[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3m-gOelA8g]

The best things in life are free

But you can keep ’em for the birds and bees.
Now gimme money (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want)
That’s what I want (that’s what I want), oh-yeh,
That’s what I want.

~The Beatles~

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This is the fourth week of a six-week Q & A series.  Holly (aka Spleeness) asked:

How do you handle the stress related to the lowered financial resources of a student?

Diminished financial resources do pose a separate aspect of stress for most graduate students.  I will have to answer this question from my own experience.  I am a Master’s student in an Applied Experimental Psychology program.  Not law school.  Not med school.  Not business school.  Not all graduate programs are the same.  I came into grad school with no debt and substantial savings account.  Every graduate student has a different experience with debt and personal finances.  Just throwing that disclaimer out there.

Tuition, loans, and grants, oh my!

PhD candidates tend to have tuition waivers and stipends for teaching and research assistantships.  I am currently in a Master’s program, so I am responsible for tuition.  I use subsidized loans to pay for my tuition, which does not come close to the cost of medical or law school tuition. My first year of grad school, I had a teaching assistantship that paid fairly well for the hours I had to put in each week.  Now I have a part time job (my Internship with the Navy).  So, my assistantship and Internship have helped me pay for my living expenses.

Most of the people in my program get out a maximum amount of student loans each year to ease the financial burden of making less money than they would make outside of academia.  That being said, the students in my program are generally funded with research grants and government contracts through their labs.  Human Factors psychology offers funding opportunities that may not be available to other disciplines.  The secret to making money as a graduate student is to apply to the RIGHT program and work with the RIGHT faculty. You may not always have choice about the projects for which you will responsible, but you do have a choice about who you get to know before applying to programs.  It is important to find out what kinds of grants and funding faculty members bring into a program.  Those grants will be your source of income at the PhD level beyond the funding provided by the department.  You also have the responsibility as a graduate student in a research-focused program to learn HOW to write grant and research proposals.  Graduate school prepares students to be better writers and offers the necessary skills to find funding.  Grants will save your life.  Grants make academia go round.  Outside of academia, you may have to write proposals to fund your work.  For example, my boss funds most of her human performance research with outside sources like the Office of Naval Research.  When/If I get into a PhD program, I will most likely hold a research assistant position and will be funded through my lab. (Unless all the stars align beautifully and I get to stay at my current job while I get my PhD.)

Everyone is different.

Everyone wants and needs different things from a career or job.  You all work hard and do very different things to pay the bills.  I know that when I am finished with school, if I work hard and am good at what I do, I will make enough money to pay back my loans quickly and have enough money to live comfortably.  I will be able to take care of myself in the future because I can take care of myself now with less money in the bank. Unless the dollar really does become worthless in three years.

I am fortunate.  My undergraduate degree was fairly inexpensive because family helped me pay for tuition, I worked while I was in school, and I earned some scholarships.  My grandparents worked hard and saved money their entire lives to make my family’s life better.  I am thankful for their sacrifice and love and do not take that for granted.  I also worked for three years between college and graduate school, so I was able to pay off my debt and to build up a savings account over that time.  I also took the time to learn about personal finance, budgets, investments, 401 Ks, money markets, etc. because I am responsible for where my money goes.

It is not easy.

I had to prioritize and make sacrifices. I rarely go to concerts or small shows or make it to Trance DJ sets anymore.  Live music is my favorite thing in all the Universe.  I spent more money in my lifetime to see live music than anything else.  It is hard to live in an area where music is an everyday part of life. It devastates me to think of all the shows I have missed the last two years.  I don’t have the time.  I can’t afford to see every musician who comes to Norfolk, Richmond or DC.  I don’t just pick up and leave whenever I want to get out of town.  Mostly, I just don’t have time for this. I plan my meals and cook. I make a budget and do my best to stick with it.

Some things I refuse to give up. I did not give up getting my hair done professionally because that is the one thing I do to pamper myself.  I refuse to make sacrifices for my health with regard to exercise (e.g., hot yoga classes), chiropractic care for my hip injury, healthy food (e.g., Trader Joe’s and local farmers markets), or vitamins/supplements.

I cut back on some things so I can afford those things I refuse to give up. I rarely eat out or buy coffee in coffee shops.  I cook most of my meals, pack lunches and snacks and make my own coffee most mornings.  I have a budget.  And I stick to it most months.  If I want to do something that is not in my budget, I cook more, make coffee at home more, go a few extra weeks to get my hair done, sell things on ebay, go to the chiropractor less often, etc.

