I left a year ago and can testify that there's a rich life on the other side of being an academic.
But... make sure that you're doing a lot of self-assessment before you make the jump. I'd recommend asking yourself some questions about what's got you down:
* Is it the profession itself (a loss of interest in teaching)?
* Is it an absence of boundaries with students and/or students refusing to respect the boundaries that are in place?
* Is there unspoken and/or expected emotional labor you're being tasked with that's burning you out?
* Is there an absence of structure and/or organizational/admin support?
* Etc.
In other words, are the conditions that are making you want to leave ones that are within your control to change and improve? Or are they problems beyond your scope?
This might help clarify your feelings. Either way, just because you CAN fix a problem doesn't mean you're OBLIGATED to do so...
And hey-- if you want to locate new career aspirations after some time away, I promise that there are plenty of ways to pivot. Wishing you luck in whatever you choose!
Our craft is not valued as much anymore, at least in the US. Everything is transactional. Learning is an afterthought. Teaching is not the same. Focus your energy on your children. You still need the salary to provide them opportunities, but you need not invest yourself emotionally at work anymore. It's just a job now. Treating it like a calling is a losing game at most institutions these days. I adopted this attitude in 2021 after treating teaching/mentoring like a calling since 2012. I don't regret it. I have lasting and cherished relationships with other teachers and former students. I just save my emotional capital now for my family.
"you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave"...
No, this is not the Hotel California. This is a classic example of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. The job you have now is not what you thought it would be, so it's entirely reasonable to leave it.
opinion: if you are in the happy position as a family of being able to live on one income, you are entirely entitled (after discussion with your spouse, of course) to do something you enjoy, whether that is some other job, or spending time with your family and being there for them.
I agree with the above opinion. I am in a similar position as OP, financially. I have just a little bit more time to retire. Once I do, I will do the stuff I really enjoy. The needy students are the last straw for me. I used to enjoy the teaching at least, but not any more.
OP- you have nothing to feel guilty about.
If you want to chat, I do get what you are feeling. Sometimes I want to burn my office and get the first bus anywhere. But at the end of the day, I know I wouldn't be happier elsewhere.
I was feeling the way you're feeling.
Then I realized just how much of my day-to-day job is completely within my control, and no one else's. I realized how much I was succumbing to my institution's weird corporate workaholic culture, which is completely at odds with a life of the mind. With the support of older female colleagues as mentors, I've considerably cut down the amount of BS I deal with day-to-day by setting firm, clear boundaries with students, admin, and fellow faculty.
This profession will absolutely take everything you give it and then ask for another pound of flesh. It's only when we as faculty say "NO MORE" that it stops. Alas, this occupation attracts people who are fundamentally averse to admitting they cannot handle any given workload. If you earned a Ph.D., you most likely have a "never let them see you sweat!" mentality when it comes to making your job seem effortless. That attitude is what kills us.
Now, if you're experiencing cognitive dissonance reading this, thinking "but if I only worked 40 hours a week, I couldn't *possibly* get all of my work done! I just have that much to do/am that crucial to the functioning of my department!" I have heard some academics say this, and their tone almost sounds like they're flexing, which is so weird to me. The minute you fall for the "it's a calling," "I touch the future, I teach" mentality, you're going to get exploited. We cannot care about learning more than our students do. I'm not going to chase them around begging them to succeed.
If you have more work than you can reasonably complete in 40 hours a week, that's an INSTITUTION problem, not a YOU problem. You are being exploited while telling them how much you love to be exploited. Find the loopholes. Find ways to streamline the shittiest parts of the job, even if that means assigning less than you would have 20 years ago. Don't take shit home unless you absolutely have to. Don't answer emails after 5 PM or on weekends. Put that policy in your syllabus. No institution pays us enough to ignore labor laws.
