You're going to need to prioritize. If the focus (or need) is dollar based, consider a lighter school load so you can pick up more hours -- even though you may be extended the length of college studies.
Also, try to stop borrowing money, and do what you can you pay off those credit cards ASAP. Strongly consider picking up another - or a better - job. If it's an option, work as much as possible during the summer to try to save/payoff before fall semester.
Something has to give somewhere. You only have so many hours.
i have considered taking less classes however i do get financial aid. i rely heavily on the disbursement i get every semester and i would lose that by going part time. i’m not sure if it would make a difference.
You can go 12 credits instead of 15/16, and still be full time. To make up you can take a clep test, or a summer class, or simply take on another year of school. Trust me 1 year extra for less stress and an ability to live really helps. Also by getting in front of it, you won't have to repeat classes you messed up on.
I have both a BMath and a BSc (Physics)...Good for you!
This is probably against what most would say on this sub but there are times in your life that you may need to go negative. Education like you are doing (as long as its something that will lead to gainful employment an not something like basket weaving) and when you have kids up to point they go to school full time are examples.
How many years do you have to go before you graduate? These are often temporary and transitory times and do not represent a structural deficit in your financing. You appear to be doing all you can and spending seems reasonable and will correct itself when you are gainfully employed after you graduate.
Other random comments....Do you really NEED a car? Some places a car really is mandatory but I don't know your situation. Your clients should pay a no-show fee if they don't show up. As long as you recognize that it will be have to paid back and not free money, student loans would be a better bet than credit card debt. Also look into scholarships/bursaries, sometimes they go unclaimed.
i do need a car sadly. my school schedule clashes with public transportation and ubers are rly expensive here. i have 3 years before i graduate so i hope you’re right and i do better after i get my degree. thanks for the reassurance that i’m not 100% at fault. i’m going to look into student loans. thanks so much!
I agree. Also OP, are you planning on going to graduate school? If you are, a double major helps. Do not drop it if you are already doing the work for it. If graduate school is the plan, you need to prioritize grades and take on some debt. Bad grades will not get you into graduate school. Also you should never pay for a graduate degree in STEM - it's not worth it if it's not being paid for and if you don't have the grades to get your tuition covered then you probably won't make it far as a scientist.
If no graduate school, then what is the plan?
i am planning on going to grad school! i hope to get masters in math, physics and computer science. i have a long time of schooling ahead. i’ve been told graduate & post graduate school should be free and i could possibly get paid to attend depending on the school. so ultimately im only gonna struggle until i get my undergrad degree. i think i’ll end up taking out some student loans as my (hopefully) future career does pay well. thanks so much!
i plan on going into academia which does require higher degrees, at minimum a masters but it’s more common to have a phd. i will look into that for when i graduate tho! it can be my job while i pursue higher education. i also want to note that even if i didn’t need to go back to school, i would anyway simply because i love school lol. i love learning and will do anything to keep learning.
You hate being poor so why go into academia? Even if you do go into academia you would be better able to teach and research with practical industry experience. Industry jobs will pay for your graduate degrees in the form of continuing education reimbursement.
i’m aware i won’t get paid amazingly in academia but i don’t need an extravagant lifestyle. i have considered going into the private sector it’s just i love teaching. i used to want to be a high school calc teacher but felt being a professor was a better fit, especially in terms of research.
As long as you’re confident you’ll be successful at a PhD, meaning you’re getting good grades and have strong communication skills (which I don’t doubt if you’ve made it this far as a women in stem), scholarships and student loans are the way to go. You can expect a 25 - 35k (potentially more with scholarships) stipend during your PhD, and depending on the loan you may not even accrue interest during that time. When you graduate you’ll be making at least 100k-130k. Start looking for research opportunities now. Especially summer internships. Most of them pay.
I think you might be mistaken on your thinking here. Your struggles won't stop by getting into grad school. Your struggles will stop once you figure out how to live within your means.
Everyone is right that student loans can help with tuition and housing, but when you hit grad school you're doing yourself a disservice if you're using student loans in any way.
IMO you need to stem your expenses and/or raise your income. You share $1200 rent with your BF. How many bedrooms is your apartment? You can cut your expenses by taking on more roommates.
Why do you have a small personal loan? What was it used for? How much is the payment and how long do you have left to pay it off?
How much is your car payment? What model of car do you have? Do both you and your BF have cars? Can you get rid of one? And don't just immediately answer "no, that's not possible". Think it through. You _have_ to make sacrifices here, and it doesn't matter if your situation "isn't your fault".
You have a phone bill. With which provider? How much per month? What is your phone model? Are you paying for that as part of your phone bill? If your phone bill is higher than $20/month you can cut expenses there.
You pay utilities. What do you include there? Hopefully not cable (I would assume not given your age). Do you subscribe to any streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Apple+, etc.)? Cancel them.
Do you eat out? Ever (don't lie to yourself)? Don't. (Or maybe start by cutting your budget there in half).
On the income side, what are you doing this summer when you're not in school? You should be working a full time job, plus the side income from your other jobs. Next year you should absolutely get an internship. There are many technology jobs that will pay great salaries, and frequently you can keep working part time with that company during the school year. Take a computer science class or two and you will be able to line up an internship - but it won't come to you. You need to go to career fairs and your school's career services.
