<p>I'm sorry for my ignorance; I'm a high school senior...</p>
<p>I just have a few basic questions:
1) I've heard many people get paid to attend grad school. Is this hard to come by? What percent of people get to go for free/paid vs. having to pay?
2) Do you have to be a TA?
3) How does homework and class work? (engineering, specifically) Do you still have tests and such, or is it mainly just papers/research?
4) Is the usual time spent in grad school 2 years? (I now have the opportunity to get my BS + MS in chemical engineering in 5 years...should I do this?)
5) When getting a PhD, do most people get a masters' first then the PhD, or do they go straight from undergrad to PhD?</p>
<p>1) In science and engineering, it’s normal for PhD students to be “funded,” whereby their tuition is paid for and they receive a small (10-30k) stipend. Sources of funding include government fellowships, school fellowships, your research advisor’s research money, or being a TA for the department. [so if you’re planning to get a PhD, going to the 5-year BS/MS program won’t save you any money - it might actually cost money]</p>
<p>2) Some programs have a TA requirement, where you must TA a semester or two to gain teaching experience. You also may have to be a TA if you cannot secure funding from another source.</p>
<p>3) If you’re getting a PhD, usually the first 2-3 years are spent focused on coursework (where you earn your masters), and the next 2-5 years are spent focused on doing research.</p>
<p>5) It’s easier to do MS/PhD at the same time, but it’s also fine to get an MS first and then a PhD somewhere else afterward.</p>
<p>I’m a college senior about to enter an MS/PhD program in the fall, so I’m not an expert.</p>