Schooling and Money

                                      Photo credit: www.visitlondon.com

I remember primary school days, the days where we had no worries or concerns about money- that was simply the job of our parents (the good old days). But as we grew older and got into high school, we began to notice that some students were being rewarded for good grades, excellence in sports, debates, drama etc in form of scholarships. A few scholarships were need-based but most were by merit. The reality that some of our mates attended school without paying school fees was obvious - their parents rewarded them by buying them new shoes and school bags all the time.

Graduate school is another ball game when it comes to funding. At this time, one is definitely more mature than high school or even undergraduate school. The workload is so much more and you do not at this point want to depend on the ever so generous parents ( they have done a good job). So, the challenge of getting funding as well as a research that you are interested in becomes more daunting. Because this time, there's a pressure from yourself to be independent, there's a lot more competition and I believe, a lot more opportunities.

Funding for graduate studies is so important in my opinion, because it gives you one less thing to worry about and more thinking time for your research. Sometimes, the importance of funds is played down so much so, that when you bring it up, people begin to perceive you as not being passionate enough about your research. I think this notion is untrue as the availability of money makes so many things outside your research easier to manage. Besides, lack of money   for basic amenities demotivates even the most passionate of persons.

Have you started your research recently without funds, how did you cope? Did you have to get a loan and worry about paying back? how did it feel knowing that half the people on your research team were being funded while you weren't. Please share your thoughts.