This is mostly accurate. I'm ~$30,000 in debt. I'm still not finished. The only reason I even plan on finishing is because I would feel even worse if I spent all that time and money and didn't even get the degree. Will I get a better job because of grad school? Maybe. I might be able to get a job teaching at a community college. That's a big maybe though. I used to think I wanted to get a PhD. Now, just the thought of looking at my thesis draft turns my stomach. I used to love the material. I used to love reading and thinking. Maybe one day I'll be able to enjoy those things again. In the meantime, I'll be working for the next 20-25 years to pay off loans that went straight into the pockets of university bureaucrats. I feel like I've just been handed a prison sentence. Don't make the same mistake I did. Get a haircut and get a real job. I didn't, and look at me now.