At the conclusion of her column a few weeks ago about how twentysomethings are coping with the recession, Slate‘s Emily Bazelon asked for readers from the same demographic to share their thoughts on grad school. In this column, Brazelon weaves together some of their stories to offer insight into whether or not advanced degrees are paying off in the recession. Despite the fact that studies have shown that education is directly proportional to income, their experiences suggest that in tough economic times, their degrees are “underwater”; many are jobless and deep in debt.