Who loves their graduate program?

[mandarin.orange]

Throughout the application process, I've kept a running list of pros about being a grad school, what I WON'T miss about my current occupation: high school teaching. "Positive Affirmations," if you will, and reminders of all the reasons why I'm taking 4 years out of my mid-30s, my best earning, possibly home-buying years, to do this. I figure I can look back if/when my motivation declines sometime in the dissertation-writing stage...I am sure it will, although right now I am sooo ramped up to start working on research problems/questions again and take classes. I have a great offer from my first choice and am going to visit on Sunday. I am so excited!

However, quick perusal of this topic in the forum yields lots of gloom-and-doom stories...should I drop out, I hate my advisor, etc. etc. Indeed 3 of my closest friends went into PhD programs and didn't finish, others forced themselves to get the masters they came for (terminal masters is common in geology) and get out and have wanted nothing to do with academia since.

So, I want to ask...who out there DOES love their program, does believe they are in the right place right now, and why?

[wtncffts]

Throughout the application process, I've kept a running list of pros about being a grad school, what I WON'T miss about my current occupation: high school teaching. "Positive Affirmations," if you will, and reminders of all the reasons why I'm taking 4 years out of my mid-30s, my best earning, possibly home-buying years, to do this. I figure I can look back if/when my motivation declines sometime in the dissertation-writing stage...I am sure it will, although right now I am sooo ramped up to start working on research problems/questions again and take classes. I have a great offer from my first choice and am going to visit on Sunday. I am so excited!

However, quick perusal of this topic in the forum yields lots of gloom-and-doom stories...should I drop out, I hate my advisor, etc. etc. Indeed 3 of my closest friends went into PhD programs and didn't finish, others forced themselves to get the masters they came for (terminal masters is common in geology) and get out and have wanted nothing to do with academia since.

So, I want to ask...who out there DOES love their program, does believe they are in the right place right now, and why?

I really enjoyed my MA program, as it allowed me to do things I had never done and prepare me for further academic goals. I really believe that any gripes I may have about my time there have more to do with me than the program: things I should have done but didn't, opportunities I didn't take advantage of, etc.

It's only natural that you're going to hear more about the complaints and difficulties of grad school on an internet forum. Whether it's human nature or whatever, we're more likely to want to air our grievances than our satisfactions. Obviously, many, if not most, grad students enjoy what they're doing in an overall sense, despite the work and the many small and not so small difficulties, else they wouldn't be there. Well, I suppose we could all be tremendously miserable but willing to put up with it for future benefit, but I doubt that's the case.

[UnlikelyGrad]

So, I want to ask...who out there DOES love their program, does believe they are in the right place right now, and why?

We had a great thread on this a couple of months ago...

I am in the middle of a particularly tense time right now, and yet I wouldn't change a thing. Grad school = awesome. (At least for me.)

[mandarin.orange]

We had a great thread on this a couple of months ago...

I am in the middle of a particularly tense time right now, and yet I wouldn't change a thing. Grad school = awesome. (At least for me.)

Thank you! I *thought* I had seen something like this, but then couldn't find it...figured I was imagining things.

[Eigen]

I'll throw some positive in the ring:

I like my research- it's interesting, diverse, and I feel like it's worthwhile most of the time.

I like my cohort and labmates- they tend to be supportive, mostly upbeat, and are generally pretty easy to work with.

I really like my boss- he's always available to ask questions of, he's good at helping me look down the line and make choices that align with my career goals, he helps me network, he's not too harsh in his criticism, and I enjoy spending time with him outside of lab when I have the chance.

I like my program- it's fairly laid back, but people care about good research, it's midsized so all the prof's know all the grad students, and we're well enough funded that I have access to all the instruments I need.

It's not like there haven't been some rough patches or low periods, but in general I'm very happy with where I am, who I'm working with, and what I'm working on.

And hey, I got to have lunch with a Nobel laureate today, so I'm in a particularly good mood.

Edited March 30, 2011 by Eigen

[Thales]

I'm only completing an MA, but I quite enjoyed my graduate program. I will be finishing up my thesis this summer and off to law school.

