So, why are you creating a website like this?
Simple: I want to go to grad school, but finances are getting in the way.
Here’s the status so far:
- I’ve been accepted into the Computer Science Ph.D. program at USF.
- I’m still trying to find an assistantship. Since my goal is to become a professor once I graduate, I’d like to get as much experience teaching as I can while I’m here. (I’ll be getting experience doing research simply by completing my dissertation.)
- The Fall semester begins in August. In the meantime, I’ll be quitting (or being laid off from) my job and moving to a different city; driving 70 miles each way is just a bit beyond what I’m up for. This takes money. Even if I live with my dad again (something I want to avoid if at all possible), I’ll need gas money.
- Assistantships come with stipends of $15k-20k, according to the department. That’s minimum wage at the low end, and I’m paying more than half of that in rent right now.
- Tuition. Books. Transportation. Parking permits. Meal plans. Gas. The occasional beer.
That’s why I’m asking for money.
As for why I created a website: I was never very good at begging on the roadside. I’m way too fat to pull off the ‘hungry’ look, and my shoes are still in good shape.
Also, I haven’t won the lottery yet.
Apr 11, 2011 @ 00:02:22
You seem like a great guy. But you need more than a website showing your goodnatured side to get people to donate money. After all, a lot of people don’t have money right now and would like to get more of an education. Why don’t you play off the humor angle a bit? Sort of tongue in cheek. Like are there any equivalents of solving cancer that you could show yourself doing, ‘if only you had this degree’? Lots of amusing photos with mock diagrams and mock serious faces? If you do something like that, that the internet would be interested in clicking on, (think something that could be linked on reddit) then naturally you’d get a lot more traffic. Traffic = donations.
Or draw doodles for donations, sing songs, write out interesting bits of your life story (your grandfather seems like a wonderful and inspiring person, but he’s not you). Have silly interviews with friends on how they know you and whether they think you should go to grad school. Interview your mother. Post pictures of your grandparents and yourself as a little kid. (either the embarrassing kind or the kind people go ‘awwww’ over) Make this SO interesting that you yourself wonder who this great guy is and how you could help him out.
(That said I’m broke and can give nothing except advice. Best of luck in your endeavors.)
Apr 11, 2011 @ 00:13:32
I appreciate the advice, and I think your ideas are great (and reasonable).
Just know that the site is by no means in its final form right now. In fact, I intend to change things as the whim strikes me; maybe I’ll hit upon the secret to getting a hojillion dollars in donations, and maybe I won’t. The site will grow with time.
The donations I’ve received so far cover the cost of setting up the site, so at this point I can’t end up any worse off than I was before. Every cent helps. That being said, I’m not trying to extract donations from people who can’t afford them. If all you can afford to give is advice, then I’ll gladly accept that advice.
Thanks for the comment.
Apr 19, 2011 @ 16:14:55
You’re underestimating how far the stipend will take you: also, once you have an assistantship, at most places your tuition is paid for. I didn’t have any money, or by grad school any scholarships, and I don’t think I ever paid a dime. I did grad school from 89-96, when the standard stipend was $12k (inflation-adjusted about the same as now). You can’t afford an apartment by yourself, but you get by. I guess the short version is that, regardless of whether your crowdsourcing raises anything, I suspect you’ll be OK (now, if you don’t have an assistantship, THEN you’re in a world of hurt …)
Apr 20, 2011 @ 10:41:56
From the Graduate Assistantship Policies and Guidelines:
By the way, I’m still paying off about $9,000 (of about $13,000) in student loans from my undergraduate studies. It’ll be deferred once I return to school, but “didn’t ever pay a dime” is far from the truth in my case.