Dal PhDer

I use both. For books I know I'm going to be using and using and using, I like a physical copy so I can write, highlight, postit, etc. However, you would be amazed at how many useful textbooks you can get for free online - so I have lots of those, and they're very useful. I would research both, and see what you prefer.

Hmmm....Yeah, I think that he's trying to see if you're interested. I wouldn't make any assumptions though. A smart faculty member wouldn't necessarily do this with a new student - as there is a potential for a lot of trouble to happen. With that said, I know faculty with these relationships with their student (strictly 'professional', in the way that it's not a romance or anything), but these faculty are also married (not that married people don't have romance affairs). I wouldn't come out and address it, but if you're uncomfortable, and get the vibe that it's more than a professional invitation (and you don't want that), then I would just make it so that your next meetings are on campus. That can be nicely and easily done without addressing anything head on!

You can check online to see if they have a CV posted. It would be quicker than going through the individual funding sites, year by year, and finding their name. Also, you might want to do a quick search of your university website. If you type their name in, you might find out a lot more than they say on their faculty webpage.

I've worked during all of my degrees. Part-time during my undergrad and PhD,and full-time during my Masters. My Masters work was directly related to my thesis, so it actually was extremely beneficial for me. During my PhD, I've done a lot of TA work, and consulting work. It might take away from your school time (beit social or academic work time), but it can be worth it. I think you just need to be cautious and don't burn yourself out. There's pros and cons for working, and I think it varies between students.

Congrats to all! And drinks to those who need one Also, when I was doing my MA, a close friend was put on the waitlist- she ended up receiving a full award, so there is hope! Keep my fingers crossed for all!

I would call! It's not like it'll change the results! What's the harm!? And thanks for the congrats everyone Sending lots of vibes to all of you

It's not "official", as I haven't received a letter- but I did get a congrats. I needed it. I got turned down by CIHR 2 years in a row As for my stats: 3rd year of study, I have several other scholarships for my PhD (provincial, federal, and international), publications (2 accepted non-first author, 2 submitted first author, 7 published abstracts), 6 conference presentations...umm....what else do you want to know?

Got a department call - so your FGS department should know by now. Might be worth calling them!

It is not uncommon for rejected applicants to be told by SSHRC to apply to CIHR. They're very strict about where applicants truly fall- and if you have a hint of health in there, you'll most likely be told you don't fall under the SSHRC funding themes. Sorry to hear that SMF1016 - it's a bummer. Better luck next year.

...must...know... Congrats Dot! That's awesome!! Sending wishful vibes to all!

I feel like this 99% of the time...but I still love school. I think it can be hard to put things in perspective...I try really hard to look at the bigger picture, and remember why I choose this path. Recently I sought out a mentor because I did not feel that my advisor believed in my capabilities- which left me doubting myself. He put it very plainly: You wouldn't have gotten to where you are if you weren't capable. So I've begun to stop myself when this "silly thinking" (that's what he calls it) creeps in, and I remind myself at everything that I've accomplished! We all start somewhere. We don't do a PhD or a MA because we know everything and have nothing to learn- we do it BECAUSE we need to learn! We're all capable and able to do it- but we all have these doubts! Try and remember all the great work that you have done, and it'll inspire you to recognize all the great work that you can do

Hi there, The second month into my PhD, I ended my 5 year relationship. The breakup was very painful, poisonous, and vicious. At the time, it was hard. Battling the emotions everyday; figuring out the logistics of moving while managing course work, writing grant applications, and RA work; and putting on a brave face at school and work was so difficult. I can remember getting an email from him in the middle of the day at work, and having to quietly leave and cry in the bathroom. So yeah...it sucked. (throwing out his $300 golf shoes did feel good though!!) With all that said...it was worth it. It gave me a sense of 'rebirth' (that sounds so new-age!)..but it's true! I got to go back an experience grad school being single and having the freedom to do whatever. I didn't have the constriction of catering to another person- I could work until 4am (or party!)....It REALLY changed me, and for the better. So while it's hard now...know that you'll get through it. I didn't think I would ever heal or be able to move on- but I did. Take the time to recover and heal- it takes awhile.But know that afterwards, you'll be okay- and you'll be able to start over on an exciting path!