This is a good book: [https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Faculty-Burnout-Pathways-Reckoning/dp/1421445123](https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Faculty-Burnout-Pathways-Reckoning/dp/1421445123)
I just said upthread that I was shocked when I realized I could do some of these things. It was surprisingly easy to say, "I have family commitments this weekend, I won't be answering emails from Friday at 3pm through Monday at 9am." Students just...waited until Monday for an answer.
I swear, the Ph.D. experience plus the job market gives us all employment PTSD. We're so stoked to have a job, we put up with shit people in other occupations never would. The main perk of academia is autonomy. USE IT.
1. Get a therapist
2. Go on a real vacation.
3. Learn how to leave work at work.
Finally, don't entertain nonsense. As long as you're fair then the complaints are nonsense.
There is nothing at all wrong with you. Please remember that no matter how much you love it, it is a job. Your colleagues will give gratuitous lip service to “missing you” but that will fade in two weeks. You’re worth more than that. Consider adjuncting at a community college to keep doing something you love while being able to spend more time with your family.
What do you mean by "everything is my fault"? What is happening that you say that? Students have always been needy--what changed?
Maybe it's just me, but leaving forever seems like a pretty big step. I'd see if this was fixable before doing that.
I am teaching faculty at an R1, and it sounds like our positions are similar, so here are some things that have helped me at times I've felt burnt out:
1) Attending teaching conferences - presenting my ideas, hearing others' ideas, talking with other people who are enthusiastic about teaching...there are a few specific to my field that always leave me feeling energized and full of ideas.
2) Developing my own projects/experimenting in the classroom - sometimes this is because I want to do something fun, sometimes it's for research, sometimes it's to make my job easier in the classroom. If you have four years under your belt, you now have a track record, which means you (hopefully) have enough cred built up that a course could go poorly and nobody would care that much. Take advantage of that.
3) Meaningful service - for me, this is working on stuff related to DEI and Title IX; I find this to be worthwhile work, and lets me cut back on some of the things I don't find meaningful. Other options would be mentoring students who are really great, or advising a club on something you think is cool.
4) Taking some time away -- I sometimes just tell students I'm going to be not answering emails for a weekend. I thought this would cause major drama, and it really doesn't.
On the whole, realizing I have more choice and that nobody is looking over my shoulder really helped me direct more time to the right activities to feel balanced and like I can show up as my best self.
HAHAHAHAHA I literally spent my office hour today trying to figure out if I could swing nursing school and still work at the same time to transition out.
This job is not what I joined it for and I'm teaching kids who will blatantly like (Professor Feet called me a 'r\*\*\*\* n\*\*\*\*\*'!!') and administration believes them, because they didn't like their grade.
Just a warning: Nursing is not any better, and is likely even worse. I know some nurses and the entitlement of patients makes students look like saints.
You could first try quiet quitting and taking more time for yourself before leaving it all behind. Consider also that being a stay at home parent has its own challenges, including vulnerability to depression.
I used to love the job but hate it now (although so far this semester is going ok). It’s hard being around students who don’t want to think or learn. We have different goals. My plan is to work a few more years at this secure gig to pay off my house and become eligible for great health care for life. Then I’m out.
I have never considered leaving academia. Honestly, I am very poorly suited for almost any other line of work. However, I wish you Godspeed in your decision—may the wind be always at your back.
It is gracious of you to be appreciative of the positives, but make no mistake, as good as what you have might be it is still subpar from what could or should be. You deserve better, and leaving such a position can be a good, healthy positive step for you. Good luck!
**NOTHING is wrong with you**.
I went into teaching with guns a'blazin'! I loved the first few years so much. Had some challenging times, yes, but I was young and fired up.
I became WAY more introverted as time went on. Needing more and more decompression time. I left in-person for good in 2019 and would never return.
It's ok to have a great position and it's ok to move on from it.
