Grad School Funding

For some folks, the biggest concern regarding grad school is money. And it’s a very valid concern: PhDs do cost some money. However, I can confidently say that the AMOUNT of money it takes varies widely depending on the school you choose. Tuition can vary nearly an order of magnitude from well ranked public schools to the most expensive private schools. Some schools are located in highly affordable cities, and others are located in the most expensive parts of the country. I’m a strong proponent of finding an affordable school and location, unless of course you get a full ride financial offer or fellowship.

Returning to Grad School Later In Life

I returned to grad school after working in industry after working in industry a few years, and I ended up defending my dissertation when I was 32 – much older than most of my fellow graduates.

If you’re thinking about returning to grad school later in life, you’re probably thinking through many of the same questions I considered myself.  Mainly: is it really worth it to return to grad school? 

Listening to Your Advisor

Some grad students will unfortunately experience the following scenario:

I fear my PhD advisor thinks I will fail and wants me to quit. Should I change advisors? What if I’m already multiple years into my PhD program?

Before you take action to switch advisors, I strongly recommend you have a conversation with your current advisor. Below is some advice on how specifically you tackle that conversation.