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It might actually be a pretty fluid transition for you, or less of an adjustment as you might expect as universities are increasingly corporatizing their methods and policies. 
 
As far as academic being less mentally draining than a corporate sector career... well... it might not be so easy to say one is better than the other. Academics don't work regular work hours; they work all the time including weekends and holidays. Especially if you're on a tenure track. (There was an article in the chronicle of higher ed I think that said that the avg work week for academics runs about 70 hours for pre-tenured asst or assoc professors) You'll need to teach, do committee work, advise students AND publish a book (generally). That last task is usually done when you're not on campus, so that's where most academics' free time goes to; something you have to do on your "own" time. 
 
Also, even after you get tenured you're still assessed every X number of years (5 or 6 seems to be what I gather) and your publications, conference presentations, talks, administrative contributions and mentorship (AND your teaching) is taken into account. 
 
Also keep in mind that many academics also leave the faculty and start careers in the administration of universities, though perhaps later on in their careers. 
 
All that said, for me, I'd go into academia. I like research and I like teaching. I wouldn't consider it an easier job than in the corporate world (which i've also been in, in the insurance industry). It's equally as demanding, with workload, deadlines and politics; but it's different, both in the experience and rewards. 

I came from a family of nothing. My parents don't even speak a word of English. I was supposed to be a mediocre person until I met the professors in college who believed in me and made me realize I could be so much more. Having worked in several industries after graduation in which 3 years were spentl teaching highschool kids, i realized education is my calling. I missed teaching and inspiring younger generations when i was doing a corporate job.

I want to follow my professors' footsteps, and the only way to become a professor is to have a PhD.

Hi,

I need to develop a brochure for small organization i volunteer in. It is about awareness of oral cancer. I dont know how to start. The organization is small and dont have experts.
I have some information from my text books. But what about photos? They have to be originial or can download from internet? D i need liscenced or expert one to review it before publication?

How long does it take for an acceptance letter to come in the mail after you receive the letter through email?

I agree with this. Competition was fierce this year... many programs saw an increase in applicants and a decrease in funding (due to the federal budget cuts), which is not a very good combination of circumstances. And there's no indication that the situation will improve next year; in fact, competition might be even more fierce then if the funding situation does not improve.
 
There's also no guarantee that you'd be accepted next year even if you can improve your GRE scores or get your papers published this year. These things will increase your odds, no doubt, but it may not be enough if the money just isn't there to support you. There were many people with great scores, good research experience, and publications who were rejected from numerous programs this admissions cycle-- there are just so many factors that go into a school's decision. For what it's worth, here is a message from a POI at a school that rejected me this year. The research fit was nearly perfect, and my overall application was strong (good GREs, high undergrad and master's GPA, first-author publication, etc.):
 
 
The reason that there were so few spots available is because of funding-- this school will only admit students if they can guarantee them full 5-year support.
 
Given all of that, I think you should take the offer at UIUC if it is not too late to accept. The research fit is good, the school itself is good, and you have a fully funded offer, which is something might be hard to secure anywhere next year... even if your application is very strong. Urbana-Champaign is a pretty small city, but it's not the middle of absolute nowhere... there will be things to do there on the weekends and people to meet, etc. And it's probably not as cold as you are thinking it might be (though I might be biased in saying this... I'm used to--and actually prefer--cold climates).
 
Good luck with your decision!

As we all know about the sequester, from next year the competition to get in those programs will be much much harder.  I would say take this offer if the fit is good.  UIUC is an amazing school!

Is it possible to defer the fellowship?
 
If I go on medical leave, then can I make the fellowship stay inactive for a year?

Prestige. Happiness can be bought. 

You labeled this post as prestige vs. happiness.  I'd pick happiness every time and sounds like your gut is telling you to go with school #2.  I'm a firm believer that if you are truly happy at what you're doing, success will follow in the long-run.  Also, a school's name and network will only get you so far... Even without knowing all the specifics, my vote is for school #2 where you have more potential for happiness and success at a lower price tag.  