I am not planning to buy a house or a car or to take a three month trip around the world or to make any major investments. There are times I still buy a new pair shoes or get my hair done or go visit my friends in another city instead of saving that money for my future.  But it’s just me now.  If I meet someone and we decide to connect our lives, my priorities will change with regard to how I spend my money. If there is some kind of emergency and I need to save my money, I will save my money.

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Life is too short not to enjoy some things now just because I think I can do them after school is over.  My life is happening now, not in three years from now.  If I want to buy a bottle of Rex Hill Pinot Noir, I will do it if I know I can cut back on something else that month.  I don’t want to wake up in a year thinking, “I really wish I’d gone to Bonnaroo instead of saving that $1000 for 2020.”  I want to wake up in a year thinking, “God, I am so thankful I spent that money when I did so I could share such a wonderful experience with friends.”

I appreciate all the things in my life that are free.  Just like the Beatles song.  But seriously… life is easier with some cash money.  I mean, I’d never get to meet all my blogger friends without money to travel.   I love you so much that I am willing to cut back on concerts, Starbucks, and hot yoga sessions so I can come visit you this summer, right?

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What did you sacrifice or cut back when you had less money in the bank?  What did you refuse to sacrifice?  How do you deal with making less money than you would make out in “the real world” if you worked 60 to 80 hour work weeks like you do in grad school?  What advice do you have for someone who is living on loans?

{the cat also studies distributed military teams, video games & shared leadership models}

This is the third week of a six-week Q & A series.  I asked all of you to submit your questions about grad school.  Have you submitted your question yet?

What do YOU want to know about grad school?

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Chrissy asked:

I think those of us who have so many things (stressful things) going on in our lives need that one thing that calms us, cements us down, brings us back from our “crazy”.   What is something that you use to help keep you focused on your overall goal and big picture?

I grew up holding myself and others to unrealistic expectations.  Nothing was ever good enough.  I was not good enough.  But now I know I am worth so much more than something like an A in a class.  I have finally started living for myself instead of living for anyone else and it relieves a lot of pressure to keep it all together.  It’s ok to slip sometimes and to let something go.  As long as that something is not my sanity and health and happiness.  And as long as that something does not hurt anyone else in the process.

I think my relationships keep me from going crazy.  The connections I have with my BFFs, my good friends, my online friends and my family.  I sometimes can’t believe how many amazing people are in my life.  That you all stick by me no matter what happens.  I have true friendships.  My mom is also incredibly supportive of me, in everything I do.

Yoga is probably the thing that keeps me centered and calm.  Well, yoga and marathoning TV shows on weekends. Of course.

My Internship helps keep me focused on my overall goal of completing my PhD.

Which leads to my next question…

Matt asked:

Why do you like to work for the military specifically?

I like working for the government for many reasons.  Jenny Blake recently blogged about why she loves her cubicle.  She explained beautifully why a 9-5 cubicle career is beneficial for some of us. The government comes with some added perks.  One of those perks, in my case, being a Top Secret Security Clearance.  Hence why I can’t really talk about work on my blog.  Another perk is paid Federal holidays.

At the same time, I belong to a Brazen Careerist group of Location Independent professionals.  One great thing about earning an advanced degree in a specialized field is that you become somewhat of a commodity to the workforce.  My boss is one such commodity.  Not that she is more special than anyone else in my office.  Each person brings something important to the organization.  It’s just that she has advanced knowledge and experience that allow her to do things others cannot do.  Because she’s my supervisor and I am working toward a PhD in Human Factors, I also get to do things others cannot do.  One of those things is the ability to work from my home, in a coffee shop, at her house, or on campus if we do not have meetings on base.

All of that is great.  But the main reason I love working for the military is that I love to see that my education and experience will actually make a difference in someone’s life.

I grew up with the military (I was an Army brat and almost married a Marine).  The military and those who serve our country will always have a special place in my heart.  Now I am fortunate that I can give back to that community.  I mostly work with Special Ops guys, whose jobs are high risk. The Navy is sadly one of the last branches of the military to implement good Human Factors practices, so it is nice to see that change now!

