How do I talk to a professor about leaving group?

[SymmetryOfImperfection]

I have decided that I cannot work in the current group for multiple reasons - professor teaching style, lack of suitable project and lack of funding. I am only staying for now because I joined a month ago, but I doubt things will improve. I've talked to my graduate advisor, and he told me to work until January 31st. If I still want to leave, I can switch with no (administrative) consequences or delaying my graduation.

 

This group has been giving me alot of stress lately. I can't sleep well. I have no motivation to pursue my assigned project because it isn't in my field. The professor doesn't even answer my questions straight, and I have no funding for anything.

 

The only thing I have to say is, I want to leave her group, either for a new group or for a new school. But I would like to do it in a non-offensive way.that minimizes damage to myself and others. All my academic qualifications have no problems, and I have absolute confidence that if my current school or this professor doesn't say excessively negative things about me, I am a very strong candidate for the groups/schools that I'm planning to join/apply to.

Edited November 18, 2014 by SymmetryOfImperfection

[juilletmercredi]

It's not really one hundred percent clear to me what the issue is, but it sounds like you've joined a lab and discovered after a month or so that the lab isn't really for you for a variety of reasons.

 

This is not a big deal; it happens all the time.  What you need to do is make it depersonalized for your professor.  Arrange to meet with her, and sit down and tell her the non-personal reasons - that you thought that the research would be a good fit, but it turns out that the projects you're working on are not really a good fit for your interests.  There's no need to bring up any of the other stuff.  Most good, rational professors will not hold issues of research fit against you, and will support you in trying to seek out a better-fitting lab.

[SymmetryOfImperfection]

thanks for the advice. I was dreading going to lab at one point.