MoJingly

This. I'm not kidding when I say I spent 6 months on mine. And it changed MANY times. At the end, it was worth it.

This. I'm not kidding when I say I spent 6 months on mine. And it changed MANY times. At the end, it was worth it.

I'm crotchety today.  I need to vent.  You don't even have to reply to these things or read them.  But I just... gotta... 
 
1. I have been getting phone calls to my desk phone from some fax machine at a nearby hospital. Like... 10 in a row.  Multiple times a day.  My voicemail box keeps getting full. I called IT here and they can't do anything.  I called the delinquent hospital FOUR times and talked to their IT but it keeps happening. About to change my number. 
 
2. My lab mates mumble quietly when they try to have a conversation with you but PHONE conversations are LOUD and last FOREVER.  I'm trying to write a manuscript and somebody is walking around the lab on the phone. But seriously, even the mumbling thing gets old.  ENUNCIATE!!
 
3. I submitted a grant about 6 months ago, and should have heard by now, but then the government shut down.  And good LORD I GOTSTA KNOW!
 
4. The fridge in my lab (for human food) stinks. And my desk is right next to it.  And every time somebody opens it I want to gag.  And I can't clean it anymore because I SWEAR THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE.
 
5. I spent $160 this morning to have somebody fix my water heater and he doesn't think he successfully fixed it. 
 
 
... I feel better.  Seriously, I like grad school, but it's just one of those days.  
 
next? 

Oiy.. I need to correct this. EAST. Stay EAST of the Genesee River.

WHAT does "POI" stand for? I just always say "PI," as in "principal investigator." I've googled. I've lurked. I'm out of ideas. Here are a few I have:

Primary Opium Introducer
Pithy Orangutan Instigator
Perching Orange Intimidator
Person Oppressing Imagination
Pathological Optimism Incinerator
Professor of Interest (<---- that's actually a legitimate guess)


Don't judge me. Maybe somebody else out there has this question too.

Thank the Lord for anonymous forums.

WHAT does "POI" stand for? I just always say "PI," as in "principal investigator." I've googled. I've lurked. I'm out of ideas. Here are a few I have:

Primary Opium Introducer
Pithy Orangutan Instigator
Perching Orange Intimidator
Person Oppressing Imagination
Pathological Optimism Incinerator
Professor of Interest (<---- that's actually a legitimate guess)


Don't judge me. Maybe somebody else out there has this question too.

Thank the Lord for anonymous forums.

I'm crotchety today.  I need to vent.  You don't even have to reply to these things or read them.  But I just... gotta... 
 
1. I have been getting phone calls to my desk phone from some fax machine at a nearby hospital. Like... 10 in a row.  Multiple times a day.  My voicemail box keeps getting full. I called IT here and they can't do anything.  I called the delinquent hospital FOUR times and talked to their IT but it keeps happening. About to change my number. 
 
2. My lab mates mumble quietly when they try to have a conversation with you but PHONE conversations are LOUD and last FOREVER.  I'm trying to write a manuscript and somebody is walking around the lab on the phone. But seriously, even the mumbling thing gets old.  ENUNCIATE!!
 
3. I submitted a grant about 6 months ago, and should have heard by now, but then the government shut down.  And good LORD I GOTSTA KNOW!
 
4. The fridge in my lab (for human food) stinks. And my desk is right next to it.  And every time somebody opens it I want to gag.  And I can't clean it anymore because I SWEAR THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE.
 
5. I spent $160 this morning to have somebody fix my water heater and he doesn't think he successfully fixed it. 
 
 
... I feel better.  Seriously, I like grad school, but it's just one of those days.  
 
next? 

I'm crotchety today.  I need to vent.  You don't even have to reply to these things or read them.  But I just... gotta... 
 
1. I have been getting phone calls to my desk phone from some fax machine at a nearby hospital. Like... 10 in a row.  Multiple times a day.  My voicemail box keeps getting full. I called IT here and they can't do anything.  I called the delinquent hospital FOUR times and talked to their IT but it keeps happening. About to change my number. 
 
2. My lab mates mumble quietly when they try to have a conversation with you but PHONE conversations are LOUD and last FOREVER.  I'm trying to write a manuscript and somebody is walking around the lab on the phone. But seriously, even the mumbling thing gets old.  ENUNCIATE!!
 
3. I submitted a grant about 6 months ago, and should have heard by now, but then the government shut down.  And good LORD I GOTSTA KNOW!
 
4. The fridge in my lab (for human food) stinks. And my desk is right next to it.  And every time somebody opens it I want to gag.  And I can't clean it anymore because I SWEAR THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE.
 
5. I spent $160 this morning to have somebody fix my water heater and he doesn't think he successfully fixed it. 
 
 
... I feel better.  Seriously, I like grad school, but it's just one of those days.  
 
next? 

I'm not sure. I stopped doing math after I took the GRE.

I am afraid I have nothing else to offer except encouragement.

Your post did not seem irrational at all. Quite the opposite. In fact, it seemed completely realistic. You've got a lot of things going for you in this process.
1. You are not under the delusion that a graduate degree will automatically mean a comfortable lifestyle with financial stability.
2. You do not give the impression that you are dodging the recession with graduate school.
3. You will naturally re-think and analyze whatever decision you make, and your final decision will be well-informed and, as a result, probably the right one.

Success in an endeavor like this requires a bit of neuroticism, so embrace what you've got.

I'm crotchety today.  I need to vent.  You don't even have to reply to these things or read them.  But I just... gotta... 
 
1. I have been getting phone calls to my desk phone from some fax machine at a nearby hospital. Like... 10 in a row.  Multiple times a day.  My voicemail box keeps getting full. I called IT here and they can't do anything.  I called the delinquent hospital FOUR times and talked to their IT but it keeps happening. About to change my number. 
 
2. My lab mates mumble quietly when they try to have a conversation with you but PHONE conversations are LOUD and last FOREVER.  I'm trying to write a manuscript and somebody is walking around the lab on the phone. But seriously, even the mumbling thing gets old.  ENUNCIATE!!
 
3. I submitted a grant about 6 months ago, and should have heard by now, but then the government shut down.  And good LORD I GOTSTA KNOW!
 
4. The fridge in my lab (for human food) stinks. And my desk is right next to it.  And every time somebody opens it I want to gag.  And I can't clean it anymore because I SWEAR THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE.
 
5. I spent $160 this morning to have somebody fix my water heater and he doesn't think he successfully fixed it. 
 
 
... I feel better.  Seriously, I like grad school, but it's just one of those days.  
 
next? 

WHAT does "POI" stand for? I just always say "PI," as in "principal investigator." I've googled. I've lurked. I'm out of ideas. Here are a few I have:

Primary Opium Introducer
Pithy Orangutan Instigator
Perching Orange Intimidator
Person Oppressing Imagination
Pathological Optimism Incinerator
Professor of Interest (<---- that's actually a legitimate guess)


Don't judge me. Maybe somebody else out there has this question too.

Thank the Lord for anonymous forums.

WHAT does "POI" stand for? I just always say "PI," as in "principal investigator." I've googled. I've lurked. I'm out of ideas. Here are a few I have:

Primary Opium Introducer
Pithy Orangutan Instigator
Perching Orange Intimidator
Person Oppressing Imagination
Pathological Optimism Incinerator
Professor of Interest (<---- that's actually a legitimate guess)


Don't judge me. Maybe somebody else out there has this question too.

Thank the Lord for anonymous forums.

I'm crotchety today.  I need to vent.  You don't even have to reply to these things or read them.  But I just... gotta... 
 
1. I have been getting phone calls to my desk phone from some fax machine at a nearby hospital. Like... 10 in a row.  Multiple times a day.  My voicemail box keeps getting full. I called IT here and they can't do anything.  I called the delinquent hospital FOUR times and talked to their IT but it keeps happening. About to change my number. 
 
2. My lab mates mumble quietly when they try to have a conversation with you but PHONE conversations are LOUD and last FOREVER.  I'm trying to write a manuscript and somebody is walking around the lab on the phone. But seriously, even the mumbling thing gets old.  ENUNCIATE!!
 
3. I submitted a grant about 6 months ago, and should have heard by now, but then the government shut down.  And good LORD I GOTSTA KNOW!
 
4. The fridge in my lab (for human food) stinks. And my desk is right next to it.  And every time somebody opens it I want to gag.  And I can't clean it anymore because I SWEAR THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE.
 
5. I spent $160 this morning to have somebody fix my water heater and he doesn't think he successfully fixed it. 
 
 
... I feel better.  Seriously, I like grad school, but it's just one of those days.  
 
next? 

We are recently engaged! Hooray! 
Now I'm trying to plan a wedding and research jobs and finish grad school.  TRYING TO KEEP EVERYBODY HAPPY HERE. 
 

Sorry to hear this!  It definitely happens.  At least you won't have to do the WHOLE thing next year.  And just think, now you really know what it will be like going into it, so you should be a little calmer at least! 
 
Rooting for you.  Remember that ice creams helps everything.

Agree with the above.  Quals are stressful, but you should have guidance and help going through it.  That's the whole point.  Time for a new adviser! 

what the hell? which school is this?
 
did you stab him in the balls with a sharpie (the metal kind)? 

This is something your graduate program's handbook probably clarifies.  I think a D would raise some eyebrows regardless of whether you get kicked out, but you can redeem yourself. Don't beat yourself up too much.
 
 
Also, you are not alone.  I got great grades my whole life and had some of those weirdly frustrating and demeaning grade moments my first year of graduate school.  It got to the point where the graduate director brought me into her office to talk.  I had gotten a B- in one class (not a hard one!), and a C put us on academic probation (every school handles letter grades differently).  She started asking me what went wrong and starting saying maybe I should learn how to study. I just kept thinking, "this is so surreal.  I've been a straight A student my whole life." Truthfully I had no idea why I was struggling so much in that class. Anyhow, I promised I would do better the next semester and left her office to go sit outside and cry for a good half hour. You know what happened the next semester?  I got another friggin B-. I cried a lot and drank a lot of wine but life went on. It hasn't affected my graduate career at all because I proved myself in other ways. (caveat: this was a doctoral program). 
 
The point is that everybody has something go wrong in the first year of grad school.  It's just a sucky year. What makes it worse is that nobody talks about it. You go through and think that everybody else has their s*** together, and it's just not true.  After a few years people will open up and talk about how stressed, isolated, and crazy they felt. Just know that you are not alone. 
 
Also, have some ice cream.  :-) 

This is something your graduate program's handbook probably clarifies.  I think a D would raise some eyebrows regardless of whether you get kicked out, but you can redeem yourself. Don't beat yourself up too much.
 
 
Also, you are not alone.  I got great grades my whole life and had some of those weirdly frustrating and demeaning grade moments my first year of graduate school.  It got to the point where the graduate director brought me into her office to talk.  I had gotten a B- in one class (not a hard one!), and a C put us on academic probation (every school handles letter grades differently).  She started asking me what went wrong and starting saying maybe I should learn how to study. I just kept thinking, "this is so surreal.  I've been a straight A student my whole life." Truthfully I had no idea why I was struggling so much in that class. Anyhow, I promised I would do better the next semester and left her office to go sit outside and cry for a good half hour. You know what happened the next semester?  I got another friggin B-. I cried a lot and drank a lot of wine but life went on. It hasn't affected my graduate career at all because I proved myself in other ways. (caveat: this was a doctoral program). 
 
The point is that everybody has something go wrong in the first year of grad school.  It's just a sucky year. What makes it worse is that nobody talks about it. You go through and think that everybody else has their s*** together, and it's just not true.  After a few years people will open up and talk about how stressed, isolated, and crazy they felt. Just know that you are not alone. 
 
Also, have some ice cream.  :-) 

This is something your graduate program's handbook probably clarifies.  I think a D would raise some eyebrows regardless of whether you get kicked out, but you can redeem yourself. Don't beat yourself up too much.
 
 
Also, you are not alone.  I got great grades my whole life and had some of those weirdly frustrating and demeaning grade moments my first year of graduate school.  It got to the point where the graduate director brought me into her office to talk.  I had gotten a B- in one class (not a hard one!), and a C put us on academic probation (every school handles letter grades differently).  She started asking me what went wrong and starting saying maybe I should learn how to study. I just kept thinking, "this is so surreal.  I've been a straight A student my whole life." Truthfully I had no idea why I was struggling so much in that class. Anyhow, I promised I would do better the next semester and left her office to go sit outside and cry for a good half hour. You know what happened the next semester?  I got another friggin B-. I cried a lot and drank a lot of wine but life went on. It hasn't affected my graduate career at all because I proved myself in other ways. (caveat: this was a doctoral program). 
 
The point is that everybody has something go wrong in the first year of grad school.  It's just a sucky year. What makes it worse is that nobody talks about it. You go through and think that everybody else has their s*** together, and it's just not true.  After a few years people will open up and talk about how stressed, isolated, and crazy they felt. Just know that you are not alone. 
 
Also, have some ice cream.  :-) 

This is something your graduate program's handbook probably clarifies.  I think a D would raise some eyebrows regardless of whether you get kicked out, but you can redeem yourself. Don't beat yourself up too much.
 
 
Also, you are not alone.  I got great grades my whole life and had some of those weirdly frustrating and demeaning grade moments my first year of graduate school.  It got to the point where the graduate director brought me into her office to talk.  I had gotten a B- in one class (not a hard one!), and a C put us on academic probation (every school handles letter grades differently).  She started asking me what went wrong and starting saying maybe I should learn how to study. I just kept thinking, "this is so surreal.  I've been a straight A student my whole life." Truthfully I had no idea why I was struggling so much in that class. Anyhow, I promised I would do better the next semester and left her office to go sit outside and cry for a good half hour. You know what happened the next semester?  I got another friggin B-. I cried a lot and drank a lot of wine but life went on. It hasn't affected my graduate career at all because I proved myself in other ways. (caveat: this was a doctoral program). 
 
The point is that everybody has something go wrong in the first year of grad school.  It's just a sucky year. What makes it worse is that nobody talks about it. You go through and think that everybody else has their s*** together, and it's just not true.  After a few years people will open up and talk about how stressed, isolated, and crazy they felt. Just know that you are not alone. 
 
Also, have some ice cream.  :-) 

This "dating inside your department" topic comes up frequently here. If you are mature, level-headed, and even-keeled I think it's manageable. (btw, if you aren't mature, level-headed, and even-keeled, you should be working on that before you start dating).

Everybody is different, and only you can know how you would react in professional situations with somebody you dated and then broke up with. Let's say your significant other broke your heart. Do you have the strength and maturity to act professionally and separate you personal life in conferences, presentations, etc? If the answer is no, then look elsewhere for love.

This. I'm not kidding when I say I spent 6 months on mine. And it changed MANY times. At the end, it was worth it.

She doesn't need a PhD. She needs medication.