Problems With the PhD Term Paper

Total Length: 518 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 2

Dr. Dole Queue

It might seem that having too much education, like being too rich or too thin, is impossible to achieve. However, according to Adrian Wooldridge's article "Doctor Dole Queue," that is precisely what is happening to a generation of PhD students. After a certain point, there is a diminishing level of returns for the student in regards to getting degree after degree. And certain degrees, such as a PhD in English literature, can actually make the job-seeker less employable, given the lack of utility of the degree in fields outside of academia and the opportunity cost of time and money to get a PhD. Wooldridge primarily uses facts and statistics to illustrate his point, underlining the discrepancy that exists between the claim that 'more education is good' versus the reality that exists for most students in the real world.


In the first paragraph of his essay, Wooldridge states that he believes that a generation of people with PhDs is being created with massive student loans and poor employment prospects. Wooldridge counters the argument that 'more education is better' by taking it to its logical, absurd conclusion through the use of examples and illustrations: he states eventually PhDs will be touted as mandatory for all students in post-industrial economies, just like secondary education is considered the minimal education standard for entering the workplace. The absurdity of this vision underlines a serious point he is making, namely the uselessness of a PhD for the majority of the degree's current recipients.

In the second paragraph, Wooldridge summons up….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Problems With The PhD" (2014, June 09) Retrieved May 4, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/problems-phd-189777

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Problems With The PhD" 09 June 2014. Web.4 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/problems-phd-189777>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Problems With The PhD", 09 June 2014, Accessed.4 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/problems-phd-189777