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Your claim is that grad students do not know that they could be working instead of going to school? That strikes me as a weak argument.

• notyourday 9y ago
  My claim is that the grad students do not know how much money they would be making and what kind of problems they would be solving if they were to say "See ya later, Suzi" and moved to companies working on those problems. Largely, it is because most of them are young and pretty street-dumb. That makes them naively believe that schools, professors and advisers have students best interests at heart, none of which barring a few exceptions can be further from the truth. Schools and especially professors need the cheap labor and cheap ideas provided by the grad students. The age old adage "Those that can do, those that can't teach" applies. The moment grad students move from making peanuts, dealing with politics, kissing ass of their professors and doing work of their professors to making bank, dealing with politics, kissing ass of their managers and doing work for their managers academia as we know it would collapse.
  • dogruck 9y ago
    If what you argue is true, then what do you think is the primary reason all of these grad students are blind to other opportunities? I have a hard time believing it’s because grad students are “young and pretty street-dumb.” Also, do you have a proposed solution to open their eyes? Or do you think the situation is hopeless?
    • CamelCaseName 9y ago
      Without commenting on the verity of GP's claim, co-op is the solution.