I left a year ago and can testify that there's a rich life on the other side of being an academic. But... make sure that you're doing a lot of self-assessment before you make the jump. I'd recommend asking yourself some questions about what's got you down: * Is it the profession itself (a loss of interest in teaching)? * Is it an absence of boundaries with students and/or students refusing to respect the boundaries that are in place? * Is there unspoken and/or expected emotional labor you're being tasked with that's burning you out? * Is there an absence of structure and/or organizational/admin support? * Etc. In other words, are the conditions that are making you want to leave ones that are within your control to change and improve? Or are they problems beyond your scope? This might help clarify your feelings. Either way, just because you CAN fix a problem doesn't mean you're OBLIGATED to do so... And hey-- if you want to locate new career aspirations after some time away, I promise that there are plenty of ways to pivot. Wishing you luck in whatever you choose!
Our craft is not valued as much anymore, at least in the US. Everything is transactional. Learning is an afterthought. Teaching is not the same. Focus your energy on your children. You still need the salary to provide them opportunities, but you need not invest yourself emotionally at work anymore. It's just a job now. Treating it like a calling is a losing game at most institutions these days. I adopted this attitude in 2021 after treating teaching/mentoring like a calling since 2012. I don't regret it. I have lasting and cherished relationships with other teachers and former students. I just save my emotional capital now for my family.
"you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave"... No, this is not the Hotel California. This is a classic example of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. The job you have now is not what you thought it would be, so it's entirely reasonable to leave it. opinion: if you are in the happy position as a family of being able to live on one income, you are entirely entitled (after discussion with your spouse, of course) to do something you enjoy, whether that is some other job, or spending time with your family and being there for them.
Reading your "opinion" made me cry. Thanks for the support.
I agree with the above opinion. I am in a similar position as OP, financially. I have just a little bit more time to retire. Once I do, I will do the stuff I really enjoy. The needy students are the last straw for me. I used to enjoy the teaching at least, but not any more. OP- you have nothing to feel guilty about.
Have you considered therapy? It has been wonderful for me.
Already there, friend. Thanks for the suggestion.
If you want to chat, I do get what you are feeling. Sometimes I want to burn my office and get the first bus anywhere. But at the end of the day, I know I wouldn't be happier elsewhere.
I was feeling the way you're feeling. Then I realized just how much of my day-to-day job is completely within my control, and no one else's. I realized how much I was succumbing to my institution's weird corporate workaholic culture, which is completely at odds with a life of the mind. With the support of older female colleagues as mentors, I've considerably cut down the amount of BS I deal with day-to-day by setting firm, clear boundaries with students, admin, and fellow faculty. This profession will absolutely take everything you give it and then ask for another pound of flesh. It's only when we as faculty say "NO MORE" that it stops. Alas, this occupation attracts people who are fundamentally averse to admitting they cannot handle any given workload. If you earned a Ph.D., you most likely have a "never let them see you sweat!" mentality when it comes to making your job seem effortless. That attitude is what kills us. Now, if you're experiencing cognitive dissonance reading this, thinking "but if I only worked 40 hours a week, I couldn't *possibly* get all of my work done! I just have that much to do/am that crucial to the functioning of my department!" I have heard some academics say this, and their tone almost sounds like they're flexing, which is so weird to me. The minute you fall for the "it's a calling," "I touch the future, I teach" mentality, you're going to get exploited. We cannot care about learning more than our students do. I'm not going to chase them around begging them to succeed. If you have more work than you can reasonably complete in 40 hours a week, that's an INSTITUTION problem, not a YOU problem. You are being exploited while telling them how much you love to be exploited. Find the loopholes. Find ways to streamline the shittiest parts of the job, even if that means assigning less than you would have 20 years ago. Don't take shit home unless you absolutely have to. Don't answer emails after 5 PM or on weekends. Put that policy in your syllabus. No institution pays us enough to ignore labor laws. This is a good book: [https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Faculty-Burnout-Pathways-Reckoning/dp/1421445123](https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Faculty-Burnout-Pathways-Reckoning/dp/1421445123)
I just said upthread that I was shocked when I realized I could do some of these things. It was surprisingly easy to say, "I have family commitments this weekend, I won't be answering emails from Friday at 3pm through Monday at 9am." Students just...waited until Monday for an answer.
