It’s hard to justify spending 5-7 years in grad school instead of getting a normal job. and I am often asked why I made this choice. A friend thought I was crazy to not call Google back for the second interview. I hope this article will help others going through the same choice, and to help my friends understand why I’m so excited! :) Also, I look forward to reading this article in five or so years, to see how well my expectations held up.

It’s 8:45 p.m. on a Friday night, three weeks before the end of fall term of my sophomore year at UO. I am trying to write the first draft of an essay due Monday, when the phone rings, that horrible harsh metallic ring that I am not allowed to change. I shiver — how I hate that sound — nothing good comes from this ring. I compose myself and answer: “RA on call, this is David, how can I help?”