ohsobigbigworld

I did earlier degrees with student loans, then realized that those loans added up to a number well over the US annual median income, so I went to work and took care of those before going back to school. I'm completing my MA now, which I've done intermittently part-time and full-time, semester by semester, as course availability and my workload permit. I've paid every penny out of pocket. I have also picked up more than my share of coffee or lunch with classmates, but I don't sweat it. Yes, it's sometimes been difficult juggling work and school, but I hear about classmates waking up at 3am panicking about loans, debt, or not getting a job. From what I've seen, that stress takes at least as much a toll on them as my work does on me. I also have incredible insurance that I'd like to keep if I can. I'm waiting to hear on PhD programs, and don't anticipate much funding. Depending on where (and whether!) I get in, I may continue to work part-time, at least for awhile. I have enough saved that I could take time off if I need to do it, but will use that option judiciously. It's not a perfect solution, but nothing is right now, not with this economy and with the challenges in academia, especially in the humanities. I'm open to various options, but leaning toward keeping a toehold in something that will keep me fed and housed.