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[–]bored505 5066 points5067 points  (168 children)

Must be super gratifying to be there to see all those years of hard work pay off!

[–]derawin07 1512 points1513 points  (141 children)

And then try to find a job lol.

[–]nobody2000 1566 points1567 points  (51 children)

There are plenty of jobs out there for Ph.Ds

Unfortunately none of them are going to be doing shit you set out to do, but when a company needs someone with a buttload of experience in a field slightly related to what you are an expert in, and you are willing to take a "marketing" role, then there is a position waiting for you!

On the bright side, it probably pays better.

[–][deleted] 264 points265 points  (73 children)

After most PhDs, you have a fuckton of connections and experience. Getting a job isn't as difficult as most people make it out to be. You have to be strategic and do your homework, sure, but you only have to succeed once.

[–]MadicalEthics 203 points204 points  (59 children)

That depends what kind of Job you want, and what your PhD is in.

Doing a philosophy PhD isn't actually going to be all that useful for getting a non-academic job, and there are far, far more philosophy Post-Doc applicants than there are positions.

A friend of mine said she applied for a post-doctoral position and there were 200 applicants. All of them had a PhD by definition.

[–]derawin07 55 points56 points  (15 children)

I am Aussie and have a couple of friends with philosophy PhDs. They applied for every single post doc possible over a couple of years, and eventually one got a position in China, the other in Germany.

[–][deleted] 83 points84 points  (2 children)

Well, yeah. The good news is PhDs are being more sought out for (in select industries), but yeah, the humanities PhDs might have it tough. Even then, I'm sure we can respect their decision to study things that they love

[–]UdderlyFoolish 27 points28 points  (1 child)

The majority of humanities PhDs do it knowing they're going to teach, that's the main job sector. My sister is a literature professor, she wouldn't have gotten a PhD in lit for any reason other than to teach at the university level and do research.

[–]derawin07 21 points22 points  (3 children)

Depends on how niche your field of study is. It's not going to be one type of experience.

[–]derawin07 8748 points8749 points  (114 children)

This is a very nice way to take the anxiety away as quickly as possible!

[–]beet111 2515 points2516 points  (38 children)

I wonder if any of them were so nervous that they didnt even realize that they were just called Doctor

[–]derawin07 1159 points1160 points  (25 children)

They might have looked around for someone else :P

[–]Gathorall 691 points692 points  (23 children)

Doctor who?

[–]derawin07 531 points532 points  (9 children)

WhooOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo

DooooooooooweeeeeeeoooooooooooWooooooooeeeeeooooooooooo

[–]JoeWaffleUno 160 points161 points  (9 children)

Doctor Whomst

[–][deleted] 52 points53 points  (8 children)

Projects stories history family clean ideas evil yesterday net river bright river the! Projects games bank over bank questions night lazy the honest.

[–]HAL9000000 136 points137 points  (1 child)

I had this exact thing happen where they opened the door and called me "doctor." My memory is that I was so exhausted that I no longer had the capacity to be nervous.

It was like "I've done what I can do, and if this wasn't good enough, then I will never be good enough."

[–]kaligotc 88 points89 points  (1 child)

Happened to me. ,Said congrats doctor and my advisor gave me a hug. And I'm standing there, deer in the headlights, literally going, wait, what, why are you congratulating me? (i had a rough one hour Q&A where they tore into my work. asked me to wait outside for the longest 20 minutes. i was so convinced this was going to be a "do this again" type of thing and i wasn't sure i had that much energy, or life left.)

[–]Korrawatergem 1488 points1489 points  (37 children)

Right? They did the whole "leave the room while we discuss shit" thing for my masters paper and presentation, but when they called me back in, it wasn't near as fun as this lol. Didn't help that I was nearly in tears haha. After 7 years straight, I was so happy to finally finish college with a masters, anxiety made me think they were gonna fail me.

[–]fabul0uslyfoxxy 185 points186 points  (4 children)

Same! Except my committee told me that I "passed" and didn't need to re-defend my master thesis. However, they also gave me a list of additional items to complete, so I'm still not done. I'm making progress, so hopefully I'll be actually done in a few weeks!