Of course, there were times when I felt a little discouraged, inundated with work, or etc. However, I believe that these highs and lows are normal. There is no shame in admitting them. I believe what is most important is that the pros of your program should far outweigh the cons, and I believe that for most graduate students (or at least, among those I have met) this is the case.

Take care and good luck in graduate school.

[ogopo]

I am so happy I decided to go to grad school. I am currently finishing my MSc and I love what I am doing. Granted, I need to finish this thesis and it's beating me up but that's my fault, not the program's. Overall, I have grown immensely through this process. I gave up a permanent full-time job as a technician to go back to school. There is not one day I regret that decision, even at the worst of times.

[gnetophyte]

I gripe about school often enough, but I truly do enjoy research. I signed up for this because I want to spend my career in a laboratory.

[Slorg]

Grad school is terrific!

[SNPCracklePop]

I've only been at my program since September, but I've really enjoyed the experience so far. I've made some great friends with my fellow students, and I look forward to coming into my lab each day to read new theories and discuss them with my advisor. The advisor really makes the difference between heaven and hell in graduate school. Sure there are stressful moments, there is never enough $$$, and family life adds to the responsibilities, but there is nothing like the freedom to explore, develop, and test theories. It's a chapter of your life unlike others, and many wish for this opportunity and never get the chance. Embrace every aspect of it, and best of luck.

[lcm]

In my first year of a 2 year MA program (English) and I LOVE it. My professors are amazing and I've gotten some great opportunities and learned a ton since being here. Everyone I've graduated who didn't choose more education is already having to enter the job market, while I'm getting to read and write. (Granted, I'm racking up some loans, but its worth it to me.)

[pospsy]

I love my program too (Social Psych PhD)!

I love my advisor. He's smart, helpful, and fun.

Other faculty are pretty awesome too. And we have a poker night like every other month

I love the classes I am taking. I love my cohort as well as other grad students in the program.

I love my undergrad RAs too! They are very motivated.

[csychology]

I haven't started my program yet, but my mum once told me to stop going on these forums because it is an inaccurate representation of real life. She pointed out to me that people who post on forums are usually here to seek help, meaning that they are currently having problems with their program. I think most of the people who are actually happy with their program would not be on the forums because they are actually living out their program instead of ruminating and ranting about it. Have hope!

Edited April 5, 2011 by csychology

[Mal83]

I'll be starting my Master's this Fall in Global Affairs, I'm ecstatic about it. I know there will be ups and downs just like with everything else. But I'll tell you exactly how I realized as an undergrad while majoring in International Studies, which is obviously along the same lines, that I'm loving what I'm doing and couldn't imagine doing anything else. I was having a miserable week and I hated one of my professors, I was in class (not his) and I zoned out for a minute and thought, "yikes, I really love this, this week has sucked and not everything is awesome, but there literally is nothing else I'd rather be doing than this right here." I loved my course of study, it led me to the Peace Corps which has led to me acceptance at a program I know I'll love too. It was a profound moment for me.

[Zouzax]

I love my graduate program too. I love that they let me take as many classes as I want, and leave me alone as long as I get good grades in the required courses. Last spring I took 7 courses -- three language & 4 cores. No one questioned me, and it ended up being my best semester, GPA-wise.

I also love how this program has pushed me to write better. I feel like I skated through high school and undergrad with so-so writing skills. It wasn't until I got here that I realized my English should and MUST be improved. Now I expect the same from my students. It has made me a better teacher too.

I love how I've been taught to think critically about language, culture and theory. This program has opened my eyes and made me see things in new ways.

And lastly, I love how this program pushed me to learn at least one other language, even when I thought it would never happen. Ive dreamed about living in a foreign country since I was young; its amazing to finally have done it.

[mudlark]

I love my supervisor. He's a perfect match for my working style, and with him as my supervisor I'm producing better work on a better timeline than I ever have before.

I love my committee members. They are super smart, super supportive, and just interesting human beings.

I love, love, LOVE conferences--flying to interesting cities to listen to other people geek out about my little corner of the humanities? Heaven!

I love my library, and my grad student borrowing privileges.

I love the material that I work on, and am very grateful to have all this time to spend with *my* authors.

I love teaching. I love commanding a room. I love passing on the texts and ideas that changed my life when I was young.

