Get your copy of the ebook – “25 tips for the Budding Ph.D.”
By Bakari Akil II, Ph.D.
Even though I resented the idea that I had a Masters Degree and ended up in a job paying $29,000 a year, I knew that when I entered the doctoral program at FSU my money making ability would plummet substantially. In fact, I had no idea how I was going to pay for my education. Then the letter from the University arrived.
They would pay for my classes. CHECK! (But it was contingent upon the following.)
They would also pay me a salary of $1300 a month (after taxes) if I taught two classes a semester. CHECK!
I’ll take it. Although I had never taught a class before in my life, I’ve held leadership positions, including McDonald’s and the Army. It wouldn’t be that much different, right! (I’ll talk about the teaching experience later.)
The University system has a problem. The student enrollment keeps rising, yet they don’t have the funds to hire full time faculty at the pay rate they currently receive and definitely at the pay rate they deserve. So they let graduate students teach many of the undergraduate courses. They also hire adjuncts. In colleges that don’t have graduate students (including community colleges) they hire mostly adjunct professors to pick up the slack that their full time professors can’t handle.
Regardless of the debate that is going on over the quality of education that results from this arrangement, it benefits you as the graduate student. I taught all semesters except one when I attended FSU. Two to three classes per semester (I taught three in the summer sometimes). Teaching provided me with invaluable experiences. It has allowed me to be extremely confident in academic interviews, during presentations, when speaking in front of large audiences and provided the teaching experience required for a job. Some colleagues in faculty positions have informed me that they never taught a class until they accepted their first professional position.
Try to find out if these types of benefits are offered for grad students. It can help defer some of the costs associated with a Ph.D. program and may keep you from having to look for an extra job. It is a lot of work preparing to teach and teaching classes. However, once you have your system in place, each semester becomes easier. It is also much easier than a ‘regular’ job. Teaching allows you to spend time learning your field and you are forced to become more informed because you have to teach it.
If the University or college does not offer to pay for your classes or a stipend for teaching there are always scholarships, grants or as a final result, financial aid. Just remember you do not have to accept all of the financial aid they offer to doctoral students, because it is an extremely higher amount than undergraduates are offered. But more on that later.
Need more advice. Get your copy of the ebook - “25 tips for the Budding Ph.D.”