Tooo true!!!! What else would I complain about?? ...I feel a "first world problems" need to be interjected in here

I certainly agree with you that you can't expect your professor to be everything..and it's really important to recognize that they have their own career, family, and life to think about- and what makes or breaks a relationship for one student, might not for another. And I certainly agree that it's difficult to re-build a broken relationship, especially with trust...I think the most important thing for a student to feel is what you said here:



I think a lot can be overlooked or forgiven if a student truly feels their advisor is invested/interested in them (especially outside of their project).

I have had a very interesting experience with my PhD advisor- I love him, and think he's great- but I do question his ability to get my through my degree. He's new, he doesn't have experience, and I thinnk my own personality/working style clashes with him. He does try, but I am constantly finding that he's not meeting my expectations. I do realize he's human, he's busy, and unlike in my life- I am not his number 1 priority. I still want to work with him, but I realize that I need to step up and fight for my own degree. I love that you would quietly let your advisor know you were having issues- this is something I am learning, and it's an excellent thing to know- you can tell them you're unhappy- this is a two way relationship.

I guess that's one of the biggest things I would like to stress to the OP- is that your advisor is human and might not always make the right choices...but this is your degree and you have to be the advocate for it.

It's not possible to apply during medical leave?!? I thought that the document said that it's okay as long as you haven't completed more than 1 graduate-year of coursework.
 
I'm not taking medical leave just to apply again; I may be forced to take medical leave due to difficulty of finding an adviser in my own department (this was the result of a culmination of circumstances - caused by both an incredible combination of bad luck and my own bad judgment).

it's more than twelve months of full time enrollment. so i doubt you'd be under 12 months by the time you're suggesting you'd apply for the fourth time.

also, being on medical leave and being fully enrolled (a requirement) are probably mutually exclusive.

lastly, explaining that situation would be quite the uphill battle... i'm sure you've exhaustively explored your options for an adviser, but that's probably where you should really focus your time now. thinking "if i get an NSF, it'll solve my adviser situation!" is like saying "if i crush the mcat, i'll get into top medschools!" - they might have some amount of truth to them, but accomplishing the first part is not trivial.

rather than spam each fellowship thread with the same question, why don't you contact all of the award-granting institutions (ASEE, NSF, DOE, etc.)?

Well, I think my advice for this is the same as what a professor told me when I asked something similar..
 
"Why don't you wait and see if you get it before you ask questions like that?"
 
EDIT:
Realized how mean that sounds. I mean that, you don't want to ask questions like that because it raises your hope up to a certain level because you've thought about what would happen if you have it, you know? It's like thinking about what that $5000 allowance would get you in terms of a workstation computer. It will raise an incredible amount of hope that may be too hurtful to recover from easily.

I'm in this process right now: asking my top choice to offer additional support to match with fellowship offers from other schools.
I found that it is best to ask during the visits. By preparing myself well for interviews, asking good questions and having good science talks with POIs, they have a better idea of me as a prospective student. Therefore, the negotiation became less contrived. I talked to the dept chairs as well as my favorite POIs about my existing offers, being as forthcoming and respectful as I could. After the visits, I followed up by emails. But the first face to face conversations seemed to have the most impact. It is interesting to see that some POIs/ departments like you enough to not only match other offers, but also bend over backwards to help you with other aspects of starting grad school (relocation, finding job for your spouse).
The results so far is one additional first year fellowship (departmental), one schoolwide full fellowship nomination, and one early bird fellowship (to start grad school early with stipend). The lesson learnt is that you should ask. This is the only time you can negotiate. If they are not interested in helping you now, wouldn't it say something about how much they value you as a potential student?

Oh yes

Tonyum--

Hang in there. You can do it!

Remember that your department believes in you, your ability to work hard, and your potential--otherwise they'd not have offered you admission. Your department believes in you. Trust their wisdom. It wasn't by accident that they said "Come, be one of us."

Right now, the learning curve looks steep because you're building upon your previous experiences to build new skill sets. As formidable as the new terrain may seem, you have it within you to figure out ways to navigate it successfully.