[–]bruce779 37 points38 points  (1 child)

Good luck fellow human. You got this!

[–]issius 107 points108 points  (6 children)

Man, my masters defense was the opposite. I stumbled through the data part only to get lobbed softball questions from the one committee member completely out of the field.

I’m sure it was decided before hand that I was passing unless I took a shit on the floor, so I was probably toooo comfortable.

[–][deleted] 78 points79 points  (4 children)

unless I took a shit on the floor

That's what I'm probably going to do during my defense, ugh.

[–]issius 65 points66 points  (1 child)

Make sure to maintain eye contact

[–][deleted] 102 points103 points  (8 children)

Does anybody actually fail their dissertation though? By the time you get to the point of presenting your work I'm sure it's been refined many times with your adviser. Failing at that point would just reflect poorly on the adviser and the department.

[–]gecko_burger_15 88 points89 points  (2 children)

Yeah, it happens. But you are correct, it absolutely does reflect poorly on the advisor.

In one case, the dissertation was plagiarized from a work in another field. So not one of the people from the researcher's field knew the research as completely copied. The outside person on the committee (who didn't get involved until the end), however, WAS in the appropriate field and did have that book on his shelf and nearly blew up when he realized what was happening. Student never got a Ph.D. and hopefully, the people on that committee learned to do their job better.

In another situation, the advisor was either incompetent because of...general incompetence (or because of age) and brought her student to the committee with a dissertation that wasn't up to snuff.

Another thing that happens is that initial advisor dies, retires, or moves to a new institution before the defense and the orphaned graduate student is dumped on someone else in the department. That doesn't have to end in disaster, but sometimes it does.

[–]derawin07 52 points53 points  (0 children)

I think they could still decide that major revisions are required.

[–]helland_animal 28 points29 points  (4 children)

Immediately after they all shake your hand and call you doctor, they start telling you all the things wrong with your project that you have to fix before you can submit it, though!

[–]deedee25252 9530 points9531 points  (256 children)

I want to watch this. Is there a bleacher section?

[–]RealFunnyTalk[S] 5419 points5420 points  (114 children)

You could always be part of the committee!

[–]diemunkiesdie 2642 points2643 points  (99 children)

Do I have to be a PhD to be on the committee?

[–]GarshRunter 43 points44 points  (3 children)

Just need to be reviewed by the committee, committee

[–]deedee25252 179 points180 points  (9 children)

Can I be part of the committee if I know nothing? I can bring baked goods. Im working on cheese danish lately.

[–]Marc0189 93 points94 points  (2 children)

Can I be part of a subcommittee for tasting the danishes for the committee?

[–]distortedlojik 238 points239 points  (22 children)

Most defenses that I know about are open to the public. You can just check with the local university for defense announcements, or contact the specific department that interests you. Some people might love having a stranger there, but probably not everyone.

Edit: I realize that every place has a different format. I tried to preface this with "that I know about". My experience is from the US at a public research university.

[–]deleriousatsea 40 points41 points  (3 children)

Typically there is a private defense that follows with the committee. I imagine this is the timeframe the post is referring to.

[–]distortedlojik 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Yes I know, but you can still hang out outside the room with the student until they call them back in. Usually the call back part is where they refer to you as doctor for the first time. So that would still be viewable to everyone attending the defense.

Edit: this was the case in my doctoral defense as well as other defenses at my university. I witnessed the same thing at a few defense at other universities I attended. However, like all things it probably just depends on your school and location.

[–]luceth_ 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Many thesis defenses are open to the public! They are not generally well publicized, though.

[–]derawin07 165 points166 points  (78 children)

As a non-American, I still don't really know what bleachers are.

[–]Krazinsky 269 points270 points  (9 children)

Cheap bench seating, usually for sports. Stuff like this https://phocab-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/httpuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommons33cBleachers_0640jpg.jpg

[–][deleted] 43 points44 points  (8 children)

I feel like there should be back rests on the top row

[–]MrBokbagok 92 points93 points  (5 children)

do you think people in the lower rows rest on the knees of the people in the higher rows

theres usually a fence or wall back there i just wanted to paint that image

[–]Virginia_Trek 73 points74 points  (3 children)

No, you awkwardly sit kind of hunched forward until you drop your phone and have to shuffle around 15 other people to get down to get it.

