I quit my PhD a year ago. This is what happened.
TLDRThe speaker reflects on their decision to leave their PhD program a year ago, sharing their experiences and the ups and downs of their journey. They express no regret, highlighting the freedom and opportunities that came with the change, such as traveling, speaking engagements, and collaborations. Despite missing aspects of academic life, they are content with their current path and offer advice to others contemplating a similar move.
Takeaways
- 🎉 The speaker starts the video by sharing their New Year's Eve experience of getting stranded in Brisbane due to flight troubles but making friends and watching fireworks.
- 🔥 They mention the challenging situation in Australia with widespread bushfires and the resulting smoke, which led to a run on air purifiers and smoke masks.
- 🎍 A humorous anecdote is shared about buying basil pots for oxygen, reflecting the scarcity of air purifiers.
- 📚 The speaker provides an update on their life after quitting their PhD, emphasizing that it was a personal decision and not a critique of the PhD system.
- 🚀 Since leaving academia, the speaker has had the freedom to work on various projects, including traveling, giving talks, and collaborating with other creators.
- 🌟 Highlights of the past year include attending VidCon, speaking at universities, and a collaboration with Vsauce3, which was a significant career milestone.
- 🤣 The speaker's video on VeggieTales unexpectedly went viral, turning into a meme and leading to both positive and negative attention.
- 📉 Lowlights include dealing with nasty and obsessive comments on YouTube, which have dampened the speaker's enthusiasm for engaging with the platform.
- 🎥 The speaker's daily routine involves planning, researching, filming, editing, and promoting their videos, often working alone and managing all aspects of content creation.
- 💡 The speaker misses aspects of PhD life, such as the social environment and access to university facilities, but values the freedom of their current path more.
- 🔄 The speaker is not considering returning to their PhD as they have many ideas and are excited about future projects.
- ❓ On the topic of whether others should quit their PhDs, the speaker advises reflecting on whether the program aligns with one's strengths and allows for the utilization of those strengths.
Q & A
What happened to the speaker on New Year's Eve and how did they cope with the situation?
-The speaker got stranded in Brisbane due to flight troubles. They made friends with strangers in a similar situation and watched the fireworks together in a hotel provided by the airline.
What challenges have been faced in Australia during the time of the speaker's video?
-Australia was experiencing a difficult time with numerous bushfires, leading to heavy smoke that made it challenging to breathe. The speaker even had trouble finding an air purifier due to sold-out stores.
How did the speaker feel about their decision to quit their PhD?
-The speaker does not regret quitting their PhD as they have had the freedom to do what they want and have accomplished many cool things since then.
What were some of the highlights of the speaker's year after quitting their PhD?
-The speaker traveled to Zurich, attended VidCon in the US and Melbourne, gave talks at the University of Sydney and to astronomy students, collaborated with other creators, and was part of a Vsauce3 video.
How did the collaboration with Vsauce3 come about?
-The opportunity arose when the speaker attended a Vsauce presentation at VidCon in the US. Jake from Vsauce3 noticed the speaker in the audience and invited them to collaborate on a video.
What was the 'veggietales saga' mentioned by the speaker?
-The 'veggietales saga' refers to a video the speaker made that unexpectedly went viral, with views increasing from 4,000 to 4 million in 2019, turning into a bit of a meme.
How does the speaker manage to support themselves financially as a YouTuber?
-The speaker makes money through Adsense, which is directly proportional to views, sponsorships, and they also have a Patreon account for direct support from viewers.
What does a typical day in the speaker's life look like?
-A typical day involves working on video content, which includes planning, research, filming, editing, and engaging with the audience. The speaker also occasionally writes and manages other tasks related to their channel.
What aspects of their PhD life does the speaker miss?
-The speaker misses the social aspect of having lab mates and friends from university, as well as the access to university facilities and resources like the library.
Is the speaker considering returning to their PhD?
-No, the speaker is not considering returning to their PhD as they are enjoying their current work and have many ideas they want to pursue.
What advice does the speaker have for other PhD students considering quitting?
-The speaker advises PhD students to evaluate whether their program is utilizing their strengths and allowing them to excel. If not, they may consider leaving to pursue something that better aligns with their skills and passions.
