9 months of funding- what about summer?

[MinervasOwl]

So, I was wondering how common 9 month funding packages are and what do people do for funding in the summer? I'm an international student so right now my plan is to fly home- although, it will be a mess dealing with furniture etc- and cost quite a bit if I have to pay for storage AS WELL AS an international plane ticket. What do people normally do in the summers?

[fuzzylogician]

It's a pretty common arrangement. Sometimes you can get additional summer funding, ask students in your program. Likely, you will need to save some money from each month's stipend to cover the summer months.

[kyjin]

I have a 9 month funding package for my MA, though it might be different for some PhD students. In my case, I applied for scholarships outside my department, and am using them to do thesis research abroad this summer. I also found a job in the department for later in the summer, which will cover my living expenses and a bit more for the rest of the break. There are opportunities around if you just keep an eye out!

[MinervasOwl]

It's a pretty common arrangement. Sometimes you can get additional summer funding, ask students in your program. Likely, you will need to save some money from each month's stipend to cover the summer months.

I don't know if I'll be able to do that- I won't have much left after rent.

[MyNamesNotRick]

My department has it set where we can teach during the summer.

This is something beneficial on two ends. Money and the experience.

See if your department has something set up like that and if not start to inquire about how you can go about getting a class or two for the summer through the dpeartment or elsewhere in the univeristy.

Tutoring is also a good look. If you are a PhD student, use that to your advantage and start putting yourself out there to the undergrads and master's students.

[OregonGal]

If you're planning on heading back home for the summer, you can look for someone to sublet your place so at least you can keep your apartment and not pay storage. I think that's a fairly common arrangement for graduate students scattering to go home/work at an internship/do research.

[Sigaba]

FWIW, an earlier thread discusses this very topic.

[psychgurl]

I don't know if I'll be able to do that- I won't have much left after rent.

Get a summer job...? Often, there are TA/RA positions open for summers (though these are limited). If not, get a summer job just like if you were in undergrad...

I noticed you are coming from Asia. Are there any loans you can take out? Or special fellowships you can apply for to increase your funding?

Edited June 5, 2012 by psychgurl

[TakeruK]

Have you talked to the profs/students at your new school about what usually happens for their students? Coming from Canada, I was also surprised when my funding letters quoted numbers for 9 months and mentioned the potential for working in the summer as a RA or TA to supplement the funding. It turns out to be pretty common in US schools but then I wasn't sure about what they meant by "potential" work available as TA/RA so I asked the departments. In my case, all of them said that basically any student who wants to stay for the summer (some will go home and study for quals, especially first years) and work as a RA or TA will get an assignment and you actually make more in the summer months because you spend 100% of your time in RA or TA duties instead of taking classes too. You would be responsible for applying for a TA position through your department, or finding a prof who will take you on as a RA (probably your supervisor in later years). Maybe the summer positions are more readily available in some fields than others though.

I'm not sure if you are going home in the summer because there doesn't seem to be funding (this is how I read your question), or if you want to go home and are asking others who are doing the same about their summer income. If it's the first case, then your department should be able to let you know what their students tend to do in the summer (maybe even give the percentage of students with summer funding). If it's the second case, then from talking to graduate students who do this, they generally work a summer job and spend the rest of the time reading/studying for quals and/or doing research remotely if possible. In the physical sciences, this tends to only happen in the first summer -- after that, most students work on their research year-round with small breaks (but not a whole semester usually!)

[crazygirl2012]

It really depends on the school. PhD students in my program make 1/4 of what we would usually make during the other 9 months. We're technically allowed to have outside summer jobs (but none during the school year), but most advisors look down on that. We're expected to take out loans or rely on savings so that we can focus entirely on research every summer. I really hope I can take a quick vacation, but we're not supposed to leave for long periods of time. Some programs have opportunities for summer TAships. Mine does not. It's not ideal, but I've heard worse. I'm grateful to have full funding during the other 9 months.

[Hank Scorpio]

My program will (thankfully) carry through the summer next year, meaning my funding will continue. I don't have to find some crappy summer job...phew!

[juilletmercredi]

I've had 12 months of funding, and my first two summers I worked as an RA on that funding. But last summer I worked a corporate, non-academic internship. If you are at all interested in non-academic work after the PhD, you may consider doing this. Your adviser will probably not like it too much, but we do what we must. In my case, the internship was great and the people I worked with liked me so much I am pretty sure they would hire me if I decided to work there post-PhD; they say almost any of their interns who want a job there get one. (And it was somewhat related to my field: I'm a psychologist, and it was market research.)

[user_name]

If you're in the right area, work a fireworks stand. Managers get paid $2500+ and you get to hire your friends and drink all day. Then spend the rest of your summer researching and doing everything to get ahead you wouldn't have been able to had you a real job.