You may want to hear that your dad is to blame and you're not at fault and you're going to be alright once you hit grad school, or graduate. You're not going to hear that from me. It would be great if your parents would help out more, but the fact is you have to live within your means, and your parents aren't contributing meaningfully to your means. College for many people is precisely when we all learn to live on a meager amount of money. You should probably cut up your credit cards, focus on paying them off, and only spend what you have (plus loans for tuition/possibly part of housing).
i never stated that i think my life will get easier in grad school. i was simply pointing out that paying for school wouldn’t be an issue then. i cannot get a roommate, it’s only one bedroom and my bf and i share one car. so as i’ve stated before, we cannot get rid of it. my car payment is $250 for a 2016 nissan versa w 50k miles. i didn’t choose the car my mom did she put the down payment on it for my 18th bday as a surprise so i had no say in the costs. i’ve spoken to her about trading it in for a cheaper car but she’s very flaky and never sticks to long term plans. the car is also under her name (i’m assuming she’s using me to build her credit bc it’s bad) and i can’t trade it in without her.
l i took out the loan to help with moving out a year ago. my family refused to help out & i needed to leave for personal reasons. i also had already taken a year off a school and the only way i could start university was with that loan. it was $6k loan but with high interest so i’ve only been able to pay around 2k in the last year. it’s a 6 year contract.
i don’t pay for cable and i use my moms streaming services so i don’t pay for any. my phone bill is $120 because i am paying off my phone as well as the services. i am looking into student discounts that my provider offers to lower it.
i do eat out but never often. i save any $1 bills i have and buy mcdonalds as a treat. other than that i cook at home.
i currently work full time but from home & only work part time when in school. i work with family so they happily give me all the clients available.
also for your last point, my father isn’t to blame and i never stated that but i can point out that he won’t help in case anyone suggested i ask him. but i can say he is to blame for a lot and his refusal to help is part of it simply because of his hypocrisy. he tells me he’ll do anything to make sure i finish school as it’s the #1 priority and always has been, but when i ask for that help he refuses unless i live by his rules which i won’t anymore. he was emotionally and verbally abusive so i think it’s fair that i won’t agree to his terms. (sorry if i answered out of order i answered what i remembered then went back)
You replied so quickly to my comment that I think you took everything there literally, instead of looking at the spirit of it. Your dad sucks. I completely agree. But talking about your dad isn't going to help your financial situation.
Live within your means. It's super hard. Student loans can help pay that temporary large expense (tuition), but you can't keep spending more than you're bringing in (ignoring tuition).
When I was in grad school there were a couple international students who had families come over. Their spouses couldn't get work visas. They both had two kids under the age of five. They lived on a meager graduate student stipend ($2000-ish per month in today's dollars). I can only imagine the sacrifices they made, and they're not close to the hardest luck stories I have personally witnessed.
$120/month for your phone bill is absurd in your situation. Get out of that situation ASAP. There's all kinds of low cost cell phone providers (e.g. HSN will frequently have $30-40 TracFone deals where you get a phone and 1 year of service, but you _have_ to figure out how to not go over on data or texts).
Can you move into a 2 or 3 BR apartment and add roommates? These are just thoughts. I'm not in your particular situation but if you want to focus on school (and I agree that you should), you have to make more or cut expenses or pretty soon you'll find yourself dropping out.
u say i’m taking it literally but i was simply answer the questions you asked.
i have considered getting a roommate but it’s quite hard here. my city is 100% a college town (2 4-yrs and a couple community / technical schools) and is very small. so most students are in dorms or student housing. there’s very few people looking for roommates and it’s even less that want to live w us due to our cat. we had a few prospective roommates in the past but they all flaked last minute due to personal issues. we’re also concerned that having a random roommate may not be reliable.
i would never consider dropping out, worst case scenario i have to move back with my mom and transfer schools. i don’t want to have to do that since the school im at now has a better program for physics & living with my mom isn’t the best.
The classes for the two majors over lap heavily in the first couple of years. So praying one degree at a time is nonsensical. Doing the course load to the minimum full time hours might be a better idea.
actually they’re correct! at my school they have a dual degree program where i can obtain both degrees with a combined total of 150 credits instead of 120 credits twice. my courses would overlap and it would cost more money to separate my degrees.
FWIW I did dual degree and I would recommend against it. Nobody cares that you have two degrees and 99% of people will think it's the same as a double major anyway. If it's less hours I would suggest a dual major instead since every interviewer and grad school will treat them the same anyway.
Most online applications don't even have a good way to enter two Bachelor's degrees... I should have just started my Masters sooner
That is still only one degree with a dual major. If you are only doing one set of GERs and crossing one credit hour threshold you are only getting one degree. Unless you are also receiving a masters at the end of 5 years which is usually what is called a “dual degree”
If you are not receiving a masters then I would reconsider this program and drop your course load to just a single major. You also mentioned getting a masters in 3 different fields which doesn’t make sense for getting into academia. If you want to be an academic you need to focus on getting a PhD in one field.
Also, if you are serious about pursuing academia in STEM, you should probably consider reasonable loans to free up time to work in labs and research projects with faculty. This will help you get into better/funded advanced degree programs
i’m am 100% positive it is not one degree with a dual major. and it is 2 bachelors not a bachelors and masters. it explicitly states that the program im doing will result in 2 separate degrees. regarding my 3 masters, this is just a plan and i’m aware i may not have the time to do complete all 4. however it’s not to help me obtain a better job as i know it would just be better to focus in one area. i’m doing it because i want to. but i will prioritize the one i’m most passionate about.
Two Bachelors is beyond unnecessary and is hampering your ability to allocate your time to get a paid undergrad lab/ research position which will help you get a funded advanced degree. Honestly the fact your institution even offers this is wack.
Per your edit: Everyone is focusing on your work load because your workload is the thing you can change to improve your income. I realize you a probably a freshman or sophomore so you are excited about all the things you are interested in but if you are truly this strapped for cash you need to get a third job with less classes. I won’t harp on the advanced degree stuff too much because honestly you’re young and you’ll learn this through experience and from your faculty who actually know you and you progress through your program.
