I am considering going to graduate school for a PhD in materials science. I am 24 and I have a bachelor’s in chemical engineering, but I’ve been in a research position for the past almost two years and really love it, and I’ve been in manufacturing/process engineering positions in the past which are more chemical engineering related and did not like them at all. Most of the scientists where I work have a PhD and I know it is a lot harder advance in research without a PhD. The professor at the university that I am considering has already said he would accept me if I apply there and I would get tuition paid for and a stipend that is enough to live off. The professor also seems super friendly and helpful and my boss at work knows him and even recommended him if I wanted to go to grad school. He is also doing very similar research to what I am doing now and that I know I enjoy. My biggest hang up however is that where I am working now I am making nearly six figures and they have an amazing 401k match, probably the best I’ve heard of anywhere. However, it is in the Bay Area in California, so the cost of living is very expensive (but the salary is more than enough to live off of and still save). And the university where I’m looking at attending is in a much cheaper part of the country and I have enough saved up for a down payment on a house and the stipend should be enough to pay the mortgage and living expenses while I’m going to school there, but probably not a lot left over to contribute to my Roth IRA and 401k. I would also be much closer to my family there and I feel like a change could be good for me.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Submitted December 09, 2018 at 02:08AM by Anaconornado https://ift.tt/2RLoNYp