I love first year students. I love their curiosity, and their ability to improve. I love that they still seem to think I'm some kind of authority figure.

I've been through some very dark patches, and considered dropping out. But I kept my head down and worked my ass off, and came through all the funks in better shape than before. There are things that I don't love (grad student drama, battling egos, endless bitching) but the love column wins easily.

[runonsentence]

I, too, was FREAKED THE HECK OUT by all the gloom and doom that overwhelms Internet searches on grad school life. I came into grad school thinking that everyone I met was suicidal, isolated, trapped, bearing cut-throat and/or two-faced colleagues' politics, and miserably poor.

Instead, I came to a collegial program full of grad students who have become close friends and faculty who have gone out of their way to support me. Grad school has its unbelievable stresses at times, but not a week goes by where I don't think to myself how happy I am to be in graduate school, how excited I am to go into my field, and how "right" this life path (that I was once so unsure about!) feels.

I don't want to belittle the bad out there—there are many grads who are marginalized by the system. But don't let the gloom and doom paint the entirety of the profession. I think people just aren't talking about the positives as much as the negatives.

[juilletmercredi]

I have had some really rough points, battled program-related depression and was seriously considering dropping out earlier this semester. Despite all that, though, I do love my program. I love my research; I love the intellectual discussions with the professors and students here. I love my collegial department and how students are treated like junior colleagues here. I love that I chose an interdisciplinary program that allows me to get a really strong basic research foundation but also has a lot of applied and professional elements to it. I love my university's library - omg I LOVE the library. I love the resources and the name recognition of this university and school, and I LOVE the location!

The thing is, the two things - the gloom and doom, and the happiness with the program - aren't mutually exclusive. Through personal experience and talking with other grad students, I've found that even at the best programs students go through bouts of unhappiness. It's a stressful lifestyle! You are poor, you will be isolated sometimes, departmental politics will get you down and sometimes you will feel like quitting. But an awesome program (like mine) can save you from that - not necessarily prevent it from happening, but minimize it and help nip it in the bud when it does crop up.

[IRdreams]

Both of my parents are PhD equipped. When I got in, the main piece of advice my mom gave me was: "First Year Grad School: It is actually called first year graduate hell." While not the cheeriest advice, it actually has helped me stick it out during the tougher parts. At the end of the day, grad school is just a massive hazing ritual if we believe the economists on education and signaling (not that I do, mind you but hazing is still part of the process for sure).

[psycholinguist]

Back in January I said plenty about being completely in love with my grad-program (currently MA, about to go on to Ph.D.) over in the aforementioned other thread...and for the record, every single word of that post applies now at least as much as it did then!

[Milo_10011]

Although I'm not in a grad program yet (decision letter should arrive any day now ...) I am looking forward to grad school, regardless of whether the program is good, bad, or meh.

I've been out of work for over two years. Although I can cover the gap in employment by claiming (truthfully) that I was a consultant/temp/freelancer and kept busy in my field, I simply cannot survive in this job market. My industry took a massive hit (thank you Internet and all the pajama-clad thieves who "aggregate" content) and will not be coming back (expect a LOT more of that as the Internet's ability to apply slave wages to every field of human endeavor becomes more and more widespread. Eventually, all that will be left is prostitutes, fork-lift drivers, and security guards).

I'm going to get the degree, yes. But I'm also going (if I get in) because I can't survive in this economy. I have to start a new career path. Grad school will give me the perfect resume patch and allow me to reposition myself for a new career. (I really don't think teaching can be outsourced. Perhaps it can, but at that point, I think unemployment will be around 60% and the looters will be burning the cities to the ground.)

[geochic]

Throughout the application process, I've kept a running list of pros about being a grad school, what I WON'T miss about my current occupation: high school teaching. "Positive Affirmations," if you will, and reminders of all the reasons why I'm taking 4 years out of my mid-30s, my best earning, possibly home-buying years, to do this. I figure I can look back if/when my motivation declines sometime in the dissertation-writing stage...I am sure it will, although right now I am sooo ramped up to start working on research problems/questions again and take classes. I have a great offer from my first choice and am going to visit on Sunday. I am so excited!