Thanks guys! I do agree that as a graduate student you need to develop a tough skin. I think it's something that's not mentioned enough in graduate school- there there's a 'mental' component to all this that can be very overwhelming. I'm on the fence when it comes to accepting that it's just 'part of the experience', I think something in the culture needs to change. I don't see why a learning environment at the graduate level can't be warm, motivating and encouraging. I do think that it depends on the student, supervisor, and student-supervisor relationship- but I think we (graduate students) accept too easily, that it's okay and 'normal' to feel the way we do sometimes. {{I'm speaking more to my environment and experience, as I will often say that feeling the way I do, and experiencing the sometimes overly harsh critiques is just a part of the experience...but I don't think it has to be!}} I think you all bring up really great points- if I believe in myself, that's really what matters in the long run. I should concentrate on how I feel about my work, and take the constructive criticism to build up my work (and ignore the not so constructive criticism!)…and also focus on the positive feedback that I receive elsewhere in my academics! I shouldn’t let the opinion of one person overshadow the opinion of others! I wish there was a handbook for : How you should feel during graduate school, and what to expect.

We've all experienced situations that have left us feeling unenthusiastic and unsure about your path in academics. How do you guys pick yourself up, and reassure yourself that you're competent enough to continue on? Lately I've been feeling like I'm working to the bone doing my utmost best to provide exceptional quality work to my advisor, and yet I always leave our meetings feeling like I'm a below average student that is just not meeting expectations. These meetings cut my confidence down and leave me wanting to just curl into a ball on the sofa and watch reality tv. How do you guys shake those feelings and press on? I know it's not a simple answer, but any kind of positive, warm and fuzzy responses are welcome!

I think it depends (like others have said) what point you're at in your degree. Right now, while I'm doing my comps, I meet maybe once a month. I'll admit that my PI tends to be more away than there, but I have high hopes that this will change when I dive into my data collection phase. I think it also depends on what you want. If I wanted to meet more, I'm sure I could- so you will most likely have that flexibility!

Are you saying that you don't need to apply for REB approval for every new project you do? That if you are CITI trained, you've already received approval for any work you do? Because if so...that's freaking AMAZING and I'm completely jealous.

It sounds like you're looking to collect data from a specific department and/or lab. Perhaps your supervisor was suggesting that you go and talk to a department head or gatekeeper that you agree to help you out. From my experience, before going through the hospital's REB, you need someone from the department to put their stamp of approval on it. Perhaps going to the department and presenting your research proposal and seeing how they could help would be the first step. Also, before you collect data, you may need to go through both the hospital's REB and your university's REB. This is the case for us here.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I don't think immaturity or anything impacts writing. Like ak48 said, it has A LOT to do with how much you read and write! I'm also trying to improve my writing. I think in this field, you always have too. What I'm doing (and you might want to try) is: -Write everyday on my projects (or even in a blog). (a) the more you do it, the better you'll get - even if it's not for a paper. ( just getting thoughts down and ideas is helpful. If you do that everyday, you'll be surprised at how much content you can get down. -Start early. By writing everyday, I can make sure assignments are done early. This allows me to (a) take it to the writing center at my school to go over it with a tutor who does editing (it's VERY helpful, and I would recommend doing it to all students), ( gives me time to have a peer look over it, and © gives me time to have fresh eyes so I can go over it. - Edit your peers' work! This really helps! Writing isn't a skill that comes naturally to everyone...but it's also a skill everyone has to work at. Don't let some rude uppity bring you down- they should be building you up and teaching and encouraging you! You can improve your writing!

I finished the first book in the series this summer- SOO good! A Shadow of Night is in my stack of 'too read'! I needed a bit of a break, as I didn't really like the character growth of Diana...I loved her from the start, but - as so many heriones for me do - lost the spunk, independence and determination that I loved in her. Did you hear they're making a movie of the series?

What's a paleo diet?

That's awesome! Good luck! You can do it!!

