I currently study English literature and I absolutely adore it. No, I do not want to be a writer, I love studying it on a pure, academic level. I would love to be able to pursue research at the doctoral level, and, in another timeline, would love to eventually teach at the university level. However, I know that becoming an English professor is not feasible in the slightest. I am extremely aware of the fact that that it makes no logical sense for me to pursue this career, but I still feel like an incredible failure if I do not even try as I am so passionate about it.
This might be a strange request, but what are some downsides to being a full-time academic? As I ponder it now, I can only see the positives (being able to get paid to research and teach literature for the rest of your life), and all the things I will be missing out on when I inevitably pursue another career path. I need to be de-idealized from this position!
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As someone who’s been down the phd journey, and now in my second postdoc because of a sour job market, I can tell you that academia’s main job is to reproduce itself. All the training and focus is to that end. I can’t tell if you want to be an English professor or are worried there are no professor jobs? In any case there are lots of other things you can do in order to achieve teaching English in higher education, like getting a masters degree. People teach at the community college level all the time with the masters degree, without the time and energy needed for a doctoral degree.
I have a PhD and earn $45k/year as a postdoc in a deep red state, in a town that I really don’t like. My geographically closest friend is an eleven hour drive away. My geographically closest nuclear family member is a seventeen hour drive away.
There were 400 applicants for my job. It was the only offer that I got last year.
No jobs
The money. Focus on research rather than teaching. The burnout. The gradual boredom.
Here’s an example that can be a warning. That was in STEM even, tougher in English.
I teach for a living, and I love it. Yes it is precarious, yes I worry, yes I probably could have done something else… but I am still really happy doing this. Sorry I am not de-influencing you, I know, but I do think that life is not as linear as we think it is. Study English literature. You may or may not become an academic. You may end up coding, but the reading, writing and thinking skills that you will pick up in your degree will help you no matter where you are.
There are so few jobs, that even if you get one, if you are denied tenure that could be a career ender.
You won’t get to choose where you live.
No jobs
My spouse graduated with a PhD in English in 2011 and they have been a sessional instructor ever since. It’s precarious and stressful work, no guarantees of future work, have only gotten to teach what they specialized in twice, and they’re lucky to make 45K.