I failed in academia | The unexplored steps to academic failure!
TLDRThe speaker reflects on their academic journey, identifying a three-step process leading to perceived failure: not realizing the 'academic game' early enough, struggling with the sunk cost fallacy, and eventually becoming scared and angry within the system. They advocate for recognizing when to leave academia, emphasizing that failure is not permanent and can be a stepping stone to finding more fulfilling paths outside traditional research roles.
Takeaways
- 📚 Academia is a game: The speaker reflects on their academic journey and highlights that academia involves playing a strategic game that goes beyond just doing good science.
- 🔍 Awareness of the game: Not realizing early on that academia requires playing a game and understanding the system can lead to academic failure.
- 📈 Publish or perish: The speaker points out that academia prioritizes publishing papers quickly and frequently, sometimes at the expense of the quality of research.
- 🏆 University reputation: Universities compete for students, researchers, and funding, which influences the pressure on academics to publish and promote their research.
- 🧩 Sunk cost fallacy: Many academics stay in the field due to the significant investment of time and effort, even when it might not be fulfilling or the right fit for them.
- 💡 Skills for leaving: Building skills outside of academia, like science communication, can provide alternative career paths and opportunities.
- ⚖️ Feeling special vs. being a cog: The transition from feeling special during a PhD to feeling like a cog in the machine in industry or academia can be challenging.
- 🌐 External validation: Receiving awards or recognition can sometimes provide a false sense of security and prolong the decision to leave academia.
- 😡 Scared and angry: The combination of feeling scared and angry about one's position in academia can lead to negative behaviors and ultimately being pushed out or leaving.
- 🌟 Embracing new paths: The speaker encourages others to reflect on their journey, control what they can, and be open to new opportunities outside of academia.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script?
-The main theme of the video script is the personal journey of the speaker through academia, their realization of the 'academic game,' and the emotional and practical struggles they faced, ultimately leading to their departure from academia.
What does the speaker mean by 'the academic game'?
-By 'the academic game,' the speaker refers to the system within academia that prioritizes publishing in high-impact journals, securing grants, and promoting one's research and university over the quality of the research itself.
How does the speaker describe their initial approach to academia?
-The speaker initially approached academia with the belief that success was solely about doing good work and being diligent, without realizing the importance of playing the 'academic game' in terms of publishing and securing funding.
What role did communication play in the speaker's academic career?
-Communication played a significant role in the speaker's academic career as they were able to effectively communicate their research and ideas, which helped them to stay in academia for a longer period despite not playing the 'academic game' as expected.
What is the 'sunk cost fallacy' as mentioned in the script?
-The 'sunk cost fallacy' refers to the psychological phenomenon where individuals continue investing in a decision based on the cumulative prior investment (time, money, effort), even when it is no longer rational to do so, as in the speaker's case with their academic career.
Why did the speaker leave academia for industry and then return?
-The speaker left academia for industry in search of a job that made them feel special and not just a cog in a machine. However, they returned to academia because they found industry unfulfilling and believed they could feel more special as an academic.
What was the turning point for the speaker that led to their departure from academia?
-The turning point for the speaker was when they were encouraged to leave their position at a university after acting out due to their frustration and anger with the academic system, which was a result of feeling scared and trapped.
How does the speaker reflect on their experience in academia?
-The speaker reflects on their experience with a sense of hindsight, recognizing the need to play the 'academic game' and understanding the emotional struggles they faced, such as fear and anger, which ultimately led to their departure.
What advice does the speaker give to those who might be facing similar struggles in academia?
-The speaker advises recognizing the 'game' early on, understanding the importance of enjoying the process, and being aware of the sunk cost fallacy. They also encourage those struggling to consider leaving academia if it is causing fear and anger, and to explore other paths where they can find fulfillment.
What is the speaker's current perspective on failure?
-The speaker's current perspective on failure is that it is not permanent unless one lets it be. They believe in learning from failure and using it as a stepping stone to try something new and different.
