Living in the USA, my experience looking into this was similar. However, there are some doctoral programs in europe that are free even for international students, which is actually quite tempting.
There’s a reason we have to import so many of our PhD candidates. It’s because it’s a raw fucking deal. Even in areas where pay is high for researchers, it’s still a borderline pointless gauntlet of humiliation to prove abilities you could have just gained on the job anyway.
Unfortunately this is still the case in all the university I know, especially in fine arts and humanity, many of the positions are even unfunded.
Many students need to sublease their living room or live in a single bedroom in a house, with shared kitchen and bathroom.
I think many less-well-funded students literally cannot afford a studio or 1B, because the rent will be higher than their salary.
Even for extremely well-funded departments in extremely well-funded schools, almost all of the PhD students are consistently paid under the living wage. See https://csstipendrankings.org/
This is why you see so many grad worker strike in these years.
My take-home was $1700-2100/mo after taxes and fees depending on whether I was teaching that semester (teaching paid less). We were paid minimum wage (at the time $15/h in CA) on the basis of 8 h/day, 5 days/wk 52 wks/y lmao. Rent split 4 ways was ~$1500 per person, and that was the lowest of anyone I knew. UC Berkeley PhD 2022.
yeah i was in grad school 10 years ago. I made about $1000/mo, and my rent was about 900. After food and other necessities, I was losing about 300-400 a month.
If i was in school today, I’m confident I’d be making 1200/mo and my rent would be about $2000.
Its not uncommon for apartment complexes to charge another small monthly fee to have a pet (usually specifically a cat or dog) in the unit. I’m also paying a pet rent and its like $20-30 where I live. Is it BS? Definitely.
Considering that you’re probably making something like $1,500/mo in some place where rent is $3,000/mo I’d say take every discount you can get.
I briefly looked into doing a doctorate. The economics of it turned me away right quick.
Living in the USA, my experience looking into this was similar. However, there are some doctoral programs in europe that are free even for international students, which is actually quite tempting.
Applying won’t hurt, you never know.
Yeah true, maybe one day!
There’s a reason we have to import so many of our PhD candidates. It’s because it’s a raw fucking deal. Even in areas where pay is high for researchers, it’s still a borderline pointless gauntlet of humiliation to prove abilities you could have just gained on the job anyway.
I hope no reputable school is doing that badly these days but point taken
Unfortunately this is still the case in all the university I know, especially in fine arts and humanity, many of the positions are even unfunded.
Many students need to sublease their living room or live in a single bedroom in a house, with shared kitchen and bathroom.
I think many less-well-funded students literally cannot afford a studio or 1B, because the rent will be higher than their salary.
Even for extremely well-funded departments in extremely well-funded schools, almost all of the PhD students are consistently paid under the living wage. See https://csstipendrankings.org/
This is why you see so many grad worker strike in these years.
also why the bulk of those students in those subjects come almost exclusively from wealthy families…
My take-home was $1700-2100/mo after taxes and fees depending on whether I was teaching that semester (teaching paid less). We were paid minimum wage (at the time $15/h in CA) on the basis of 8 h/day, 5 days/wk 52 wks/y lmao. Rent split 4 ways was ~$1500 per person, and that was the lowest of anyone I knew. UC Berkeley PhD 2022.
Congrats on successfully defeating your thesis!
I went to a state university and I was paid about $1,000 a month as a graduate student researcher, while living in a $1,700 a month dorm.
yeah i was in grad school 10 years ago. I made about $1000/mo, and my rent was about 900. After food and other necessities, I was losing about 300-400 a month.
If i was in school today, I’m confident I’d be making 1200/mo and my rent would be about $2000.
When I was working on mine I was making $1800 and rent was only ~$720 for a 2 bed. I think that included pet rent too.
The mental toll however…(Hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance claims later, probably more)
It included the what now?
Its not uncommon for apartment complexes to charge another small monthly fee to have a pet (usually specifically a cat or dog) in the unit. I’m also paying a pet rent and its like $20-30 where I live. Is it BS? Definitely.
Yeah so you have to pay an extra monthly “rent” PER PET (not to mention the extra deposits! Yes plural)
I was looking at a place the other day. 2 bedroom apartment in a shitty area. I didn’t take notes on all the costs but this is what I have:
Application Fee: $50 per applicant
Rent:
$1450$2115Security Deposit:
$1450$2115Nonrefundable Pet Deposit per pet: $300
Pet Deposit per pet: $200
Pet Rent per pet: $25
No utilities included
Edit: misremembered the rent by a lot
Absolutely wild.
Stuart Ashen has a Ph.D.
boop-beep boop-beep beep-boop Hello!