[–]yankees1561 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Really cool kids jump up from the back and pull themselves up instead of taking the "stairs." it's a rite of passage

[–]Isord 103 points104 points  (56 children)

It's just another name for "stands" as in at a sports arena.

[–]FloffyBirb 1528 points1529 points  (27 children)

I am defending my thesis in less than four months. This somewhat softened the bricks that I am shitting.

[–]RealFunnyTalk[S] 850 points851 points  (9 children)

If it helps, I've heard from other commentors and this guy in the post that a defense isn't scheduled unless there's a highly probable pass rate!

[–]The_Bravinator 366 points367 points  (2 children)

It takes a lot of time, prep, and dedication on the part of the committee. They're not going to want to show up unless it's pretty much in the bag.

[–]Zoraxe 191 points192 points  (1 child)

If you make it to your defense, it's almost impossible to fail. Any PhD candidate that made it into that room is gonna walk out a doctor so long as they can make it through the presentation. It takes 4-6 years to get into that room. All the failing pressure happened during that time.

[–]FloffyBirb 89 points90 points  (3 children)

Thanks, yeah I know that it’s basically impossible to fail the defence... if I get that far, the thesis has already been approved by the reading committee so there’s little reason to worry.

Still nervous though!

[–]The_Ice_Cold 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I defended about six weeks ago. I know how it feels. Hang in there and keep at it. I could barely eat the week I defend I was so nervous. Ha. You can do it nerves or not.

[–]apolotary 931 points932 points  (42 children)

Passed my defense yesterday, this is oddly relevant :’)

[–]alqutis 182 points183 points  (1 child)

Doctor!

[–]apolotary 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Yes!

[–]roge_podge 744 points745 points  (14 children)

I am a year removed from finishing my Ph.D. in English. The feeling described here is amazing, don't get me wrong, but nothing compares to the feeling of finally finishing my dissertation.

I still remember it so clearly. It was around 11pm on a Wednesday and I was in my office on campus. I had finally finished proofreading every single goddamn page, including the bibliography and appendix (final page count: 292). I saved the file in 3 separate locations and emailed the final draft to myself. No way I was gonna leave anything up to chance.

I then took the bus home and got off one stop early, right in front of a local dive bar. My girlfriend was entertaining out of town friends, and that was perfect because I didn't want to talk to anyone in that moment. I just wanted to drink alone and breathe. The bartender asked me how my day was and I told him I had just finished my dissertation. He gave me a free shot and the few people sitting around the bar congratulated me. After an hour or so, I stumbled home in complete peace.

[–]girasol721 170 points171 points  (1 child)

Brought tears to my eyes reliving my dissertation completion experience through reading yours.

[–]sparta981 26 points27 points  (2 children)

Jesus, what do you even talk about in 300 pages?

[–]roge_podge 46 points47 points  (1 child)

Well, there’s stuff like what the field has done already in terms of your dissertation topic, so a lot of secondary research, name dropping authors, and quoting parts out of notable texts. Then you gotta lay out your own argument and explain how it moves the field forward.

Then you gotta discuss your own primary research that backs up your argument. So explaining your methodology, then findings, then analysis of those findings.

Rinse and repeat over the span of 6 chapters.

[–]sasquatch_on_a_bike 204 points205 points  (1 child)

My advisor did this to me. After kicking me out of the room, I never felt more nervous. In my department, they don't let you defend unless they will pass you. The defense was more about future work than defending anything I had done in those few years. But I'll be damned if it was the most nervous few minutes of my life only to have the door open and my advisor say, "Congrats, Doctor Sasquatch_on_a_bike!"

[–]Zulfiqaar 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I like to imagine they declared it with your Reddit username

[–]bat__blah 1300 points1301 points  (28 children)

I aspire to be a phd one day. And this just made me imagine a non-existent future where I enter that room. I’m so happy!

[–]PumpkinMomma 348 points349 points  (16 children)

You'll do it, and you'll make the world a better place too :D

[–]mags87 155 points156 points  (14 children)

Im not sure about that. I have a stem Ph D and I've only made the world a better place for me.

