Before we start off, I want to put a disclaimer that my blog series about higher education is very US-centric. This may not apply in other countries so please keep that in mind! Okay, let’s get started! A fully funded PhD funding package typically contains the following things:
In my opinion, fully funded is a misnomer because there are often additional fees that are not covered. For example, fees for the athletic center, or facilities fees, health fees, or some additional fees that the university expects from you. These can range from $200 - $1000 a semester. This is the equivalent of the ‘fine print’ in a contract. Make sure you ask about this if it’s not listed on their website! A second reason it’s a misnomer is because the stipend may not be adequate to live comfortably. Cost of living varies widely from place to place. A $25,000 stipend may be able to cover all of your costs in some places in the US, and barely any of your costs in other places. One quick way to estimate whether the stipend they offer is acceptable is to visit http://www.phdstipends.com/ This is a website run by Dr. Emily Roberts where you can see the “living wage ratio” and also compare stipends across different universities, different programs, and different cities. A third reason it’s a misnomer is because academic funding is sometimes only during the fall and spring, which means May to August is not guaranteed. This is called a 9-month funding package. Again, inquire about this. Is it a 12-month funding package or 9-month? If it's 9-months, how do people usually fund their summers? These types of questions are important to know beforehand so you can start to make a budget and figure out whether you'll need additional financial support (scholarships, loans, etc.). Lastly, a question I get a lot is whether all of the above applies to international students. YES, most universities do fund international students for their PhDs! This is usually listed on their website but you can always email them to ask about this. Getting adequate funding for international students is especially important because this is what will be printed on your i20 and will be a determining factor in whether or not your student visa is approved! So, there you have it! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments!
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My 2021 word of the year is JOY! I first hear of 'word of the year' while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Acadames. Last year my word was boundaries (see previous blog post) and this year it's joy. It's been a difficult year for all of us, many have lost their loved ones, jobs, security, and routine. Too many have lost their lives. All of this led me to spend some time reflecting on my life and my choices. Am I making the most of my life? Am I choosing joy? The truth is, I wasn't. Like many others I felt I had fallen into a routine that didn't leave much time for quiet contemplating and intentionality. The break I took over winter, a true break, allowed me space to think deeply about why I spent so little time doing the things that brought me joy and so much time doing the things that didn't bring my any joy. To some extent, we'll always have to do things that don't spark joy (as Marie Kondo would say) -- every day at work and in life can't be rainbows and sunshine (if you've ever formatted a manuscript for a journal you know what I'm talking about)...But, shouldn't the good outweigh the bad? I recognize the immense place of privilege that I'm speaking from and I know that the reality is that unfortunately not everyone can afford the luxury of reprioritizing. However, I think many of us could refocus if we wanted to but too often we don't because life gets in the way. This year I'm choosing joy. I'm making an intentional effort to reprioritize; focusing on what truly matters to me, what inspires me, motivates me, and brings me fulfillment. Maybe that means collaborating on a project outside of my comfort zone, spending more time with my family, or even saying no to opportunities that don't serve me even if they seem enticing. If there’s one thing last year showed us, it’s that life is too short— too short to wait for your life to start, too short not to take care of yourself, & too short not to be happy with the one life you’ve got! Questions? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments! Boundary-setting is a skill that no one taught me and which I learned the hard way. Along with many other fields, academia glorifies overwork. Having a packed schedule, hastily eating lunch between meetings, writing grants until the wee hours of the night, and working 24/7 are tacitly encouraged and indicative of a 'hard-worker,' someone who is truly committed to their craft. It's not uncommon for many academics to have poor work-life balance, and to feel persistently burned out. This is especially true for graduate students who feel the weight of wanting to be seen as diligent and motivated colleagues who will go the extra mile. In the third year of my PhD, I took on additional responsibilities as a consequences of staff turnover and ended up overwhelmed and exhausted. Having no experience with boundary setting, I found myself working all the time, neglecting my personal relationships and my own physical and mental health. It took a toll. By the beginning of my fourth year, I was exhibiting all the classic signs of burnout: lack of motivation, cynicism, difficulty concentrating, irritability, low energy, etc. I had a decision to make: go on like this or change something. Given that it was also roughly 7 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided something needed to change. More specifically, I needed to change. I began to define boundaries for myself including not responding to emails outside of my working hours and making a conscious effort not to work on weekends. Baby steps, but they worked. And you know what? Nothing happened. No one retaliated. No one thought I was a slacker. In fact, my work productivity improved because I was less stressed and more able to produce high-quality work... on weekdays from 9-5 only. This winter I'll be taking two weeks off and I'm planning to set very clear boundaries -- something I don't think I've ever done so intentionally. Here are my 4 tips for the holidays:
Questions? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments! |
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