It can be hard at times because Engineers don’t always understand why we need to think about the guy driving the boat when we design interfaces and equipment.  I mean, for example: why not just add another menu to the interface so they have to navigate a complex series of menus while riding on shock mitigating seats, nauseated from sea sickness, with an empty stomach, after standing for an 8 hour watch shift, maybe even while they’re been shot at.  Right, just add another button, jerks.  So, it is nice to use my knowledge of human abilities, human performance, teams, cognitive workload, physiology, etc., to make their lives better.

It can also be hard to be a female in a male dominate industry/field.  Makes things interesting though!

The best part of my job… I get to ride on high-speed boats.  So, without further adieu… cue Lonely Island.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU]

Disclaimer: I don’t ride on boats like the one in that video since I’m in the Combatant Craft division.  We focus on boats like these:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wKFsgbX60s]

This is the second week of a six-week Q&A series about grad school.

What do YOU want to know about grad school?

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My non-blogging friend Melissa asked a series of questions about the process of contacting professors when applying to grad school.

Disclaimer: These are definitely questions about a mentor-style, research-focused graduate program. I am drawing from experience, so if you are trying to enter a medical school or clinical psychology or law school or a biology program, you might want to look elsewhere.

Your advisor will be an important part of your graduate school experience.  One of my undergraduate professors once told me that a grad school program is like a marriage – you have to live with it every day for at least two years – so choose carefully.  I feel this way about an advisor, too.  He or she is there to guide your research focus and academic coursework.  He or she will be there every day bleeding on your papers, giving you advice, chastising you when you don’t live up to his or her expectations, asking you to do this and that even though you are exhausted, patting you on the back (if you’re lucky) when you do well, guiding you, opening doors for you, etc.

Your advisor may not be the same person as your mentor(s), but you may still find a mentor by initiating conversations with professors at prospective schools.  A mentor may be another faculty member with whom you become close over the course of your graduate school career, or someone with whom you work outside of school (as in my case), or a previous professor.

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How many potential advisors should I contact and when should I contact them?

I would contact a couple of professors from each program with whom you want to do research.  I emailed two to three professors at the (gasp, 19) schools to which I applied for Fall 2008.  I explained in a brief email that I was applying to their program and that I was interested in working with them.  I asked if they had time to talk over the phone and listed the days and times I was available.  I attached an updated copy of my Vita (or resume) to outline my research experience and academic honors/awards.

If they contact you to set up a time, do everything you can to be available when they ask to call you.  This is a huge opportunity to talk to a future advisor, professor, or colleague.  When they call, treat it like a professional phone interview.  They will ask why you want to go to that particular school, what you are doing for work or school, what kind of research experience you have had, what are your future career plans, etc.  But don’t be nervous (I know, I know).  Just be yourself and be positive.  A smile is heard through the phone.

If they don’t respond within a month, I would email once more before you apply to the program.  If they still do not return the email, then they are probably super busy or do not have time to talk to students.  Either way, it is not a good indication of the kind of advisor that person would be, in my opinion.  In your personal statement, you will definitely still want to list the professors with whom you want to work and explain why you want to work with them.  Down the line, those faculty members may remember your name if you attend that program based solely on an email you sent.

I would start contacting professors the summer or fall before you apply to the program.  So, if you are applying this December (which is generally the case for the following Fall semester), I would absolutely send emails before October.  That would give potential advisors a few months to chat with you before you apply and almost a year before you enter the program.  I would also recommend contacting current students in the program.  Most graduate students have academic website linked from program websites, so find a few at each school whose research interests you.  You can email them to ask how they like the area and what they like and dislike about the school, their program and their advisor.

If you are applying to more than a handful of programs, I would make a spreadsheet for schools, application deadlines, minimum application criteria, and faculty research interests and contact information.  It may seem silly to mention a spreadsheet, but trust me, it will go a long way when you have to set up a dozen phone interviews if you are working and/or in school.

What was your experience like contacting professors and do you still keep in touch with any of them?

I had a wonderful experience talking to faculty when I applied to Master’s programs.  Most of the professors were very enthusiastic and supportive.  The best thing about talking to potential advisors was that they asked questions I had not asked myself before. For example, “What kind of social support network would you have here?” I did not realize how important the answer to that question was to my overall wellbeing and success in grad school.  It was one of the most important questions asked before I attended grad school.  It was also helpful to gauge their personalities by the phone conversation.  Did they talk a lot or ask a lot of questions?  Were they positive or negative?  Did they laugh or were they very serious?

