"It was only much later that I realised if I had done my doctorate in Germany or another European country, I would have been classified as a 'researcher' rather than a 'student'—and received a salary. Instead, I spent years paying expensive tuition fees and struggling to cover my living costs, carrying an unbearable burden."
— Dr Tsendpurev Tsegmid
🎓 The same degree, completely different realities
🇬🇧 UK | 🇩🇪 Germany / 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Your status: Student | Your status: Employee / Researcher |
Tuition: You PAY (£5,000-30,000/year) | Tuition: FREE or you get PAID |
Living costs: Your problem | Living costs: Salary provided |
Health insurance: Pay separately | Health insurance: Included |
Duration: 3-7+ years | Duration: 3-4 years (structured) |
The degree: PhD | The degree: PhD |
The outcome is identical. The journey is worlds apart.
⚠️ What nobody told me
1. "PhD Student" vs "PhD Researcher" is not just semantics
In the UK, Australia, and the US, you are a student. You pay. You figure it out.
In Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and many other European countries, you are an employee. You have a contract, a salary, benefits, and rights.
2. The hidden costs add up
What I paid in 9 years in the UK:
Tuition fees: ~£56 000+
Living costs: ~£130,000+
Lost income (opportunity cost): ~£200,000+
Mental and physical health: Priceless
What I could have received in Germany:
Salary: €50,000-60,000/year × 4 years = €200,000-240,000
Pension contributions
Health insurance
Job security
3. Prestige is not everything
I chased the "British PhD" dream. The reality? Most employers outside academia don't care where your PhD is from. They care that you have one—and what you can do with it.
🤔 Questions to ask yourself before committing
About your motivation:
Why do I want a PhD? (Be brutally honest)
Do I need this specific degree, or is there another path to my goal?
Am I chasing prestige, or practical outcomes?
About the reality:
Can I sustain myself financially for 4-7 years?
What will I sacrifice? (Relationships, career momentum, savings, health)
What is my backup plan if I don't finish?
About alternatives:
Can I get the same degree with funding elsewhere?
Have I researched ALL countries, not just the "famous" ones?
Is there a salaried position available in my field?
🌍 Country comparison: Know your options
Country | Funding Model | Duration | Language |
🇬🇧 UK | Self-funded or competitive | 3-4 years | English |
🇩🇪 Germany | Salaried (~€50k/year) | 3-4 years | German/English |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Employment contract | 4 years | English |
🇸🇪 Sweden | Employment (~€35k/year) | 4 years | English |
🇳🇴 Norway | Employment (~€55k/year) | 3-4 years | English |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | Employment (~€50k/year) | 3-4 years | English/German/French |
Notice something? Many non-English-speaking countries offer English-taught PhDs with full salaries.
🇬🇧 If you still choose the UK: What to expect
I won't sugarcoat it. Here's the reality:
The Viva Voce (oral defence):
One chance. Pass or fail. No retakes.
3-6 hours of defending 4-6 years of work
If you fail, you may leave with a Master's degree—or nothing
The psychological pressure breaks some people
The journey:
You will want to quit. Many times.
"I had a thousand reasons to give up, a thousand excuses to go home."
The loneliness is real
The financial stress is constant
The aftermath:
After my defence, I flew home and slept for weeks
The exhaustion was physical, mental, and spiritual
The achievement was real—but so was the cost
📝 Your action items
Before committing to any long-term study abroad:
Research PhD funding models in at least 5 different countries
Search for "salaried PhD positions" in your field
Calculate the total cost (including what you WON'T earn)
Talk to PhD students AND graduates about their real experience
Ask yourself: Is this the only path, or just the most familiar one?
🔑 The lesson I learned too late
Lack of information is the most expensive mistake you can make.
I spent 9 years in the UK, paying my way through a PhD, struggling to survive—only to discover later that I could have earned a salary, had job security, received the same degree, and finished faster.
The information was out there. I just didn't know to look for it.
💬 Final words
I don't regret my PhD. The day I defended my thesis erased many of the hardships I endured. The knowledge, the growth, the achievement—they are mine, earned through honest struggle.
But if I could go back and talk to my younger self, I would say:
"The same door opens with different keys.
Find the one that doesn't cost you everything."
Don't make the same mistake I did.
— Dr Tsendpurev Tsegmid