How many days off do u get as a PhD student?

[IvyT]

Hi everyone, as I am making my decision I realized that the numbers of days off in PhD really matter to me. I am an international student, in addition I cannot go on for a year without backpacking somewhere. So basically I need at least three to four weeks of holidays (incl. bank holidays) per year.

I know that PTon officially only gives out 19 days (incl. bank holidays) per year (One of the Engin departments), and I really cannot deal with this fact. So I will really appreciate any answers on the numbers of holidays you get as a PhD student, for the following schools:

Princeton, Berkeley, CMU, Cornell, GaTech, Columbia, UC Davis

I will especially appreciate answers from Engin people, since that's what I am going into.

Thanks!

[Eigen]

I'll just add a general reply: I have yet to see an engineering/sciences program in the US that specifies a number of days off per year. Our job was described as "you work 365 days per year, you get payed 365 days per year" type job...

That said, most of the PIs in my department are fine with people taking vacations- especially the international students who will probably take a month to go home every year or every other year. But it's up to the PI, not something that is guaranteed to all graduate students. I would say a department that officially gives 19 days off per year is quite nice. Of course, even if the department gives them "off", there can be pressure from your PIs to work through them anyway.

I think this last year I took 2 days off at thanksgiving.... Maybe 3 days (not including weekends) off at Christmas... And another 2 days for spring break? University holidays are not really consistently taken by the faculty/grad students where I work. Just something to keep in mind.

I didn't really take any time off last summer, although the summer before that I took two weeks off for a nice vacation with my wife.

Edited March 27, 2011 by Eigen

[IvyT]

I'll just add a general reply: I have yet to see an engineering/sciences program in the US that specifies a number of days off per year. Our job was described as "you work 365 days per year, you get payed 365 days per year" type job...

That said, most of the PIs in my department are fine with people taking vacations- especially the international students who will probably take a month to go home every year or every other year. But it's up to the PI, not something that is guaranteed to all graduate students. I would say a department that officially gives 19 days off per year is quite nice. Of course, even if the department gives them "off", there can be pressure from your PIs to work through them anyway.

I think this last year I took 2 days off at thanksgiving.... Maybe 3 days (not including weekends) off at Christmas... And another 2 days for spring break? University holidays are not really consistently taken by the faculty/grad students where I work. Just something to keep in mind.

I didn't really take any time off last summer, although the summer before that I took two weeks off for a nice vacation with my wife.

Thank you~ This sounds a bit too few to me... But now I know that I need to ask my potential advisors the duration of holiday they can actually tolerate, before making the decision...

[Eigen]

I'd be careful asking that question... It can come across like you're not willing to put in the work if you don't phrase it properly.

[colormehappy]

I'd be careful asking that question... It can come across like you're not willing to put in the work if you don't phrase it properly.

I agree. This might be a better question for a current student. Even if the department/POI says that it's okay to take a certain amount of time off, you'll want to know whether students actually do.

[fuzzylogician]

Generally it makes a difference whether you get payed for 9 months out of the year, or 12. It's much easier to go away if you are not being payed over the summer. You should ask current students, preferably internationals, what they do. I don't think there should be a problem with people going home for an extended visit when they live far away and the ticket is expensive, but that's something that may change depending on program and discipline.

[IvyT]

I agree. This might be a better question for a current student. Even if the department/POI says that it's okay to take a certain amount of time off, you'll want to know whether students actually do.

Yes...It might be better to ask the students...I just asked one of my friends and he said that they get to have spring breaks and fall breaks, and also days off in the summer. So I guess it really depends on departments and advisors...

[IvyT]

Generally it makes a difference whether you get payed for 9 months out of the year, or 12. It's much easier to go away if you are not being payed over the summer. You should ask current students, preferably internationals, what they do. I don't think there should be a problem with people going home for an extended visit when they live far away and the ticket is expensive, but that's something that may change depending on program and discipline.

What if I am on the engineering school's fellowship? Does that count as monthly payment or full-year?

[fuzzylogician]

What if I am on the engineering school's fellowship? Does that count as monthly payment or full-year?

What does your funding offer say? I can't tell you. If you don't know, ask someone in the respective departments. In any event, department culture and what is an acceptable absence will change from place to place so again - ask someone there.

[Eigen]

I do know that even on "12 month funding" that for extended trips home (most of our international students) get their funding cut off for the month or so that they're gone.

My PI asked at the beginning of last summer "Who wants to get payed for the summer? Anyone leaving?", and if you stayed, you worked through the summer.

And I would definitely ask grad students- even if time off is officially allowed, there can be pressures to "not take it now" that last for quite some time.

I do know around here that even though we get fall/spring breaks "off", our boss will definitely be in, as will most other faculty... And our group meetings certainly keep going through the breaks.

That's not to say no one takes time off during the breaks, but it's definitely not everyone.

[lewin]

This sums up the situation quite well.

[IvyT]

This sums up the situation quite well.

Oh no...Now I am really refraining from getting a PhD...

[caezar86]

I don't know why the original post is getting many negative votes. I think it's a legitimate question, and a good one at that. I realize that someone who asks such a question about vacation days risk sounding lazy and not as serious about grad school. I totally agree that this is a question for students, not the professors. However, that being said, wanting 3-4 weeks off, especially for international students is not unreasonable, especially taking into consideration how much work is being done the rest of the year. Some professors are fine with longer vacations as long as you produce results the rest of the time. Others balk. It varies from prof to prof, and where you are in your degree at the time. It is also something to be negotiated with the professor.