[MinervasOwl]

thanks so much, I'm feeling a little less afraid, I guess i can try and sublet my place for the summer, go home and find kids to tutor there- at least for the first year. I do want to go home at least once a year if I can manage- guess I'll play it by ear, but it's nice to know that there are options. Thanks

[ANDS!]

My program will (thankfully) carry through the summer next year, meaning my funding will continue. I don't have to find some crappy summer job...phew!

The job may not be crappy, but I think implicit in the summer funding is the expectation that you will actually be doing something - internship (paid or otherwise), research (exploration or nitty-gritty), or something along those lines.

Or you can go backpacking in Thailand.

[Hank Scorpio]

Oh yes. I should have been clearer. What I meant was my program has a Spring/Summer term that is comprised largely of research. It'll be the best summer in years.

[imonedaful]

When I read 9 month funding I thought, "oh good, that means I can get a job over the summer." I am in the business field so it is a little different than the arts/ sciences. I feel being successful in the business field requires professional experience in addition to academic research. But I was wondering if it was typical for students to get a full time job over the summer when they are not being paid by their assistantship?

[ANDS!]

When I read 9 month funding I thought, "oh good, that means I can get a job over the summer." I am in the business field so it is a little different than the arts/ sciences. I feel being successful in the business field requires professional experience in addition to academic research. But I was wondering if it was typical for students to get a full time job over the summer when they are not being paid by their assistantship?

I wouldn't be surprised. But as said, summer isn't so much a break as it is Alternative School. I would say a poorly funded internship is worth more than a nice paying full-time job (of course if you can get both, all the better).

[busybee3]

I don't think it's typical for business doctoral students to obtain a full-time job during the summer. I interviewed with a business school that offered 9 months of funding and there was still an expectation that students would be available to assist with research and work on their own research during the summer months.

[avicus]

It really depends on the school. PhD students in my program make 1/4 of what we would usually make during the other 9 months. We're technically allowed to have outside summer jobs (but none during the school year), but most advisors look down on that. We're expected to take out loans or rely on savings so that we can focus entirely on research every summer. I really hope I can take a quick vacation, but we're not supposed to leave for long periods of time. Some programs have opportunities for summer TAships. Mine does not. It's not ideal, but I've heard worse. I'm grateful to have full funding during the other 9 months.

I see. My school has many opportunities for summer RA-ships which pay up to 3x the amount of funding given during the other 9 months, because it'd be a full-time job then.

[new_to_kin]

It's a pretty common arrangement. Sometimes you can get additional summer funding, ask students in your program. Likely, you will need to save some money from each month's stipend to cover the summer months.

This. Calculate how much you'll have to save each month to keep you over the summer. Then, if you are allowed, add some work on or off campus over the summer (think library) to supplement. But really, you should be able to make it work if you live lean and mean.

[rising_star]

9 months is pretty common. There are summer positions available at most universities, whether those are TA or RA positions, or some sort of summer conference or new student orientation assistant positions. Apply for any and all of these if you really do need the summer funds.

But, OP, I don't know that you can realistically plan on going back to your home country for 2-3 months each year. I don't have to go that far to go home (only ~2000 miles), but I spend a total of a month home over the course of the year (one week at Thanksgiving, one week at Christmas, two weeks in the summer). The rest of my summer is taken up by summer teaching, conducting fieldwork, and focusing on getting various things done (conference abstracts/presentations/papers, journal articles, book reviews, prepping for whatever I'm teaching, getting started on grant/fellowship apps, etc.). The latter you could potentially largely do from anywhere but, I find it's helpful to be where most of my books and notes are, which is at my house.

If you do decide to go home for an extended time, try to sublet your place. This can be difficult and there's definitely some risk since you'll have no way to be sure the subletter doesn't abscond with your stuff while you're out of the country and/or that s/he pays in a timely fashion. I've never gone this route so I don't have much advice there. Best of luck!

[butterfingers2010]

My student loan package is technically only for 9 months ( I think most of them are) but I plan to spread out my living expenses over 12 months. It means that I have to be pretty thrify, but it's worth the peace of mind to know I have funds for the summer months. I plan on finding work over the summer to keep myself busy and earn extra money. Depending on how things go I may have to start my internship over the summer, anyhow. You should probably save money throughout the year to help pay your bills in the summer, in case you decide to stay here or if you don't want to go home all summer. If anything you could just get a 12 month apartment lease and have a place to keep your stuff for the summer-even if you're not there, you would be saving money on utility bills, groceries, etc. You could also try subleasing your place over the summer months if you're going to be gone.