Part-time jobs while in grad school?

[nwbtcw_]

What do people think of working part-time while enrolled in a full-time sociology grad program? I don't think it'd be absolutely essential for me but the extra income might be nice. I start my first year this fall.

[sociologo]

If you are funded with an RA/TA position, you should make sure that you are allowed to have a job outside of your school one. 

[Darth.Vegan]

That honestly seems crazy with the work load. Besides, PhD programs provide funding because you are expected to be in the program on a full-time basis. 

[danielcharles87]

I don't think this is crazy at all. I start in a PhD program in the fall with very substantial funding and fully expect to be working a 20 hour/week job for helping to pay bills and have extra income. I know for a fact a bunch of the other grad students work as well.

 

I worked full time taking 3 courses a semester and TA'ing a class for my Master's - it's extra work but as long as your department allows it with your classes, research, and TA/RA responsibilities, I think it's fully do-able. Living off of $20 or $25K/year is really, really difficult no matter where you are.

[faculty]

I understand how difficult it can be to live off a stipend, and this probably depends on department culture, but in the departments I have been affiliated with, this is highly frowned upon. Your job in graduate school is to be a graduate student. That goes well beyond classes and your duties as an RA or TA. You should be reading and writing in your non-allocated time. There may be time for part-time work in the summers, but not during the year. Unlike an MA, where the goal really is a final product, pursuing a PhD is not about that finite degree but about becoming an active expert in a field. The more commitments you have outside of graduate school, the harder that is. Graduate school is unique in that you actually have the time to do all of this unencumbered by other work (e.g., more teaching, service, committee work, etc.). Take advantage of that, even if it means living like a pauper.

Edited March 28, 2013 by faculty

[Historicalsoc]

I have a job now fixing computers for a workshop on campus. It takes around four hours a week and pays well if you need a little extra money. I know next year I want to organize a colloquium that we have here and that pays as well. There are a number of academic jobs like that you can do. 

[1848ce]

As has been said, it depends on the department; they might permit, discourage, or outright forbid it. I can say that the grads I have met who are working another job tend to take on something that is 5, 10, or 15 hours a week. 20h/wk on top of roughly 50h/wk can be quite a commitment.

[gilbertrollins]

My understanding is that people who end up ABD for years on end usually do because they get sucked into teaching or other work (and may prefer it). I wouldn't start out in that position.

My impression is also that research professors enjoy few other things outside their research - an occassional hobby maybe (boozing, for instance). So if your goal is research professorship I would approach it like a lifestyle, not a job. If your goal is to teach and you enjoy a wider range of activities and consumption opportunities, I can see working part time at a lower ranked program working out ok.