Also, American grad students tend to have this self-flagellatory approach towards grad school, taking almost a grim sense of satisfaction in clocking hours working weekends, and comparing how few days of vacation taken. It does seem to be the norm, but that doesn't mean it's healthy! If you can work out something that suits you and is acceptable to your prof, go for it!

Edited March 28, 2011 by caezar86

[id quid]

I know the OP is asking specifically for Engineering programs, but I'm curious about this from the humanities perspective:

Is it the same?

There is less of a project-driven need to stay in the lab, or even on campus, during breaks. Of course you "should" be spending the school breaks on productive activities -- especially the summers -- but does this social science/science drive to spend every waking moment in academic activities exist for humanities grads?

[wtncffts]

I don't know why the original post is getting many negative votes. I think it's a legitimate question, and a good one at that. I realize that someone who asks such a question about vacation days risk sounding lazy and not as serious about grad school. I totally agree that this is a question for students, not the professors. However, that being said, wanting 3-4 weeks off, especially for international students is not unreasonable, especially taking into consideration how much work is being done the rest of the year. Some professors are fine with longer vacations as long as you produce results the rest of the time. Others balk. It varies from prof to prof, and where you are in your degree at the time. It is also something to be negotiated with the professor.

Also, American grad students tend to have this self-flagellatory approach towards grad school, taking almost a grim sense of satisfaction in clocking hours working weekends, and comparing how few days of vacation taken. It does seem to be the norm, but that doesn't mean it's healthy! If you can work out something that suits you and is acceptable to your prof, go for it!

I didn't down-vote it, but I doubt that people didn't like the substance of the question, but rather the way it was stated.

On the topic, I don't think I can relate to most of the comments here, because things seem to work a lot different in the social sciences/humanities. You're not tied to a professor in the same way, and you don't have to stay and work in a lab for x number of hours in a day, with certain exceptions. I'm almost certain that PhD students in my field get ample time off outside of the academic year, and are much more able to decide one's own schedule.

EDIT: Well, I didn't see that last post, but I would lump social sciences in with humanities more than I would natural sciences. Certainly, for the kind of work I do, all I basically need for research is access to databases and a computer. I could (almost) just as easily be productive and doing research in the Swiss Alps as at the university.

Edited March 28, 2011 by wtncffts

[fuzzylogician]

I know the OP is asking specifically for Engineering programs, but I'm curious about this from the humanities perspective:

Is it the same?

There is less of a project-driven need to stay in the lab, or even on campus, during breaks. Of course you "should" be spending the school breaks on productive activities -- especially the summers -- but does this social science/science drive to spend every waking moment in academic activities exist for humanities grads?

I'm not in the Humanities and my research does require access to on-campus labs and specialized software, but still most of the time I can do without those things and work from just about anywhere. I take two 3-week-long trips home every year - in the summer and in the winter - and spend the rest of my time in the US. Although there is no strict requirement to be in the department over the summer, as one progresses in the program, there are more things to do and so one starts needing to be there more often to get everything done. Personally I work best in my office so I come every day, but others prefer to work in coffeeshops or the library and that's fine too. There is an expectation to get work done in a timely fashion, not to clock in at the office.

I could never afford to take a whole summer off -- I would never be able to get my work done. The summer is really the best time to write and to do research; the rest of the year you'll be distracted by classes and teaching. But if you can achieve in 9 months what others achieve in 12, and your professors are happy with your progress - more power to you.

[bbhead]

I think that Ranking and the faculty you want to work with are the most important things for your decision. How many days off within one year depends on how your work is progressing. It is not a big problem!!!!!!

[IvyT]

I think that Ranking and the faculty you want to work with are the most important things for your decision. How many days off within one year depends on how your work is progressing. It is not a big problem!!!!!!

Hi, i think so too, but there are many other factors that are important to me.

I see that you are entering CEE in the fall as well. Do you mind sharing with me your decision? Maybe we'll end up in the same place!

[runonsentence]

I know the OP is asking specifically for Engineering programs, but I'm curious about this from the humanities perspective:

Is it the same?

There is less of a project-driven need to stay in the lab, or even on campus, during breaks. Of course you "should" be spending the school breaks on productive activities -- especially the summers -- but does this social science/science drive to spend every waking moment in academic activities exist for humanities grads?

I would say no, though perhaps it's my department's culture.

While you're in coursework in my department, it's normal to go home or go on vacation during the breaks between terms, over holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, etc. We're only paid for 9 months, so taking vacations over the summer isn't an issue unless you've been lucky enough to be given some kind of summer work (RA position, teaching).

And as long as you're getting your reading and writing done, no one bats an eye when grad students take reasonable trips to visit home, etc. even when you're in your reading year or writing your diss. In my department, I'd say it is unusual or unheard of to feel pressure to stick around campus over university breaks or holidays. (As long as I haven't missed any other meetings that term, I've even had professors gracefully allow me to miss class the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.)

I go home every Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and at least once every summer. But for the record: I'm always doing at least some work over those breaks.

[bbhead]

There is no need to say much , Berkeley is the best choice. Berkeley has best Ranking, Location and academic Resources. Frankly speaking, I can not see any difficulties to make decision from your list.