How to survive the summer as a grad student

[tbc32]

I'm wondering if any of you graduate students out there have suggestions for making and saving money over the summer. In my program very few students are funded 12 months a year and I've been pressed each summer to find ways to survive financially. Any ideas?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

So you have earnings through the graduate program but they do not ask you to work through the summer? What is your study in? Nothing for which you could find summer academic research somewhere other than your own school?

[tbc32]

Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch

So you have earnings through the graduate program but they do not ask you to work through the summer? What is your study in? Nothing for which you could find summer academic research somewhere other than your own school?

No, I'm in a PhD program in Education and the stipend that I get paid is only for 10 months. I've been able to get funding each year during the year but have had to find my own work over the summer.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Ah, then tutoring seems a very obvious example.

Are you up for the typical summers only employment? Tourist related jobs at motels, hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, zoos, camps, RV resorts, museums, especially exploratory ones that cater toward children, summer child care "experience" getaways, fishing guides, boat and canoe rental businesses, baseball park concessions & ushers, national parks, beach concessions, lodge workers, home improvement tool rental businesses, etc. Also summer service work such as lawn mowing, house painting, roofing, window replacement, gutter replacement, driveway paving --all those things that people tend to hire out during the warmer months.

Sometimes summer jobs can come along with paid accommodations if it is in an area where employees do not live year around. If you support only yourself, this can be an advantaged way to save a few more bucks through the summer.

If you will be teaching, I assume this will be a life long challenge, but perhaps once you are earning regular wages you will be able to set back 1/6 of each pay check to get you through those summer without fear of finding no job.

[LuxLiving]

Volunteer firefighting in my area gives you a place to live and food to eat in exchange for being on site and willing to go out on the ambulance and fire calls. STTA!

[scfr]

Are you looking for something in your field, or do you just want to make money? If you just want to earn as much moolah as possible, check out country clubs.

Through college I worked every summer waiting tables at a country club near my mom's ... They had many more catered events and were just generally busier in the summer, and were happy to have someone who only wanted summer work. The tips were GREAT.

[My English Castle]

I used to find soome pick-up academic work, teaching a bit, but most people do a bunch of things--including food service, bookstores, summer camps, everything you can think of.
Good luck and stock up on the mac and cheese now.

[docstudent]

First off, are you taking classes over the summer? If not, you should be able to find a dozens jobs in the educational field, what part of the country do you reside? Can you teach or offer a tutorial service? You need to use your educational background to your advantage.....use your skills, don't sit on your knowledge, use it.

[kork13]

Originally Posted by My English Castle

I used to find soome pick-up academic work, teaching a bit, but most people do a bunch of things--including food service, bookstores, summer camps, everything you can think of.
Good luck and stock up on the mac and cheese now.

A good point there... depending on where you are, there's alot of youth summer camps that would probably be happy to hire someone in an education graduate program.