Next time you see a graduate student, TIP him/her

The other day I was a in a so called upscale restaurant and we were debating about the tipping culture. Those in favor of it were of the view that the waiters get paid too less despite doing a "menial" service job. Those against it, argued that they have chosen this to be their job. The restaurants are law-bound to pay at least the minimum wages. Pondering over the arguments, I wondered if graduate students are on the same page and should also be tipped! I realized there are a few points of similarities. But restaurant workers are actually much better off. Lets see the points of similarity.

1. Grad Students(GS) get paid below the state minimums. At Purdue, an average student earns $1250pm(1500$ pm-250$(Purdue fees)). Any student who wants to graduate in 5 years works atleast 300 hours in a month. So he/she gets paid just 4$/hr. Way below the state minimum of 7.75$/hr. Restaurant Workers(RW) get paid between 2.17$-5$ before tips.

2. Both do "menial" jobs. RWs serve customers, adjust to their whims and wash their dirty plates. GSs serve professors, suffer their whims and mostly do the dirty uninteresting labor involved in innovation.

3. Both have chosen it to be their path. Or rather both had nothing else to do.

4. And both rue that they should have been somewhere else.

5. RWs have to tip their support staff(bar backs etc for getting their job done). Grad students have to tip in restaurants for filling their starving stomachs.

6. RWs get little after tax deductions. At Purdue, an avg Grad student gets <1000$ pm after tax deductions.

7. 8. 9. 10.....

I can find a plethora of similarities. But there are two major dissimilarities. The BIG question is: who would tip a grad student! An RW can get direct tip from customers they serve. Who do the GSs serve? The industry? They wont wont give an iota if you stay up all night solving a difficult problem. The professor? Hahahahahaha... The people around? Especially those with kids? (You could argue that GSs's work will impact the future generation). Almost everything that you see around-mobiles, plasma TVs etc are a fruit of the work of thousands of poor starving GSs... Dont worry they dont care about you..So GSs, you are doomed. Nobody cares about you enough to tip you.

TIPS stands for Tipping I(E)nsures Prompt/Proper Service. If you dont tip at restaurant, they will spit in your food and give you a piece of their mind. You might wait long for a table and what not. What can grad students do? Take too long to complete some work? Haha.. not possible. The advisor will give them a piece of his/her mind. Funding will be cut off. And the worst of all.. the GS will take too long to graduate.

Dont waste your time reading this. RWs are much better off than GSs. Next time you go to a restaurant, ask them to tip you.