Ryan4

This applies to guys as well, grad school is putting you miles ahead of others your age and you can only improve further, don’t beat yourself up over being single because you’re the best bachelor/bachelorette out there.

Thank you TwirlingBlades, I’ll give updates as I get more information. Right now it’s a US holiday week (Thanksgiving) so I’ll email the coordinator for a time to meet next week.

I never thought about going higher up, maybe the Arts and Sciences? I’ll check into that, thanks! I’ll talk to the coordinator about a handbook, maybe she might know something. The history department has a graduate student handbook on the official webpage, idk what’s going on here.

I don’t see any information about a biology department dean, but I have met once with the new coordinator. I asked her about the location of the area adviser I was interested in talking to, but that’s all. I’ve tried to ask the secretary of the biology department for specific people by position, such as for the hiring manager, but she did not know without me asking for a specific name.

I have emailed him in the past but never heard back, I’m going to try again to see if he’ll respond. Sorry, “they” was referring to my old adviser and what she told me about area advisers but my new adviser (masters coordinator) seemed to know his (area adviser prof.) new office location.

I don’t see any information about an exit exam, just a thesis or non-thesis option. The non-thesis option is essentially just a chosen paper to review and present. My Masters program director doesn’t exist, it’s a vacant position right now. I’ve recently seen the new masters program coordinator but she is fairly young for the position. Unfortunately during my bio undergrad, I was an introvert that never made friends with students or talked to my professors. I don’t have any friends to help me, sadly, but I’m trying to get in touch with the Biology Graduate Student Association to meet with their members

Sorry you were right, it was 9 hours for full-time. I’m a “three quarters time” student according to the registrar, I’ll have to see what financial aid covers for that. I’m looking into the concentration I’m interested in and they have a professor to go to for that, unfortunately it’s the professor I’ve previously mentioned that moved offices. No posted office hours so it’ll be trial and error to see when he’s at his office and when he might be at his lab (no room number posted officially, have to search the lab building for it). This College is oriented towards athletics and sports, so they seem to drop the ball in how they manage their other departments.

It’s 46 total credit hours, 26 for coursework, 4 for Biochemistry, 2 for seminars, and 14 for thesis work. I think a full-time student requires 6 enrolled hours? (correction: 9+ hours for full-time, 6-8.9 hours for “three quarter time”) I’m a “three quarter time” student, I was overly cautious during my first year and took two classes per semester so I could dedicate that time to thesis topic decisions (I failed miserably at that). I got the biochemistry and seminar courses out of the way the first semester, but I was in panic mode during my second semester over my lack of progress in my thesis. I was taking 8 hours during my second semester but withdrew from one course due to stress and failing grades.

Other departments have handbooks listed on their Graduate resources pages, but not the biology department. You can find graduate forms for thesis progress and an outdated list of classes to take for a concentration, I believe it is from 2016 and many of them don’t exist anymore. As far as I know, you don’t pick a concentration during your application. I honestly didn’t know which concentration I wanted to focus in during my first semester, my adviser just said to pick what I was interested in. They didn’t say when I had to decide. I applied to the graduate program right after my bachelors, it was my fault for being so underprepared and not knowing what kinds of concentrations my school offered.

I hope I can track them down, it’s so ridiculous. One professor is listed as being in one building (set to be demolished!) and only one person has been able to tell me his real office location. All of the official college sources list his old office. It’s been months since he moved office!

They have changed out both my Academic adviser and Master's Coordinator over the course of my past three semesters, and their website is poorly updated with who is the head of the biology department. I actually do not know who is in charge of telling me about a concentration/specialization I'm interested in, they have all been very vague and unhelpful. I keep looking for Professors to meet but they either never respond or are never at their office and have no posted office hours. My adviser right now does not seem to know any specific details regarding the specialization I want to focus on, and I have not been able to make any connections with people in the Biology Graduate Student Association.

I have no network and know nobody in my MS biology grad program. Only one Professor knows I exist, and they are more concerned for my psychological well-being given my poor performance in class. I don't have a Thesis topic, I am overwhelmed by the amount of topics there are. I am jealous of all the people who are in research labs, and I feel like I don't even compare or will ever get noticed for any opportunities. I have never had a job before, so I have no idea how to successfully land a job or even have a work ethic. This is my third semester and I still need 22 credit hours, plus the Thesis work that I have not started. I have only registered for one class next semester and most classes are full now. My life is a mess and I have no friends to turn to, depression and anxiety have been ruling my life. I don't know what to do.

This is my third semester in the Masters program and I still need 22 credit hours. I have not completed any Thesis work. I am in panic mode, what do I do? I'm afraid that nobody can help me! My adviser says I'm on track to graduate, I've only got one course registered for next semester!!!!! WHAT DO I DO!

Hello, I'm in my second year of my Masters program as a Biology major and I have never done a research project or Thesis yet. I have been afraid of picking a Thesis topic and don't have much help from my adviser, though she provides good advice that I should stick to what interests me. I don't know any fellow Masters students either, so seeking help is much more difficult. Has anyone ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of potential topics to choose? I have no research experience and have always been indecisive. What advice can anyone give me to help me overcome this difficulty of picking a Thesis topic? Would you also suggest taking a Non-Thesis option if it was available?

Hello, I'm in my second year of my Masters program as a Biology major and I have never done a research project and have struggled to make connections with Professors. I fail to find internships for biology labs and am afraid of missing the opportunity for one. I have felt overwhelmed and my adviser wanted me to pick a Professor to mentor me on my Thesis, which I do not have. I have a new adviser now and feel like I'm back at square one. My grades have been slipping from stress and me desperately clawing for a social life, my GPA was 3.21 and I fear it dropping further. I have been feeling overwhelmed when trying to find a thesis topic, it hits me like a brick wall and I don't know how to get over it. I am trying to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Medical Technician) but I have no job experience. I've never had a job before. I don't really know what job to get as a biology grad student, and if I can even get one. I really need advice on this. My College offers a Non-Thesis route, but I have gotten conflicting advice on whether to take it. I don't want to be a researcher, so is it the better option? I have terrible networking skills. I fail to keep in touch with Professors and my previous adviser, who is teaching a course I'm taking, is not impressed; she's worried about me (I have terrible depression where I'm unable to function in class group work and I can't control my emotions anymore, she has noticed my declining grades and mood). How am I going to network and connect with Professors with this mental decline on my back? The mistake I made was joining a Masters program right after completing my Bachelors degree in Biology. I wasn't prepared.