Quote:
Originally Posted by lolar2 
FWIW, my sister says if she had it all to do over again, she would get the MSW instead of the Ph.D. She wants to do clinical practice and consulting, not so much research, and she could have done what she wants with less stress and fewer student loans if she'd gone the MSW route.
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I think that this is an excellent point. What do you want to DO with this degree? I hate to say this--but I have read a lot of posts from moms who say things along the lines of: I have to stay in school because my student loans are paying for our lifestyle...OR...I think I'll get a degree now when the kids are little, since I am at home with them...OR...a combination or variation of the above. To get a degree just to have a degree or because it's a distraction is not a good reason to get a degree. College degrees (whether they be undergrad or grad) have become a big business in the US. Beware.
Think about things like: how will I eventually pay for this degree? Do I really need it for my field? As the person above posted, a PhD is really a research degree--you need it if you plan to become a researcher in your chosen field.
I have a PhD from a brick and mortar instituion (i.e., not an on-line degree). My children were two and three when I began. It was very difficult. My dh was really helpful and took the kids on the weekends so I could start working Saturday morning at 6AM and finish up just in time to go to bed Sunday night. And that was just the weekends. I had no life and missed a million holidays getting that degree. I made some good friends during the time I was in school and they all had the same complaints. And my experience was much different than my undergrad days--the holidays in grad school were not days off--especially when it came to the comps, dissertation proposal, dissertation--oh my goodness. I thought I would never complete that process. I cried often during the proposal part of my degree. My dissertation was completely qualitative and it was a bear.
But I will say this: I am very proud of what I did. I went to one of the top ten (according to US News and World Report annual survey) colleges in the US and do not regret it. But I worry sometimes about how it might have affected the memories that my children have when they talk about the things that they did last summer or one particular weekend. I understand that other parents face this due to divorce or work or whatever--but I CHOSE this on my own, and sometimes I do have pangs of regret for their sake.
And yes, I am now using my degree in my chosen field and it is required for what I do...but I still wonder from time to time about what I gave up.
I would also suggest to you that talk to people who attend/ed the institution where you want to go. Ask them about the hours, the degree, etc., beyond posting here where the experiences will not mirror what you are planning to do. I interviewed the professors, the students, and read and read and read about the degree, the degree requirements, and the compared my school to many others offering the same degree--and I did all of this BEFORE I even picked up and application. I am sure you have thought about all of these things, but I just wanted to throw it out there in case you haven't thought about it.
Good luck!