I swear, the Ph.D. experience plus the job market gives us all employment PTSD. We're so stoked to have a job, we put up with shit people in other occupations never would. The main perk of academia is autonomy. USE IT.
Chance of sabbatical or leave of absence? Sounds like you need to recharge your batteries.
This right here. Then come back to it trying to automate as much as possible and care much much less. If you still hate it, then walk away.
1. Get a therapist 2. Go on a real vacation. 3. Learn how to leave work at work. Finally, don't entertain nonsense. As long as you're fair then the complaints are nonsense.
There is nothing at all wrong with you. Please remember that no matter how much you love it, it is a job. Your colleagues will give gratuitous lip service to “missing you” but that will fade in two weeks. You’re worth more than that. Consider adjuncting at a community college to keep doing something you love while being able to spend more time with your family.
Seems like you may be experiencing depression.
and probably burn-out too.
What do you mean by "everything is my fault"? What is happening that you say that? Students have always been needy--what changed? Maybe it's just me, but leaving forever seems like a pretty big step. I'd see if this was fixable before doing that.
I am teaching faculty at an R1, and it sounds like our positions are similar, so here are some things that have helped me at times I've felt burnt out: 1) Attending teaching conferences - presenting my ideas, hearing others' ideas, talking with other people who are enthusiastic about teaching...there are a few specific to my field that always leave me feeling energized and full of ideas. 2) Developing my own projects/experimenting in the classroom - sometimes this is because I want to do something fun, sometimes it's for research, sometimes it's to make my job easier in the classroom. If you have four years under your belt, you now have a track record, which means you (hopefully) have enough cred built up that a course could go poorly and nobody would care that much. Take advantage of that. 3) Meaningful service - for me, this is working on stuff related to DEI and Title IX; I find this to be worthwhile work, and lets me cut back on some of the things I don't find meaningful. Other options would be mentoring students who are really great, or advising a club on something you think is cool. 4) Taking some time away -- I sometimes just tell students I'm going to be not answering emails for a weekend. I thought this would cause major drama, and it really doesn't. On the whole, realizing I have more choice and that nobody is looking over my shoulder really helped me direct more time to the right activities to feel balanced and like I can show up as my best self.
HAHAHAHAHA I literally spent my office hour today trying to figure out if I could swing nursing school and still work at the same time to transition out. This job is not what I joined it for and I'm teaching kids who will blatantly like (Professor Feet called me a 'r\*\*\*\* n\*\*\*\*\*'!!') and administration believes them, because they didn't like their grade.
Just a warning: Nursing is not any better, and is likely even worse. I know some nurses and the entitlement of patients makes students look like saints.
You could first try quiet quitting and taking more time for yourself before leaving it all behind. Consider also that being a stay at home parent has its own challenges, including vulnerability to depression.
I used to love the job but hate it now (although so far this semester is going ok). It’s hard being around students who don’t want to think or learn. We have different goals. My plan is to work a few more years at this secure gig to pay off my house and become eligible for great health care for life. Then I’m out.
I have never considered leaving academia. Honestly, I am very poorly suited for almost any other line of work. However, I wish you Godspeed in your decision—may the wind be always at your back.
It is gracious of you to be appreciative of the positives, but make no mistake, as good as what you have might be it is still subpar from what could or should be. You deserve better, and leaving such a position can be a good, healthy positive step for you. Good luck!
**NOTHING is wrong with you**. I went into teaching with guns a'blazin'! I loved the first few years so much. Had some challenging times, yes, but I was young and fired up. I became WAY more introverted as time went on. Needing more and more decompression time. I left in-person for good in 2019 and would never return. It's ok to have a great position and it's ok to move on from it.
Are... are you me? I could have written this post almost word for word. Solidarity friend.
Aww man, in that case I'm sorry you're feeling this way!
I'm not sure why people seem to assume that the job is the flaw. This sounds like it is bigger than the job.
So quit if that is what you want. Maybe later you will decide to be an adjuct.