PhD program: a masochistic exercise?

For those who attempt it, the doctoral dissertation can loom on the horizon like Everest, gleaming invitingly as a challenge but often turning into a masochistic exercise once the ascent is begun. The average student takes 8.2 years to get a Ph.D.; in education, that figure surpasses 13 years. Fifty percent of students drop out along the way, with dissertations the major stumbling block. At commencement, the typical doctoral holder is 33, an age when peers are well along in their professions, and 12 percent of graduates are saddled with more than $50,000 in debt.

Before you all get onto your high horses, here's my disclaimer: This is not me saying this. This is an excerpt from a New York Times article published in October 2007.

Interestingly, there is also this book, titled How To Get a PhD by Estelle Philips and Derek S. Pugh, that points to various ways NOT to get a PhD: basically, here is a summary of what you should do not to get a PhD.

ONE. Not wanting a PhD.

TWO. Not understanding the nature of a PhD by overestimating what is required.

THREE.Not understanding the nature of a PhD by underestimating what is required.

FOUR. Not having a supervisor who knows what a PhD requires.

FIVE. Losing contact with your supervisor.

SIX.Not having a thesis.

SEVEN. Taking a new job before finishing.

So if you're one of those suffering from PhD depression, I suggest you check out the 1-minute Log.