Curious about your experiences

[cloverhinge]

Hello everyone!

I've been silently browsing through a lot of the forum posts for quite some time and found your insights and comments incredibly helpful. I'm currently awaiting decisions for fall 2016 (fingers crossed!) and I've had several questions on my mind about grad school and grad life in general. I was wondering if you good folks could help a sister out! Also, I apologize in advance if any of these questions have already been answered in another thread...! 

Finance/budgeting

Just to preface: 

I've already asked some graduate students about funding/money, and they told me that overall it's pretty good, and that even though they can't go to Hawaii every year, it's do-able. Since I felt a little uncomf prying into their pocketbook, I was wondering whether any of you kind folks out there could explain what "pretty good" or "do-able" actually means. Have any of you had to take out loans, eat ramen every night, or stalk around the park scavenging for bird food? All joking aside though, I'm wondering about the little details, like from the stipend that you're given (from the very helpful funding package spreadsheet I saw that they're generally 25k+), do you have any money left over to treat yo self from time to time? 

Departmental politics/bureaucracy 

I know that this obviously depends from department to department, but I was wondering if I could just get your own take on your experiences with any kind of need to step outside the purely academic side of grad life. All the graduate students that I've talked to were very positive about their experiences, saying that professors were definitely willing to help them and engage in intellectual discussion, etc. What got me scared were people who "dropped out" of academia -- retired professors, ex-grads, who seemed to be full of bitterness about academic bureaucracy. One retired professor told me to be aware at all times, and that my rose-colored glasses will soon be cracked when I see that people jump to steal ideas and kiss ass. I'm not scared of a little healthy competition, but I admit I get a little worried imagining people sharpening their knives in their cubbies. What has been your experience? Is networking SUPER important?

Friends

I know that I can't expect to be best friends with everyone in my department, and I've been told multiple times to be ready to work in isolation. In undergrad, I knew that hundreds of people were in the same boat as I was as the "new kid in town" so people were eager to start making friends. I'm wondering how the first few months of grad life are like in terms of your social life? Were you able to meet people outside of the department? 

 

I know that was A LOT to ask, and thanks so much in advance!! 

 

[Dr. Old Bill]

I've just finished my first full semester of an MA program, and my life circumstances are a bit atypical (mid-thirties, married to someone who makes a decent wage etc.), so you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. With that in mind...

The funding question definitely varies from school to school, and even program to program. Assuming you are talking about Ph.D. programs, I think around 20k per year is about average for the top 50. Some certainly offer more -- the Yales, Harvards, Princetons etc., as well as a few surprising randoms -- but most packages hover around the poverty line. That said, they pay your tuition as well, which is no small perk. A now-inactive GC user created a collaborative spreadsheet a few years ago that gives a good idea of what most programs have to offer. Here it is. Just remember that it's a bit dated. If you're willing to live in a room in a house, or have a few roommates, that's certainly doable on its own, but I suspect you might want to get out some student loan money to help with things. This is probably a divisive point here, but even I have taken out a bit of loan money as a grad student, as it simply helps.

I haven't run into much in the way of evident departmental politics or bureaucracy where I'm attending. I'm sure it exists, but I feel fairly supported. That said, I don't feel as supported as I did as an undergraduate. There's more that you need to figure out on your own, and if you meet with a professor, you should have something substantial to say, or else it looks unprofessional. Good social habits go a long way. When it comes to GAships and other appointments, there can be "favorites" based on performance elsewhere, or a particular professor / administrator liking a candidate. But that's a reflection of the non-academic world as well. Politics exist, and while it seems to be magnified in academia, in my non-academic and academic experience, I don't see much difference (so far).

As for friends, that has admittedly been a bit harder for me (again, I'm old and married). Having said that, there have been several social gatherings created for both my cohort and the grad students in general, and I've gone to three of them and socialized a bit. The opportunity is definitely there for friendships, but time constraints really are a factor. That said, several in my cohort have definitely become friends, and social media (Facebook especially) is a surprisingly good way to associate with everyone that you can't regularly meet with. I would say I've made a number of "close acquaintances" in my first semester, and there are many fellow students whom I admire and look forward to having more classes with. There is a tinge of competition at times (talking about grades is particularly gauche), but for the most parts things have felt very amicable, and I've been able to help other students proof their papers and know I could have the favor returned if needed etc.

