I have been thinking about this sentiment a lot this semester, as I have been commuting a significant distance 3 days a week for my practicum placement. It is very expensive to be a graduate student and many fields have normalized exploiting students and recent graduates instead of paying them for their labor.
In the field of psychology, graduate students pay tuition for field training credit hours, transportation costs, and a professional wardrobe in order to work the time equivalent of a part-time job at a site. Many of these sites are actively making money off of the labor that students are providing.
There is frequently an expectation that passion for your job or for helping people will compensate for the long work hours, little to no pay, and all of the other costs and frustrations. Experiencing burnout because of systemic factors is not your fault. You deserve support, a livable wage, and a healthy work environment. Passion isn’t enough to survive on.
If you are fully licensed and/or in a position of power, what are some ways that you are or can increase accessibility and sustainability?