Working While in Grad School

[obsessing]

for those of you who are already admitted to your school of choice, and may be working a full-time job right now, do you plan on continuing to work while you're in grad school? does anyone have opinions on whether its feasible to work part time your first year of a phd program? im currently working in the same city where i plan on attending grad school (nyc--columbia), and my boss really wants me to stay on part-time, but im not sure i can/want to. any feedback is greatly appreciated

[silencio1982]

I absolutely can't WAIT to leave my job. As you can probably discern from the number of posts I make here, I have absolutely no motivation to do work here anymore. That being said, I am going to have to work part-time when I quit this gig. I am thinking 10-15 hours a week, maximum. My goal is to try to find something mindless that pays $10/hr. When I was getting my MA I had a sweet deal in an academic center on campus- the job was easy, the people were nice, and I got paid an amazing $15/hr. Obviously something like that is ideal. I might try tutoring again. I worked really briefly for one of the evil test prep companies, which didn't end up working out because I didn't have a car. Anyway, I would love to not work but we (my husband and I) could really use the extra income if we hope to maintain our standard of living at all. Anyway, having survived an MA program while working about 10-15 hours a week, I definitely know it is possible. You might want to wait a semester to get your bearings in your program, and I wouldn't work more than 10-15 hours a week.

[polisciphd]

Some programs actually forbid you from working an outside job, either on campus or not. Some others restrict the number of hours you are allowed to work, particularly during the portion of your phd that you are ta'ing. I would check on Columbia's policy, see what they say before you start making plans.

[obsessing]

thanks for the advice

on the one hand i am anxious to leave my job and focus completely on grad school. however, i am currently working for a scholarly journal in the political science field, so i'm worried if i leave on a bad note it could hurt my future chances of getting published somewhere. that's why im feeling pressure to continue working. but deep down i really dont want to be here anymore...

[kant's mistress]

Don't work if you can manage not to. If you have decent funding, accept that you will have a low income for 5 years and it's a trade-off to a more stable career track than much of what is available in the workforce (and that's true no matter how many academics complain about being underpaid).

While I was doing my MA fulltime, I worked about 15 hours a week, and I found it very intense. When you consider that you're in classes for the balance of your time, you start to realize that you need that 15 hours (and time associated going to and from the job, including the non-measurable stresses associated with even part-time jobs) to actually prepare for class. School should really be your fulltime job at this level.

[sundaymonday]

School should really be your fulltime job at this level.

Should be, but won't be unfortunately for me. I don't know how all you other folks do it, but I haven't made 16K per year since I was in high school working a part-time job at a coffee shop to pay for my car insurance. Plus I have to pay taxes on that? Ooof. I will definitely have to get some kind of part-time thing going. I was thinking "evil test prep tutoring" myself, or maybe teaching a spin class... I do some freelance writing as well, but it's fairly unstable work. Sounds like the OP has a pretty cushy deal right now. Working for a poli sci journal and they're willing to bump down his/her hours? I would see if they'll let you work 10-15, or maybe do some work from home? I live in NYC too, and it's pretty expensive. You can't leave your house without spending $30.

[rising_star]

You can't leave your house without spending $30.

Best start figuring out how now.

[sundaymonday]

Best start figuring out how now.

I hope it will be easier in Baltimore. My heart goes out to NYC grad students, though.

[JordanJames]

Thank God I'm going to be in Tallahassee. I think I may be able to save money while I'm in grad scool.

[ShamPain]

i can't imagine that Columbia would let you have an outside job. it seems really rare that a top school would allow it (during semesters, of course). OTOH, if you're working for a journal, and the load is minimal, they might allow it because it's in the field.

keep in mind, most grad students will either have the opportunity for additional summer funding or will be free to work their asses off for 3 months out of the year (nearly four, if you don't mind working over Winter break for a few weeks and can find a position). none of us will be rich while going to grad school, but then again, that's not entirely the point, is it?

i guess it's easier for me, since i've been living pretty modestly for years now, and i've got a little bit of money saved up from my life as a poker player, so i know i won't starve. i'm used to a simple lifestyle, and i don't have any substantive debt, so the transition won't be very hard for me. for others, it may be harder.