In the winter of 2007, I applied to Master’s programs in Industrial/Organizational programs and Applied Experimental programs for Fall 2008.  I initially wanted to work with a different faculty member than my current advisor in my program.  Even though that particular professor is not my advisor, I have taken classes with her and she is now on my Thesis committee. I met another professor at a national conference who remembered me simply from our phone conversations the year before.

This time, when applying to PhD programs, it was a little different.  I only applied to four programs.  I did not contact faculty members by email because Human Factors grad programs are small and everyone tends to know everyone.  Once you are in a graduate program, you become part of a fairly cohesive group of people.  My boss and my advisor know the faculty members in each program to which I applied this time.  I see my advisor a few times a week, so there was obviously no need to contact him.  My boss set up a lab tour for me at one school where I spent a few hours talking to current students about the program.  I spent time in social settings with some potential advisors.  For example, I ate dinner and drank wine with two married faculty members and my boss because they are all friends.  My boss knew how much I want to attend their program, so she invited me to their home one evening.  I met a few potential advisors at a conference last year and was sure to introduce myself.  I even follow Human Factors professionals online via blogs and Twitter.

All of that is not to say the reason I will get into these programs is solely based on my connections, but those connections are the extra special multicolored sprinkles on top of a dark chocolate frosted vanilla cupcake.  Yes, my grad school application is a cupcake and my social network consists of sprinkles.  Aren’t you jealous?

I would say this is the MOST important aspect in applying to schools: Networking.At this level, everyone has good grades, everyone has some research experience, everyone has decent test scores, and a lot of people already published a journal article or presented some research at a conference.  After you find programs that match your research goals and you know you meet the minimum application requirements, you should find a way to put a voice or face to your name.  If faculty members know you are willing to go the extra mile, they may keep your application in their stack longer than someone who never bothered to contact them directly.  A good personal statement is also very important. Personal statements are tough to write, but can make or break an application file.  Networking AND writing a stellar personal statement will increase the likelihood that you will at least make the short list of applicants.

Do you need to have well-defined ideas regarding research before talking to potential advisors?

While the above comic is obviously an exaggeration, it definitely captures what happens in grad school until you begin your Dissertation.  In other words, your research focus is your advisor’s research focus.

The importance of your research focus at this stage will depend on whether you are applying to a Master’s program or a PhD program.  It will also depend on your research experience.  Some undergraduate programs do not offer the opportunity for students to do their own research or assist professors or graduate students.  If your program does offer research opportunities and you are considering going to grad school, I highly recommend taking advantage of any research experience you can gain as an undergraduate.  I was a research assistant and administrative assistant in my undergraduate Psychology department, I wrote two research proposals and presented one research project at a national conference.  But I was extremely fortunate to have those opportunities.  If you have a clear focus, good grades and good standardized test scores, you may be able to go straight into a PhD program.  If you lack a clear vision of your future or research goals or do not have competitive GRE scores, you may want to start in a more general Master’s program in your chosen field.

In my case, I wanted to study Social Psychology as an undergraduate.  I double-majored in Sociology and Psychology and thought I wanted to study mortality salience, social stratification and the relationship between social networking and social anxiety.  I took an academic hiatus for three years wherein my research goals changed dramatically to a focus on Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  I needed to gain more research focus and improve my overall competitiveness as a student.  In other words, I had been out of school for three years and my GRE scores were not PhD material.  So, I applied to Master’s programs.  I arrived at my current program and my research goals changed to center around Human Factors Psychology.  This time, I applied to PhD programs in Human Factors.

Life happens and we cannot plan everything. If I had not taken time off from school, I would probably be studying Sociology or Social Psychology somewhere.  If I had not come to Old Dominion University, I would have different research and career goals.  No matter how much you think you want to do “such and such,” entering a graduate program will open doors and knowledge you never expected to open.  Go with it.  Grad school is your chance to discover new things. Do not be afraid to tell potential advisors that you don’t know what you want to do.  You may not know what you want to be when you grow up.  That is OK.  In fact, it’s a perfect “problem” to have if you are going to grad school.  Be up front with potential advisors, like I was, by explaining that you want to enter a Master’s program first to gain the necessary skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a PhD program.

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What do YOU think?  Is networking with professors important?  How focused were your research goals before you entered grad school? Did I miss something you would add to prospective students who are in the process of contacting professors?