SNPCracklePop Posted May 24, 2012 Posted May 24, 2012 Hi all! I've been thinking about organizing a support group for my department in an effort to boost morale, build camaraderie and vent amongst peers. Has anyone here does this or been a part of one? Did/would this help? Thanks everyone!
booksnlooks Posted May 24, 2012 Posted May 24, 2012 I think this is a great idea! A friend of mine recently finished his PhD and that was his big advice: meet up with your classmates at least once a week to grab a drink, hang out, and chat. He said it made all the difference because it made for a friendly atmosphere in the department and also people were able to help each other through the tough times. rising_star and Dal PhDer 2
Dal PhDer Posted May 25, 2012 Posted May 25, 2012 I think this is a great idea! it's really important to have a source of support during your degree that you can rant with, bounce ideas off of, and wallow together! You might want to organize a biweekly drink/dinner out! That's what we use to do!
sociologo Posted May 25, 2012 Posted May 25, 2012 A lot of departments have some sort of graduate student association - either for the department or the graduate college itself. You could maybe coordinate going out with your department friends with an event being hosted by a larger organization - a mixer or something. Great idea in general though.
canteaus Posted May 29, 2012 Posted May 29, 2012 (edited) I think this is a great idea! However, this support group will only work if everyone is willing to not be "too-cool" during heavy assignment times. Those who are trying to remain calm might freak-out after seeing some peers who are already done their assignments...etc etc Edited May 29, 2012 by canteaus
Eigen Posted May 29, 2012 Posted May 29, 2012 I find less formal settings help. We don't have anything so official as a support group, but I really push "department happy hours" every other week, especially during the summer. We also have a department city-league softball and kickball team, which provides a fairly regular chance to get out and spend some time with other grad students away from the lab. On a larger level, I'd suggest seeing about doing something through your school's graduate student association, if you have one. It can be really nice to meet people outside of your cohort that are going through similar stresses. Ours hosts at last 3 major events a year, and I try pretty regularly to do semi-regular events as well- I do a biweekly colloquium series for and by grad students, we do monthly trivia nights, etc.
Cici Beanz Posted May 29, 2012 Posted May 29, 2012 I think this would be a great idea, and I am really hoping that my program either has something official in place or that my classmates are amenable to some informal chill out sessions...
SNPCracklePop Posted June 8, 2012 Author Posted June 8, 2012 Thanks for the input everyone! I love the departmental "Happy Hour" or maybe just a coffee break idea. Thanks again!
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now