This experience was very similar to mine (I wrote about it here on Medium) except I chose to leave my PhD program when I saw what I wanted to do. Having those letters behind my name wouldn’t have helped me get to where I wanted to be. I saw the treacherous road that lay ahead and didn’t get too afraid I couldn’t handle it, but rather that I didn’t want to look back once I was on the other side and ask myself if it was worth it. That would have been three more years if my life that led to giant, recurring pants of regret.
Regret about what else I could have done instead. Regret about why I wasted my time. Regret about why I didn’t make the choice to leave.
I look back with great satisfaction when I think about my decision to leave and pursue more rewarding opportunities in line with my objectives. I’m glad that you found your own happiness and hope you learned from this experience that you don’t have to suffer through self-induced commitments if they don’t end up getting you closer to your desired end state. Thanks for sharing your story.
