Dropping out of grad school

thirtythree

Diamond Member
Aug 7, 2001
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If you were dropping out of grad school just after halfway through your first semester (too late to withdraw from classes), would you bother completing your classes in order to get decent grades? Assume the reason you're dropping out is that you've decided you don't want to go into the field you're studying, and also assume that you won't apply for any jobs in said field. Furthermore, you have no plans of returning to school at a later date.
 

shuttleboi

Senior member
Jul 5, 2004
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Going through grad school was the best decision I've ever made in my life. It's led to this. I would recommend you finish it.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
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I would at least finish the classes. If it comes up do you want to say "well I failed all my classes..." or "I did not want to finish in that feild but even then I got A's..."

Shows you follow through even though it was not what you wanted. Could be a great answer at a interview down the road. Like name something you did not believe in but still followed through type of questions.
 

Shadowknight

Diamond Member
May 4, 2001
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If it's too late to get out of classes and you get an autmatic fail, you are NOT getting back in. Some programs have it setup so if you get less than a C, you're out, you can never go back in. If you get more than one C, same thing. In my particular program, it was get more than two Cs or get less than a C and you were out. Due to a screwup, I was temporarily kicked out of grad school; someone mixed up my transcript with someone elses, and thought that I was supposed to be booted out after two Cs, which was WRONG, and it was a pain to get it fixed so I could continue. Fortunately, I got it sorted out so I was able to register for the next semester,

ETA: Just because you feel a disinterest in your field now doesn't mean you might change your mind again later. Why slam a door shut that you don't have to?
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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If you're not enjoying the classes, won't use the material, and are sure you won't resume working in this field later it seems like a waste of time to continue.

I spent a couple of years in a CS Ph.D program before deciding I didn't want the academic life, but I was taking interesting classes and learning useful material so it was worth it for me to stay that long.
 

chambersc

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2005
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Originally posted by: shuttleboi
Going through grad school was the best decision I've ever made in my life. It's led to this. I would recommend you finish it.

Congratu-******-lations! I can't wait 'till I get to post a SS of my JD.
 

Rastus

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Finish your classes so you can keep your options open for later unless there is a compelling reason to quit. You might change your mind later and will regret losing the time.
 

Whisper

Diamond Member
Feb 25, 2000
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You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.
 

homercles337

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2004
6,345
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Complete the classes then switch programs. If its a good school switching programs is easier than getting in.
 

homercles337

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Dec 29, 2004
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Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
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Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.
 

postmortemIA

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Jul 11, 2006
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Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

I pay 1/2 of tuition, MS program. PhD people don't pay penny. In my state, that is.
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
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Originally posted by: postmortemIA
Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

I pay 1/2 of tuition, MS program. PhD people don't pay penny. In my state, that is.

It is not like that at most universities.
 

homercles337

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2004
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Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

TA full reimbursement, RA full reimbursement, summer RAs meager stipend. The last one is where i racked up loans at berkeley (cost of living is a b1tch in the bay area. I was a TA for 3 semesters out of 10). Well, that and computers. If youre in an academic grad program and not getting full fee/tuition reimbursement youre probably in the humanities. Which makes me wonder what youre doing at AT.
 

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
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Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

I've been told (by a recent mechanical engineering Ph.D. recipiant) that most engineering grad students get paid to go through the program, but I understand that most of the other tracks keep charging tuition.
 

homercles337

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2004
6,345
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Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: postmortemIA
Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

I pay 1/2 of tuition, MS program. PhD people don't pay penny. In my state, that is.

It is not like that at most universities.

It is at every single university i have been affiliated with or known someone at. Im also talking about stipend with full tuition and fees reimbursement.

FYI, my affiliations:
U Nevada
Berkeley
U Texas
Penn
MIT
Harvard
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
9,458
987
126
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

TA full reimbursement, RA full reimbursement, summer RAs meager stipend. The last one is where i racked up loans at berkeley (cost of living is a b1tch in the bay area. I was a TA for 3 semesters out of 10). Well, that and computers. If youre in an academic grad program and not getting full fee/tuition reimbursement youre probably in the humanities. Which makes me wonder what youre doing at AT.

Im just a undergrad, but Ive explored options for the future. Yes it is in a non technical humanities/social science area. Yeah if you get a ta position you dont pay anything, but in a lot of fields ta positions are competitive.

Im either going BA->JD or BA->MPP/MPAff/MPSA->PhD Public Policy.

Why am I on AT?

Well I've been around forever(since 1998), under a variety of names. I keep switching emails and losing passwords. At one point I was a computer science major, but decided it wasn't for me.
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
8,253
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Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: postmortemIA
Originally posted by: Wreckem
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Whisper
You've already paid for the classes, so might as well get your money's worth and finish them out.

Besides that, at least for me, I'd finish as a matter of principle.

If he's in an academic graduate (not professional, eg, MD, JD, MBA, PT, etc) program he didnt pay for the classes.

Uh. I dont know what school you go to but, yes you do. Most programs dont have a whole lost of full tution fellowships to hand out. I'd bet hes atleast paying 1/4-1/3 with loans, thats if he is a ta.

I pay 1/2 of tuition, MS program. PhD people don't pay penny. In my state, that is.

It is not like that at most universities.

No, it is like that at most universities. It's typical for PhD students to get full tuition remission.