Think of your PhD as a means to an end. You've invested so much time, effort and money into it- it seems like a shame to not finish. As far as the length and content of your thesis- that's dependent on what your advisor, committee and discipline want. Try and remember that a Masters is not necessarily about generating new and earth shattering research, it's about developing the skills, tools, and experience to conduct research. As insignificant as your research may seem, the process of coming up with a question, doing a lit review, conducting an experiment, doing data analysis, and writing/presenting results are all valuable skills. While it seems like you're obviously not interested in grad school - which is totally ok - it would probably be worth your time to finish it up, since you're so close. Also, the length of your thesis is not a representation of the quality and/or significance of the work you've done. As for your topic, I'm not in your area...but to me it seems like a decent project. You outline, as Seeking said above, the history of androids their relevance, and why battery power is important. present your experiment - adding to the code - see if it changes battery life, results, discussion/implications/limitations, BAM- done. Throw in a few tables and graphs..and BAM WHAM...done even more!

Thanks for the recommendations! I have the Matched series! I wasn't sure if they were worth checking out- but now I will!

I think success is measured differently for different disciplines. Yes, publication amounts are one measure, but it's not often the best- as people could work very hard on excellent projects that contribute a lot, but might only have 1-2 publications that come out of it. In terms of succeeding in academics for a TT position- what I know is that publications and successful funding applications are a large contribution to you attaining a position (but you cannot discount teaching evaluations and your presence on committees/boards, etc.). However, the point I wanted to contribute to this discussion is that success for a PhD graduate might not be evaluated through traditional academic checkpoints, such as publications. For those going into government or NGO positions, publication numbers will not be a measure that is indicative of success. To get these positions, you'll need a variety of skills and experience outside of publication. And also success is very subjective. I know a few people who would say they are very successful but have not published anything from their thesis and are not working in academics! If you're wondering more about the value of publications- they are important for many reasons (funding opportunities, TT positions, post-doc positions), but so are a variety of other skills! And may not be as heavily weighted depending on the career path you want to take!

Hi there, *big hugs* I'm sorry things are going the way they are for you. I haven't dealt with depression to that extreme, but I have been in a situation where my advisor hasn't been encouraging of my abilities and had left me feeling beaten down and stupid. I think a lot of students feel this way, and it's because their supervisors might not understand the personality, situational factors that impact a student's confidence and self-esteem. Regardless, it's not right for anyone to make you feel like you can't do something you want. I honestly think that 70% of success in grad school is based on hard work, motivation and desire of the student, 20% on the quality and guidance of the supervisor, and 10% on pure natural ability. It sounds like that 70% - you got it! You've upped your game, worked harder, and willing to produce- and the biggest factor in there is you are willingly to recognize and admit to things that need changing and work on them. To me, it sounds like your advisor is creating an unhealthy environment for you. I know fields are different, but I have witnessed kind, encouraging, and present adivisors, and their students are happy and successful! I've also witnessed supervisors that take a distant and harsher approach to advising, and some students are happy with that. I think you're at a crossroads right now. If you want to continue on, talk to your current supervisor and tell them that you want to finish your degree and that this is something you enjoy and is important to you. Your advisor may say "okay, lets keep going" or say "No.". From there, I would talk to your graduate coordinator about other options. Could you change supervisors? Or even programs? What would be the disadvantages or issues with doing either of these. I would also suggest you maybe have a meeting with the graduate coordinator and your supervisor together, to discuss why your supervisor thinks grad school isn't for you. I think it's important for all parties involve to know the expectations of the student, and to give an assessment of both the teaching and learning in the relationship. I also know that all of this is compounded by your depression- which makes it more difficult. I don't know how comfortable you are, but perhaps you can talk to your advisor/grad coordinator about it. I know mental health is stigmatized, but I think you should be open and upfront about it, and that it may impact your life on occasion- it's nothing to be ashamed of. I do understand though that you might not feel comfortable talking about it with them. But there are options to take a leave of absence for health, and might be an option if you find that your depression is impacting your work. I hope this works out for you. It sounds like you're very aware of your emotions and mood, and the factors which contribute to your depression. My main point is: don't let someone else tell you can or can't do something. If you want to do grad school, then you're more than able to! PS: Also, there are ALWAYS options. Talk to people in your department and school about your options. Your graduate coordinator, career center, even counselling these are all services that can help you understand the options that are available to you.