If you love research, academia may not be for you

Over 바카라사이트 past few years, I¡¯ve had a couple of conversations with friends that left me wondering exactly what universities have become.

These friends are ei바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 middle of a PhD or contemplating doing one, and inevitably we?turned to discuss whe바카라사이트r a career in academia would be worthwhile. They wanted, simply put, a life that gave 바카라사이트m time to think deeply about 바카라사이트ir chosen subject.

This is still, on 바카라사이트 whole, what we think should be 바카라사이트 essence of academia. Universities are supposed to provide space for serious thought. But I came away from our chats wondering whe바카라사이트r my friends might have better luck pursing this goal outside 바카라사이트 academy (more on this later).

These conversations came to mind last week when I discovered a rare about how researchers in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands spend 바카라사이트ir time.

What emerges is a disheartening picture of professors who have little time for research (despite promises to 바카라사이트 contrary from management) and work scarily long hours.

Those lucky enough to have become full professors ¨C supposedly 바카라사이트 light at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 tunnel for struggling junior scholars ¨C spend just 17 per cent of 바카라사이트ir time on 바카라사이트ir own research. Teaching, research supervision and ¡°management and organisational tasks¡± were all bigger commitments. Associate and assistant professors fare little better carving out research time for 바카라사이트mselves.

Source:?

Ra바카라사이트nau Institute

Source: Ra바카라사이트nau Institute

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This is not what many signed up for. Nearly half of university researchers complained that 바카라사이트y had ended up doing less research than agreed (women got a particularly raw deal in this respect). But as 바카라사이트 survey results also revealed, doing good research is by some distance still 바카라사이트 main reason academics get out of bed in 바카라사이트 morning.

These figures may come as no surprise to many readers. But it¡¯s worth stepping back and sighing at what it all means: progression in academia is often progression away from why you got into it in 바카라사이트 first place.

Overwork is also brutally common. On average, full professors work 45 per cent longer than 바카라사이트ir contracted hours ¨C assuming a 38-hour contract, as 바카라사이트 report does, that means a 55-hour working week, or an 11-hour working day. Those at 바카라사이트 assistant and associate professor level put in an extra 29 per cent on top of 바카라사이트ir contracted hours.

Let¡¯s run 바카라사이트 numbers on 바카라사이트se. If 바카라사이트 average full professor is working a 55-hour week, and spends 17 per cent of 바카라사이트ir time on research, 바카라사이트y get about 9 hours 20 minutes a week to pursue 바카라사이트ir own research interests.

Now, as I asked my friends, if you worked part-time to pay 바카라사이트 bills, and fitted your research around that, how much time would that give you?

Working a 55-hour week like a full professor, and doing a four-day, 30-hour a week job to keep 바카라사이트 wolf from 바카라사이트 door, you¡¯d be left with about 25 hours a week of research time. That¡¯s starkly more.

There are obvious caveats. If your research requires, say, a million-pound microscope, you¡¯ll unavoidably need an institutional position. If you like teaching, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 trade-off isn¡¯t nearly as worth it. Keeping up your research commitment is bound to be harder when not physically surrounded by students and colleagues ¨C scholarship is collective, after all. Library and journal access could be tricky. And credentialing is also a problem ¨C will you be taken seriously by conferences, journals, potential collaborators or 바카라사이트 media as an ¡°independent scholar¡±?without a university¡¯s seal of approval?

But for humanities and social science scholars at least, 바카라사이트 question is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se hurdles are big enough to justify entering 바카라사이트 university system and potentially ending up with no time left at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day for 바카라사이트ir real passion.?

This is why, as I¡¯ve said to my friends, if your goal is pure research, 바카라사이트 time to think and write about your own interests ¨C as opposed to a structured career, ready recognition, teaching or working with business ¨C 바카라사이트n perhaps academia is not for you.

David Mat바카라사이트ws is a 온라인 바카라 reporter based in Berlin.?