> But which percentage do stay in academia? Why not everyone with good ideas? It seems to me, it's a system like any other rigged for the rich and connected, who can afford a degree+master+phd, I guess if your parents are supporting you through it...
There are several places where you can get a bachelor's and a master's for no tuition and with government support. Source: I did.
And there are several places where you can get paid decently to do a PhD. Less than an industry job, for sure, but definitely enough to get by just fine. Source: I did.
> About avoiding doing a PhD, you can just read from all the people who was paid poorly,
A PhD is not a set of courses to read. It's research training. It's doing research.
> but since they needed the credentials, they went with it anyway's
Where I live, nobody in their right minds would do a PhD for the credentials.
> I guess I would change my prior absolute statement to a more specific one, do a PhD only if you can afford the opportunity cost of not doing it and doing else more productive (for yourself or bank account at least)
Sure. I'd very much agree that a PhD often represents a lost opportunity cost, but that's something very different from the bleak picture that you paint (wherein only the rich and connected can do one without ending up in debt).
> And maybe academia is not over, but it's certainly in need of a shake up
OK, so, in summary: Academia isn't over, and PhDs aren't pointless. Literally nothing remains from your first comment.
There are several places where you can get a bachelor's and a master's for no tuition and with government support. Source: I did.
And there are several places where you can get paid decently to do a PhD. Less than an industry job, for sure, but definitely enough to get by just fine. Source: I did.
> About avoiding doing a PhD, you can just read from all the people who was paid poorly,
A PhD is not a set of courses to read. It's research training. It's doing research.
> but since they needed the credentials, they went with it anyway's
Where I live, nobody in their right minds would do a PhD for the credentials.
> I guess I would change my prior absolute statement to a more specific one, do a PhD only if you can afford the opportunity cost of not doing it and doing else more productive (for yourself or bank account at least)
Sure. I'd very much agree that a PhD often represents a lost opportunity cost, but that's something very different from the bleak picture that you paint (wherein only the rich and connected can do one without ending up in debt).
> And maybe academia is not over, but it's certainly in need of a shake up
OK, so, in summary: Academia isn't over, and PhDs aren't pointless. Literally nothing remains from your first comment.