I just completed my first semester of grad school in math this past fall and I’m kind of just debating on whether or not to drop out at this point. I earned two As and one B (the B was unavoidable due to the fact that I didn’t have the “informal” prerequisites to the class and struggled to barely stay afloat). I would kind of like to continue, but I’m struggling to find out where all the money for next semester is going to come from. I’m not funded by the department, and I’m pretty sure they’re maliciously profiting off of paying me almost 3 times less than what the other TAs make to do the same tutoring job. (i.e., I make $8/hr while everyone else makes $25-30/hr) [I</a> was just horribly busy this past fall that I simply didn’t have time to apply for a *possible* TAship for the spring](http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1928434-too-much-to-do-this-week-what-do-i-even-do.html).
I have about $13,000 in savings, but a lot of that has to go to food and housing at about $5,000 and tuition is going to be about $5,000 for this coming semester. This leaves me with almost nothing for the remainder of my graduate degree. I could take out loans, but should I really be taking out loans for a master’s when it’s essentially free for everyone who is funded by the department?
Dropping out in the spring is kind of silly because it leaves me stranded until another spring semester should I ever want to continue, but my plan was to basically go back to school at a different university back home to gain some more skills in the field of computer science because I feel that’s a little more practical and enjoyable than math (as I unfortunately learned in the last semester of my undergrad this past year).
It sounds like you are getting a master’s in math. I suppose the real question is - what are your goals? Why are you in graduate school? That should help you decide whether or not to drop out.
Did you go to get an MA in math because you need the MA in math to do some kind of career? Do you want to be a mathematician or a statistician? If that’s the case, will your starting salary be enough to repay loans if you borrow? Sometimes borrowing money for a master’s degree can be worth it, because it qualifies you for the career you want and enables you to repay your debt relatively easily. $5,000 is a pretty low tuition rate, and leaving your MA with only $5,000 in debt when you have the potential to make $65-70K+ is a pretty sweet deal.
I know math is a field where master’s students are often funded, so if you think you could go somewhere else where the entire degree is covered for you, then that’s one thing (although you may have to start over, which may not make sense depending on how long your program is). Why don’t you have funding when ‘everyone else’ does?
Is your MA program 2 years? There are a lot of math MA programs that can be finished in one, maybe one and a half years.
FWIW I don’t think that computer science is inherently more practical than math, although it depends on the kind of math you’re learning. Computer science is a highly visible, hot field right now - where software developers are making ridiculous amounts of money - and I think in some ways its success is eclipsing the usefulness of so many other careers and skills. But computer science is founded within math; math is necessary for computers to work. Furthermore, a lot of computer science is learning to use computers as tools to do other things…like math. Our world runs on complex mathematical/statistical models. You know data science, right?
Besides, graduate programs are often pretty flexible. Can you take a few computer science classes in your MA program? Maybe you could audit them so you don’t add too much to your workload.
It couldn’t hurt to go to the dept head and tell him/her you’re running out of money, is there any better job for you? Perhaps someone dropped out of the TA thing and a last minute spot opened up–it happens.
Years ago this happened to someone I know and the dept head got him a free living situation house sitting for a professor who went on an overseas sabbatical. All he had to do was feed the cat and water plants. You never know what’s out there until you ask…