The first thought that comes to your mind when reading the word academia is probably related to education. That’s true, but let’s add another layer: academia aims to further education. As a result, academics teach, study, and research, all in an effort to nurture students’ education and also move scientific and humanitarian fields forward. People who work in the industry, on the other hand, work to implement what they know for a product or a service. You learn so much as you work in both domains, and you’re almost always working or learning within your area of expertise (unless you’re in consulting!). Of course, you have to evolve into new fields sometimes, but that’s kind of an exciting venture.

The main aspect that divides these two domains is most definitely the workspace environment. You’re almost always around a lot of people in the industry, interacting with them on a daily basis, whether in the office, outdoor work sites, or even in a lab. Academics, on the other hand, are mostly restricted to just labs in universities or research facilities, with research groups made up of around 10 people. Unless the experiment requires it, it’s rare to see researchers working outside their lab, like Professor Chris Gerdes’ group at Stanford that often conducts experiments on racing circuits. Despite modern interdisciplinary collaborations, academic institutions remain quite grounded. Nevertheless, this allows great flexibility in shift hours, unlike the industry’s fixed 9 to 5. A good chunk of researchers, mostly PhD students, enter their labs at around noon, often going back home at around 11 PM. Some would even say that the academic lifestyle is more laid-back, but the minds of academics often continue to think of what went wrong in the lab as they sip margaritas in a restaurant on Saturday nights. This is because researchers are usually held at the “publish or perish” gunpoint, which means if they do not publish enough papers that get sufficient recognition, they’re out. This is untrue only if they have tenure, which is essentially a permanent post.

Some would even say that the academic lifestyle is more laid-back, but the minds of academics often continue to think of what went wrong in the lab as they sip margaritas in a restaurant on Saturday nights.

By now, you’re probably wondering where you stand in this tug of war. Allow me to help. Academia is mostly knowledge-oriented, while the industry is predominantly product or service-oriented. Your choice depends on who you are as a person and on what you want to spend your life doing. In reality, the lines separating them are more blurred than you’d think, so where you lie between the two might not even matter as long you enjoy what you’re doing.