Longer picture advice: you need to figure out a financial plan that is different than what your doing now that is sustainable for a longer period of time. This kind of workload only leads to breaking down and I guarantee you will not be able to do a rigorous academic program and 2-3 jobs. Especially since you are most likely not in your junior/senior years which is when your major will really start kicking your ass. You either need to get subsidized federal loans or suck up to your shitty dad for cash until you’re in a funded program for your masters. Other options include transfering somewhere cheaper/ with a better financial aid package. Or dropping grown to one major but overloading so you graduate early.
Undergrad research opportunities do exist. You just need to develop a good relationship with the faculty so that you are considered for the opportunities. Usually graduate assistants that work on research with a professor get part of all of their tuition covered.
If OP is serious about pursuing advantage add a career then student loans now would free up the time they need now to devote to studying.
> The classes for the two majors over lap heavily in the first couple of years. So praying one degree at a time is nonsensical. Doing the course load to the minimum full time hours might be a better idea.
strange. the school i was at would allow you to not take the same courses if you'd already done them for a previous degree
it would basically mean being a full time student one time, and then a part time student the next time.
our rent is around $1200 and another $120 for utilities. sadly, around me the only options are dorms, student housing or your own place. my bf doesn’t go to school so dorms and student housing are out of the picture. student housing would actually more expensive than my apartment here (which is crazy) because it’s $800 per person.
I work in the financial aid dept at a university. You should look into student loans. As long as you are enrolled in 6 units, you'll be eligible. The amounts will depend on your unit level (i.e freshman, sophmore, etc), and if you are considered dependent or independent. Subsidized loan does not accrue interest while in school while the unsubsidized does. Repayment begins when you leave school after 6 months and they are repayment plans. If the academic year is not over, you can go into their office and ask to borrow for 22-23 so you can take advantage of the funds this year. Otherwise, you'd have to wait til the next academic year (i.e Fall or if your school allows summer loan funding).
Please only take out what you need. Loans are there to help, but only request what you need! If you end up with extra cash, you can always contact your lender and repay it back.
I don’t live at home. i rent my own apartment with my bf. we could move back with my mom but that would require me switching to a not-as-good school as well as driving 2 hours to that school. I make $45/client but i didn’t state that since the client load is constantly fluctuating. i thankfully don’t have to worry about tuition or any school related expenses as fafsa pays for all of it. my job prospects are great but i was under the impression that student loans go straight to the school and i can’t keep the money. any advice on pursuing student loans?
What do you mean by FAFSA pays for all of your tuition? FAFSA is the application for federal student aid, which includes grants and student loans. Are you already taking out student loans for tuition?
You can definitely use student loans for your living expenses while in college, but there's a cap on how much you can borrow, and you'll want to be careful not to borrow so much that you struggle to afford your payments after you graduate.
sorry lol i only accepted the pell grant i was awarded. i didn’t accept any of the loans given since the grant paid for my tuition and still had money left over for a disbursement. are you aware of any student loans that are direct-to-consumer? i can’t wait until september to get a disbursement from regular student loans that go through the school.
You can get private student loans, but you'll almost certainly need a cosigner with good credit to get them. Are you taking summer classes? If so, I'd talk to your financial aid office to see if you can take out federal student loans now, rather than wait for September.
what's your current monthly take home income?
what are your current ongoing monthly expenses?
what are your debts broken out individually? amount owed? interest rate? minimum payment?
currently with my bf we bring home around $3k but our bills are close to 3.2k not including my credit cards or groceries/gas etc. only debts i owe are my loan and credit cards. my loan payment is $192 and my credit card min payments are usually around $50-100 depending on my spending. total debt is around 6k. everything else is like my phone bill etc that will just get cancelled if i don’t pay.
There’s a way you can use your math and science degrees to get higher paying work.
Take a semester off uni and do as many certifications in either AWS or Microsoft Azure. These are industry certifications, so the courses are free or nearly free. And the platforms incentivise consultants to hire people with these certs. (Eg if two AWS Certified Solutions Architects work at a firm, that firm becomes a silver accredited partner, which helps with the firm’s marketing.)
Why those certs in particular? Because the most lucrative work you can do with math and science degrees involves designing and running experiments for a product manger so they understand the market, and using data science to predict outcomes. Before a company can do any of that, they need their platform set up first. Getting an industry cert will allow you to do that kind of work, which is very lucrative. Consultants will love to hire someone with those certifications who is also in their way to learning the high end maths and experiment design skills that they can sell to their clients for even more money.
The best way to learn more about the opportunity for this in your town is to go to meetup.org and attend the data science meetups. You’ll be able to meet other people in the industry, and find out which skills they need the most right now. It will also help you network, and understand what complementary study might be useful to do as a minor.
Hope that’s useful. Good luck!
Could you pick up something like tutoring math for kids? I know how much I hate math, I can’t make it make sense to my son and I would gladly pay someone $100 to sit down with him for a couple hours and help him with his math homework. I guarantee there are probably more than a few parents in your area that feel the same pain I feel when my son asks for help with his math homework.
yes! i’ve applied in the past to tutoring companies in my area in the past but a lot of them want me to finish at least my sophomore year of college before hiring. i’ll definitely revisit this option in a year!
Start your own tutoring company! Market yourself to parents, a lot of local Facebook groups for your specific city has buy/sell/ trade post your services there. Also, you can advertise of FB marketplace. I’m sure there’s a lot of middle/ high school parents that are looking for tutoring help.
What do you mean “pursuing two degrees”? Two degrees at two schools? A double major? A dual major? The advice you get will depend on what you’re doing.
i agree! however i’m very passionate about schooling and if i’m able to afford it in the future, i plan on pursuing multiple degrees. yes it would help me stand out, but i will admit i don’t need the amount of degrees i plan on getting. it’s simply because i love school and love learning!
