I am Crashing and Burning

[Ryan4]

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.

Edited November 20, 2018 by Ryan4

[Levon3]

On 11/19/2018 at 6:29 PM, Ryan4 said:

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.

Does your university have counselling services? I've found them to be SO helpful with strategies for managing emotions and stress, even if they didn't provide enough free sessions for me to actually tackle my depression too.