Hope this helps!

 

[sarabethke]

I'm in my second year in an MA and I actually feel a lot more supported by faculty than in undergrad. I've definitely seen proof of departmental politics, but nothing that really affects me. 

My stipend is not great, but it's an MA and it's better than nothing. It pays half my apartment rent and I have $100 for groceries (I do pay my whole phone bill and car note though) so I've taken out loans. Hoping for my PhD I won't have to anymore.

i am really bad at making friends and was terrified I would have no friends so I immediately latched onto the first fellow lit major I found and we are now really close! After getting a teaching assistantship this year I know a lot more people AND have one other really close friend. 

My school had a grad student Facebook page and people often try to get together, although I've never gone, so I assume if you want to meet people from other departments it's not hard if there's something like that to work with.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I'm applying for grad school this fall as well, so I have nothing to really add. But I'm really interested in hearing everyone's experiences! From all the grad schools I've applied too, only one has definitely said no funding. That program mention GA positions but those are very hard to come by so I'm not relying on that at all.  If I have to take out loans it won't be too bad, I have no debt from undergrad. 

[lyonessrampant]

On funding, 25K is actually pretty high.  If you're at a state R1, the funding will be lower; so, too, will the cost of living generally, but 25K is really only going to come from an Ivy or well-endowed private school or somewhere in NYC where that's still chump change.  People in my program generally can live on their stipend.  I took a small amount of loan money my first year to cover moving expenses, but I haven't taken any loans after that.  When things get dicey, though, is summer funding, as many programs do not guarantee that.  People who don't get summer teaching or research money usually get a job or take loans.  Basically, money will most likely be tight, but if you keep yourself on a budget, you should be okay.

 

On departmental politics, that will vary significantly from program to program.  For grad students, though, it's best to keep your head down and avoid it as much as possible.

 

On friends, my cohort is very close, and I'm also good friends with people in my sub-field.  That will also probably vary by program.  If you're at a school where people feel very competitive, it might be harder to make friends, but my experience has been quite positive in that regard.  I think if you're friendly, people will reciprocate.

[random_grad]

11 hours ago, cloverhinge said:

explain what "pretty good" or "do-able" actually means.

as said above, it really depends on where the school's located. in my case, my current funding was one of the highest ones I was offered but the city is also one of the most expensive ones. at another school funding was less but housing was so cheap there that one would've been able to rent an entire house with that other school's stipend. aside from taxes, probably the most unfortunate thing about funding is that it's the same regardless of your family situation. I mean, it kinda makes sense, but it's certainly harder to make ends meet when you have dependents and therefore must live in a bigger flat, spend more money on life etc.

in my cohort, unless people have rich parents, previous savings or a partner who has a job, it's a choice between commuting and living in a room. most opted for living in a room in a shared apartment. but this might not be best for productivity, depending on your habits.

I personally had to downgrade my lifestyle significantly this year (I just started my PhD in 2015). It's good that booze is cheap in the U.S. (I'm from Canada) but otherwise I have not been able to afford going to a bar since I moved here. I've been to a restaurant a couple of times on the department's dime and others appeared to be just as hungry for the experience as myself. but ultimately this is all first-world problems. my family eats healthy, we drink at starbucks, we live in a safe neighbourhood, we travel...

11 hours ago, cloverhinge said:

to be aware at all times

this is definitely how I would behave; on the other hand, it doesn't mean it's bad. there is good advice on that in the book "graduate study in the 21st century" (although some other advice from that book seems outlandish to me). in a nutshell: observe the situation. you are new here. the department has set currents and tensions. don't pick sides unless you feel strongly for something and know who is on what side; don't antagonize anyone, esp. the secretary. stay positive, happy, excited. there are people who gossip and you'll identify them soon enough. it's like in any workplace, except it's a bunch of super-smart people involved in the game.