[silencio1982]

keep in mind, most grad students will either have the opportunity for additional summer funding or will be free to work their asses off for 3 months out of the year (nearly four, if you don't mind working over Winter break for a few weeks and can find a position). none of us will be rich while going to grad school, but then again, that's not entirely the point, is it?

no, being rich is not the point... but some of us have families, student loans, car payments, etc. etc. and i respectfully disagree with the assertion that you shouldn't work in grad school because it's somehow detrimental to your studies. i sincerely doubt that any of us grad students will be spending every waking moment engrossed in our studies. that is just not human. this is not to say that you shouldn't take graduate school seriously, and treat it as your full-time job, because it is, but we all need time away from our studies. i am not suggesting taking up extremely mentally or physically taxing work as a part-time job, but there are less stressful things to do that provide a respite from studies and can earn you some extra cash at the same time. my husband and i have shared financial goals and though he understands that he will be supporting me while i'm in grad school, i can still spare 10 hours a week to make some money. as i said i survived (and did pretty well in) my MA program and writing a thesis while having a part-time job. i think after getting your bearings in the department it's fine to work, unless your program has rules against you doing so. if you want to make time for it, you can. 10 hours a week is only 2 hours each weekday. i am sure people watch TV or go out with friends or putz around on the internet for at least that amount of time a day. i'll only be TAing or grading one course a year so i think i'll have time to work- at the very least in the semester that i'm not TAing or grading in. of course, if for some reason i find it too stressful or think my studies are suffering, i won't continue to do it. but i do think it's possible and i still think it's possible to be an excellent student while having a part-time job.

[alanapsci]

Just wanted to say that I worked a 20-hour a week job while doing my MA, although not that mentally or physically taxing, I live in DC and the living cost is high... I feel like I pay a $1 to take a breath. I did not have a hard time with working and school... I did very well GPA wise and also had time to do an extra paper for the ISA conference. Those of you who do have families or live in expensive cities I would suggest a 10 hour+ work week along with school. It certainly can be done! But, hey, if you live alone, and you live in the middle of no where, take the time off! (or if you are lucky to be wealthy or helped by parents, aunts, friends, etc) As for schools who forbid working-- that is true, but unusual. You can also state your case to the department and they can wave the "no work" rule. Best of luck!

[polisciphd]

Well, I worked full time (40+ hours a week) while I was getting my MA at the Elliott School at GW, which was the only way that I could afford to be in DC. ESIA made it easy though, all of their classes are held after 5pm at night. Wish all grad schools were like that.

Now, I don't actually remember seeing a bed in those two years, but who needs sleep anyway...

[FuzzyDunlop]

Working part time while in grad school is no problem. In the end, most grad students do this anyway as TAs or RAs. If you are in a PhD program, however, I would be wary about working more than about 15 hours a week. There is no point in getting a PhD unless you are going to really put in the effort to excel to the best of your abilities. That's hard to do under the best of circumstances, and much more difficult if you are working all the time. Like it or not, you will be competing against other grad students at your school and elsewhere who won't be working so much. Take out a loan if need be.

[Peter]

During my MA I worked about 20 hrs/week and it WAS challenging to keep all the ducks in rows, but I was able to pull a 4.0 if I was willing to forgo some sleep, some social events, etc.

So it IS possible. And heck, for most people, it's a necessity.

[rebelrita]

Picking up this thread. I was also told by my fellow grad students in various social science PhD programs (soc, psych, poli sci, history), that the standard formula is three times as much work out of the class as in (minimum). For a typical 10 credit semester, this would mean 10 hrs of class time and 30 in study time for a total of 40 hours. TAs or RAs tend to be 10 to 20 hours a week for most schools- so we're looking at between a 50- 60 hour work week minimum needed.

Hence, the requirements of some schools forbidding work. In Temple's poli sci and soc depts at least, they forbade it. We were told funding could be lost if discovered. (may be a quasi-legal contract- could be considered fraud if work against the rules- so one should be careful in deciding whether to work (and inform oneself well).

