Courtesy of Asma Asyyed

The words rich and postdoc cannot possibly exist in the same sentence. Baggy and ripped clothes are not worn as a fashion statement, and junk food is not consumed for its nutritional value. Most postdocs are poor.

After nine years of postsecondary education, I accumulated a debt that is equivalent to the price of a house. I never thought that money would be an issue; all I wanted was to choose a job that makes me happy. But, after spending a lot of money and time in university and now earning the income of a high school kid, it is hard for me to be happy. Moreover, I have friends who did only a three-year degree and who now own sports cars and houses and are starting to plan for retirement; this adds to my frustration. According to Darwin's treatise on survival of the fittest, I...

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