Re:Advice for Prospective PhD Students
by BeetleB on Monday October 09, 2023 @01:42PM
(#37823065)
I'm seeing a lot of answers in the negative, so I'll give my experience:
Find a relatively low cost of living area. The good news is that there are several top universities in such places (e.g. Midwest).
Find out the pay you'll get.
Find out the fees you'll pay.
Now you know how much you'll make. Check rents in the area, and then decide.
For me, (2003-2010), as a single person, the pay was more than sufficient to get by. I could afford a single bedroom apartment, got a good used car, and drove across the country (staying at motels, not camping) twice. I bought a DSLR, and had a very nice PC that lasted me all those years. Would eat out from time to time.
It wasn't much, but it was all I needed, and a bit more.
The main difference between then and now is that cars have gotten a lot more expensive. Rents may have gone up, but perhaps not as much (i.e. pay may have gone up enough to compensate).
Find a relatively low cost of living area. The good news is that there are several top universities in such places (e.g. Midwest).
Find out the pay you'll get.
Find out the fees you'll pay.
Now you know how much you'll make. Check rents in the area, and then decide.
For me, (2003-2010), as a single person, the pay was more than sufficient to get by. I could afford a single bedroom apartment, got a good used car, and drove across the country (staying at motels, not camping) twice. I bought a DSLR, and had a very nice PC that lasted me all those years. Would eat out from time to time.
It wasn't much, but it was all I needed, and a bit more.
The main difference between then and now is that cars have gotten a lot more expensive. Rents may have gone up, but perhaps not as much (i.e. pay may have gone up enough to compensate).