Everything Hertz

We answer a series of questions from a listener on whether to start a PhD, what to ask potential supervisors, the financial perils of being a PhD student, the future of higher education, the importance of skills, what keeps us going, and more. Here are the specific questions that we answered in this episode (the background to these questions is shared in the episode): Would you have any advice on how I can even decide whether to commence a PhD? Are there any questions in particular that you think are important to ask prospective supervisors? How do people make PhDs work financially? You are supposed to treat the degree like a regular 40 hour/ week job (and students commonly fail to do so). However, what full-time job pays ~$540 per week and expects this?! You are not supposed to work > 8 hours/ week outside of this?! I thought I could at least work 2-3 full days a week if I needed to. Why do people generally leave academia, or not continue, after their PhD, despite obvious potential? In what form do you