How does the speaker describe their post-academia journey?
-The speaker describes their post-academia journey as one of growth and exploration, where they have enjoyed the process of building businesses and forging their own path, despite the challenges and emotional ups and downs.
Outlines
📚 Realization of Academic Failure
The speaker reflects on their journey within academia, acknowledging their failure and the reasons behind it. They have been out of academia for several years and have analyzed their experience, hoping to provide insights to others who might be in a similar situation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the 'game' of academia, which involves playing by certain rules to succeed, such as publishing in prestigious journals and promoting research for the benefit of the university. They admit to not realizing the nature of this game early enough and not being willing to play it as required, which contributed to their academic failure.
🔬 The Academic 'Game' and Its Metrics
The speaker delves into the concept of the academic 'game,' which they believe is more about meeting certain metrics rather than doing great science. They discuss the pressure to publish frequently in high-impact journals and the focus on how research can elevate the university's reputation. The speaker shares their personal struggle with this system, realizing too late the importance of playing the game effectively. They also mention the 'publish or perish' and 'visible or vanish' aspects of academia, highlighting the constant need to stay relevant and promote one's research.
🔄 The Sunk Cost Fallacy in Academia
The speaker describes the sunk cost fallacy as a significant factor in their prolonged stay in academia. Despite realizing the nature of the academic game, they continued in their career due to the time and effort already invested. They discuss the difficulty of leaving a path that had been built over years, even when it became clear that it was not fulfilling. The speaker also talks about their experience in industry and how it led them to appreciate the perceived 'specialness' of being in academia, which further reinforced their sunk cost fallacy.
😡 Fear, Anger, and the Consequences
The speaker explains how fear and anger became their downfall in academia. They were scared of leaving the familiar academic environment and trapped by their circumstances, leading to anger towards the system that they felt was unjust. This negative state of mind manifested in their behavior, causing disruptions and ultimately leading to their departure from academia. The speaker regrets not leaving earlier when they first recognized their dissatisfaction with the academic system.
🚀 Overcoming Failure and Finding a New Path
In the final paragraph, the speaker shares their journey after leaving academia. They discuss overcoming societal expectations and the fear of failure, and finding success in building their own businesses. The speaker encourages others to reflect on their desires and the enjoyment they derive from their work, emphasizing that failure is not permanent if one is willing to try something new. They conclude by advising against reaching a point of fear and anger, as it can be detrimental and suggests that leaving academia can lead to a more fulfilling path.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Academic failure
💡Game
💡Publish or perish
💡Sunk cost fallacy
💡Postdoc treadmill
💡Science communication
💡Catalyst grant
💡Visible or vanish
💡Fear and anger
💡Career transition
💡Compound interest
Highlights
The speaker reflects on their academic journey and the reasons behind their failure in academia.
The process of becoming an academic failure is broken down into three stages.
The first stage involves not realizing that there is an academic game to be played and having unreasonable expectations about academia.
The importance of publishing frequently in the right journals to be considered a good scientist is emphasized.
The speaker discusses the publish-or-perish culture in academia and how it prioritizes quantity over quality.
The second stage is identified as the sunk cost fallacy, where individuals stay in academia despite signs indicating they should leave.
The speaker highlights the struggle of building an identity around being a scientist and the difficulty of leaving academia.
The postdoc treadmill is described, where individuals move from one postdoc position to another, hoping for improvement.
The third stage involves becoming scared and angry, which leads to acting out and being pushed out of academia.
The speaker's personal experience of leaving academia for industry and then returning is shared.
The realization that being an academic didn't align with the speaker's values and desires is discussed.
The importance of recognizing and accepting the academic game early on is emphasized for success in academia.
The speaker encourages others to reflect on their own academic journey and make decisions based on what they truly want.
The speaker highlights the benefits of leaving academia and exploring other career paths.
The video concludes with a message of hope and encouragement, emphasizing that failure is not permanent unless you let it be.
Transcripts
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