11 hours ago, cloverhinge said:

I'm wondering how the first few months of grad life are like in terms of your social life?

I'm just straight out of these first few months, so the memories are fresh! I'm a loner type, and at the same time I'm here with my family, so I'm not all alone either. I've met a few people, made the effort to go to 90% of all the parties and events I was invited to, but have not made real friends yet. quite a few people complained that it's hard to make friends. I know people who've left academia because they need human interaction to be happy. otherwise it's really a place where loners can thrive.

clubs are great to make friends but you need to find time to do that lol. I'll start participating in a club next semester, we'll see how this goes. I kinda wanted to try meetup too, but ain't nobody has time for that!

Edited January 10, 2016 by random_grad

[cloverhinge]

Wow, thanks for all your experiences and the solid tips ladies/guys -- it's refreshing to get such down-to-earth advice. I definitely see that each program and each individual experience is going to be different, and it's eye opening to see both the difference and big picture across all your comments. Thanks again! 

Lyonessrampant, you mentioned summer funding -- a question just came into my head when I read what you said. Do a lot of English grad students decide to stay on campus for the summer? Someone else in the forum mentioned something about taking language courses or taking courses with lots of reading -- I guess I'm still stuck in undergrad mentality where summer can be spent at home. I'm wondering whether this is something I should completely toss out the window and break my mother's heart (but actually). 

[lyonessrampant]

Most people in my program stay here for the summer, but if you're going directly from undergrad, you might want to go home.  One woman in my cohort did that during the summer after our first year.  It would certainly make your stipend stretch further if you didn't have to pay rent in the summer and went home.  You'll definitely need to still work over the summer, but the good thing about lit is that you can do a lot of the work anywhere.  As you advance in the program, you may find that summers need to be used for language learning, research trips, studying for exams, etc., but again, a lot of that could be done even if you do go home.

[1Q84]

3 hours ago, random_grad said:

I personally had to downgrade my lifestyle significantly this year (I just started my PhD in 2015). It's good that booze is cheap in the U.S. (I'm from Canada) but otherwise I have not been able to afford going to a bar since I moved here.

Oh man. Same. I thank the gods for US alcohol prices whenever I crack open a beer after a long day on campus. Alcohol sales are regulated by the province in Ontario, so it's basically a government monopoly! Lots of controversy over that in Toronto recently.

I haven't had to downgrade my lifestyle really but that's because I was just getting by even before my graduate program. I'm actually making more than I ever have on my stipend (sad, right?). In some ways, I'm actually able to "live" a bit more than before, like with booze.

[bhr]

For what it's worth, I've taken $2500/semester in loans, just to give myself breathing room. I had planned to just hold it and pay it back when I was done my MA, but due to health issues I've wound up spending most of it. That said, $10k in loans to keep my lifestyle at a level I'm comfortable with isn't too bad.

[echo449]

I think money is a really important thing to think about, so it's really smart that you're considering it at this stage of the game. If a program does not offer you the money to live (bracketing MA programs because they are not as large a commitment), then you should not attend it. That sounds harsh, but the job market is terrible, and you are giving up years of income to go to graduate school. My program is on the higher end of pay (the 25k mark, or thereabouts), and I can tell you that as a single person with roommates I have a lot of money leftover for myself. I also live with people in my program--this cuts down on stuff like someone watching TV too loudly on nights when you need to work. 

Related to that: making friends isn't hard! The first term especially is a moment in which everyone is trying to be social to establish some kind of group. However, I have not met people outside of my department (with one exception). But I think this is kind of standard. It's not impossible to meet people in other departments, but you have to make an effort to do so. 

To soon for me to answer questions concerning networking, but I would say that, generally, the more people you know, the easier your life will be. Being known to the department is really helpful when it comes time to apply for competitive fellowships/find people for a committee/ ask people for different letters of rec. 

[cloverhinge]

6 hours ago, echo449 said:

My program is on the higher end of pay (the 25k mark, or thereabouts), and I can tell you that as a single person with roommates I have a lot of money leftover for myself. I also live with people in my program--this cuts down on stuff like someone watching TV too loudly on nights when you need to work. 

