Got to my new grad school and now having strong regrets...

[keiko12]

So I just got to my new graduate school X and I'm having strong regrets that I did not go to school Y. To be honest, I have been having these regrets since I made the decision, and now that I am finally here I am realizing I probably did make the wrong choice.

School X has a much better reputation, more faculty, a higher stipend, research-only positions for graduate students, and is in an amazing location. School Y is smaller and lesser-known in this particular field, has a lower stipend, requires TA work, and is in an isolated coastal town. I spent the last summer working at school Y and developed a very good relationship with a PI working on a project that I found interesting, and generally connected with all of the faculty at the lab. At school X I am just beginning to work with a professor on a project related to the work I did at Y. However, this prof has a reputation among the grad students for being terrible to work with - he has kicked people out of PhDs because they were too busy doing all the busy work he gave them to actually do their own research. To make matters worse, the project he proposed to me might not even happen, so I might wind up with a project I'm not interested in. Meanwhile, if I had gone to school Y I would be doing field work right now in Tahiti.

I wanted badly to go to school X because it was my dream school originally, and I felt a lot of pressure from peers to accept because of the amazing amenities and reputation. Yet, now I am here and dreading I am not going to get to do the research that really interests me. There are opportunities to rotate throughout the first year so I can work for other professors here at X, but none of the research excites me as much as the research at Y. Is it too late to call up school Y and beg for them to take me back? Will it ruin my reputation if I do change my mind?

[ktel]

I think you are experiencing something very common among first year grad students. I know personally, every time something was going poorly in my program, I strongly wondered what it would have been like if I had chosen a different supervisor or school. I think there will be difficulties at any graduate program and the grass is not greener on the other side.

Part of the issues I experienced were because I don't think I did due diligence when making my decision. Yes I visited and talked to supervisors, but I really didn't get a good enough indication of what any of the supervisors were like or what exactly my day to day research would be. So now I'm doing something I think is cool but I'm not exactly crazy about. Since I'm only doing a Master's, I'm going to stick it out. I don't know what I would do if it was a PhD.

Since you have barely started I think it would definitely affect your reputation if you decided to switch now before giving School X a chance.

[Eigen]

It's in that awkward in-between time... Both too early and too late to switch easily. As Ktel said, if you switch now, you're not really giving School X a fair chance, and it will show. But they've already committed, which means that if you leave, they may well loose the funding they were going to give to you, and probably can't easily take on a new grad student for the spot you have.

I would also encourage you to see what other faculty at School X you might want to work with, if your current PI has such a bad rep among the grad students.

I definitely had second thoughts my first semester, but it smoothed out after I got settled in.

[ak48]

Instead of changing schools, why not advisors? That way you get to keep all the "prestige" and benefits of X, while solving your problems with Professor Angry.

[zapster]

Think also of what your opportunities will be after completing School X, vs if you graduate from School Y - with the reputation and facilities at X, are you likely to get far better opportunities in the future ?

[selecttext]

Just muscle through it. Many graduate students are whiners when it comes to additional work and side projects - WHICH IS KIND OF PATHETIC CONSIDERING THE GUY HAS GIVEN YOU ALL FULL RASHIPS - I would not compare their experiences to your own at this stage especially since you undoubtedly were diligent in choosing a program. Of course, if you are really unhappy, you could change schools but at this point, is it really worth it. 

Edited March 1, 2013 by selecttext

[Eigen]

Wow. 

 

You guys realize this discussion was 8 months old, right?

 

Bringing it up to re-frame it is one thing, but you're giving advice to someone who has very likely already made a decision and moved on. 

[ak48]

Wow. 

 

You guys realize this discussion was 8 months old, right?

 

Bringing it up to re-frame it is one thing, but you're giving advice to someone who has very likely already made a decision and moved on. 

 

It's still helpful for the rest of us to see what may happen in such situations, what other perspectives are, and what kinds of feelings to anticipate once we start our program. 

[gaboak]

Yes this post is old, but would it help if you had had an opinion from those who went to school X before hand?

For me it makes no sense to look at a schools "prestige" and such. These are biased opinions that we tend to follow and spread blindly.

 

Now I am in no way saying that Harvard is a bad school, but we have all agreed that it is the best law school; most people telling you it is the best school have not attended Harvard. Now what if you hear it from someone who actually attended the school? Completely different game isn't it.

 

I'm sure it's a little bit to late for the OP to use my advice, but i am sure it may help someone in the future.

 

G. I. D.

[toby42]

I'd be interested to know what ended up happening. Being that her OP was her only post, I doubt we hear. But closure would be nice!

[Huw]

OP's name reminds me of that asian girl on the first season of Zoom.