WornOutGrad

I did mean being blacklisted from this forum; mainly for posting mainly negative/cynical comments, which I do need to knock off, so lesson learned. Okay, here's what happened: about a month ago, one of the advanced students from my department held a tutorial on a climate model that has had no relevance to my research. It was only a 2 day tutorial and was diluted accordingly. There's no way you could develop a working knowledge of the model in that time (the student himself agreed with that). Anyway, since it was irrelevant to my current research, and I've had enough on my plate, I put the tutorial materials aside, and haven't practiced it much since. I also had no indication from my advisor that I should work with it, and so I just continued with my current projects and classwork. Well, this last week, she emailed me with a question pertaining to the tutorial, and I pulled out my notes and offered her an answered. Apparently, my answer was not sufficient, and she erupted on me the next day, calling me a failure, a waste of money, and accused me of doing no research. Granted, I should have done more with what I learned at the tutorial, and I've learned my lesson. But I still feel her words were a little out of line, especially since she has never offered any indication of concern over my progress. Similar incidents have occurred with myself and other members of my cohort, to the point where all but me and one other guy are her only students. It's now at a point where the department chair has gotten involved.

My adviser called me a waste of money earlier this week, even though just last week, she was happy with my progress. I am really down about it now. I know I've kind of blacklisted myself from here, but I have nowhere else to turn to. I think I've been working hard. Am I a waste of money???? I'm scared.

You're screwed! I have heard that in Grad school, an A- is an F, which is a load of crap if you ask me. When did grade inflation get this stupid!?!?!?

I use Wii Fit. It's a lot of fun!

Oh, and I almost forgot, Anti-depressants are a MUST!

They can ruin your reputation, and dropping out of Grad School looks awful on your resume.

My department is tiny, so I worry about this a little, but since it is the only department of it's type in the state, there is some reassurance

Just read the Carreira letter, I was running for the door after reading it. I have to have people talk me out of dropping out of Grad School because I feared the rest of my life would be spent trapped in a lab 24/7. I still freak out about it on a daily basis. ...I don't wanna ...I don't wanna ...I don't wanna Definitely stopping at my Masters degree.

My advice to first year Graduate Students: Change your mind and turn around. Don't go to grad school!

I'm curious if anyone has found articles like this pertaining to students just getting their masters degree. I can still apply the jist of what's in this article, but there's no way I'll accumulate 10000 hours of writing by the time I am ready to write my masters thesis. <pulls hair out>

Grad school sucks! Trust me... I wish I could go back to taking pointless classes again. Now I just wonder if I should jump off the roof. :'( I'd give anything to go back. Enjoy it while it lasts.

That's what we are here for! I say go for it!

Okay, if this is all true, than I'm definitely in the wrong profession. I'm willing to work hard, but I want to live a balanced life... and get enough decent sleep as well. I think I'm going to drop out tomorrow! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I have to admit that I have been freaking out about this a lot lately, especially after reading the Carreria letter. But I see my adviser as a good example though, in fact, I just complimented her on it today. She is a TT in my department, but is very involved in her family's life. She is a very successful researcher, and has landed many grants and projects with top industries (though she isn't the greatest teacher, but she manages). She told me today that it's important to balance your career with family, friends, and other things because that's what makes life beautiful. I feel like I need to cling to that more that what some professor, who isn't even in my field, wrote to a postdoc at Caltech almost 15 years ago! But I'll say this, if I had to choose between being a successful father, husband, and man of God (I'm religious), or being a successful scientist, then I choose the former hands down. If being a scientist means having to give up the other things in life, then it's not worth it. I just hope I get to have both...

Alright, I thought about mentioning this in my earlier post, but I didn't want to sound like I was bashing her... She has never had a student complete their MS with her. Her last student left the school because of her, and two students quit her cohort this semester alone. It's just me and one other guy now. We've both had other professors in the department check up on us because I guess the department is aware of the issues (one prof offered us both a lot of encouragement, which was great, and even the department chair has talked with us to see if everything was alright). But a combination of the fact that she has funding and the fact that I'd like to finish what I started with her keeps me holding out that things will get better.

I think this question is thrown around a lot when it comes to earning/keeping/losing our adviser's trust, but let me put the shoe on the other foot for a minute. Do you guys think it's important for a student to trust their adviser as well. Let me elaborate; My adviser is the biggest flip-flopper I have ever experienced. She is someone who will roll her eyes and act annoyed if I go to her for help/guidance or to update her on my progress, but then the next week will prod me if I don't come to her. One day, she was calling all of my work good, and then the next day (YES, the VERY NEXT day), she is yelling at me and calling my work garbage. She is someone who will treat me like an idiot if I ever go to her for help, but then she will snap when I mess up with what I am doing. It's honestly to the point where I have a panic attack any time I have to step into her office. During our orientation, she told us that our expectations of her should be that we see her as helpful, friendly, and approachable, and she is like that maybe once in a blue moon. For the most part, she just makes me feel like an idiot. I know this (and other Grad forums) forum knocks undergrads a lot, but I didn't go through a double major in college to make it here and feel like an idiot all the time with absolutely no direction as to where my research is going. To sum it up, I don't trust her. I'm at the point where I'm afraid to work with her anymore, and I'm scared. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this.