Let go of fear. Your legs are shaky now. Yet visualize yourself on that day in the not so distant future when you'll be running, looking over your shoulder, and laughing "Hey, slowpokes, keep up!" You can do it.

Now, in addition to the options outlined above, please consider the utility of the following.

Get to know some of your professors. As they have been there and done that, they know what you're going through. Among them may be a professor or two who can offer words of wisdom, an empathetically appropriate response, and maybe even friendship. (If a friendship does develop, keep the boundaries clear in your own mind. And remember that empathy is different than sympathy.)

Get to know some of the grad students who have been around a while. They may know some tricks of the trade that will benefit you.

Carve out some "me time" in your schedule. As an example, when I was doing my coursework, the interval between the end of my last class of the week and the evening of the following day was mandatory decompression time. Concurrently, I made a commitment to watching most of my favorite team's games--no matter what.

Now and again, these requirements led to some long nights to make a deadline. And maybe I'd have been better off missing a Lakers' game to peck away at a draft. But sometimes you just have to stick it to the man.

If you do designate "me time," consider a counter-programing approach. For instance, if you're going to have a "Friday night" make that night Wednesday. This way, you'll have to deal with less traffic at popular venues.

Carve out some discretionary funds in your budget. I know times are hard and the life of a graduate student can be austere. But designate a certain amount for certain activities and then pursue those activities. As an example, budget fifty bucks a month for music and/or a similar amount for Starbucks. Spend some of your "me time" leisurely spending your money. (Alternatively, you could get some magazine subscriptions at the student rate.)

Then, just before you get ready for another session of hitting the books, put your feet up on a chair, take a sip of your mocha while you listen to your iPod, look around, and take pride that you are on your way to knowing more about chemistry than most people who will ever walk the face of the Earth.

You have to make time for some type of friend outside of your classmates, you know normal folks. They help to keep you grounded and give you a sense of perspective that is lost in the lab grind by the rest of us. For instance, I used to drink beer with the night janitor while getting my MS. When 11pm rolled around, I'd stop what I'd be doing and we would walk the halls drinking Bud Lights in koozies, bullshitting, and I'd help him empty the trash. I'd tell him about my problems, he'd tell me his, I'd explain my project to him, and he would ask me why I was doing something. I still miss our evening constitutionals, where we discussed life, science, why the PI down the hall was such a bitch, and whose turn it was to buy beer.

Moral of the Story: Make some damn time for friends. You are never going to have balance all the time in your graduate career. At some points you will feel like you are spending too much time in the lab or too much time on your personal life. That's fine, just let it balance out in the long run. How many scientists were there 200 years ago? A shit ton son! How many can we name? Not too many. Science is not your life, its something you are passionate about and do to live your life. Enjoy the people around you and let them enjoy you.

Now get your ass out of the lab and make friends. Oh and study too.

RNadine, I'm so sorry to hear that this ordeal with the difficult committee member hasn't yet resolved itself! I remember your previous post and the distress it caused you then, it's terrible that the situation is still ongoing.
 
I think it's important to bring someone in, and as you say - start with your advisor. You should be very honest with your advisor about the financial as well as emotional difficulties that this person has been creating for you. Since assigning blame isn't going to be useful here, I think you want to come in with a goal in mind that you will graduate by a certain date, and therefore will defend and file your thesis by a certain date. This is precisely where your advisor and other committee members should be championing your cause and defending you against this person. I think it's a perfectly legitimate request to have an agreed upon set of things you need to do and also at the same time a date for a defense and graduation! If you can have a written document specifying tasks you need to accomplish and these dates, and if everyone but this person agree to this plan, that's an important step for dealing with this person. If this person is notorious for being difficult, then people also have experience in dealing with this problem. Maybe you can get these people with more experience to lead the effort to solve the problem? Also, if there is no way (or will) to try and force his hand from within the department, then there are ways to do so without -- there must be an ombudsperson at your university who has had experience dealing with such situations. If you can't agree on a defense date and an end to the changes (when everybody else agrees they're unnecessary), then maybe it's time to get this external help. But before you do anything, if you've been putting up a brave front, I think it's time to be very clear about all the ways in which this is hurting you and trying to work with your advisor to end this situation.