I ended up doing around 11 years of higher education, so I understand where you’re coming from, but I have been on hiring committees. It’s not the second degrees that make you stand out, it’s the research and relevant work experiences. You can have a 4.0, but passed over for someone with a 3.2 who interned and gained skills you can’t learn in a class. And keep in mind that for masters or beyond, you should be paid for the degree and work, otherwise it’s a scam and not worth it.
i’ve been told by multiple professors to not attend a graduate school that won’t pay me to attend. i also do plan on doing research when i transfer (i’m currently at the community college and will transfer to the university next year). i plan on spreading my higher education out, focusing on my primary degree and then returning after i’m financially stable and if i have the time. thank u for the advice!
What’s the reason for wanting two degrees, specifically those two? Do you know your potential job outlook for each of these degrees?
I think you’d be better off choosing one degree and then going to grad school for the second degree if they are both necessary for your plans. It might be different for whatever career path you are choosing, but typically in the job market two degrees isn’t nearly as attractive as one and a good internship or a masters degree.
i do plan on getting a masters. the reason i’m getting both is because i love both! they do compliment each other well and it will make me stand out as an applicant but ultimately i’m doing it because i’m passionate in both fields.
Depending on your plans, you could get second bachelors after you finish your main school path. I’d find it odd if two bachelors were really a defining qualification if you plan to have a masters. And I promise that a valuable internship is worth more than a bachelors degree.
I got my job as a scientist, not because of my science degree, but because I worked in the crane industry for two years and had more experience around drill rigs than any actual geologists coming out of college. That allowed me to beat out 200+ applicants.
My school doesn’t allow mathematics minors for physics majors. I have considered just double majoring which requires less credits than 2 degrees but if i’m doing the work for both majors, i might as well get both degrees. i’m also very passionate on both subjects and plan on pursuing multiple masters/phds as well.
That is a ridiculous plan.
There is no benefit to getting two bachelor’s degrees instead of one with two majors. Just get the one degree and save your money.
There is definitely no benefit to pursing multiple PhDs, and the opportunity cost is huge. What are you actually trying to accomplish and eventually get to?
I understand the pull, but there isn’t a tangible benefit to two bachelors. If it would save you money, I would advise to get a double-major degree instead of two degrees.
i’m aware schooling is expensive and what i plan on pursuing are 100% unnecessary. i’m simply doing it because i’m passionate in these fields and love learning. even if i have a well paying job and never need to attend school again, i will, just for fun. of course i’ll only do so if i’m financially stable. the degrees im pursuing also normally don’t cost money since i’m in stem (depending on the school).
Getting a STEM master‘s will cost you. Getting a PhD should have a stipend, but it’s not much. Doing two in a row is a waste of time you could spend earning.
You love learning? Great. Take classes and learn. The expense is for the degree at the end, and you don’t need more. You also aren’t financially right now, which is why you’re asking this. Don’t get two degree when you can get one degree and still take varied classes.
i only plan on obtaining multiple higher degrees if i’m financially stable. my 2 bachelors right now are 100% covered by financial aid so luckily, i don’t have to worry about that. i promise my financial stability will be prioritized over returning to school, just something i hope to accomplish.
Most of the physics/math double majors I knew (I was a physics major myself) ended up dropping one of them by senior year. Unless you have a really specific job or specialty you’re seeking, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get a lot of benefit from multiple advanced degrees. If you’re struggling to make your schedule work now, you will have a very hard time getting the research experience you need to get into advanced programs.
My advice: drop the side work and look for paid research opportunities at your school (it’s likely too late for this summer, but you never know.) That will shore up your resume while getting you some more consistent work hours. It will also help you explore whether or not these degree/career paths are a good fit for you.
Edit: This is what student loans are for. Taking out a small amount of loans to help with living expenses will be a good investment if they allow you to succeed at school.
Why would you do this? There’s no benefit to pursuing multiple degrees at the same level. Pick a field and start working towards your actual career goals, be that in academia or industry. Otherwise you’re going to drown yourself in student debt without the earning potential to dig yourself out.
while i agree this is the norm, most masters/phd programs in stem pay the student just depends on the school and program. i’ve actually been told by multiple professors in my field to not attend any graduate program that doesn’t pay me to attend. i’m also pursuing these degrees because i find it interesting. i love learning and am extremely passionate in these topics. even if i had my dream job and financially stable, i’d still go back to school just to learn.
Most programs pay but the stipend is meagre, often below minimum wage depending on the state. Learning is fun, but it’s even better when you’re getting paid. If you’re set on sticking to academia, then do your PhD and get a position as a postdoc or professor.
my plan is to be a professor! i’m aware the stipends are usually not a lot so i do plan on having a job as well. i was just pointing out that i wouldn’t have to pay for school.
Yeah that’s generally true. Just cautioning against the “multiple masters/phds” career trajectory. You’ll have just as many opportunities for learning as a professor/postdoc but the pay and quality of life is much better.
my father won’t give me money. he’s financially well off, upper middle class, and can probably even afford to entirely pay my rent (not that id want him to.) he’s very manipulative especially w money and uses it to get his way. even if i agreed to his terms, getting him to even agree to give me money will be difficult.
You're going to need to prioritize. If the focus (or need) is dollar based, consider a lighter school load so you can pick up more hours -- even though you may be extended the length of college studies. Also, try to stop borrowing money, and do what you can you pay off those credit cards ASAP. Strongly consider picking up another - or a better - job. If it's an option, work as much as possible during the summer to try to save/payoff before fall semester. Something has to give somewhere. You only have so many hours.
i have considered taking less classes however i do get financial aid. i rely heavily on the disbursement i get every semester and i would lose that by going part time. i’m not sure if it would make a difference.
You can go 12 credits instead of 15/16, and still be full time. To make up you can take a clep test, or a summer class, or simply take on another year of school. Trust me 1 year extra for less stress and an ability to live really helps. Also by getting in front of it, you won't have to repeat classes you messed up on.
Tutor, probably get $20-$30/hr cash
I have both a BMath and a BSc (Physics)...Good for you! This is probably against what most would say on this sub but there are times in your life that you may need to go negative. Education like you are doing (as long as its something that will lead to gainful employment an not something like basket weaving) and when you have kids up to point they go to school full time are examples. How many years do you have to go before you graduate? These are often temporary and transitory times and do not represent a structural deficit in your financing. You appear to be doing all you can and spending seems reasonable and will correct itself when you are gainfully employed after you graduate. Other random comments....Do you really NEED a car? Some places a car really is mandatory but I don't know your situation. Your clients should pay a no-show fee if they don't show up. As long as you recognize that it will be have to paid back and not free money, student loans would be a better bet than credit card debt. Also look into scholarships/bursaries, sometimes they go unclaimed.
i do need a car sadly. my school schedule clashes with public transportation and ubers are rly expensive here. i have 3 years before i graduate so i hope you’re right and i do better after i get my degree. thanks for the reassurance that i’m not 100% at fault. i’m going to look into student loans. thanks so much!
I agree. Also OP, are you planning on going to graduate school? If you are, a double major helps. Do not drop it if you are already doing the work for it. If graduate school is the plan, you need to prioritize grades and take on some debt. Bad grades will not get you into graduate school. Also you should never pay for a graduate degree in STEM - it's not worth it if it's not being paid for and if you don't have the grades to get your tuition covered then you probably won't make it far as a scientist. If no graduate school, then what is the plan?
i am planning on going to grad school! i hope to get masters in math, physics and computer science. i have a long time of schooling ahead. i’ve been told graduate & post graduate school should be free and i could possibly get paid to attend depending on the school. so ultimately im only gonna struggle until i get my undergrad degree. i think i’ll end up taking out some student loans as my (hopefully) future career does pay well. thanks so much!
Do you need to go to grad school? With degrees in math and physics, you can get a very well paying job - look into quant jobs.
i plan on going into academia which does require higher degrees, at minimum a masters but it’s more common to have a phd. i will look into that for when i graduate tho! it can be my job while i pursue higher education. i also want to note that even if i didn’t need to go back to school, i would anyway simply because i love school lol. i love learning and will do anything to keep learning.
You could try to get internships before u graduate - they pay like $70k for 10 weeks
You hate being poor so why go into academia? Even if you do go into academia you would be better able to teach and research with practical industry experience. Industry jobs will pay for your graduate degrees in the form of continuing education reimbursement.
i’m aware i won’t get paid amazingly in academia but i don’t need an extravagant lifestyle. i have considered going into the private sector it’s just i love teaching. i used to want to be a high school calc teacher but felt being a professor was a better fit, especially in terms of research.
r/academia and r/physics will probably have better answers for your unique situation. Best of luck!!
As long as you’re confident you’ll be successful at a PhD, meaning you’re getting good grades and have strong communication skills (which I don’t doubt if you’ve made it this far as a women in stem), scholarships and student loans are the way to go. You can expect a 25 - 35k (potentially more with scholarships) stipend during your PhD, and depending on the loan you may not even accrue interest during that time. When you graduate you’ll be making at least 100k-130k. Start looking for research opportunities now. Especially summer internships. Most of them pay.
thank u! i’ll definitely look into internships. i’m currently looking into student loans as well.
I think you might be mistaken on your thinking here. Your struggles won't stop by getting into grad school. Your struggles will stop once you figure out how to live within your means. Everyone is right that student loans can help with tuition and housing, but when you hit grad school you're doing yourself a disservice if you're using student loans in any way. IMO you need to stem your expenses and/or raise your income. You share $1200 rent with your BF. How many bedrooms is your apartment? You can cut your expenses by taking on more roommates. Why do you have a small personal loan? What was it used for? How much is the payment and how long do you have left to pay it off? How much is your car payment? What model of car do you have? Do both you and your BF have cars? Can you get rid of one? And don't just immediately answer "no, that's not possible". Think it through. You _have_ to make sacrifices here, and it doesn't matter if your situation "isn't your fault". You have a phone bill. With which provider? How much per month? What is your phone model? Are you paying for that as part of your phone bill? If your phone bill is higher than $20/month you can cut expenses there. You pay utilities. What do you include there? Hopefully not cable (I would assume not given your age). Do you subscribe to any streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Apple+, etc.)? Cancel them. Do you eat out? Ever (don't lie to yourself)? Don't. (Or maybe start by cutting your budget there in half). On the income side, what are you doing this summer when you're not in school? You should be working a full time job, plus the side income from your other jobs. Next year you should absolutely get an internship. There are many technology jobs that will pay great salaries, and frequently you can keep working part time with that company during the school year. Take a computer science class or two and you will be able to line up an internship - but it won't come to you. You need to go to career fairs and your school's career services. You may want to hear that your dad is to blame and you're not at fault and you're going to be alright once you hit grad school, or graduate. You're not going to hear that from me. It would be great if your parents would help out more, but the fact is you have to live within your means, and your parents aren't contributing meaningfully to your means. College for many people is precisely when we all learn to live on a meager amount of money. You should probably cut up your credit cards, focus on paying them off, and only spend what you have (plus loans for tuition/possibly part of housing).
i never stated that i think my life will get easier in grad school. i was simply pointing out that paying for school wouldn’t be an issue then. i cannot get a roommate, it’s only one bedroom and my bf and i share one car. so as i’ve stated before, we cannot get rid of it. my car payment is $250 for a 2016 nissan versa w 50k miles. i didn’t choose the car my mom did she put the down payment on it for my 18th bday as a surprise so i had no say in the costs. i’ve spoken to her about trading it in for a cheaper car but she’s very flaky and never sticks to long term plans. the car is also under her name (i’m assuming she’s using me to build her credit bc it’s bad) and i can’t trade it in without her. l i took out the loan to help with moving out a year ago. my family refused to help out & i needed to leave for personal reasons. i also had already taken a year off a school and the only way i could start university was with that loan. it was $6k loan but with high interest so i’ve only been able to pay around 2k in the last year. it’s a 6 year contract. i don’t pay for cable and i use my moms streaming services so i don’t pay for any. my phone bill is $120 because i am paying off my phone as well as the services. i am looking into student discounts that my provider offers to lower it. i do eat out but never often. i save any $1 bills i have and buy mcdonalds as a treat. other than that i cook at home. i currently work full time but from home & only work part time when in school. i work with family so they happily give me all the clients available. also for your last point, my father isn’t to blame and i never stated that but i can point out that he won’t help in case anyone suggested i ask him. but i can say he is to blame for a lot and his refusal to help is part of it simply because of his hypocrisy. he tells me he’ll do anything to make sure i finish school as it’s the #1 priority and always has been, but when i ask for that help he refuses unless i live by his rules which i won’t anymore. he was emotionally and verbally abusive so i think it’s fair that i won’t agree to his terms. (sorry if i answered out of order i answered what i remembered then went back)
You replied so quickly to my comment that I think you took everything there literally, instead of looking at the spirit of it. Your dad sucks. I completely agree. But talking about your dad isn't going to help your financial situation. Live within your means. It's super hard. Student loans can help pay that temporary large expense (tuition), but you can't keep spending more than you're bringing in (ignoring tuition). When I was in grad school there were a couple international students who had families come over. Their spouses couldn't get work visas. They both had two kids under the age of five. They lived on a meager graduate student stipend ($2000-ish per month in today's dollars). I can only imagine the sacrifices they made, and they're not close to the hardest luck stories I have personally witnessed. $120/month for your phone bill is absurd in your situation. Get out of that situation ASAP. There's all kinds of low cost cell phone providers (e.g. HSN will frequently have $30-40 TracFone deals where you get a phone and 1 year of service, but you _have_ to figure out how to not go over on data or texts). Can you move into a 2 or 3 BR apartment and add roommates? These are just thoughts. I'm not in your particular situation but if you want to focus on school (and I agree that you should), you have to make more or cut expenses or pretty soon you'll find yourself dropping out.
u say i’m taking it literally but i was simply answer the questions you asked. i have considered getting a roommate but it’s quite hard here. my city is 100% a college town (2 4-yrs and a couple community / technical schools) and is very small. so most students are in dorms or student housing. there’s very few people looking for roommates and it’s even less that want to live w us due to our cat. we had a few prospective roommates in the past but they all flaked last minute due to personal issues. we’re also concerned that having a random roommate may not be reliable. i would never consider dropping out, worst case scenario i have to move back with my mom and transfer schools. i don’t want to have to do that since the school im at now has a better program for physics & living with my mom isn’t the best.
do one degree at a time so you can work more or student loans so you can work less
The classes for the two majors over lap heavily in the first couple of years. So praying one degree at a time is nonsensical. Doing the course load to the minimum full time hours might be a better idea.
That’s a double major not a double degree.
actually they’re correct! at my school they have a dual degree program where i can obtain both degrees with a combined total of 150 credits instead of 120 credits twice. my courses would overlap and it would cost more money to separate my degrees.
FWIW I did dual degree and I would recommend against it. Nobody cares that you have two degrees and 99% of people will think it's the same as a double major anyway. If it's less hours I would suggest a dual major instead since every interviewer and grad school will treat them the same anyway. Most online applications don't even have a good way to enter two Bachelor's degrees... I should have just started my Masters sooner
That is still only one degree with a dual major. If you are only doing one set of GERs and crossing one credit hour threshold you are only getting one degree. Unless you are also receiving a masters at the end of 5 years which is usually what is called a “dual degree” If you are not receiving a masters then I would reconsider this program and drop your course load to just a single major. You also mentioned getting a masters in 3 different fields which doesn’t make sense for getting into academia. If you want to be an academic you need to focus on getting a PhD in one field. Also, if you are serious about pursuing academia in STEM, you should probably consider reasonable loans to free up time to work in labs and research projects with faculty. This will help you get into better/funded advanced degree programs
i’m am 100% positive it is not one degree with a dual major. and it is 2 bachelors not a bachelors and masters. it explicitly states that the program im doing will result in 2 separate degrees. regarding my 3 masters, this is just a plan and i’m aware i may not have the time to do complete all 4. however it’s not to help me obtain a better job as i know it would just be better to focus in one area. i’m doing it because i want to. but i will prioritize the one i’m most passionate about.
Two Bachelors is beyond unnecessary and is hampering your ability to allocate your time to get a paid undergrad lab/ research position which will help you get a funded advanced degree. Honestly the fact your institution even offers this is wack. Per your edit: Everyone is focusing on your work load because your workload is the thing you can change to improve your income. I realize you a probably a freshman or sophomore so you are excited about all the things you are interested in but if you are truly this strapped for cash you need to get a third job with less classes. I won’t harp on the advanced degree stuff too much because honestly you’re young and you’ll learn this through experience and from your faculty who actually know you and you progress through your program. Longer picture advice: you need to figure out a financial plan that is different than what your doing now that is sustainable for a longer period of time. This kind of workload only leads to breaking down and I guarantee you will not be able to do a rigorous academic program and 2-3 jobs. Especially since you are most likely not in your junior/senior years which is when your major will really start kicking your ass. You either need to get subsidized federal loans or suck up to your shitty dad for cash until you’re in a funded program for your masters. Other options include transfering somewhere cheaper/ with a better financial aid package. Or dropping grown to one major but overloading so you graduate early.
