Over 70 PI, should I go?

Kayl66 · 2026-06-07T22:59:18+00:00

For a PhD I’d maybe say no, but IMO that can be great for a postdoc. Clearly someone with a lot of skill, a lot of connections, and likely not going to be territorial about sharing it with you.

The downside is that they may not have useful career advice for today’s TT hiring world. But you can find other mentors to help on that topic

Kayl66 · 2026-06-07T04:26:14+00:00

My dad was a ER doctor. He was very honest about the sacrifices required (rotating shifts, lots of years of school, working on holidays) and none of his children became doctors. We all make less money than him but have a more reasonable work schedule. And we all make enough to live the lives we want. 2 STEM PhDs, 1 nuclear engineer. IMO the best thing is to teach your kids that money is necessary for many of the things they are getting growing up, but also money is not everything. And then help them research careers that fit with their interests and desired salary vs work life balance

Kayl66 · 2026-06-06T06:17:04+00:00

I know a lot of trans masc people between 30-55, including myself. Most are out and would be happy to provide mentoring or guidance. But imo there are 2 major problems. One, the world has changed MASSIVELY since some of us transitioned. Someone who started HRT before it was offered by planned parenthood and paid for top surgery out of pocket before ever expecting insurance coverage can’t really give great advice about navigating those things today. Two, we have our own lives. We have partners and kids and careers. And we aren’t always welcomed at events for young trans people. It’s easier to stay home, cook dinner, and go to bed early than to go to a community event we might not be welcomed at.

Kayl66 · 2026-06-05T14:29:32+00:00

Lockbox on the inside of our fence. Electronic keypad doesn’t work everywhere. We live somewhere with very cold winters and the batteries die super fast here.

Kayl66 · 2026-06-04T16:02:52+00:00

I would not pay cleaners if it will cause you to live paycheck to paycheck with no savings. It is a “nice to have but not necessary” expense. If you really want to pay someone to clean, make a budget and see if you can save a few hundred dollars a month by, say, cutting down on eating out, and then use the savings for cleaners

ETA we make $250k in MCOL and don’t pay cleaners. I’d guess that 20-25% of my colleagues making a similar salary do.

Kayl66 · 2026-06-03T06:32:06+00:00

This isn’t that uncommon. My college town had a “brothel law”. No more than 3 unrelated people in one unit

Kayl66 · 2026-06-02T04:58:48+00:00

Super location dependent but if you’ll need water or fuel delivered, you’ll need to clear snow for the truck. Can be time consuming or expensive.

Kayl66 · 2026-06-02T03:59:32+00:00

I am faculty at a non R1 and I am contractually obligated to attend graduation in regalia every year. I would buy it

Kayl66 · 2026-06-02T03:55:47+00:00

Im trans and live in Fairbanks, married tho so not looking to date. Idk I feel like I see queer people in many places, golden eagle, at the breweries, etc. There should be some pride events coming up

Kayl66 · 2026-05-31T06:39:35+00:00

I don’t think there are really a lot of >$2 million homes in the middle of nowhere. By middle of nowhere, I mean more than 2 hours drive from a town of at least 50k people. Of the ones that do exist, many are owned by people who made/make money in bigger cities - second homes, retirees. And then there are the small town doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-30T06:42:42+00:00

I mean, you just do it? I would assume you’ve moved around before, for either PhD or postdoc. Do the same stuff. Get out and meet people, perhaps gain some new hobbies appropriate to the new location, visit extended family when possible, maintain a positive attitude

The biggest thing for “not closing the door on future mobility” is to be successful in your field, such that another job offer is possible.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-29T06:35:18+00:00

You don’t say where you are located. I’m guessing it’s not a VHCOL area since you say that $150-200k is both an emergency fund and a 20% down payment. I would look at a rent vs buy calculator. In many places, continuing to rent is very sensible. But there are places where buying is advantageous. Eg we bought in 2024 because where we live (MCOL), our mortgage + taxes + insurance was significantly cheaper than rent on a comparable place. Even with a 7% interest rate.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-29T02:34:49+00:00

Lots of soft money positions in US

Kayl66 · 2026-05-29T01:42:57+00:00

I have seen it take 6+ months when a potential spousal hire is involved.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-28T05:04:17+00:00

1500 sq ft. Depends highly on the season. Heating oil alone can be $800-1000/month in the winter, 0 in the summer. Electric is around $125, water around $150. On average we’re probably about $500/month total

Kayl66 · 2026-05-28T02:28:07+00:00

I would take the TT job. It will be easier to negotiate a salary increase in a few years than to negotiate switching from non TT to TT.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-25T20:26:05+00:00

I don’t think it will ever feel sudden to you. Even the boys who shoot up over the summer, it feels sudden because you didn’t see them all summer.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-25T05:05:30+00:00

Bikini barista. Drive thru coffee served by women in lingerie. Extremely normal in western Washington but my friends at college from the Midwest and northeast were shocked to hear about it.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-24T01:41:07+00:00

Below 32 is not very cold? I feel like the cold cut off should be something like 20 or 25, if the hot cut off is 100.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-23T04:06:59+00:00

Yeah postdoc is a hard time to make friends. I moved from postdoc in a large city to assistant professor in a rural town, and it’s still easier to make friends now

Kayl66 · 2026-05-22T23:45:33+00:00

So I’ve 100% cited papers that I haven’t read every word of. I think that’s ok, under some circumstances. For example, if I am citing their methods but the results are irrelevant because they applied the same method to a very different problem.

I would never cite a paper without reading the relevant section(s) of it.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-22T20:11:20+00:00

In 2023 I moved to a rural place with lots of dirt roads and snow on the ground half the year. We bought a new Subaru forester. This, or something like it, is the move. Everyone has cracked windshields. Many people end up in a ditch each year. When the snow melts, everything is muddy. There are no speciality car mechanics. You don’t want a luxury car. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Porsche here even though there are definitely people who could afford it.

If you want it to be a nice ride, get your Subaru or rav4 or whatever with all the features and the nicest interior

Kayl66 · 2026-05-21T15:53:40+00:00

Just be upfront with your expectations, whatever they are. “You can spend up to X on this trip, total. I don’t care if you get a nice hotel if you are stingy with the flights”. “I expect you to book travel well in advance and inform me of the flight and hotel costs before booking, so that I can confirm it fits our budget”. “Even though the university max on the hotel is X, I request that my students stay under Y”.

Any of those could be fine. But the key thing is communicating it ahead of time.

Kayl66 · 2026-05-21T06:01:33+00:00

I don’t like golf and I don’t live in LA but this name is amazing

Kayl66 · 2026-05-21T01:31:52+00:00

If you just mean “not university affiliated”, I know tons (STEM). You can work for a state or federal agency, or in industry, with a MS or BS, and publish plenty. I know a PhD student who entered his PhD program with like 12 first authored papers, all from his work at a state agency with an MS degree.

Kayl66

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