#ph.d. programs

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Ph.D. Programs Have a Dirty Secret: Student Debt

College debt. Law school debt. Medical school debt. These are all topics that have been hashed over ad nauseam in the past few years. 

But when was the last time you heard anything about Ph.D. debt? 

Unless you're an academic, my guess is you haven't. Doctoral programs still have a reputation for giving their students a (mostly) free ride by providing living stipends and teaching opportunities along with tuition breaks. And most of the time, the rep holds true.

But not always.

I don't know why it is so hard for me to decide whether or not I want to take a year off after finishing my Master's.  It's not so much that I don't think I'll go back if I take a year off, as I know to get the jobs I want, a Ph.D. is required.  I just think a year could be useful in so many ways.  First, I would have months to prepare for the GRE (which, I need).  Second, I could be applying for my Ph.D. programs without having to worry about getting my article finished and submitted, taking seminars, TAing, tutoring, etc.  Instead, I could be working on them while making bank.  Plus, I could get started on paying back my mountains of student loans.  And, I've been toying around with the idea of working on an additional article as well. I'm just afraid of getting burnt out since I haven't taken a break from school since kindergarten.  PLUS, I can live with my BFF for over a year AND stay in SD for another year, which would be awesome.

However, if I go straight to the programs, I might be more likely to get better rec letters.  I could put off my student loans for another four or five years (even though they'll be accruing interest).  I will have my Ph.D. before I'm 30 (this is very important to me).  And, I will already be in the routine of an "academic" lifestyle, a.k.a. poor and busy.

I think part of the problem is that I'm not confident about my abilities to perform well on my GREs and get everything accomplished in time.  And, I'm not ready to leave San Diego.  I have this gut feeling I won't get in anywhere in CA because the UC's are so hard to get into and then I'll have to spend thousands of dollars to move again.  And probably buy a new car because I don't see my little Jetta making another big move.  The curiosity to apply to a few international programs is there as well, although chances are even slimmer that I would get into a university in the UK.