For the sake of stress/ sanity, I think that if in PhD program, one would have to be unfair to themselves and the program if they try to work more than 60 hours total for work and school.

Another option is to go to a program that permits part time attendance so one can work more like 25 hours a week while taking a couple courses. From past experience in Temple's soc PhD program and John Jay's MA psych program, I've found over 55 hours total of work and school was my limit before feeling exahusted (despite significant social life cutbacks).

[just_me]

Having been a professor supervising graduate students for the last eight years, my reactions fall along these lines:

(1) The last poster made a good point about a collective work/school/professional development limit of around 50-60 hours. Anything more for any extended time and you are going to burn out.;

(2) In the pre-thesis stage of most graduate programs, 20-35 hours of that time (depending on your ability, the rigor of the program and the quality of work you want to produce) is spent on classes. That leaves 20-40 hours for work and professional development.;

(3) It is very easy to get a graduate degree in many programs while doing a half-a** job. However faculty do notice when you cut corners on things like assistantships and classes. I spent ten minutes yesterday complaining to my wife that about half of my MA students (all of who were working full-time) were just going through the motions with their coursework in this semester. They might as well get the degree since it looks nice on the wall and the resume but it has been an intellectual dead-end for them since none of them are doing meaningful professional development or putting enough effort into their classes.;

(4) The best piece of advice that I ever got was that the most important priority in graduate school is working on your own research, which is part of a broader concept I would term "professional development." If you are spending your 55 hours a week on work and classes, you don't have enough time to make yourself competitive. Classes and work are things that get in the way of your research unless you are lucky enough to get a research assistantship or class that allows you to work in that area. You don't neglect them but your professional priority in graduate school should be research. God help you if you are the person who goes out on the job market with only two or three mediocre conference papers.;

(5) Going to graduate school is a huge investment of time and money. The good news is that we aren't English --- in most fields people with some teaching experience and a little bit of research do get jobs. However we also aren't some of the fields within business where even a MBA degree and not much else can get you a spot at a (smaller) four year college.

(6) Graduate school involves a willingness to make substantial sacrifices financially. Unless you have a working spouse or a trust fund, forget a middle-class lifestyle while you are doing it. It also may mean mean sacrifice afterwards. Despite having a lot of luck and family support, I will be making $400 a month student loan payments until I am 55. Between my wife's debts and mine, we had to settle on a 1600 square foot house instead a 2200 one. Neither of us have any regrets.

[rising_star]

(4) The best piece of advice that I ever got was that the most important priority in graduate school is working on your own research, which is part of a broader concept I would term "professional development." If you are spending your 55 hours a week on work and classes, you don't have enough time to make yourself competitive. Classes and work are things that get in the way of your research unless you are lucky enough to get a research assistantship or class that allows you to work in that area. You don't neglect them but your professional priority in graduate school should be research. God help you if you are the person who goes out on the job market with only two or three mediocre conference papers.;

This is what I have always heard. I spent as much time as I had to on my classes but poured myself into my research, putting a minimum of 20 hours a week into that. Why? Because I knew I needed to have a thesis close to finished and conference papers lined up before applying to PhD programs (I'm in a MA program right now). The best thing about conference papers is that the feedback you get can help you revise the paper into something publishable. So that's why, in general, I'm against working while in grad school. It's hypocritical because I work 8-12 hours a week at a part-time job off campus but I have additional expenses that I need to pay for (I help pay bills for my family so everyone can live). It works because I don't have a teaching assistantship...

[just_me]

So that's why, in general, I'm against working while in grad school. It's hypocritical because I work 8-12 hours a week at a part-time job off campus but I have additional expenses that I need to pay for (I help pay bills for my family so everyone can live). It works because I don't have a teaching assistantship...

I don't think that is hypocritical at all. I think most faculty members understand that graduate students have to work. That is why graduate programs provide assistantships in some (hopefully many) cases.

However the workload of graduate studies -- especially at the doctoral level--- is the reason why most school limit the assignment to 20 hours per week. The problem gets to be when the work hours are approaching 30-50 hours on a consistent basis.