I am so tired of how belittling my advisors are to me!

[Lizzbee]

I have had enough! I have three professors in my graduate committee. This is supposed to be my last semester for my MS and I am sending my thesis back and forth for edits. Today, I sent off my updated thesis with updated stats in hopes to receive more edits back, or a "this looks good!" (Wishful thinking...)

 

I haven't communicated as much with my committee as they wanted me to, since I have been working 70+ hour weeks. I'm tired and depressed but I know that isn't supposed to be an excuse. So today, after sending my thesis off, I received a rude email back from one of my advisors, basically saying my work is crap.

 

I have been unhappy for a really long time being in this program. I do not want to do it anymore. I can't handle how I get shot down everytime from one of my advisors. I am always scared to talk to them and am scared to open my email, in case they have more nasty things to say to me.

 

If anyone has advice, please help me. I don't have a specific question but I am really upset and do not know what to do. I feel I can't stand up for myself and that I get treated poorly.

[TakeruK]

I'm sorry to hear about the rudeness! It's hard for strangers online to know enough to be helpful and you probably don't want to reveal all the relevant information to the entire world anyways! I think it might be a good idea to talk to someone at your school, maybe the DGS, or your grad student society's ombudsperson etc. too -- they might be able to help you figure out how to bring this up to your committee (if that's what you want)!

[ladyling]

PM sent.

[queenleblanc]

"Hi professor ____, I would really like your advice on making improvements to my work. As I revise this document, what suggestions can you offer on where to start? I looked over the document and I do see some obvious changes, but I would really appreciate your feedback. Perhaps this would be better done in a meeting, where you can mark up the paper for me to work on." Blah blah blah. Get through this... Because as my mom always tells me when I get frustrated with people in charge of my work, "This too shall pass." You are going through the typical grad school dejection and frustration. People experience this to different degrees, and yours sounds exceptionally hard, but it is not impossible. Do what the prof wants, be happy with your quality of work, and try to move on! :-)

[tracyxlly]

"Hi professor ____, I would really like your advice on making improvements to my work. As I revise this document, what suggestions can you offer on where to start? I looked over the document and I do see some obvious changes, but I would really appreciate your feedback. Perhaps this would be better done in a meeting, where you can mark up the paper for me to work on." Blah blah blah. Get through this... Because as my mom always tells me when I get frustrated with people in charge of my work, "This too shall pass." You are going through the typical grad school dejection and frustration. People experience this to different degrees, and yours sounds exceptionally hard, but it is not impossible. Do what the prof wants, be happy with your quality of work, and try to move on! :-)

Good job!

[myrl]

You could always have an official adviser who helps you to get things done as needed, and then an unofficial adviser (doesn't even have to be in your department) who helps you by being supportive and assists you with making deicisions.

[Lizzbee]

Sorry for the late response, but thank you so much everyone for the help! I really appreciate that I can come here for advice and vent, and receive kind words and helpful advice in return