What made you say "yes" to getting a doctorate?

I was in the 6th grade when I stupidly thought I could become a medical doctor. In the 7th grade (first year of high school where I'm from) I discovered that my little brain wasn't built for pure sciences. It was around 11th grade (final year of high school) that I decided that I had to achieve the "Dr." title by some other mean. I graduated at 16 and 2 weeks before my 17th birthday, I interviewed for a job. I told the HR director and HR manager that I was going to earn a BBA, an MBA, and a DBA. They were so impressed. When I got hired at that company (family-owned, conglomerate), my cousin (the CEO) paid my tuition for my first semester of a B.S. in Human Resource Management. He was disheartened when I decided to go to the police academy the following semester. He said he taught I wanted to study and stay in business. After the police academy, my interest changed to criminal justice and that's why I didn't pursue the BBA or DBA. I did, however, earn an MBA since it's a versatile degree. Who knows, maybe I'd be in middle management if I had stayed at that company.

 

Delaying the house purchase by 3 years could (possibly) cost you a lot of money. Who knows how much extra you'll have to pay then? Add that sum- whatever you figure it is - to the cost of the doctorate, if you wait 3 years for the house. Think it through at least twice before further encumbering a recently-purchased house with a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) to finance education (or anything else). Make sure the numbers will work. I know I'm being Capt. Obvious here, but if someone has had the place for years and has oodles of equity - it works better.

 

The story Ted refers to:

A reader of my book wrote to say that he was looking for a PhD program; he had been thrown out of the PhD program at Columbia University in 1913 and always wanted to complete it. I replied, pointing out the amusing typo: 1913. He responded that it was correct; he was now 96; his wife of 70+ years had died, and he was bored to tears. (He was thrown out of Columbia because they said his research proposal was outrageous and ridiculous: he wanted to write about the causes of a coming world war.)

I approached Columbia on his behalf, suggesting it would be terrific PR if they reinstated him. They replied stiffly that they did not admit older PhD students who would not then have a career using their degree. I approached other schools, and a regionally-accredited school accepted him. He completed his PhD at 99. His research was on the causes of a coming world war.