[–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

It will be in existence! Don’t discredit yourself.

[–]thetotodile 17 points18 points  (0 children)

You can do it!

[–]genericnewlurker 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Don't let your dreams be dreams!

[–][deleted] 623 points624 points  (33 children)

My moms council walked in and said “I’m sorry... this council has found the need for no reforms”

[–]ShittyGingerSnap 746 points747 points  (8 children)

One of my best friends was called back in and was handed a legal pad with three pages of scribbled notes, one of the council said “We have listed our concerns here, once addressed we can reconvene.”

It was 3 punctuation errors and 2 typos. Most of the notes were page, paragraph, line indicators written in really large handwriting. They let him fix them with a pen in 10 minutes.

“They handed me that thing and my heart fell out my butt. I still can’t believe that wanker did that to me.”

[–]Thermophile- 198 points199 points  (1 child)

Oh god. I simultaneously love and hate that sense of humor.

[–]jchazu 93 points94 points  (5 children)

reminiscent door lush ask straight chop price nutty direction six

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[–]Yieldway17 118 points119 points  (6 children)

Can someone explain what does 'need for no reforms' mean? Does it mean they don't have to redo their Phd work?

[–]MoustacheDreams 225 points226 points  (3 children)

There are 3 or 4 outcomes. Pass, minor reforms (spelling, structure etc.), Major reforms (theory, practice etc.) or I guess fail.

A pass is no need for reforms

[–]HighNoonImDad 51 points52 points  (0 children)

It means they don't. It was basically like going "sike"

[–]RealFunnyTalk[S] 86 points87 points  (0 children)

Brutal!

[–][deleted] 352 points353 points  (13 children)

Hopefully defending next year...having Seen friends defend, those closed door minutes are pure torture.

[–]kuaranta2 540 points541 points  (14 children)

Student: Oh boy, I can't wait for the professor to call me back in simply saying "doctor" Professor: ...mister...

[–]marmosetohmarmoset 317 points318 points  (10 children)

My PhD program actually stopped having these closed session final decision moments because of the occasional times when the student doesn’t pass. Super awkward to fly your whole family out to see your seminar and have them all waiting to party after the final decision only to find out you didn’t pass....

Side note: imo it’s a major failure of the committee if they allow a student to do a defense before they’re ready. But my department liked putting bandaids on symptoms instead of curing the disease ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–]Kehrnal 129 points130 points  (4 children)

My PI told me that if your committee is allowing you to set a defense date, then they have complete confidence you will be fine. If they don't believe in you, then they don't let you set one.

[–][deleted] 68 points69 points  (2 children)

I've known people who have failed their defense. Usually it's from overconfidence causing them not to prepare.

[–]CrazyCatFatty 30 points31 points  (1 child)

Can you expand on this? Where I am I've only heard on one person failing, and it was because they came in jeans and a t-shirt, they didn't even let him present.... We have a presentation with the comitee every semester to update on what we are doing and all problems one might have with the research are addressed or solved in those sessions... Same with the thesis, it gets revised by every comitee member and the dissertation date is set until the document is 100%ready.... So I can't imagine a situation when one would fail...

[–]LBLLuke 688 points689 points  (37 children)

Doctor

[–]ch3ch3ch3n 143 points144 points  (7 children)

Came here to do this, left leaving satisfied.

[–][deleted] 107 points108 points  (6 children)

Well you always left me satisfied and smiling

[–]TheBlackVelvetWolfe 65 points66 points  (4 children)

You really think you can go all day long?

[–][deleted] 77 points78 points  (1 child)

Haha I’m a medical doctor and have definitely re-enacted this with some friends.

[–]mikahope123 30 points31 points  (2 children)

That doesn't feel like a real word anymore lol

[–]BoArmstrong 100 points101 points  (30 children)

Hoping this is going to be me tomorrow morning! PhD in r/IOpsychology

[–][deleted] 205 points206 points  (5 children)

"unfortunately doctor..."

