The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **muddyglass** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:20 am

i don't recommend taking any significant amounts of time off from your studies, especially at the graduate level. sometimes students forget everything and become very rusty when they get back. college is very easy compared to graduate school.

most ph.d. programs offer free tuition plus fellowships or teaching positions to help defray costs, but it's still poverty nonetheless. if you're going for a master's degree, one option if you have the time is to first find and settle into a job in the field you want to get your degree in. some of the bigger companies will actually pay for your master's as an investment in their future, if you're a good worker of course.

by **Eli Katz** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:41 am

muddyglass wrote:most ph.d. programs offer free tuition plus fellowships or teaching positions to help defray costs, but it's still poverty nonetheless.

If you're married and your spouse works, even a crappy part-time job, then doing the Ph.D. isn't a huge financial struggle. If you're alone, then it's tough, because the program never pays enough to cover all bills. Rent, yes. Food, maybe. But don't buy any new clothes or shoes.

I just had to buy a new suit to go to conferences, and it made me cry spending that much money on clothes.

by **toolverine** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:52 am

BK wrote:If you're good with math/science, find a good tutoring gig. If you're good with computers, shell out a few bucks for a certification and you should always be able to find work in computer repair. Or if you have the skills, freelance as a programmer.

Oh right, i totally forgot about tutoring! I'm actually doing some now, but it's more of a favor to a friend of one of my close work friends. So, I take a measly $20 an hour. With my experience and my baccalaureate degree, i should be able to go for a much higher fee and take my payments in cash. You're a genius, dude!
-----

Oh and i already work for an educational institution, want nothing to do with the private sector. Also, I can't get a BS degree because I need to come up in a feeder major for my MA program.

by **False Prophet** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:54 am

toolverine wrote:Oh right, i totally forgot about tutoring! I'm actually doing some now, but it's more of a favor to a friend of one of my close work friends. So, I take a measly $20 an hour. With my experience and my baccalaureate degree, i should be able to go for a much higher fee and take my payments in cash. You're a genius, dude!

*takes a bow* Anything to help a fellow struggling student.

by **Strict31** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:04 am

toolverine wrote:So, grad school. It looks like I have a few options for when I graduate:

1.) SFSU- some classes in-person, some online. This would also cement my SFliberal status.

2.)SDSU- all distance learning

I'm working and living 40 miles south of SF, but I'm leaning toward SFSU because I prefer a social learning environ. In the meantime, I have to figure out how to manage my finance given my car payment eats into money I could use for other things.

So, the question is what did you guys/ gals do to stay financially solvent during college? I'm doing this on my own, so parents/ other family don't provide a safety net. I'm moving in a little over two months, so I've got to work that into my plan. I've looked at cottages, thought about renting a room and stowing my shit at a storage place, moving closer to my current school or work, but eventually I'll have to likely face a loooong commute. Some solid advice or stories of what you peeps did might help me make a decision.

One of the things I did was spend very little time on Internet. This gave me a surprising amount of free time to devote to working. Not that there really was much in the way of Internet back then. Back in those days, file sharing could still get you the Herpes.

by **Eli Katz** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:29 am

There's always prostitution.

by **muddyglass** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:08 am

Eli Katz wrote:I just had to buy a new suit to go to conferences, and it made me cry spending that much money on clothes.

in some parts of academia land, no one there cares how you dress!

by **Eli Katz** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:18 am

muddyglass wrote:in some parts of academia land, no one there cares how you dress!

Tell me more about these green pastures.

Generally, it doesn't matter how I dress. Well, I have to look clean and reasonable in front of the classroom, but otherwise it doesn't matter. Conferences, though, they're a much different affair.

by **muddyglass** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:29 am

Eli Katz wrote:Tell me more about these green pastures.

Generally, it doesn't matter how I dress. Well, I have to look clean and reasonable in front of the classroom, but otherwise it doesn't matter. Conferences, though, they're a much different affair.

well, i'm thinking of mathematicians...

edit: i should add, you can even get away with just wearing a t-shirt at a math conference. i mean, aren't the ideas being presented the important thing and not how fancy your clothes are?!

by **Eli Katz** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:53 am

muddyglass wrote:well, i'm thinking of mathematicians...

edit: i should add, you can even get away with just wearing a t-shirt at a math conference. i mean, aren't the ideas being presented the important thing and not how fancy your clothes are?!

This is true. The ideas are trump.

Obviously, though, each field has its traditions and abides by them. Social scientists, especially economists and political scientists, have to dress up for their conferences because sometimes business people, lobbyists, and officials attend. When you're presenting and discussing policy proposals, sometimes you get a broader audience than the five other geeks who conduct research on your topic.

by **Baskerville Holmes** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:38 am

I didn't have to pay a dime for junior college because of ACT scores, and I just got a lot of Sallie Mae loans for university. I got on the meal plan and stayed in campus dorms (which were new and really nice). I also worked part time as a pharmacy tech. I was just very fortunate to have a lot of options available to me at the time.

by **Spidey-Man** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:44 am

Scholarships covered tuition.

Student loans guaranteed by the feds covered by housing and food. The excess refund I'd get covered entertainment.

I worked part time during the school year doing surveys over the phone on campus and worked hard in the summer to sock as much money away as i could for the year.

by **C20Percent** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:46 am

Enlisted in the National Guard -- $300 per month
Enrolled in ROTC -- $400 per month
Florida State -- $2000 Free Money every Semester
No Interest Loans -- $3000 (only 2 semesters)

I finished school owing $5500, which I have to start paying back next month. My sister's in grad school now, and they (UConn) pay her $20,000 per year plus free tuition.

Are they not going to pay you?