<prompt> Human: Hey everyone, Im a 25 turning 26 in a few months year old male living in Texas, and I recently quit my job to pursue becoming a physicist. I have 80k in savings savings account balance, 20k in liquid stocks, and 100k in my 401k. I currently share an apartment with my girlfriend, for which I pay 550 per month. I rejoined my parents health insurance plan and plan to stay on that until I turn 26. Some smaller recurring expenses are a gym membership 50month, an individual phone bill 100month, and car insurance not sure exactly how much, but its relatively cheap to other options for car insurance. My parents are financially stable, though they are at some risk of instability due to volatility in their industries. Regardless, I would rather return to engineering than to rely on my parents for any financial assistance.My undergraduate degree is in electrical engineering, so I plan to first pursue a masters degree in physics, which will be unfunded, then pursue a PhD. Im currently studying 50 hours a week in hopes of being admitted into a solid masters program, so I dont want a job unless it is related to physics. In between admission and attendance of the masters program, I am hoping to do paid research for half a year, which may net 1-1.5k a month. The prospective path to becoming a physicist will require up to 4 years without income other than dividends from stocks i.e., a couple grand over those years. PhD programs are essentially always funded and accompanying stipends average to 30k for programs I am interested in.I am particularly concerned about the following:1. Accessibility to affordable health insurance once I turn 26.2. Having enough money to afford essentials and infrequent comforts over the next few years.I truly appreciate you reading this far. Any advice or thoughts you share with me will be appreciated as well. Thank you!  <response>: The graduate program will provide health insurance at your school. Have you explored the job prospect for physicist? I have an MS and PhD as well as work in industry that favors physicist - I can tell you experience dominates degree for senior positions. In academia, the competition is fierce. Make sure you understand that you will need to post doc for 2-8 years before you get an associate position then another 10 years before full professor. With the 4-8 year for the PhD you are on a long path. I left academia for the professional market. Feel free to ask me any questions. Also, financially the best schools are usually in expensive markets and the pay will be difficult to support a household. 