Outlines
🎉 New Beginnings and Unexpected Adventures
The speaker starts by greeting the audience and sharing their recent experiences, including getting stranded in Brisbane due to flight issues and making friends with strangers in a similar situation. They also discuss the challenging circumstances in Australia with the ongoing bushfires and the resulting smoke, which led to a search for an air purifier and the humorous purchase of basil pots for oxygen. The speaker reflects on their decision to quit their PhD over a year ago, sharing their journey and the variety of experiences they've had since, including traveling, giving talks, and collaborating with other creators. They express gratitude for their audience's support and emphasize the importance of freedom in their work.
🤝 Collaborations and Community Highlights
The speaker recounts a serendipitous moment at VidCon where they were publicly acknowledged by a Vsauce presenter and offered a collaboration opportunity. They describe the experience of working on the Vsauce video, including meeting influential creators and being part of a high-production project. The speaker also discusses the unexpected popularity of a VeggieTales video they had previously shared, which became a meme and significantly increased their views. Despite facing negative comments and feeling the pressure of managing a YouTube channel, they appreciate the positive feedback from their audience. They also share their initial struggles with balancing PhD work and YouTube content creation, and how their expectations about time management after leaving academia did not entirely meet reality.
💡 Monetization and the YouTube Lifestyle
The speaker explains how they earn revenue from their YouTube channel, primarily through Adsense and sponsored videos, while also mentioning their preference for not overusing midroll ads. They discuss the selective approach they take towards sponsorships, focusing on brands that align with their values and support educational content. Additionally, the speaker mentions their Patreon account as another way for viewers to support their work. They also address common questions about their daily routine, revealing that their days are filled with various tasks related to video production, from research and planning to filming, editing, and engaging with their audience. The speaker admits to sometimes feeling lonely and missing the social aspects of being a PhD student, as well as the resources provided by the university.
🎓 Reflections on Academia and Future Paths
The speaker reflects on what they miss about their PhD journey, including the social environment of academia and access to university facilities. Despite these misses, they are content with their current path and do not wish to return to academia, valuing the freedom and creative control they have as a YouTuber. They also consider whether they might return to their PhD in the future but conclude that they are just beginning their journey as a content creator and have many ideas yet to explore. The speaker addresses the question of whether other PhD students should quit, suggesting that individuals should assess whether their current path utilizes their strengths and allows them to excel. They emphasize the importance of using one's strengths and pursuing a path that brings out the best in oneself.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡New Year
💡Stranded
💡Bushfires
💡Air Purifier
💡PhD
💡Freedom
💡Collaboration
💡Vsauce
💡YouTuber
💡Procrastination
💡Anxiety
Highlights
The speaker begins the video by sharing their experience of getting stranded in Brisbane on New Year's Eve due to flight troubles, but making friends with strangers in the same situation.
They mention the challenging situation in Australia with widespread bushfires and the resulting smoke, which led to a run on air purifiers and smoke masks.
The speaker humorously shares their purchase of basil pots as a last resort for some oxygen amidst the smoke.
They provide an update on their life a year after quitting their PhD, emphasizing that it was a personal decision and not a critique of the PhD system.
The speaker expresses gratitude for the freedom they've experienced since leaving academia, attributing it to their supportive audience.
Traveling to Zurich for video filming and attending VidCon in the US and Melbourne are mentioned as highlights of the past year.
The speaker shares their experience of giving talks, including at the University of Sydney and to astronomy students in Brisbane.
Collaborations with other creators like Petr, Jess, Cody from Codyslab, Physics Girl, and Andrew Dotson are highlighted as memorable experiences.
Being part of the Vsauce3 collaboration and the Jumanji episode of 'Could You Survive The Movies?' is mentioned as a significant highlight.
The speaker recounts the serendipitous moment at VidCon US that led to the Vsauce collaboration, emphasizing the importance of being in the right place at the right time.
The unexpected success of the 'veggietales' video, which went from 4,000 to 4 million views, is discussed as a funny and unexpected highlight.
The speaker acknowledges the negative aspects of YouTube, such as nasty and obsessive comments, but also appreciates the positive and encouraging comments from viewers.
The speaker reflects on the time management challenges and the unexpected lack of increased productivity after leaving their PhD.
The speaker admits to feeling a bit of anxiety throughout the year, both related and unrelated to being a YouTuber.
Despite missing aspects of PhD life, the speaker is content with their current path and does not wish to return to academia.
The speaker shares their thoughts on whether other PhD students should quit, suggesting that one should assess if their current path utilizes their strengths and allows them to excel.
The speaker concludes by expressing excitement for the future and gratitude for the support from their viewers.
Transcripts
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