Yeah, better to phone or knock on his door. It's easy to forget about emails in an inbox, a person standing in your doorway has to be dealt with immediately.
In general, my experience with faculty is that unless you give them a clear deadline for when you require x to be done...they'll do x at their own, sweet, slow pace. Be upfront & specific about when you want the map.

I'm 29 and will be starting my MA this year, so I'll be 31 when it's done, and around 35 or 36 when I finish my PhD. I'm ok with that. My father finished his PhD around that time, and has had a fulfilling career and life since then. Got 20 years of teaching in, still does research, etc. My sister will be 36 when she finishes her PhD. Sooooo, my family is a bunch of late bloomers...and that's ok.

There's no sense in rushing things...everyone goes at their own pace. I think you'll find once you get to grad school that there are many, many people around your age or older.

You have no right to judge unless you yourself have not made a single ethical compromise. We've all lied, cheated, and stolen before. The difference between you and I is the difference between Master and Slave morality.

So the key is to avoid getting caught working.

My idea was that I should just work at a startup company and code for them while studying for the MS. I know several PhD students who actually have their own companies while studying for a fully funded PhD. As long as I prepare a research project before I begin the MS program, I'd be able to show to my advisor that I'm actually doing some research.. lol. She'll think that I'm having reasonable progress for a first year student.

But thanks for the comments guys. You've really helped me solidify my plans to do this. I promise myself that I WILL do this, IF (1) I don't get admitted with a full-time scholly from an MS program or (2) My employer does not sponsor a part-time MS for me.



That's the thing, I can definitely pull it off when it comes to work load - I worked 42 hours a week during the semester as an undergraduate, and during one summer, I worked 70 hours. Not to undermine the experiences of other people or anything, but all this struggling has made me realize that money's important, and feeling all guilty about ethical ramifications is just for suckers who had it good in life.

But it's unfair to say this, but it's just a generalization.

I chose my school and research group based on the "vibe" I got from the advisor. Mine is great, at least for me- we fit really well, we have similar writing styles, etc. The main thing I like about him is that he's young and still really interested in the field- we swap cool articles we've recently read, talk about new possibilities, and such.

He's not so far out of grad school that he doesn't really remember the process, and he's very focussed on career development and helping each of his grad students plan out their future, and help them acheive their goals. He's great about helping us apply for external funding, get some experience with grant writing, teaching, reviewing journal articles- all of those little things that really help down the road.

On a personal level, I also like him a lot- his wife is also TT in the same discipline, so they've been quite helpful as "role models" for me and my wife who are looking towards having to navigate similar two-body problems.

He's around most of the time, and has a completely open door policy. Even when he's not around, I can call or text him if I need something immediately, or e-mail him if I don't need it quite as fast. He's fine with all of us working flexible schedules, especially those of us with family.

I had two advisers on the MA level. The first was a stereotypical "Professor Smith" from the PhD comics. It turned out that he was incredibly caring at the end of my program, but you could not tell it the two years that I TA-ed for the man. He was very... detached. In fact, he sort of avoided having an eye contact with you, but we did drink a lot of wine in front of his fire place while talking. His approach to mentoring was loading me up with books, loads so huge, that I once went tumbling down on the floor right outside his office. I transferred to a different adviser, and there were no hard feelings. It was over a difference in academic interests/methodology. In fact, my family still goes to his house for Thanksgiving 7 years later.

Second adviser was a dream. I remember sending her my thesis at 11 at night, and having it back with her hand-written notes at 7 in the morning the next day. And the thing was HUGE. She was thorough, respectful, fast. We ended up having a great connection. I flew across the country 5 years after I graduated to have a heart to heart with her about my academic career and what I want to do with it. Come to think of it, we stayed at "Professor Smith's" house that time.

So there you go