Hello! I am a new guy on this forum, I don't live in CH at the moment, so I apologize if this is not the right place for this question.
Well, I am thinking about applying for a PhD at ETH Zurich. I've been several times in CH and Zurich: I love the country, Zurich seems to be a perfect place for living and ETH has a fantastic reputation abroad.
However, my experiences end here, so I would like to ask you for some practical experience and an advice: is it a wise idea? How is the life at ETH, is it worth to spend 4 years at ETH and in Swiss science, how are people there (relations), and so on. Yes, I know that many things depend on a department itself, but still we can speak about a lot of stuff in general.
I would get about 3k CHF per month, but I don't have any idea how much is that in Swiss and Zurich terms. ETH is a big mystery to me, it is always highly ranked, but I don't have much experience with it and I don't know some people from there who could help me. I know only few Swiss guys, who behave not very helpfully ("ETH is the best, others are second-class" ), so I am looking for someone pragmatic here. Thanks.
ETH is very good in course offerings and depth of research.
Two things to be careful with:
1. Absolutely no social life or academic 'community'. You're typically stuck in your research group. But you will have us at the EF instead.
2. Prof is king, so make sure he/she is someone you can get along with. They have the ability to can you at any time without warning in most departments.
I am unable to understand what precisely you want to know here. And the answer you received above is the closest I can get to give you too
Edit: that is ETH is best ;-)
Well, seriously, for a phd it is your department that matters much more than the institute. My suggestion is you apply to ETH, get an offer. Then you can compare this offer with competing offers you might have, and only then can you say whether it was wise or not.
Believe me, it is very hard to answer life-questions like is the Phd worth it all. Ask anyone current phd student anywhere in the world and you'll know
I've not had much to do with the ETH, but other unis don't like the place as it tends to attract the biggest funding (they have federal and cantonal unis here - federal ones get more cash). The management tends also to have a touch of unsufferable smugness, like when they start posting in the NZZ a pile of meaningless statistics about how smug they are.
That said, it's apparently very good there for research.
As mentioned above, the Prof. is king, but that's everywhere in Switzerland's unis. Sometimes it reminds me of the green alien toys from Toy Story who worship the Claw without knowing why. Little dissent is allowed and in a lot of groups, you're expected to agree and tow the line regardless of what it means to you or your work. The old boy's network is rampant here - nothing happens without all the staff being in on it.
I guess as long as you know the drawbacks and can work within them, it's not too bad.
I have studies 6 years at ETH and done my Master in Architecture in 2004. If you want do do your PhD in schience, ETH is even one of the best in Europe.
3k per month should do it if you find a cheap place to stay eg. a share.
First of all ask yourself if is that what you want to do. If the answer is big YES, I would contact a few universities worldwide and weigh cons and pros of studying here or there. If money is a major consideration I would say CH is a good choice. If you want to enjoy social life and go nuts I would say elesewhere is just as good... Sooner or later you will ask yourself whether I made a right decison but it will be too late 3/4 up the hill towards the finish line. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Are you still there, maybe I should consider doing MBA...naah.... only PhD at ETH... good decision go for it... and so on and so forth
Well, I know that I am on the cross roads. I am a research oriented person, but the question is also is it wise to take a PhD and try to "survive" 4-5 years on a small salary and in sometimes boring academic places but in the end profit with a cutting-edge degree, or to go straight to a company and start to make some real money . In the first case, I would then like to get on a great university, rather than something really second-class. I don't think it's a problem with my marks and other references, but I will have to wait for open positions.
jacek proposed about considering more unis, actually I already did it, and I would like to concentrate on only two or three, currently ETH being on the top, that's why I am seeking for more info.
But it is interesting how everyone offers more info via private messages , people where is the Swiss freedom of speech and democracy . Just kidding, thanks for your help, if you have something to add don't hesitate...
I also considered a MBA over PhD, but that's too expensive... I'll wait for a good company to finance it
By the way a question for tech graduate guys, perhaps off-topic, regarding to a technical degree, what would you consider as a second option beside ETH (and EPF) in Europe? Generally speaking (I know that some departments are better than the others).
I do not know what the PhD subject is on. BUT I have to say that my PhD opened many doors for me...AND it multiplies your salary. There are also some companies where when you do not have a PhD you can not go as far as PhD holder.
Just as stated above, be sure you really are into the subject for your research otherwise you'll want to quit faster than you can say PhD (lame joke ok).
Also, Prof are usually (not always) very " special " kind of people. Good luck!!!!!
I've seen that list many times, but I don't second it...
5 University of CAMBRIDGE
It's a great uni... but it's not a technical uni, and there aren't much technical studies over there
12 TSINGHUA University
Come on... above ETH, Princeton and Delft?
I don't underestimate anyone, but that list doesn't have much correlation with my experience (e.g. research articles in my field, notable professors and so on).
Thanks for sharing your experience. Well, I am really into the subject, and as I said - I am a research and scientific oriented person, but I think it's normal that I have some doubts - smaller salary than I would have in a company in that period, possible quitting risk and getting stranded, weird professor (well, a crazy boss in a company is an equal risk ) new country, etc. Thanks to you I am getting more and more information so the decision will be less time and pain consuming
I don't have the phd-student experience, but I arrived at ETH in March for a post-doc. To me, ETH has been really great and I haven't faced the politics mentioned in prior posts. There are many opportunities for collaboration in Zurich (at least in the neurosciences) and I have seen many good speakers come through. ETH is also well funded, which can really prevent a lot of headaches. My colleagues are clever, but also down-to-earth. I am very happy with my decision to come here.
I don't know how much stock I would put in the rankings - in the end your research is what will set you apart.
I do agree with the other posts that you should VERY CAREFULLY consider if you really want a phd. Like most of them, I considered it three years in, which was not optimal
Do you envisage an academic/R&D or a business/industry career?
PhD is essential for academics. Do you need the PH.D. as a door opener?
For example, if you dream of living in the USA, then get an American PhD. Are you glory motivated or money motivated?
Go for a PhD if you need the prestige. But a PhD is a monetary trap. You loose about CHF 200'000 income doing it. Then you get maybe CHF 20'000 more salary than someone without it. Problem is that the "PhD bonus" evaporates after 5 or 6 years, because subsequently you are rewarded according to your work achievements and not on your university degree(s).
it can also help you in industry, in large organizations to be considered for managerial position faster and your jobs are usually "more clean" in a sense that you are better qualified than non-PhD's and they won't send you to the lab if you do not wish for it. Yet the trap might be that in some companies, especially those purely profit orientated where R&D is not considered, MSc/PhD might actually harm your chances of getting the job and BSc is the optimum qualifications that they seek for.
Work backwards: Think about your opportunities long-term. Which country do you see yourself living long-term? Which company would you really like to work for?-Don't just think about what you're researching but also the whole culture and future of the company. Do you want to gointo management or the specialist track. Which PhD course will enable you to work for that company? You say that you are interested in research which country, which universities are tops for research? If you get a forefront company, they have their own prestigious management training courses, or might fund your MBA. Or they might equally allow you to earn as much money on the specialist track. Some PhD's do not easily transfer to other countries- but many would love to be 'stuck' in Switzerland as long as they are with a company where even though non-Swiss they feel equally of value. Look at the companies that recruit from ETH. What is the history of the professor- have they worked abroad? What is your area of expertise?