However, quick perusal of this topic in the forum yields lots of gloom-and-doom stories...should I drop out, I hate my advisor, etc. etc. Indeed 3 of my closest friends went into PhD programs and didn't finish, others forced themselves to get the masters they came for (terminal masters is common in geology) and get out and have wanted nothing to do with academia since.

So, I want to ask...who out there DOES love their program, does believe they are in the right place right now, and why?

I'm a geo major as well! I love the science!

I'm wrapping up my first year in pursuit of my Masters. I'm headed out in the field this summer and should be wrapping up by next May.

Honestly, I really like my program/project/advisor/academic connections. I'm (mostly) glad I made the decision to do this but I'll be happy when I get through my defense.

I have to admit that I'd appreciate some time out of academia which is why I've decided not to pursue PhD advancement just yet (if ever).

I'm a single parent of two little ones though so my situation is unique. I would really like to have more time for the kids and less intellectually-taxing daily demands.

But if I wasn't a single mama I would be thoroughly loving this and even in my often overwhelming position I really do generally enjoy what I'm doing.

So not the most enthusiastic post but not doom-and-gloom either.

Good luck with your program! What sorts of geoscience problems are you interested in solving?

Edited May 20, 2011 by geochic

[Just me]

I'm probably going to be the buzzkill here, but I honestly hate being in grad school. This is mostly due to the fact that I am not only here against my will,but also because I cannot afford to be here. Besides that, a master's degree will probably be more detrimental to my job search than helpful. I am getting a master's in illustration and I have zero intention or desire to teach at any level - my mother is the one forcing me to attend because she feels a master's in art will help me land better freelancing jobs. And this is quite the opposite because people seem to think "freelancing" is another word for "slave labor" - I've been told by potential clients that eight bucks an hour is too much money for professional artwork.

So when people see I have a master's degree, they're going to realize I will want too much money and thus will not hire me. I also think employers will see the MFA and think I am overqualified for the job - why do I need a minimum wage job at Wal-Mart when I have a master's degree? They'll give the job to the high school dropout who has no future and who is too dumb to realize how bad they'll get screwed over.

Basically, I think my program is a waste of time, effort, and money. It will not help me in the least and will only bum me closer and closer to six figures worth of debt. All I can say is I hope my mother is happy when I can't afford $1500 a month in student debt and the government takes her house (since she's my co-signer). So yeah, my perceptions of graduate studies are pretty negatively colored. If you can go to grad school for free or mostly for free, then I may recommend going. But if you're broke and can't even get a student loan, don't go.

And honestly, just try getting or keeping a job while in grad school. No one will want to hire you or keep you on the payroll when you have to take weeks off to do a dissertation. One of many reasons I was fired from my last job was because I needed three weeks off to go to class and complete a big assignment. And I would need to do this four times a year until 2013. Yeah, employers want you at work making them money the entire year, not daring to take time off to prepare yourself for a better job.

[UnlikelyGrad]

This is mostly due to the fact that I am not only here against my will, - my mother is the one forcing me to attend

Oh, grow up. No one can force you to do anything. Your mother pressured you and you yielded to her pressure. It was your choice.

Trust me, I know about pushy relatives. I have a pushy mom (see my blog). I had, for 20 years, a controlling (to-the-point-of-abusiveness) husband. I learned to stand up for myself. I learned to say no. And when my husband got angry at me because I was actually telling him no...I left.

Sometimes you just have to take responsibility for your own actions.

[robot_hamster]

And honestly, just try getting or keeping a job while in grad school. No one will want to hire you or keep you on the payroll when you have to take weeks off to do a dissertation. One of many reasons I was fired from my last job was because I needed three weeks off to go to class and complete a big assignment. And I would need to do this four times a year until 2013. Yeah, employers want you at work making them money the entire year, not daring to take time off to prepare yourself for a better job.

I don't agree with this. I work retail on the weekends and I am picking up more hours over the summer. My availability changes each semester and my employer doesn't have a problem with it at all. They just plug when I can work into the computer and it spits out a schedule. I requested some time off at the end of this last semester because I had a big project due and then finals that I needed to study for. They still didn't have a problem with it. They even let me take off a couple of months one summer (while I was still in undergrad) because I had scored an internship and I was expected to work over 40 hours a week for 10 weeks. Now I'm not saying every employer is going to be so flexible, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist.