why is it that I cant live with self respect?

Question

I am a grad student. As you can imagine, I barely manage to live out my "sentence of poverty" on a stipend that, despite being treated as salary by the IRS, does not give me a worker status. I am not a slacker, in fact I carry a well earned reputation for hard work. But, this is what it boils down to at the end of the day: the univ claims to be actually indulging me by paying tuition; the univ (and society) claims to be doing me a favour by letting me have my measly TA job. So, despite the fact that I work my life away each and everyday, i am made to feel like a parasite. What is my crime? People tell me that I should "love" my job; is it wrong to ask for pay if you are doing a job you love? I am poorly paid, I work extremely hard and I am made to feel like a thief.... Why is all this happening ? A mailman, a janitor, a waiter, a cashier makes way more than I do; I walk everyday and they drive cars; what have I done to deserve this fate?

Answer 1

Being a grad student and a teaching assistant means that you are, indeed, working very hard. Constantly. You are by no means a parasite. You are contributing to the dissemination of knowledge, and you are helping our youth learn to think critically. This is crucial work. It is also thankless work, most of the time. And as you know, the pay is abysmal.

And the pay will continue to suck, even after you've earned your PhD, if you remain in academia. (Depending on your field. If you're in business or engineering, stop reading this now, and quit whining -- your poverty is transient.) But keep this in mind:

You are still more fortunate than the thousands who wish they could have received an assistantship.

You are also more fortunate than the millions who will toil their lives away for some faceless corporation, or in repetitive labor with increasingly tenuous health benefits. And you are much more fortunate than the tens of millions who do not have sufficient food to eat, reliable shelter, and ready access to health care or education.

Following an academic passion requires constant sacrifice. I am fortunate to have a tenure-track job at a very good university, I direct a graduate program, I have a very humane teaching load, and I have never -- ever -- had a vacation in my life. I buy my clothing and household necessities on eBay and at discount stores, when I can afford to do so. My students drive much nicer cars than I will ever be able to purchase. I will be paying back my student loans until I die -- and I had a doctoral fellowship. I look forward to the day, perhaps ten or so years from now, that I will be able to afford to buy a home.

Bottom line? In our society, intellectual pursuits, and the education of our youth, are not as valued as the pursuit of a dollar. That's the way it is. And it is not going to change. Period. If your self-respect is contingent upon economic success, you're doomed.

However....

I absolutely love my research, my classes, my colleagues, and, on most days, my students. I would not trade my work for anything else in the world. My passion for my research, and even for teaching, sustains me. If you do not have this driving passion, leave now. Get a corporate job. Work on Wall Street or something. Because it is not going to get much better in terms of economics, unless you marry rich or hit the lottery.

I wish you every success. Honestly I do.

Answer 2

sounds like a case of self pity to me.