Reading through r/grad school is honestly making me dread grad school/feel like I'm going to hate it

[PhantomThief]

I'm doing an MA program in fall and have been lurking on the r/gradschool reddit and honestly, it's making me feel like I'm going to dread grad school and hate it. People say its endless reading/writing , which makes me feel like I'll be doing this and have little time for hobbies or a social life. People mention they are isolated, which makes me feel the same and that grad school is really a job/treated like a job, which means for me it's the start of a mundane 9 to 5 job experience with no activities on campus at 22 right now. It sucks I lost a part of uni experience due to Covid but these posts are making it sting even worse and worse and I don't want to spend the next 2 years of my life being miserable

[slouching]

Grad school often involves a lot of reading and writing, yes. I would imagine the intensity of this depends partly on what field you're in, as well as the norms of your program. While the amount of work may seem overwhelming at times (especially when you're just starting out), remember that part of being in grad school is learning how to do that work, and you will learn strategies to make it more manageable. Treating grad school like a job can be a really healthy way of approaching it, IMO, and may help to alleviate the fear of not having any time for any other part of your life. You don't necessarily have to schedule your workday like a 9 to 5, but you may find it helpful to set some boundaries. For example, when I was a TA, I made it clear to students that I would stop checking my university email after a certain time, to prevent them from expecting a response from me at all hours of the day. I also found it really beneficial to build time into my day for things that had nothing to do with school, like the hobbies and social life you mentioned. Creating a schedule for yourself, even informally, can make it easier to stay focused and not get overwhelmed by anxiety about not doing "enough." And if you're a TA or RA or are otherwise employed by your school as part of your funding package, thinking about grad school in terms of a job may be a particularly good idea, because that's literally what it is. 

TL;DR it is absolutely possible to be a grad student and also have hobbies/friends/fun, but if you are going into it with the expectation that it'll be just like undergrad, you're likely to be disappointed.

 

 

[RyanS]

I hope you don't mind if I paste the last few paragraphs of a book I wrote. It's about becoming part of something larger than yourself, which is what you do in grad school.

"I hope that any concerns created by reading this book do not overshadow the growth potential that awaits you in graduate school. Academia is a deeply personal pursuit, and through it you are likely to build formative relationships that alter your social trajectory, gain access to cutting-edge approaches, and find mentors who truly care about you as a person. You will encounter opportunities to practice alongside the current movers and shakers, learn from the “old guard,” and witness the emergence of innovation. You may experience radical shifts in your worldview, learn skillful means in walking the world, and find a deepening sense of purpose.

Professionalism is also about all of these things. Your profession was built before you and is carried through time by those who have adopted it as part of their identity. To build a professional identity means that you, too, accept the responsibility and commitment that your profession has promised to society. It is a noble undertaking, one that requires ongoing personal growth and selfless dedication. Your willingness to honestly examine these principles within yourself is a testament to your value as a true professional." 

Also, reddit is a terrible source for information. Good luck! -R

[PhantomThief]

4 hours ago, slouching said:

Grad school often involves a lot of reading and writing, yes. I would imagine the intensity of this depends partly on what field you're in, as well as the norms of your program. While the amount of work may seem overwhelming at times (especially when you're just starting out), remember that part of being in grad school is learning how to do that work, and you will learn strategies to make it more manageable. Treating grad school like a job can be a really healthy way of approaching it, IMO, and may help to alleviate the fear of not having any time for any other part of your life. You don't necessarily have to schedule your workday like a 9 to 5, but you may find it helpful to set some boundaries. For example, when I was a TA, I made it clear to students that I would stop checking my university email after a certain time, to prevent them from expecting a response from me at all hours of the day. I also found it really beneficial to build time into my day for things that had nothing to do with school, like the hobbies and social life you mentioned. Creating a schedule for yourself, even informally, can make it easier to stay focused and not get overwhelmed by anxiety about not doing "enough." And if you're a TA or RA or are otherwise employed by your school as part of your funding package, thinking about grad school in terms of a job may be a particularly good idea, because that's literally what it is. 

TL;DR it is absolutely possible to be a grad student and also have hobbies/friends/fun, but if you are going into it with the expectation that it'll be just like undergrad, you're likely to be disappointed.

 

 

Not like Undergrad in what way? I don't party or drink like that. I was hoping to be involved in campus via clubs or attend a few social events on Campus

And I am a masters, is that life different from PHD?

[PsyDuck90]

Master's programs (at least in my experience) are far less rigid than PhD, but still more rigorous and heavy on the reading/ writing than undergrad. I maybe had 1 traditional exam during my master's. Pretty much every class was a lot of reading to prepare for discussions in class and writing papers. Very little of your class time will be spent on lectures. In my experience, grad school classes are more focused on engaging the students in nuanced discussion. Depending on your field, you'll probably also be spending a significant amount of time doing research. Some schools have graduate student clubs. My MA had a master's student club which would put on presentations about various topics of interest for our field. Grad school is also different from undergrad in that most grad students don't usually live on campus. That typically live off campus, possibly working a part/full time job and don't necessarily engage in many of the undergrad on-campus activities. That's not to say that it isn't allowed, but I've just seen very little co-mingling of undergrads and grad students in both the universities I've been at (I did my BA and MA at the same school). Then again, I also worked full time as an 18 year old to pay rent while in college so I wasn't really the typical undergrad to begin with. What kind of on-campus clubs and events are you interested in? Also, if you provide your field of study, people may be able to tell you what the more typical experience may be for your field. For instance, my experience is based in psychology departments, while I'm sure a chemistry person may have a different experience. 

[PhantomThief]

30 minutes ago, PsyDuck90 said:

Master's programs (at least in my experience) are far less rigid than PhD, but still more rigorous and heavy on the reading/ writing than undergrad. I maybe had 1 traditional exam during my master's. Pretty much every class was a lot of reading to prepare for discussions in class and writing papers. Very little of your class time will be spent on lectures. In my experience, grad school classes are more focused on engaging the students in nuanced discussion. Depending on your field, you'll probably also be spending a significant amount of time doing research. Some schools have graduate student clubs. My MA had a master's student club which would put on presentations about various topics of interest for our field. Grad school is also different from undergrad in that most grad students don't usually live on campus. That typically live off campus, possibly working a part/full time job and don't necessarily engage in many of the undergrad on-campus activities. That's not to say that it isn't allowed, but I've just seen very little co-mingling of undergrads and grad students in both the universities I've been at (I did my BA and MA at the same school). Then again, I also worked full time as an 18 year old to pay rent while in college so I wasn't really the typical undergrad to begin with. What kind of on-campus clubs and events are you interested in? Also, if you provide your field of study, people may be able to tell you what the more typical experience may be for your field. For instance, my experience is based in psychology departments, while I'm sure a chemistry person may have a different experience. 

Field is political science

Research for what? My thesis or research paper? I do not register that until third trimester

Do undergrads live on campus for all four years? In Canada, they live off campus by 2nd year

[PsyDuck90]

1 minute ago, PhantomThief said:

Field is political science

Research for what? My thesis or research paper? I do not register that until third trimester

Do undergrads live on campus for all four years? In Canada, they live off campus by 2nd year

Master's thesis. Even if you don't register for the course until later on, most people start work on it much earlier to ensure they graduate in a timely fashion. In the US, it varies by location/university. I don't really know what the stats are, but I knew plenty of people who lives on campus throughout all of undergrad. I went to a university in a major US city that didn't have dorms, so my experience was always off-campus housing. I have no idea what college life is like in Canada though.