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Antiwork

I quit my PhD because I got tired of buying into the lie

I'm 25, and I quit my PhD a couple of weeks ago. I started my PhD at 23 after rushing through a bachelor's and master's because I was somehow misled. “If you get a high, rare, and coveted position, you'll be happy doing it.” I wasn't happy. Some people would think I'm crazy for dropping out of my PhD just because I wasn't happy with it. I had moved to a new country, and I didn't really have much of a chance to learn the language (the program kept me busy and people just kept switching to English for me). I knew I needed mental help, but finding a therapist who would do therapy with me in English would have taken a long time. Because of the lack of language, I couldn't find a job here in the different country. I'm going back to the US in less than two…


I'm 25, and I quit my PhD a couple of weeks ago. I started my PhD at 23 after rushing through a bachelor's and master's because I was somehow misled. “If you get a high, rare, and coveted position, you'll be happy doing it.”

I wasn't happy. Some people would think I'm crazy for dropping out of my PhD just because I wasn't happy with it. I had moved to a new country, and I didn't really have much of a chance to learn the language (the program kept me busy and people just kept switching to English for me). I knew I needed mental help, but finding a therapist who would do therapy with me in English would have taken a long time.

Because of the lack of language, I couldn't find a job here in the different country. I'm going back to the US in less than two months, and I'm trying for entry level positions at a law office. I'm so tired of grinding just to make a life for myself.

I have a lot of emotions about a lot of different things. Why the fuck did I get a master's if I'm just starting over from square one? Why do people have to work so hard just to be a somebody? Do I just settle into a job that pays the bills, or do I try at a different career aspiration again?

I feel like the whole point of work now is just stupid and meaningless.

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