March 26, 2005
When I was a senior in engineering school, I interviewed with two companies. I wasn't impressed with either one of them, nor were they impressed with me. I require too much. One interviewer was talking to me about antennas, and his company made a very directive, very powerfull antenna array for the government. I asked what it was for, and he said "I don't know". I was done at that point. It was then that I decided to go to graduate school. I wasn't done learning what I could, and wanted to complete the cycle. Even then, I was psyching myself out for a Ph.D.
In my younger years, I was gifted with a phenomenal amount of luck. I was late for applying to graduate school, but my record spoke for itself, and I managed to get two half-time teaching positions, and a fellowship that paid for school.
The following year, I received a research assistantship, and continued one of my teaching positions. I also applied for a National Science Foundation fellowship. I got it. I was surprised. However, I've had the honor of serving on the committee a couple of times that decides who gets these, and I now understand why. My application was great, I just didn't know it at the time.
I continued on through my research grant from NSF, and after many challenges, received my Ph.D. My advisor, who is now a dear friend, actually told me at one point that I should either quit or find another advisor. I said no. We started this, we'll finish it. He has since told me that that meant a lot to him.
I did well in school. I wanted it. I was going to do whatever it took. And it took a lot from me. It was a separate life from the one I have now. Sometimes, I think it was a better life. But, I'm in this life now, and I'll do what it takes again.
The purpose of this rant? I have sacrificed and worked for my degree. I'm proud of it. I've always respected Ph.D.s. I was amazed when I joined industry to find that not everyone else does. I'm crushed that I have to defend myself to various levels of management and coworkers who think that my degree is a detriment. I spent so much time learning how to solve problems, and now that I make use of it (and I do), it's as if it were for nothing. I am sometimes called "the Ph.D." in a tone that is not respectful.
Yeah, well. I didn't get it for them. I got it for me. I'm proud of it. I have a gift for intuitively understanding electromagnetic fields. I have had a ton of math, and still see the need for more. Sometimes we joke about what the degrees mean: when you get your BS, you know everything... when you get your MS, you realize you know nothing... when you get your Ph.D. you still recognize you know nothing, but neither does anyone else. It's funny, but the goal of education is to discover how to learn. There is nothing... nothing, that I can't learn.
David M. Hockanson, Ph.D.
In my younger years, I was gifted with a phenomenal amount of luck. I was late for applying to graduate school, but my record spoke for itself, and I managed to get two half-time teaching positions, and a fellowship that paid for school.
The following year, I received a research assistantship, and continued one of my teaching positions. I also applied for a National Science Foundation fellowship. I got it. I was surprised. However, I've had the honor of serving on the committee a couple of times that decides who gets these, and I now understand why. My application was great, I just didn't know it at the time.
I continued on through my research grant from NSF, and after many challenges, received my Ph.D. My advisor, who is now a dear friend, actually told me at one point that I should either quit or find another advisor. I said no. We started this, we'll finish it. He has since told me that that meant a lot to him.
I did well in school. I wanted it. I was going to do whatever it took. And it took a lot from me. It was a separate life from the one I have now. Sometimes, I think it was a better life. But, I'm in this life now, and I'll do what it takes again.
The purpose of this rant? I have sacrificed and worked for my degree. I'm proud of it. I've always respected Ph.D.s. I was amazed when I joined industry to find that not everyone else does. I'm crushed that I have to defend myself to various levels of management and coworkers who think that my degree is a detriment. I spent so much time learning how to solve problems, and now that I make use of it (and I do), it's as if it were for nothing. I am sometimes called "the Ph.D." in a tone that is not respectful.
Yeah, well. I didn't get it for them. I got it for me. I'm proud of it. I have a gift for intuitively understanding electromagnetic fields. I have had a ton of math, and still see the need for more. Sometimes we joke about what the degrees mean: when you get your BS, you know everything... when you get your MS, you realize you know nothing... when you get your Ph.D. you still recognize you know nothing, but neither does anyone else. It's funny, but the goal of education is to discover how to learn. There is nothing... nothing, that I can't learn.
David M. Hockanson, Ph.D.