get out while you can
It's not a waste of money. You should feel priviliged to have had the inner mysteries of science revealed to you. But don't stay on the academic treadmill just cos of peer pressure. It's a sucky career path in many ways, and if you're not highly motivated you should quit. I did, no regrets whatsoever.

Hand in the thesis, and get a stupidly high paying job with a hedge fund for a few years.
(Simian Typewriter Supplies Pty. Ltd. is house hunting in the neighborhood of infinity, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 21:30, 1 reply)

academia is not a treadmill ...
... but it is hard work and the career path is indeed sucky. Presumably hedge funds pay well (they are unlikely to pay worse), but it's rather less than obvious that the job will be more satisfying.
(haberman is singing in the changes, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 22:26, closed)

^ this
It's not about the money. Obviously I want to be able to pay the rent, but I'm more concerned with finding a job that's satisfying.
(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 10:52, closed)