> Academics just quietly assumes that any recent Ph.D. is just obsessed with research, even apparently useless research, and will pursue it neglecting nearly ev

> Academics just quietly assumes that any recent Ph.D. is just obsessed with research, even apparently useless research, and will pursue it neglecting nearly everything else in life including being financially responsible. This isn't even an assumption. It's borderline enforced. I dropped from the program after paying my own way because my lack of interest in being financially irresponsible put me at the bottom of the bin for good research opportunities. Academics force you to take 9-10/hr. and work 60 hours a week (of course on a contract for only 30 hours), because if they don't have the constant meat-mill of H1Bs and young financially irresponsible people the entire industry would collapse into itself. It's not unlike tech itself which relies on exploiting the revolving door of new grads to get cheap labor. The only difference is the new grad working for BigCo for sub-par dollars can usually afford to eat. Where I went to school the MAJORITY (not an exaggeration) were on some kind of assistance. Either food or housing. Post-docs were barely able to afford rent.