All prospective grad students should read over the following to understand what they're truly getting into / developing realistic expectations before committing a substantial amount of their life to the Ivory Tower. The first link covers toxicity in academia (YMMV), which is more or less what drove me out of lab work and into IT. I personally chose to remain working in academia because I find it meaningful, but in a role that was more insulated from academic politics (vs generic work politics).
[0] http://academiaiskillingmyfriends.tumblr.com/
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Getting-What-You-Came-Students/dp/037...