U ho, pointless post alert...I should be trying to read but I can't seem to focus, crammed up in my dingy room with the wind howling outside. It's always windy where I live at the moment, in a little town on top of a hill - the middle of nowhere. Anyway, I'd like to ask people where they see themselves 10 years from now. Researching in some far away place? A lecturer in a prestigious uni? Or a high flying city slicker, a la Gordon Gekko? I'm not too sure about myself, really - I'll be 38 (so quite an age) by then. The only thing for certain, for me, is that I'll have finished my PhD by then. What say anybody else?:-)

Bit depressing, but hopefully still alive basically. I've got a progressive neurological disease which could kill me at any time. I don't know what the future will hold for me, except it's likely to be worse symptom-wise than now. Because of the illness working in academia - even part-time, for example OU tutoring - is totally out for me. We never have careers discussions at my university meetings or monitoring sessions! But if I'm still able to I'd like to be doing independent research, producing the odd paper or two. That would be nice.

Hey Walkminskipeas,
I know all about howling wind! :) I live right next to the sea in an old attic conversion - thought the roof was gonna come off last night! Hoping for a much better sleep tonight, and therefore more productive day tomorrow - although at least managed to fill 3 gaps in my intro today and finish boss's corrections! Feel it is therefore time for bed! but i hope you get your focus soon so you can go sleep too, and that the wind calms down over your way!

That's a very good question, and one i really need to consider in detail, as going to have lots of interviews coming up soon (hopefully), and thats always an evil question! I'll be 36 and hopefully will by then, if economics allow, have afforded a nice house at last, and maybe a kid or two ;)! However, to be honest i'm not sure I see myself still in research, although you never know! slowly trying to move my career into public engagement and science communication - so ideally I would be in that sector having lots of fun with mad science workshops!!! but depending on the job interview, i guess i better think about tailoring my answer to that sector...!?

I certainly hope i'll be finished my PhD by then.....although right now it seems never ending!
right, sleeeeeeppppp (sorry, tired and slightly mental....) (up)

Hopefully I will be able to pay my water bill, socialise, eat and pay for dance classes... And still be researching.

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I'm just about to start my PhD, so I am still filled with hopes that I will have completed it and ended up with a relatively stable research position in a good university by the time I am 32, with a house and a cat and maybe even a child! (typical woman, haha). Who knows though... my interests may change by then or I may wish to be in a job where I can directly see positive effects of my role (eg. doctor), although I know that would require even more years as a student!

I would like to speak German fluently, have a research, academic, or related job somewhere, and a satisfying social and personal life. Not all in that order obviously!

Yes, interesting question, as am currently working out new dreams for the next phase of my life! I think that within the next 10 years, I would have done some research work OS, come back, and worked on a whole host of interesting and decently paid research projects (hah! There's an oxymoron!). Made a bit of a name for myself, and left my former public service career far, far behind...And living in a decent city, not in this godforsaken two-bit town I'm currently forced to endure. And have some time for a proper social life and to do some volunteer work! This is really finally getting to me - year after year of not building sustaining relationships, as I only ever pop out of my study for a quick bite and occasional chat with friends, but don't undertake bigger things, eg week-ends away with people, or even make new friends as I'm always working, working, working...

And Walminski, for those of us who are a bit older, 38 isn't really "quite an age"!!;-)

Quite agree (I'm 37), though I accept that I too might have thought it was 10 years ago!

10 years from today, I'll be 34. Hmm, I hope to finish my PhD at 26, if the stars are willing, do a post doc right after (fingers crossed), and try to think about those things called relationships, men and 'settling down' by 30.

Academically, I am an idiot, naive and ambitious like a silly toddler so not listing stuff on my career wishlist for itsounds stupid and funny!

But for your qyestion, 10 yrs later, I would want to have a family, and my first book for sure. and this wishlist (!) above! ;-)

I'll be in my 50s by then :p and the mother of a teenager :p:p

I can't move for work (wish I could) so it's extrememly hard to know whether I could ever make tenure given I have to stay here. I'm not sure that I will be able to put in the hours and committment that seems to be required and be around for my daughter. I would like to do a couple of postdocs at least but I just can't really see beyond that. I've already said that I want to work 4 days/week (so that I can pick up from school 2 days/week) and people seem fine with that - but for a tenured post - I suspect they would not be. I have a feeling I might make one of my occaisional diagonal career moves by then.

In ten years time I'll hopefully have sorted out my current do-I/don't-I want to continue in academia issues to settle down into something that is a proper career of some sort! And since I'm getting married next year (probably, date not yet settled!) I also hope we'll have children by then, although quite what age they'd be probably rather depends on the career issue! And I would like to live in a real house that we own rather than the rented flat we're spilling out of at the moment, preferably with a couple of dogs. I'd also like to have finished writing a novel by then. Not published it necessarily, just finished writing it for myself rather than constantly writing little bits and pieces and never finishing anything! And of course whether I will also be published as an academic largely depends on whether I've ploughed on with things here. (And also whether I continue to procrastinate from work as at this moment... Hmm...)

Hmmm... probably all rather dull for me:
A couple of kids, living in the commuter belt, mayba a bigger house than we're about to move into (!! which is lovely but little!), that my husband and I and our friends and family are healthy. Nice civil service job in the Dept of Culture Media and Sport..... Ahh. I'm not hugely ambitious, I'd just like to be financially comfortable and get to spend plenty of time with my family (contra life at the moment which is PhD PhD PhD... hence I haven';t been on here for a while!)....
S

10 years later.....Well, hopefully I will be over with my part-time PhD and my mother will have it hung above the fireplace with a nice frame!!!!!
I guess I will be working at the same job I am now, dealing with SEN children, maybe I will be married (IF my boyfriend will have finished his residency by then, as he is a doctor and it is veeeery difficult)....
Academic career???? Why not, although it is very difficult!!!

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Academically, I'd like to have at least 2 books published, one from my PhD subject and one for the next interesting topic I fancy working on, and also maybe an edited collection about my spin-off subject. I've a feeling I might still be involved with the same institution in some capacity, as a Reader would be nice as I'll have done some interesting research projects too by then!!! :-) Dream on!!

And from a more materialistic perspective, I'd like to have paid off my current mortgage, and also have a nice flat overlooking the sea for breaks from London, which would be nearer my brother too.

And I sincerely hope I'll be happy and healthy too, as life's a hell of a lot easier when that's the case.

I like this topic....in 10 years time I'll be 31 - hopefully I'll have a PhD (just about to start the MSc) and have started a successful academic career providing that I do want to stay in academia and that I work hard enough! I really want to publish some of my work asap and go to a conference, hopefully will do those in the next two years. After 10 years, who knows I would like to settle down and maybe have children eventually but at the moment I'm a bit too selfish, I really can't see myself having children in my 20s.