whats the most challenging thing you've found so far about being a grad student?

[alexa123]

Im just curious to see what others are struggling with, for me i think it has to be time management and trying to get everything done while still having a resemblance of a social life

[Pol]

I have a very hard time sleeping.

[spunky]

*UGH* the pettiness of departmental politics for sure. who deserves funding over who, who wants the meeting room, whose classroom is bigger,... 

 

i am in the process of crafting a big, nifty poster with all the bells and whistles for my office door where it reads:

 

"Academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so small" - Kissinger. 

[pears]

balancing work and play. my classmates are all very nice, but i'm pretty introverted, so going out is always a little mentally exhausting. tack on having 15 hours of part-time work every week and wanting to do as well as possible in my classes.. i didn't go out much. hopefully i fix that next semester, now that i have a "rhythm" going.

[Chande]

Im just curious to see what others are struggling with, for me i think it has to be time management and trying to get everything done while still having a resemblance of a social life

Trying to be productive through depression and chronic daily headache is hardest for me. I'm never not in pain so there's never going to be a good time to do any one thing. I got off to a really slow start but I'm making more progress now.

[CageFree]

The unstructured time. It's much easier to be productive when you have structure... classes, discussions, etc.. When you have a lot of "free" time, it requires you to create that structure, and that's what I have a hard time with. 

[i.am.me]

I am struggling to come up with original research that's...um compelling? Yeah, I think that is the correct word.

 

I also would like to get to know the ppl in my program more, but like pears - i am introverted and talking to people can be exhausting.

 

The toughest part for me is trying to get started on stuff - I have no problem finishing up once I do...but the beginning is agonizing. 

[Cookie]

Time management. I tend to be a perfectionist in everything I do so I had a hard time wrapping up a class project early to save time for my own research projects.

[Lisa44201]

Not comparing myself to my cohort.

[ChocoLatte]

+1 to "time management".  Major difficulties sitting down and doing what I have to do unless I have the really stressful last-minute adrenaline rush.

Something I really need to work on for the next semester.  

[dat_nerd]

Focusing on research first, and homework second, has been difficult for me.

 

It's hard to transition from that GPA focused mentality to being alright with putting in less-than-absolute-best effort into classwork. I have to keep remembering that the research work is what matters more.

[silver_lining]

Not comparing myself to my cohort.

This. Very difficult not to do. I am guilty of it. 

Edited December 23, 2013 by luckyducky

[sansao]

Time management, specifically in the context of not underestimating how long grading can take, and then ending up being awake until 5am when I have to get up at 7.  I hate grading so much...

[sharingfromafar]

Hardest part for me was the culture shock. I had moved from a large metropolis to a small college town in the South. 

[Francophile1]

Definitely time management between TA and courses

[mrmolecularbiology]

I no longer interact with "normal people". I go to lab and then I hang out with people in my program. We talk about science 24/7. That in itself is not a problem (I'm having a blast) but I think I have now drastically limited the pool of people I can look for a mate in. Oh well

[St Andrews Lynx]

Dealing with the stress. Physiologically and emotionally. I felt stressed in ways I don't usually feel stressed.