<prompt> Human: Im a recent college graduate with a B.S. in one of the natural sciences, and am freshly employed in my field as a research assistant making 28k annually. Currently the costs of rent, food, and my monthly student loan bills set me back 1500 which leaves about 400 in take home per month. I have about 4000 saved up, but most of that came from a tax refund, and Im worried that my stagnant financial situation could hurt me in the case of an emergency.My plan is to go on to grad school in the next year or two, after having locked in some solid rec letters and relevant experience. An important detail in my situation is that I live with my girlfriend of a few years, and she is soon moving to another, tech-friendly, city for graduate school. At this point my expenses will increase as she helps with a good portion of our costs of living, and I dont think my job will be able to sustain it for long. I do plan to move there with her if possible.Should I begin looking for another job in techindustry in the new city that is higher paying? Look for another research position at similar wages and tough it out for the research experience? What is the smart move here? I really do appreciate all advice and welcome harsh truths if you have any to give.Some more details: Loans total 118k and are a mix of federal and private loans. I have already reduced all monthly payments as much as possible by demonstrating financial hardship I wish I found this sub when I was in highschool. Private loans suck.  <response>: Always be on the lookout for the next job. I operate with the motto I dont owe anything to my employer. Always be looking for better opportunities which isnt always monetarily driven. It sounds like you have gained some experience already. If you already know what city your girlfriend will be moving to, I would go ahead and start looking and applying for jobs there. Better yet, if you have a good standing at your position, your supervisorbossdirect report may know people in the major city for you to meet up with. If you havent already, get your resume up-to-date with all of your current experience added. Also, grad school may be a good option to get a higher paying job, but think about the added costs in doing so. Is the school in the same state you have residency if not, wait to get residency first? Can you get funding without incurring more debt a lot of programs have graduate assistantships which pay for your school and give a stipend? Is the field you are in pay better with advanced degrees for some fields a graduate degree can limit you? Having 118k debt for a BS degree is a lot. If you went to a privateivy league schooltop tier school, milk it for all its worth when applying for jobs. Just be careful of taking out a ton more debt for a grad degree that may not pay off. My advice would be to try to leverage the experience you have already gained and try to find a higher paying job with your girlfriend in the new city. This way you can continue to split costs for rentutilitiesfoodetc. and continue to gain experience in your field. You may even find having a graduate degree is not necessary. Additionally, find employment with a University or StateLocal Government. Almost all have programs that allow you to go to school for free. This way you can earn income and go to school for free. Something to consider. Best of luck! 