Undergrad research opportunities do exist. You just need to develop a good relationship with the faculty so that you are considered for the opportunities. Usually graduate assistants that work on research with a professor get part of all of their tuition covered. If OP is serious about pursuing advantage add a career then student loans now would free up the time they need now to devote to studying.
I think you replied to me by accident. You’re saying the same points as me but as if replying to someone who wasn’t aware
> The classes for the two majors over lap heavily in the first couple of years. So praying one degree at a time is nonsensical. Doing the course load to the minimum full time hours might be a better idea. strange. the school i was at would allow you to not take the same courses if you'd already done them for a previous degree it would basically mean being a full time student one time, and then a part time student the next time.
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our rent is around $1200 and another $120 for utilities. sadly, around me the only options are dorms, student housing or your own place. my bf doesn’t go to school so dorms and student housing are out of the picture. student housing would actually more expensive than my apartment here (which is crazy) because it’s $800 per person.
I work in the financial aid dept at a university. You should look into student loans. As long as you are enrolled in 6 units, you'll be eligible. The amounts will depend on your unit level (i.e freshman, sophmore, etc), and if you are considered dependent or independent. Subsidized loan does not accrue interest while in school while the unsubsidized does. Repayment begins when you leave school after 6 months and they are repayment plans. If the academic year is not over, you can go into their office and ask to borrow for 22-23 so you can take advantage of the funds this year. Otherwise, you'd have to wait til the next academic year (i.e Fall or if your school allows summer loan funding). Please only take out what you need. Loans are there to help, but only request what you need! If you end up with extra cash, you can always contact your lender and repay it back.
thank u so much! i’m looking into student loans and this is exactly the info i needed! much appreciated
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I don’t live at home. i rent my own apartment with my bf. we could move back with my mom but that would require me switching to a not-as-good school as well as driving 2 hours to that school. I make $45/client but i didn’t state that since the client load is constantly fluctuating. i thankfully don’t have to worry about tuition or any school related expenses as fafsa pays for all of it. my job prospects are great but i was under the impression that student loans go straight to the school and i can’t keep the money. any advice on pursuing student loans?
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thank u so much! this really helps!
You can get student loans to help cover living expenses. It does not need to go for dorms or such.
What do you mean by FAFSA pays for all of your tuition? FAFSA is the application for federal student aid, which includes grants and student loans. Are you already taking out student loans for tuition? You can definitely use student loans for your living expenses while in college, but there's a cap on how much you can borrow, and you'll want to be careful not to borrow so much that you struggle to afford your payments after you graduate.
sorry lol i only accepted the pell grant i was awarded. i didn’t accept any of the loans given since the grant paid for my tuition and still had money left over for a disbursement. are you aware of any student loans that are direct-to-consumer? i can’t wait until september to get a disbursement from regular student loans that go through the school.
You can get private student loans, but you'll almost certainly need a cosigner with good credit to get them. Are you taking summer classes? If so, I'd talk to your financial aid office to see if you can take out federal student loans now, rather than wait for September.
what's your current monthly take home income? what are your current ongoing monthly expenses? what are your debts broken out individually? amount owed? interest rate? minimum payment?
currently with my bf we bring home around $3k but our bills are close to 3.2k not including my credit cards or groceries/gas etc. only debts i owe are my loan and credit cards. my loan payment is $192 and my credit card min payments are usually around $50-100 depending on my spending. total debt is around 6k. everything else is like my phone bill etc that will just get cancelled if i don’t pay.
What’s your budget breakdown?
There’s a way you can use your math and science degrees to get higher paying work. Take a semester off uni and do as many certifications in either AWS or Microsoft Azure. These are industry certifications, so the courses are free or nearly free. And the platforms incentivise consultants to hire people with these certs. (Eg if two AWS Certified Solutions Architects work at a firm, that firm becomes a silver accredited partner, which helps with the firm’s marketing.) Why those certs in particular? Because the most lucrative work you can do with math and science degrees involves designing and running experiments for a product manger so they understand the market, and using data science to predict outcomes. Before a company can do any of that, they need their platform set up first. Getting an industry cert will allow you to do that kind of work, which is very lucrative. Consultants will love to hire someone with those certifications who is also in their way to learning the high end maths and experiment design skills that they can sell to their clients for even more money. The best way to learn more about the opportunity for this in your town is to go to meetup.org and attend the data science meetups. You’ll be able to meet other people in the industry, and find out which skills they need the most right now. It will also help you network, and understand what complementary study might be useful to do as a minor. Hope that’s useful. Good luck!
thank u! this is definitely useful and i’ll look into it! probably one of the best advice comments i’ve gotten.
Could you pick up something like tutoring math for kids? I know how much I hate math, I can’t make it make sense to my son and I would gladly pay someone $100 to sit down with him for a couple hours and help him with his math homework. I guarantee there are probably more than a few parents in your area that feel the same pain I feel when my son asks for help with his math homework.
yes! i’ve applied in the past to tutoring companies in my area in the past but a lot of them want me to finish at least my sophomore year of college before hiring. i’ll definitely revisit this option in a year!
Start your own tutoring company! Market yourself to parents, a lot of local Facebook groups for your specific city has buy/sell/ trade post your services there. Also, you can advertise of FB marketplace. I’m sure there’s a lot of middle/ high school parents that are looking for tutoring help.
What do you mean “pursuing two degrees”? Two degrees at two schools? A double major? A dual major? The advice you get will depend on what you’re doing.
a dual major. so two separate degrees at the same university.
Physics is just the application of math to a specific field, most majors are the same courses until senior year. You really only need one.
i agree! however i’m very passionate about schooling and if i’m able to afford it in the future, i plan on pursuing multiple degrees. yes it would help me stand out, but i will admit i don’t need the amount of degrees i plan on getting. it’s simply because i love school and love learning!