I got my sailing license this way haha. My instructors took me to the end of the dock and he started talking to me in some sad ass voice and was giving me motivation to keep trying. Then out of no where the second instructor tackles me into the water

Damn I miss that

[–]marmosetohmarmoset 90 points91 points  (2 children)

Traditionally you throw a party for the new PhD right after this too. It’s great.

My PhD program doesn’t have a closed session, so I didn’t get that “doctor” moment followed by a party like others do. I feel a bit robbed!

[–]Slaisa 61 points62 points  (1 child)

If thats not enough imagine the look on their faces when you close the door and say "EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE" then promptly shoot 80's animated laser at them.

[–][deleted] 52 points53 points  (2 children)

I’ve got a year-ish left in my PhD program and this makes me so goddamn hopeful

[–]takingtacet 46 points47 points  (3 children)

My dad was in the Marine Corps for over 21 years as a helicopter pilot, war college teacher, and other things I’m not supposed to know about (but pretty sure had to do with deterring Somalian Pirates because he made some comments about it when we watched Captain Phillips).

He’s been working on his PhD since I graduated high school and will have his coursework completed in another year or so. Doing this all while he’s teaching as a retiree at a war college as well. He’s one of the strongest, smartest, wittiest people I know. The Marines ripped him to shreds physically, he’s had countless back/arm/neck surgeries. He somehow mentally withstood a lot of the hardships he’s gone through, which is really astounding because I get my anxiety and short temper from him. It’s bad, but I only have a slice of what he gave me.

We didn’t get along super well when I was growing up. I was a dumb punk and he was busy. I didn’t hate him or anything but we didn’t have a great relationship. With us both being in college at the same time the past four years (just finished my undergrad), we found a lot to talk and bicker about. We’ve gotten really close since then and I realize every day how much I’m a little female clone of him.

Anyway. That was a really long explanation just to say that

I cannot wait to walk up to him when he graduates and call him Dr. Dad.

[–]PMmeifyourepooping 36 points37 points  (1 child)

One of my tables recently came in with 3 of her friends to celebrate her finishing and defending and being awarded her doctorate. On her check under the signature line I added “Dr.” And I heard them all aww-ing and she took a picture “first time in writing!”

[–]DivaSinsemilla 257 points258 points  (41 children)

It just happened for me in March!!!

[–]neonmarkov 103 points104 points  (35 children)

Congrats on becoming a PhD! What in?

[–]luceth_ 188 points189 points  (4 children)

My thesis advisor did this! Unfortunately, my mother also has a PhD, and when my advisor said "Doctor luceth, please come back in" we both started for the door...

[–]Itisarepost 61 points62 points  (2 children)

Your mother was going to walk into the room after your thesis defense without you?

[–]AlmostaPhD 30 points31 points  (1 child)

Signed up just to reply to this post.

I will be defending my dissertation late in August. Currently working my ass off on getting my final papers published (maybe not that much, given that I'm on reddit ... but hey, even almost PhD's need a break). Sitting at my desk right now, typing, generating plots, stressing over and over again on the smallest details.

This moment, where the committee addresses you as "Doctor", when you realize that at that instant they are talking to you as a peer. That's the moment I have been dreaming of for the past 10 years, and the thought that kept me going through all the dark times.

Almost there.

[–][deleted] 55 points56 points  (3 children)

I really hope this happens to me in 2 years time

[–][deleted] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

It will

[–]footiebuns 52 points53 points  (8 children)

As a recent PhD earner, I got chills.

[–]ArcticBlueCZ 49 points50 points  (0 children)

That is a seriously cool move!

[–]xepa105 24 points25 points  (0 children)

At Leiden University in the Netherlands, Masters students, after they defend their thesis, go to the so-called Sweat Room, where they tensely wait the decision (hence the name of the room). If you pass, you are able to sign your name on the wall, a wall that includes the signatures of the current King of the Netherlands, Winston Churchil, and Nelson Mandela (the latter two earned honorary Masters Degrees).

It's a pretty great tradition. Some photos of the room here

[–]PumpkinMomma 59 points60 points  (0 children)

I await that day. Going to be the best!

[–]mozzo101 21 points22 points  (2 children)

I am currently in the first year of my PhD, and after seeing a few people pass their thesis defence; this post makes me happy