A few circumstances make me thinking about PhD education recently, specifically PhD in science (it's all i know). I am always described as having an ideal character for research. Horrific misunderstanding! Yes I am extremely focused, but the focus only lasts for six months at best and I quickly shift the interest to another thing. Besides (experimental) research is very, very painful. When one starts, one usually have a ambitious goal in mind, but 999 out 1000 will be tremendously disappointed when one see the result of experiments. They are SOOOOO unpredictable! One end up repeating one simple experiment over and over and over and over to check what is wrong. Soul-destroying. So I'd say that in a field of experimental science, don't go for a PhD unless you are 100% sure it is EXACTlY what you want to do FOR A LIFETIME, otherwise you'll be miserable.

But people elder and more experienced than me have a different view. They see the degree as a title. A doctorate title is not only food for vanity but more importantly it earns respect, especially for girls. Let's face it: girls is susceptible to inexplicit discrimination in business world, in china and elsewhere. Common perception is that you are a girl so you are good at doing something that boys will think too trivial to handle. It's annoying as hell since I am more boyish than boys in this matter. And I am not good in things girls usually excel at, e.g. language, communications etc. Plus the disvantage of pregnancy will cause trouble in late 20s too. Again plus the hurdles that will prevent one to rise further once one hits a medium executive position. I really don't know. I guess being a PhD will at least prevent them treating one as a secretry, but the latter two?