I decided to live in the dorms my first year of Grad School. I went for the cheapest thing on campus... BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a freshman (yes, an undergrad freshman) roommate who loves to stay up until 4, playing WOW (including the night before I had a midterm), and the building smells like weed most of the time. I don't think it's until now that I realized how immature underclassmen are! So if you stay on campus, splurge a little bit for a graduate apartment, because this 4am World of Warcraft crap and the weed have got to go!

I'm currently a Masters student studying Meteorology. Since I moved out here, I've been diagnosed with Depression (on top of previously diagnosed Anxiety), and prescribed Antidepressants. I also see a therapist every other week. I feel like both things have been great for me, but I somewhat feel bad that it takes me away from the office a few hours. I just wonder if any of you have ever had issues with Depression or Anxiety or Therapy in Grad School, and should it be something that I should be open with my Adviser about? (i.e. if she wonders why she never see's me at a particular time, should I mention it's because I am at therapy?)

Hi! I'm currently a Graduate student going for a Masters degree in Meteorology. I am relatively enjoying the program and the people (I'm homesick as I'll get out though), but I'm starting to experience something that is disturbing me. I'm starting to see my adviser try to plan my future. I feel like it's her full expectation that I'll go on to get a PhD and become a scientist studying exactly what she studies (which is interesting, but it's really not for me). I'm starting to see this in general in my department as well. I feel like I'm being pressured into internships I'm not interested in, and I feel like I'm being pushed in a direction that isn't what I want to do. No offense to the PhD's here, but after reading the Carriera letter and hearing other horror stories of PI's and Advisers that expect their students and postdocs to spend roughly every waking moment of their lives in the Lab, I'm officially scared away from getting a PhD and becoming a scientist. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to work hard, but I want to get married, have a family, and enjoy my youth while I still have it, and spending every waking moment in a lab doesn't sound like it would be compatible with that. I know other jobs and fields expect crazy work from their employees at times as well, but I've just realized that there's a line. Even if I wanted to go on to getting a PhD, I don't want to continue in my Adviser's area of interest. It's interesting, but not quite what I'd like to do. I'm simply doing it because she signs my checks. I feel nervous because I feel like she is pressuring all this stuff on me that I'm not interested in and if I confess to her that IF I go on to get my PhD, it would not be in her area, that she would cut me loose, and I'd have to start back at square one. I know I can simply keep mum, put my head down and get through my masters and drop off her radar forever, but I'll likely need her LOR if I ever continue on in school, or if I get a job in this field, so I don't want to burn bridges. What should I do?

I totally relate to this right now! It seems like the general push from my adviser and the department as a whole is to go for my PhD, which would mean at least another 4 years of school, on top of an additional 4+ years of postdoc research (likely working under some jerk), and then IF I'm lucky, I MIGHT land a Tenure-track faculty position, which I then have to spend ANOTHER 7+ years getting tenure. I'm 26 right now, so chances are I'll be in my FORTIES by the time I actually land a job secure enough to have a family, but I'll be too old to have a family. But I feel like if I don't go in that direction, all it will do is make me frowned upon by my department.

Part of what has made my Grad School experience so hard is the fact that I am now in a long distance relationship because of it. I moved away from home, leaving my wonderful girlfriend down there while she finishes her BA. The first month or two was bearable, but it seems like I miss her more and more every day, and I'm more and more in love with her every day. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder! I'm just curious what others experience in long distance relationships have been like.

What I meant to say above is that I'm going to research only part time from HOME, so I'll be down there the whole break, save for a week at Grandma's house in Texas I was seeing a psychologist, but they only limit you to so many meetings a semester, and I used my last one about a month ago. I'm thinking of looking for a strong, faith-based (I'm a Christian and faith is very important) therapist when I get back next month. I do believe that my mentality is screwed up. I think some times the only things I have the right to do in Grad school (other than work of course) are eat, sleep, and poop, and only if absolutely necessary. And it's really funny, because my department is vary laid back. I think I'm the only one who is afraid of getting kicked out for taking a break.

I'm actually doing my researching part time over the winter break, so I plan on taking it somewhat easy. I'll probably take the week between Christmas and New Years off entirely to be with family. I know it might not be the most professional move, but I think a little down time should really help me put some of this in perspective. Plus, I'll get to see my girlfriend

I wrote recently about wondering how I was going to survive Grad School, but I've started to wonder if I even want to. I just took (and bombed) my last final, and I feel more burnt out than in any of my semesters in college. Usually, I'd run around the hallway and yell "freedom!" after my last final, but all I did was go to my room and cry for a few hours. I think I have enjoyed the subject matter, but I can't stand the academics! Academics seem so pompous, and the whole industry seems more cutthroat than the "real world." I love Meteorology, and I want to learn Meteorology, but not this way, and not like this! I've only been here for 4 months, and I'm already burnt out, how I am going to last another 2-3 years!?!? I seriously have never been this miserable in my life. I wish I had just gotten my Bachelor's in this, and left with that. What scares me though is that if I can't make it through this, how am I going to survive in the real world. I just want to be done with this. I miss my friends, my family, my girlfriend, my church, and this isn't worth giving up all of that. I guess I don't have a question, just a lot on my mind.