nirvanaandsoul

Hi. I hope everyone's getting results they have hoped for. I have some "basic" questions about socio phd programs in general. The questions may reflect my ignorance as a newbie, but I need some clear answers for them. I went to a liberal arts college in the U.S., majoring in political science, but came back to my home country and is currently finishing my master's dissertation in organization/economic sociology. So while I'm pretty familiar with what daily lives would be like in American colleges, but I am unaware of what to really expect from phd programs. I am getting results for my application right now. I haven't got all the decisions at my hand, but I probably may have to decide from 3-4 schools that I had applied. Here's the question that I'd like to ask you guys: What would you consider as "standard" for phd funding package in socio? I got offers of 5 years of funding (tuition+health+stipend) from two schools, one with 2yr fellowship (first and last)+ 3yr TA/RA, and the other with the whole 5yr as TA/RA. My question is... what would be a "standard", or "average" condition of financial offer that you would normally expect? I definitely know that the conditions may differ widely from one person to another. But I just want to know what you guys think. I guess I sort of want a "point of reference" with which I would be able to objectively view my offer. The related next question is... would you say there's a huge difference between the two offers that I have stated above (2yr fellowship+3yr TA/RA vs 5yr TA/RA). If you were me, and you slightly preferred academic programs/professors of the latter, would you go for the former or the latter? I am pretty unfamiliar with how intense TA/RA experiences would be like, so I want to know. Thanks!