Comment by jfitzpa22

Get the PhD. You KNOW you can get it now. You may not be able to say the same thing in 5-7 years. Private industry will NOT penalize you for having additional education, and academia does NOT hold a monopoly on boredom. In fact, plenty of people are just earning a paycheck and can't remember the last time they felt satisfied professionally. In my experience, private industry gives PhD.s a lot of latitude to figure out what THEY want to do for the company. Does that sound interesting to you? Also, you mention that you are studying in a foreign country and are very unhappy there; do you mean the country, the university, or both? I ask because every country has an intellectual tradition that reflects its values and culture. Is it possible you would be happy in academia or private industry if you returned home?