Torn between two groups.

[Bio-Physics]

Right so there are two groups which I am looking at:

Group one

Worked for this summer

Love the research

8th year prof, all grads have gotten either professorships, decent jobs or high powered postdocs, he just got full professorship

~20 people (grads+post docs)

Group dynamic is not so good. I'm an American and the language of the lab is basically Chinese.

Group two

Haven't worked for

I like the research, I could do it, but I don't like it as much.

6th year prof, only graduated a few students but so far they've all done decently enough for themselves.

~12 people

Even though the professor is Chinese as well as about 5 of the students the group language is English.

both groups churn out papers and are pretty hardcore with respect to work hours (which I can handle)

Dunno after typing this out (I had a bit more but deleted it) it's really should I do research I like less to be in a group with a better dynamic? Any advice? (I have to chose by the end of the month and I can't do a rotation in group 2)

[tso123d]

In the first group, is the problem only the fact that the majority of the members predominantly spoke Chinese, or do you mean more by "group dynamic." For instance, did you find your workers to generally be friendly and helpful, or the opposite? If it's the first case, then if I were in your place I would choose the first group. I understand that it can be somewhat uncomfortable to be in that situation and you may feel isolated to some because of your different cultural background, but I think over time this problem will tend to decrease as you get to know everyone better at a personal level. And I think ultimately (baring extreme circumstances of course), professional considerations should take precedence, since after all the main purpose of graduate school is to prepare you for your future career. Also, how familiar are you with the second group. Since you've already worked in the first you already know the bad, but I'm sure also some of the good. On the other hand, it's possible that you may find your impression of the people in the second group change when you start to work there. From that point of view, opting for the second group appears to be a bit more risky.

Edited December 4, 2010 by tso123d

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

FWIW, my friend's sister quit her PhD largely because of being in a group of all foreigners. She was inherently excluded, not because her lab mates were rude, but because it's easier for them to speak in their native language. Small conversations of just day to day stuff was not in English, and she became increasingly isolated and left.

However, if you enjoy the research more in group 1, that interest will keep you going. Lab members also change over time, who knows who will be there in 1-2 years?

[Bio-Physics]

In the first group, is the problem only the fact that the majority of the members predominantly spoke Chinese, or do you mean more by "group dynamic." For instance, did you find your workers to generally be friendly and helpful, or the opposite? If it's the first case, then if I were in your place I would choose the first group. I understand that it can be somewhat uncomfortable to be in that situation and you may feel isolated to some because of your different cultural background, but I think over time this problem will tend to decrease as you get to know everyone better at a personal level. And I think ultimately (baring extreme circumstances of course), professional considerations should take precedence, since after all the main purpose of graduate school is to prepare you for your future career. Also, how familiar are you with the second group. Since you've already worked in the first you already know the bad, but I'm sure also some of the good. On the other hand, it's possible that you may find your impression of the people in the second group change when you start to work there. From that point of view, opting for the second group appears to be a bit more risky.

Most of the Chinese group members just sorta ignore me.The word isolation is good cause it describes exactly what it was like. The only real good in the first group is the research. I really like it. But, over the course of the summer I didn't get to really know any of the chinese group members so I dunno why it'd be different in the future.

Also I'm not saying the people in the second group are great. But on the other hand they are initially friendly to me, which is an improvement over group one, it's like in one I know interactions with most other people will be bad while in the other yea it's some what unknown but at worst it's just as bad as group I

Thank you both for your advice.