Kaplan) but the for profit grind made me anxious and kept my compensation low given the amount of customer service work I had to do. At the college there’s a bit of this but when push comes to shove I can eventually tell a student, “okay, you just get an F” and not worry about having to go to training if she gives me a poor review.
Tenure is awesome.
Writing pedagogy articles is fun.
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- Intellectual freedom, I work on what I want when I want
- Job security (when tenured)
- Rural/low cost of life location
What is the alternative? Working 9-7 for an Indian MBA for 250-300k in a high cost of life area would leave me with far time to enjoy life, lower urban quality of life and not really more money once all the additional costs (housing in particular) are factored in.Yeah, but you're poor while that Indian MBA is clearing 700k by age 40
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- Intellectual freedom, I work on what I want when I want
- Job security (when tenured)
- Rural/low cost of life location
What is the alternative? Working 9-7 for an Indian MBA for 250-300k in a high cost of life area would leave me with far time to enjoy life, lower urban quality of life and not really more money once all the additional costs (housing in particular) are factored in.Yeah, but you're poor while that Indian MBA is clearing 700k by age 40
I grew up poor so six figures in a mid cost of living area is pretty good
Why would I compare my salary to some guy with an MBA?
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- Intellectual freedom, I work on what I want when I want
- Job security (when tenured)
- Rural/low cost of life location
What is the alternative? Working 9-7 for an Indian MBA for 250-300k in a high cost of life area would leave me with far time to enjoy life, lower urban quality of life and not really more money once all the additional costs (housing in particular) are factored in.Yeah, but you're poor while that Indian MBA is clearing 700k by age 40
I grew up poor so six figures in a mid cost of living area is pretty good
Why would I compare my salary to some guy with an MBA?Congrats on being a high school teacher and for your contributions to society.
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f0ea noted lexicographic preferences for academia. Mine are for teaching.
I worked in a box factory for a while. It wasn’t fun but it paid ok.
I taught privately for a while (Kaplan) but the for profit grind made me anxious and kept my compensation low given the amount of customer service work I had to do. At the college there’s a bit of this but when push comes to shove I can eventually tell a student, “okay, you just get an F” and not worry about having to go to training if she gives me a poor review.
Tenure is awesome.
Writing pedagogy articles is fun.I would definitely add to my list:
- Opportunity cost is working in a box factory -
MBAs dont make that much little re/tahd. The value of that degree is falling every year. They are mid level managers at big fortune 500 firms barely clearing 150k.
you like making stuff up?
Yeah, but you're poor while that Indian MBA is clearing 700k by age 40
No, I’m not an academic
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MBAs dont make that much little re/tahd. The value of that degree is falling every year. They are mid level managers at big fortune 500 firms barely clearing 150k.
you like making stuff up?
Yeah, but you're poor while that Indian MBA is clearing 700k by age 40
No, I’m not an academic
You’re a true academic. You have no idea about the real world