That's really great to hear -- I've been looking up some of the housing situations for a few programs, and I think I'd definitely like to have roommates as well.  

Thanks again everyone for your comments! 

[Guest]

Re: money--My stipend through my MA program was actually higher than the stipend in my PhD program, but my MA was in a more expensive area of the country. But neither stipend was even close to 25k. Yeah, money was definitely hard. I worked for years before going back to grad school and had some savings, which I blew through promptly (mostly with moving). You just have to get used to being poor. 

And the job market is pretty horrendous (I'm on it right now), so yeah, that is something to keep in mind. There are also "hidden costs" to being a grad student that exceed living expenses--you're expected to attend conferences, and department money doesn't cover the whole bill. (I just got back from MLA, and despite having a grant from my department, my bank account is seriously hurting.) You might also have to take research trips. The stipend you might get will never cover the whole thing.

I loved the social aspects of grad school, though. No problems there. 

[A blighted one]

@cloverhinge These are all great questions, but I'm in the same position as you and hence have no answers. Thanks to everyone else for the insights!

[jrockford27]

I was working in the private sector prior to going to grad school.  I was making about $34k/yr and I was scared to death about the drop in salary.  As it turns out, it wasn't at all difficult to adapt to life on a stipend (between my TAship and various fellowships I come out to about 20k/yr).  You'll learn to adapt, but you'll also quickly learn that grad school doesn't afford you the time to spend a lot of money on various luxuries, and your social engagements will be spent primarily with people who also make very little money (your cohort/colleagues) and so the price will scale down.

If I had to list one financial anxiety, it's that it's very difficult to create a savings and plan for the future.

It's good that you've accepted that you wont be friends with everyone in your department, that was hard for me.  Nevertheless, I am friends with enough folks, even if what binds us together is our shared struggle.  Grad school can be very isolating, especially early on, especially if you're moving far from your hometown.  But if you make yourself a department citizen and you show up for events (people pay attention to this, and they notice), and keep an open mind, that stuff goes away somewhat.

In my department you can be as involved or uninvolved as you'd like in bureaucracy.  Though part of being a dept. citizen and being recognized for it means dealing with some of that.

Edited January 14, 2016 by jrockford27

[portia_of_belmont]

On 1/14/2016 at 8:23 AM, jrockford27 said:

I was working in the private sector prior to going to grad school.  I was making about $34k/yr and I was scared to death about the drop in salary.  As it turns out, it wasn't at all difficult to adapt to life on a stipend (between my TAship and various fellowships I come out to about 20k/yr).  You'll learn to adapt, but you'll also quickly learn that grad school doesn't afford you the time to spend a lot of money on various luxuries, and your social engagements will be spent primarily with people who also make very little money (your cohort/colleagues) and so the price will scale down.

If I had to list one financial anxiety, it's that it's very difficult to create a savings and plan for the future.

It's good that you've accepted that you wont be friends with everyone in your department, that was hard for me.  Nevertheless, I am friends with enough folks, even if what binds us together is our shared struggle.  Grad school can be very isolating, especially early on, especially if you're moving far from your hometown.  But if you make yourself a department citizen and you show up for events (people pay attention to this, and they notice), and keep an open mind, that stuff goes away somewhat.

In my department you can be as involved or uninvolved as you'd like in bureaucracy.  Though part of being a dept. citizen and being recognized for it means dealing with some of that.

This is similar to my situation. Thanks for the perspective! 

[Horb]

I go to a great university in the northeast (not Ivy League) and am paid about 20k a year. I actually live really comfortably and have been able to save a significant amount (about 4K per year), which I could use to cover summer expenses. However, I now started a second job (counting grad school as the first) and I essentially just save that money for vacation or emergency expenses. Living off a 20k stipend is quite doable, you just need to accept that you'll have roommates and maybe take public transport instead of having a car (which I prefer anyways).

[Horb]

P.S. I'm also more than happy to pm my budget if you want