Thread by @MichelleCardel

#AcademicTwitter: I see overwhelming discussion on the downsides of academia. I worry what this does to the hope & inspiration of grad students with ambitions to go into academia. Given that I think #academia is the best job ever, my thoughts on life as an academic.

A thread 👇🏽

(1/11) Autonomy: As an academic (even without tenure), I feel like I have so much autonomy to pursue the scientific ideas that I find to be important. For someone who is internally motivated and feels passionate about certain areas of research, this is a priceless benefit.

(2/11) Never Ending Knowledge Gains: Every single day I go to work and learn new things. Every. Single. Day. The intellectual stimulation that I receive from my colleagues is such a gift. They push me and my science to be better. And I am so thankful.

(3/11) Mentoring: I have benefited significantly from exceptional mentoring. I can never pay that back, but I get the chance to pay it forward every day. Mentoring the exceptional students in my lab and the committees I sit on gives me a deep sense of joy and pride.

(4/11) Teaching: The students in my courses are brilliant. Full Stop. Their insights and discussion points never cease to amaze me, and I feel like I learn just as much from them, if not more, than they learn from me.

(5/11) Flexibility: Academia provides significantly more scheduling flexibility than most other professions. We are a milestone-based profession (grants, papers, books). As a result, beside time you are in class, people tend to care very little about where and when you work.

(6/11) Flexibility cont.: Personally, I work best in the morning so I am often up writing at 4am. If I was tied to a 9am-5pm schedule, I would be a lot less productive. Also, as a mom of two, this allows me to work around my children’s schedules, which is invaluable to me.

(7/11) Impact: We are often sought after for our expertise. This allows us to influence policy and changes in communities, clinical settings, governmental agencies, & industry, thereby increasing the impact of our work significantly more than if we disseminated our work alone.

(8/11) Colleagues: I get to work with some of the smartest, noble, and kind people in the world. You don't go into academia to become rich and could make a lot more money in other industries. Academics have a passion for their work and are here because they want to change the🌎.

(9/11) Travel: Conferences, meetings, and guest speaker opportunities take you all over the country and the world. I’ve been able to see so many places that I would not have otherwise seen. New cultures, new people, and new places are a privilege to be exposed to.

(10/11) Personal growth: There is a lot of rejection in academia. This invites personal growth, introspection, and humility. I am a better person for all of the experiences and teachable moments I have had as an academic.

(11/11) Overall, I feel that being an academic is such a privileged position. I am grateful for the opportunity to conduct research, teach, mentor, and serve every day. These may not reflect everyone’s experiences in academia, but they reflect mine.