one less thing...

Since October of last year I've been working what I call three part-time jobs: my graduate research assistantship which pays tuition plus a small stipend and allows me to qualify for student insurance, a 10-hour per week job with the University Career Center, and India (unpaid, but the primary motivation behind everything else). As of April 1st, I will be down to full-time student, plus GRA, plus India status. Hallelujah! My GRA supervisor wanted more of my time and had the money to offer a promotion of sorts. This additional funding allowed me to resign the career center job and still pay my bills. Honestly, I'm grateful for all of it. I consider it a gift to earn a PhD and not accumulate any debt to do it, thanks to the financing offered by the department. I'm a lucky girl. The department is not financing any of the students coming in next academic year. These students will have more difficult choices to make about their future than I did. I'm grateful for the gift of financial aid I received.