How to I turn down a PhD offer without being an asshole?

[Anonymous No.11800284]

Here's my situation
>finished my degree in biochem
>/g/ cross poster and programmer
>find bioinformatics really interesting, completed a short research project in it and decide to enter the field
>can't seem to land any interviews at jobs because they all want prior experience or PhDs
>apply for as many PhDs as possible, because straight up bioinformatics projects are very rare
>get a few interviews
>offered a place on a decent project, not my first choice though
>offer has a time limit so i accept
>a month later, I get a second offer on my first choice

So bail on my first offer without being an asshole? I felt cornered when my first offer came through, since it had a time limit and these projects are quite rare. Its not like its a shitty project, I would quite happily do it, but it wasn't my first choice. I also told them that I had applied for other projects at the time my offer came through.

Another factor is that I'm in a niche discipline, so I feel like these researchers likely talk among themselves and I don't want to start off with a bad reputation.

Gimme advice /sci/

[Anonymous No.11800290]

>>11800284
Tell them you are very sorry but you got an offer from the justice leauge and duty calls.

[Anonymous No.11800298]

>>11800284
>>a month later, I get a second offer on my first choice
Tell them exactly that. The situation changed so your decision changed as well.

Or tell them there are too many niggers nearby and you're afraid of chimp outs and the coming race war.

[Anonymous No.11800328]

>>11800298
>Dear Prof Sheckleberg
>I must retract my acceptance of the offered PhD project, as there are too many apes in the vicinity of the university and I am not adequately prepared for the smell

[Anonymous No.11800374]

>>11800284
Ir's misleading to draw the tesseract like that, there is far more perspective for the fourth dimension than for the third.

[Anonymous No.11800913]

>>11800284
>Dear, ____

>I am emailing in regard to my previous acceptance of a PhD position with your lab group. I regret to inform you that my situation has changed and I will no longer be able to accept the offer. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

>Best,
>anon

I don't think any more needs to be said unlesss you have some more personal details you can throw in, such as a discussion you had at the interview. There's so much going on in the world right now that you should be allowed to be vague.
Only bad situation would be if you run into that prof at a conference and it's awkward, but what's awkward? You can just be vague again
>oh hello prof. ___, things are great, I was able to secure a position with ____ and my work has been going well
end.
I fucking hate writing academic emails though so I don't blame you one bit for feeling awkward about it, that was nearly one of the worst parts of my PhD. Everyone has their own personal conventions and likes an dislikes and no one really standardizes how you should act, so I found the way to get around it is just always be respectfully neutral. Even if the field is small, you're still a nobody until you publish, then researchers will talk amongst themselves about your work.

[Anonymous No.11801146]

Heh, reminds of how I got my PhD.

Got me a nice offer, but I had an even nice offer through private sector funding (they gave me permanent employment & a promise that they would finance a PhD within the first year of my arrival).

Canceled, on the phone, my first PhD offer. They were very upset because i was supposed to start officially working with them in a week but i hadn't signed anything so i retracted. There is a non null possibility that they lost the funding for that PhD. Great PhD though, with a guaranteed internship in NUS (Singapore) for the experimentation.

I actually felt so bad i drank a little that night, but in hindsight i think i did the right call.

[Anonymous No.11801152]

>>11801146
anyway the point of the blogpost was to say that at worst, they'll lose funding, which will delay a potential full professorship at worst. Your headstart (and your life in general) matters far more than a random fucker's academic career.

[Anonymous No.11801271]

>>11800284
Don't feel any more guilt than you expect they would feel sending a rejection letter. PhD programs view students as disposable workers these days. This is 4+ years of your life. Be polite but confident.

[Anonymous No.11801281]

>>11801146
>I actually felt so bad i drank a little that night

whoa don't turn into a wild cowboy with nothing to lose now

[Anonymous No.11801398]

>>11801281
hahaha, yeah it sounds weird. I forgot to mention I was a recovering alcoholic.

[Anonymous No.11802262]

>>11800284
>I'm sorry, I got a tighter offer than your ass.

[Anonymous No.11804472]

>>11800284

Ask for a better deal. Let them say no.