If you are in it for the money, academia certainly isn't the "smart" way to go. But if you're in it for the flexibility, love of teaching, research, etc, it sounds like a smart enough choice.
I'd be interested in knowing: Is it harder to become a head football coach or an tenured professor? Surely there are a lot more opportunities to be a tenured professor but I bet there is also many more people competing then for the head football coach spot at a major university.
Most grad students in science understand exponential growth. Put just a bit in the bank every month and by the time you retire... well ok, maybe you still won't have much... =:)
My favorite questions I like to ask about understanding exponential growth are... 'What gives you more pizza, 2 20" or 1 30"' and 'If you fold a newspaper in half 100 times, how thick will it be?'
I argued with a guy for an hour who insisted 2 20" pizza's were bigger because he "just knew" it had to be that way.
If you are in it for the money, academia certainly isn't the "smart" way to go. But if you're in it for the flexibility, love of teaching, research, etc, it sounds like a smart enough choice.
ReplyDeleteBill Gates makes a billion or so in dividends, and he never graduated.
ReplyDeleteIt is all about supply and demand at the masses (like postdocs) and then connections; however, for the entrepeuners, it is all there to go for.
I'd be interested in knowing: Is it harder to become a head football coach or an tenured professor? Surely there are a lot more opportunities to be a tenured professor but I bet there is also many more people competing then for the head football coach spot at a major university.
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts?
Most grad students in science understand exponential growth. Put just a bit in the bank every month and by the time you retire... well ok, maybe you still won't have much... =:)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite questions I like to ask about understanding exponential growth are...
'What gives you more pizza, 2 20" or 1 30"'
and
'If you fold a newspaper in half 100 times, how thick will it be?'
I argued with a guy for an hour who insisted 2 20" pizza's were bigger because he "just knew" it had to be that way.
JS,
ReplyDeleteYour premise is flawed, and it resonantes with:
If you are so smart, why aren't you rich?
Being smart in one field does not mean smart in all, especially in making money.