Substrata

I failed my first exam in my Statistics course (doing my MS in statistics so this is supposed to be an intro core course). Thankfully, My professor drops the lowest test grade, so I know the grade won't really hurt me. What's hurting more right now is my self-confidence. I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety since graduate school has started (feelings of inadequacy, Imposter syndrome...the good stuff), so this feels like it's just confirming my fears that I am not smart enough to be here. How do I bounce back? Anybody else fail their first exams in grad school? How did you cope?

Sigaba, so you think I should try to ask for a better desk before quitting? It took them 3 months after I got them the appropriate medical notes and after I had to file for disability to get the initial set up. I’m worried that by the time they get this fixed (if they do), my health will already be much worse again. The desk set up has caused significant damage to my shoulders and nerves in my hands (loss of feeling in my hands and weakness in my fingers as a result). It could lead to permanent nerve damage if my nerves stay pinched for too long. I have already brought up the issue with my supervisor but they aren’t taking it seriously. /: I feel a bit trapped. Its all rather ridiculous because I’m a healthy, active 20 something whose only real issue is being too short/small for my desk. I just need an appropriately sized desk, but they are turning it into a huge ordeal.

Sigaba, all sound advice. I actually am doing a lot of these things already. I put an order through HR to get a standing desk and got one, and I am doing both physical therapy and Chiropractic work as well as meditation to try to mitigate all of the damage that's happening to my body. Unfortunately, the desk I received was too big for me (I'm just shy of 5'0) and when I brought this up to HR, they were less than receptive. I feel I have done what I can do at this point to try and get better, short of quitting my job. You're right, though, the financial hit will be significant. I will likely be able to finish my degree without incurring too much if any debt, but I will eat through the entirety of my savings, even if I live frugally. It's a tough decision indeed.

Is it worthwhile to quit my job to focus fully on my master's degree? My master's is currently unfunded, but I have a decent amount in savings and plan to hopefully work a part-time job to offset any loans I may have to take out. My undergrad was in Psychology, and I made the jump to Statistics and CS and the transition has been difficult, but I love it. My current job is unrelated to my field, but it is flexible and is funding my education, which is a huge incentive to stay. However, balancing both graduate school and full-time work is taking a toll on my mental and physical health. I have started having back problems and neck problems from sitting all day at work and sitting all night working on homework. The lack of free-time has also started triggering panic attacks. I've been seeking treatment for these conditions, but it all boils down to stress triggering these issues. I know if I really buckle down, I can get through the semester, but at what cost? Once I graduate, the types of jobs I can apply for pay a lot more than my current job. I'm feeling stuck because the situation I'm in is one that most would envy, but it's seriously effecting my health. Should I quit and focus on graduate school full-time at the risk of incurring debt, or should I stay at the risk of degrading health? Any advice, personal experiences, etc. would be extremely helpful.

Hello all! First time posting here. I guess I'm looking for some sort of advice from other students who have applied to (and hopefully been accepted into) an MS in applied statistics coming from a non-traditional background. I graduated with a BS in Psychology with a concentration in neuroscience. I didn't get much exposure to mathematics in my undergrad because I was under the impression that I wanted to go into clinical psychology and become a psychologist. At the time, I was uninterested in research and academia. Once I graduated, I was able to land a job related to my field as an EEG technologist. At this time, I found that I absolutely loved working with neuroimaging data and in research in general. After some soul searching, I realized I wanted to get my masters in statistics and eventually pursue a PhD (still unsure if I want to pursue the PhD in Biostats, Cognitive Science, or Neuroscience, but that's an issue for another time). Fast forward 6 months. I have began taking the Calculus series and will be finishing that up along with linear algebra this coming spring (have been receiving A's in all of them so far). I reached out to a researcher who is doing some work with neuroimaging and have been working with him and learning how to process the data over the last 6 months. I might be getting a job offer from them soon which would mean I can focus on data analysis and statistics full-time! I've been managing all of this while working full-time which has been challenging, but I am also the happiest I have been in a long time. I've uncovered a hidden love for mathematics within myself that I honestly never thought existed. I have already reached out to a couple of advisers within programs that I'll be applying to and they seem willing to take on students from a different background. The biggest issue at this point has been self-doubt. I keep thinking to myself that I am not smart enough to get into this field, or that I don't really deserve the grades I've been getting, or that it's too late to make a career change. Anybody else have experiences applying for a different masters program or navigating a career change? Any advice for someone applying from a non-traditional background? I am also a female, and I have heard that sometimes getting into statistics programs as a female can be easier? I'm unsure if this is true, can anyone validate this? My apologies if this post is a little all over the place. My mind is nearly constantly in a state of excitement about the future and anxiety about how my unrelated background might make it difficult to break into this field. My current schedule also makes making time for sleep difficult. Anyways, Any and all advice would be appreciated!