Have you considered online adjunct faculty positions? University of Phoenix, Devry, Colorado Tech, and a whole bunch of other universities have positions for faculty to teach courses from home. From what I hear, they don't pay great, but probably well over minimum wage, and you may find you get satisfaction in teaching. Try Googling "online faculty jobs" and your subject area.

Wow, thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. It's amazing how much better I feel just having been able to say those things "aloud" and to hear from people who understand. You collectively brought up some great points. I think a lot of you are right -- that the pressure to publish has caused a lot of people to stop caring about the higher truth and just "play the game" to be able to stay in it and be successful. And Slizor, you're spot on, many of the old timers in my department were some of the forerunners building up that behavioural revolution. And yes (I forget who wrote this) but I have considered that some faculty may have good explanations for their decisions, but can't be bothered to explain them to "just a phd student" -- and that's bothersome as well, as we're providing very cheap labor in exchange for learning... so if we're not learning....

Anyway, I guess, what it comes down to is just wanting to lament in a safe place the disappointment of having had the ivory tower illusion shattered... kind of like when I stopped seeing the Disneyland shows as being magical and instead saw overworked and underpaid staff with fake smiles plastered on. And wishing that I'd known more about what it would be like on the inside before I made all the sacrifices I did to come here. Not even that I'd *necessarily* have made a different decision... but it would have been nice to have been able to come in with eyes wide open.

Thanks for listening :) It's so nice to have people on the inside that are safe to confide in.

(... continuing... went over the word count limit)

It's incredibly lonely feeling this way about my entire department, and not being able to share it with anyone (no one takes kindly to "I think you're all stupid.") And the thing is, I like doing my own research, and I'd like to have a PhD. But no man is an island..... you get the picture. Do I just continue to play along with the charade for another two years until I graduate, trying to maintain research integrity but also fit in with my department? Holding on to bits of intelligence that I find here and there? Do I keep the hope that I'll find faculty at other schools that I will enjoy working with as peers when I become a professor? I do I kick all of academia -- or at least all of my field -- off the pedestal right along with my department, and cut my losses?

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Again, my intention is not to be arrogant or disparaging. It's to express profound disappointment among possible kindred spirits.

I know that I'm opening myself to criticism and accusations of both stupidity and arrogance by writing this, but I'm so intellectually lonely, I just have to share and see if there's anyone else out there who feels the same way.

My biggest problem with graduate school is that I have so little respect for my faculty. I am at the top institution in my social science field, working with "the best of the best." And yet, I find both their intelligence and professionalism incredibly lacking. Their research and conversations abound with such wild errors in logic, scope shifts, semantic inconsistencies, and conclusions that grossly overextend the data that I can't even summon the energy the begin the arduous process of explaining all the errors. When I find an isolated error that is easy to communicate and prove, it gets brushed off. People are so concerned with what's trendy, and that alone seems to be enough to make quality decisions. I have never been able to get someone to argue with me or explain logically why an idea they disparage is wrong, or why an idea they embrace is valid, in any logically convincing way. The amount of money I see wasted on running experiments that are fundamentally flawed (and return results that are flawed in exactly the way I warned) is astounding. And, their lack of maturity blows my mind. The gossiping, random yelling matches, and backstabbing are more reminiscent of adolescents than university faculty. Or so I would have thought. And these people are almost all current or formed editors of A list journals in my field.

Other than having faculty that I think are bad scientists, things are good in my program. I have none of the typical grad student complaints -- I am not overburdened with grunt work, I'm funded well, have ample contact with faculty, and generally have a good deal going on. And the program certainly has a good reputation.

The thing is, I left a very successful career in industry to come here. So, although I'm treated and funded well, there is a big opportunity cost to my studies -- well over half a million dollars, not to mention respect, etc. After three full years in the program, I "want my money back," so to speak. What made "the package" worth it to me was that I was expecting to be immersed in an intellectual Eden. I was expecting, and looking forward, to being the dumbest person in the room, and soaking up the genius of those around me. Instead, I've found myself beating my head against a brick wall, fighting to not be swallowed up by the kool-aid of bad science. I fully acknowledge that I could be incredibly arrogant and misguided. But after three years of immersion, I have to acknowledge that this is my honest assessment as a scientist.

It's incredibly lonely feeling this way about my entire department, and not being able to share it with anyone (no one takes kindly to "I think you're all stupid.") And the thing is, I like doing my own research, and I'd like to have a