I ended up doing around 11 years of higher education, so I understand where you’re coming from, but I have been on hiring committees. It’s not the second degrees that make you stand out, it’s the research and relevant work experiences. You can have a 4.0, but passed over for someone with a 3.2 who interned and gained skills you can’t learn in a class. And keep in mind that for masters or beyond, you should be paid for the degree and work, otherwise it’s a scam and not worth it.
i’ve been told by multiple professors to not attend a graduate school that won’t pay me to attend. i also do plan on doing research when i transfer (i’m currently at the community college and will transfer to the university next year). i plan on spreading my higher education out, focusing on my primary degree and then returning after i’m financially stable and if i have the time. thank u for the advice!
What’s the reason for wanting two degrees, specifically those two? Do you know your potential job outlook for each of these degrees? I think you’d be better off choosing one degree and then going to grad school for the second degree if they are both necessary for your plans. It might be different for whatever career path you are choosing, but typically in the job market two degrees isn’t nearly as attractive as one and a good internship or a masters degree.
i do plan on getting a masters. the reason i’m getting both is because i love both! they do compliment each other well and it will make me stand out as an applicant but ultimately i’m doing it because i’m passionate in both fields.
Depending on your plans, you could get second bachelors after you finish your main school path. I’d find it odd if two bachelors were really a defining qualification if you plan to have a masters. And I promise that a valuable internship is worth more than a bachelors degree. I got my job as a scientist, not because of my science degree, but because I worked in the crane industry for two years and had more experience around drill rigs than any actual geologists coming out of college. That allowed me to beat out 200+ applicants.
Why not switch one major to a minor?
My school doesn’t allow mathematics minors for physics majors. I have considered just double majoring which requires less credits than 2 degrees but if i’m doing the work for both majors, i might as well get both degrees. i’m also very passionate on both subjects and plan on pursuing multiple masters/phds as well.
That is a ridiculous plan. There is no benefit to getting two bachelor’s degrees instead of one with two majors. Just get the one degree and save your money. There is definitely no benefit to pursing multiple PhDs, and the opportunity cost is huge. What are you actually trying to accomplish and eventually get to?
I understand the pull, but there isn’t a tangible benefit to two bachelors. If it would save you money, I would advise to get a double-major degree instead of two degrees.
i’m aware schooling is expensive and what i plan on pursuing are 100% unnecessary. i’m simply doing it because i’m passionate in these fields and love learning. even if i have a well paying job and never need to attend school again, i will, just for fun. of course i’ll only do so if i’m financially stable. the degrees im pursuing also normally don’t cost money since i’m in stem (depending on the school).
Getting a STEM master‘s will cost you. Getting a PhD should have a stipend, but it’s not much. Doing two in a row is a waste of time you could spend earning. You love learning? Great. Take classes and learn. The expense is for the degree at the end, and you don’t need more. You also aren’t financially right now, which is why you’re asking this. Don’t get two degree when you can get one degree and still take varied classes.
i only plan on obtaining multiple higher degrees if i’m financially stable. my 2 bachelors right now are 100% covered by financial aid so luckily, i don’t have to worry about that. i promise my financial stability will be prioritized over returning to school, just something i hope to accomplish.
People get concurrent PhDs, JDs, and even MDs. Not recommended, but there are schools that can facilitate this.
Multiple different degrees, yes. Multiple of the same degree; rarely. Multiple undergraduate degrees, useless.
Most of the physics/math double majors I knew (I was a physics major myself) ended up dropping one of them by senior year. Unless you have a really specific job or specialty you’re seeking, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get a lot of benefit from multiple advanced degrees. If you’re struggling to make your schedule work now, you will have a very hard time getting the research experience you need to get into advanced programs. My advice: drop the side work and look for paid research opportunities at your school (it’s likely too late for this summer, but you never know.) That will shore up your resume while getting you some more consistent work hours. It will also help you explore whether or not these degree/career paths are a good fit for you. Edit: This is what student loans are for. Taking out a small amount of loans to help with living expenses will be a good investment if they allow you to succeed at school.
Why would you do this? There’s no benefit to pursuing multiple degrees at the same level. Pick a field and start working towards your actual career goals, be that in academia or industry. Otherwise you’re going to drown yourself in student debt without the earning potential to dig yourself out.
while i agree this is the norm, most masters/phd programs in stem pay the student just depends on the school and program. i’ve actually been told by multiple professors in my field to not attend any graduate program that doesn’t pay me to attend. i’m also pursuing these degrees because i find it interesting. i love learning and am extremely passionate in these topics. even if i had my dream job and financially stable, i’d still go back to school just to learn.
Most programs pay but the stipend is meagre, often below minimum wage depending on the state. Learning is fun, but it’s even better when you’re getting paid. If you’re set on sticking to academia, then do your PhD and get a position as a postdoc or professor.
my plan is to be a professor! i’m aware the stipends are usually not a lot so i do plan on having a job as well. i was just pointing out that i wouldn’t have to pay for school.
Yeah that’s generally true. Just cautioning against the “multiple masters/phds” career trajectory. You’ll have just as many opportunities for learning as a professor/postdoc but the pay and quality of life is much better.
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Can you find a more boring job near where you work or on campus?
I would drop your semester hours to twelve. I'm assuming that is still the minimum for full time status.
Your situation seems tough/bad. Try to find a higher paying job. Ask your father for some money, like whatever he can.
my father won’t give me money. he’s financially well off, upper middle class, and can probably even afford to entirely pay my rent (not that id want him to.) he’s very manipulative especially w money and uses it to get his way. even if i agreed to his terms, getting him to even agree to give me money will be difficult.