Tangent

This tangent originated in my last post, but got out of control. So it's here, which allowed me to include pictures/figures. Yay!

I hate when people rationalize the low stipend for graduate students.

We're not getting a "free education"; in the sciences, at least, we take one or two classes a semester- or less- right now I'm taking two courses that only add up to half a credit (woooo whee). So adding $2500 to pay for that half credit to my stipend isn't really elevating me into a new pay grade.

The other common response of family members to the woes of broke graduate students is to point out that we'll be making the "big bucks" soon!

Actually, you only make decent money if you're a full professor, which only comes after 2-10 years as a post doc and/or associate professor, or if you work at a pharma (or other such) company. Of course some of us are actually doing this PhD thing to follow our dreams and aim to end up working for the government and never making much more than a contractor. I'll end this rant now but I think I've made my point.

Some salaries of jobs requiring a degree and/or other credentials.

Annnddd surgeons wreck the curve

Which is, of course why you should do this because you love it, and not for the money or prestige (although, evidently, a lot of people probably do get into it for these reasons).