The most challenging things in graduate school

[ianfaircloud]

Someone wrote me a message, asking: "What's the most challenging thing about graduate school (in contrast with undergraduate study)?"

 

Here are the things that come to my mind. My answers are based on a typical American's experience in graduate school.

 

1. Graduate study is and ought to be self-directed learning. You set the standards, the goals, the agenda. For some, the freedom is quite challenging.

 

2. There's probably more pressure to do well in graduate school. More is on the line, and there's more competition for positions, attention, funding, etc. Many graduate students also place a lot of pressure on themselves to do well; perfectionists will have a great deal of trouble in graduate school.

 

3. People typically must devote more time during graduate school to self-care and caring for others, just by virtue of the fact that people who are in graduate school are typically older and looking to accomplish things in personal life. People with spouses or children, of course, must devote time to them. And for many people in their 20s or early 30s, life is challenging on a personal level. People often lose social connections from childhood and have no obvious place to make new social connections. The stress of graduate school can make matters much worse. People who fail to take care of themselves in graduate school may hurt themselves and others.

 

4. There is a great deal of financial pressure for most people in graduate school. At age 25, some people are buying a first home and landing a six-figure salary at a law firm. Others at the same age are matriculating at a graduate program in philosophy. Psychologically there is a great deal of financial pressure on 20-something year-old graduate students.

 

5. Graduate students often feel pressure to figure out where they are going with their lives. When things in graduate school don't go well, graduate students may feel a lot of anxiety, depression, or anger. There is tremendous pressure to set a final goal and reach that goal before the time and money "runs out."

[xbar]

I agree to your points.

 

Just to add that it is better to have few industrial experience and make some industry connections before joining graduate school to mentally and financially help in all the five points you mentioned above.

[bar_scene_gambler]

I agree to your points.

 

Just to add that it is better to have few industrial experience and make some industry connections before joining graduate school to mentally and financially help in all the five points you mentioned above.

I don't know if you realize this, but you've posted in the Philosophy forum. There's no industry to speak of in philosophy, so one can't really make industry connections.

[MattDest]

I don't know if you realize this, but you've posted in the Philosophy forum. There's no industry to speak of in philosophy, so one can't really make industry connections.

 

Doesn't "taking over the world" qualify as industry? 

[Cottagecheeseman]

Doesn't "taking over the world" qualify as industry? 

I'm friends with someone who friends with someone whose dad is a major political figure in a foreign state, so lets get this going!!! 

[dgswaim]

Doesn't "taking over the world" qualify as industry? 

[marXian]

Someone wrote me a message, asking: "What's the most challenging thing about graduate school (in contrast with undergraduate study)?"

 

Here are the things that come to my mind. My answers are based on a typical American's experience in graduate school.

 

1. Graduate study is and ought to be self-directed learning. You set the standards, the goals, the agenda. For some, the freedom is quite challenging.

 

2. There's probably more pressure to do well in graduate school. More is on the line, and there's more competition for positions, attention, funding, etc. Many graduate students also place a lot of pressure on themselves to do well; perfectionists will have a great deal of trouble in graduate school.

 

3. People typically must devote more time during graduate school to self-care and caring for others, just by virtue of the fact that people who are in graduate school are typically older and looking to accomplish things in personal life. People with spouses or children, of course, must devote time to them. And for many people in their 20s or early 30s, life is challenging on a personal level. People often lose social connections from childhood and have no obvious place to make new social connections. The stress of graduate school can make matters much worse. People who fail to take care of themselves in graduate school may hurt themselves and others.

 

4. There is a great deal of financial pressure for most people in graduate school. At age 25, some people are buying a first home and landing a six-figure salary at a law firm. Others at the same age are matriculating at a graduate program in philosophy. Psychologically there is a great deal of financial pressure on 20-something year-old graduate students.

 

5. Graduate students often feel pressure to figure out where they are going with their lives. When things in graduate school don't go well, graduate students may feel a lot of anxiety, depression, or anger. There is tremendous pressure to set a final goal and reach that goal before the time and money "runs out."

 

I'm in my seventh year of graduate study (two MAs, second year PhD), and I found this to be so incredibly spot on. Even this far along in my graduate work, I'm still discovering some of this. Thanks for distilling it so well. It's always comforting to know that others are going through the same thing!

[Guillaume]

Someone wrote me a message, asking: "What's the most challenging thing about graduate school (in contrast with undergraduate study)?"

 

Here are the things that come to my mind. My answers are based on a typical American's experience in graduate school.

 

1. Graduate study is and ought to be self-directed learning. You set the standards, the goals, the agenda. For some, the freedom is quite challenging.

 

2. There's probably more pressure to do well in graduate school. More is on the line, and there's more competition for positions, attention, funding, etc. Many graduate students also place a lot of pressure on themselves to do well; perfectionists will have a great deal of trouble in graduate school.

 

3. People typically must devote more time during graduate school to self-care and caring for others, just by virtue of the fact that people who are in graduate school are typically older and looking to accomplish things in personal life. People with spouses or children, of course, must devote time to them. And for many people in their 20s or early 30s, life is challenging on a personal level. People often lose social connections from childhood and have no obvious place to make new social connections. The stress of graduate school can make matters much worse. People who fail to take care of themselves in graduate school may hurt themselves and others.

 

4. There is a great deal of financial pressure for most people in graduate school. At age 25, some people are buying a first home and landing a six-figure salary at a law firm. Others at the same age are matriculating at a graduate program in philosophy. Psychologically there is a great deal of financial pressure on 20-something year-old graduate students.

 

5. Graduate students often feel pressure to figure out where they are going with their lives. When things in graduate school don't go well, graduate students may feel a lot of anxiety, depression, or anger. There is tremendous pressure to set a final goal and reach that goal before the time and money "runs out."

 

This.