Request for chemistry graduate student interview

[Bioinorganic78]

Hello everyone,

My name is Michael and I am a junior undergraduate chemistry major and McNair Scholar. For my McNair Scholars class, I am required to interview a chemistry PhD student. Would any chemistry graduate student here (any specialization) be willing answer my interview questions? If so, thank you for your time as I truly appreciate it. If you are uncomfortable posting your responses in the open, feel free to PM me or I can PM you my email address.

Your Name, Graduate Institution, and current year in the program
1) How different has your graduate school experience been from undergraduate?
2) How are you balancing graduate school and personal life, any difficulties? If you have an SO and/or children, has graduate school affected them?
3) How was your TA experience and how long did you TA for? Any difficulties?
4) Is your department fine or do you feel the environment is too competitive? Are your professors approachable?
5) Have you published so far, do you believe you will publish a lot before you leave?
6) What is your current ultimate career goal, and has your current graduate studies changed your career goals at all.

7) Any other information you would like to share such as unexpected hardships during your program, experience not what you thought it'd be, favorite thing about graduate school, advice to prospective graduate student, when you think you'll finish etc. is welcomed but not required. 

Thank you again for your time, your interview will only be used for my McNair class report.

[Bioinorganic78]

I am sorry if this post violates the site policy, if so feel free to delete it. 

[Eigen]

Just curious, but does answering questions in an online forums satisfy the requirements for an interview? The very definition of an "interview" is a face to face meeting of two people. 

I ask, because we have similar requirements of our undergraduates, but the important thing is that they actually talk to the person they're supposed to interview. Interviews are an organic thing, not just a list of questions and answers. 

[Bioinorganic78]

3 hours ago, Eigen said:

Just curious, but does answering questions in an online forums satisfy the requirements for an interview? The very definition of an "interview" is a face to face meeting of two people. 

I ask, because we have similar requirements of our undergraduates, but the important thing is that they actually talk to the person they're supposed to interview. Interviews are an organic thing, not just a list of questions and answers. 

No, it would satisfy it. While I agree organic interaction is a true "interview" and a list of questions isn't the same experience, the major part of the assignment is getting information about the workings of graduate school from a graduate student. Maybe questionnaire is a more appropriate tem. At my college, we have no graduate program so I can't interview anyone personally here.

My McNair office  today set me up with a former chemistry graduate who is now in graduate school, so I am all good with the interview now.