Why Grad School is Fucking Awesome

[day_manderly]

So I have been reading different posts about grad school - way to feed anxiety! I worry about relocating, I worry about archery clubs near the place where I'm going to live (what if there are none?), about free time (what if I forget what it is?), etc, etc. And on top of that you get posts like this one when you try to calm yourself where the author tells you there no fun will be had in the next 3+ years. None. Still, I do believe that grad school is great. However, I have no personal empirical proof. So, dear grad students, please, do share all the reasons why you think grad school is fucking awesome. Why do you find it fantastic? What do you love the most? Why would you never trade it for anything else? Thanks. We, new grad students, will be grateful for our anxiety being replaced with excitement!

[tonydoesmovie]

Cue contrived: "You get out of it what you put into it."

In that regard, I feel it depends on 1) your relationship with your education and 2) your field of study.

If you love what you do, the work will be fun and rewarding intrinsically. If you have to search for the fun, maybe that's a clue into your long-term passion for your field or at least that particular area.

[Cheshire_Cat]

1. Not having to work a 9 to 5.  Sometimes 7am to 10pm, but never a 9 to 5!!

2. With that, I enjoy having control over my own work schedule and not having a manager.  The dean, department head, and faculty advisors are their to help and coordinate things, but they don't micromanage me, and I like that most of the time. I know it isn't this way in all fields, but it is in mine.

3. That feeling you get when an idea you have starts falling into place in your brain and you know it will be an interesting research project

4. Some people think you are brilliant because you are getting a higher degree, even if you are really just a hard worker.

5. Reading comprehension goes through the roof!  I already had very good reading comprehension, now it is amazing!  For me personally, this means I get a lot more from older or more complicated texts than I used to.

6. Naps.

7. Never running out of things to do and getting bored.  There is always another research project to start!

[maelia8]

I agree with @Cheshire_Cat about the ability to make your own schedule and to be as flexible as you'd like! Another thing I love is the amazing access to all kinds of talks, trainings, resources, books, discounts, counsel, advice, support, camaraderie, etc. If you want to, there is a club or organization or committee or office to help with anything you need under the sun, and all you have to do is ask and be tenacious. In normal life, often all you have as a resource is the internet and friends you know who may have expertise. At a large university, so many people are experts in their field, whether librarians, administrators, professors, theater directors, etc. that you'll always have access to the best of the best, if not the most vibrant examples of cutting edge thought and engaged community.

[TakeruK]

I think many of the problems with graduate school are very real (however, I would say that almost everything on that linked article isn't really a problem unique to grad school, though I guess it's more a joke article?) Anyways I also agree that it is not great to only focus on the bad  So here are some of my favourite things about being in academia/grad school:

1. Freedom to explore interesting science---as @maelia8 said, your colleagues all over campus are experts and they are all at your disposal. Similarly, the ability to contribute meaningfully to your colleagues' work.

2. Interactions with students (e.g. opportunities to teach, mentor, train)

3. Ability to have really cool experiences that I never thought I would happen to me. Some highlights: travel to Switzerland for a science meeting, interviewed by LA Times, operate one of the largest telescopes in the world, and listen to a talk by Stephen Hawking.

4. Ability to influence policy at your school and make a difference for you, your colleagues and future students. I feel like grad students have much more say in school/department policies than a typical employee at a corporation.

5. Flexibility on both working hours and vacation days

6. Feeling like you are part of a team of people that is exploring something new and expanding humankind's knowledge! 

[Adelaide9216]

Maybe it's too early for me to say this, but I feel like I am going to love graduate school. It appears like we've got more control over our schedule, study something we have a strong interest in and develop good connections with fellow classmates and teachers. 

[eternallyephemeral]

- Getting to create new knowledge, however theoretical and marginally important it might be at this point

- Having amazing, in-depth conversations with people on lots of topics

- Challenging my thinking and assumptions and therefore growing as a person

- Supervising and mentoring students

- Learning from faculty from my own school and others - its like having a job with a huge investment into your personal development

- Super strong stats skills (in my department specifically), which is valuable outside of academia as well

- Fun people and dedicated events/discounts/programming for graduate students

- (obviously this differs for people): the chance to get scholarships, awards, and other recognition for your work, that also pay money

- The chance to travel to new places to talk about your research for an hour and do whatever else you want (explore the city, go to talks/workshops/symposia the rest of the time

- So much flexibility (this is good and bad, but I've harnessed the good for myself)

- (probably more specific to my program): encouragement to do internships during school, and enough time to do them as well

- (also specific to my situation): living in a low-cost city with a good stipend, so I'm actually saving through school

- The freedom to collaborate across departments and shape my own research program (obviously not everyone gets to do this)

[MinaminoTeku]

On 4/21/2017 at 10:13 AM, day_manderly said:

So I have been reading different posts about grad school - way to feed anxiety! I worry about relocating, I worry about archery clubs near the place where I'm going to live (what if there are none?), about free time (what if I forget what it is?), etc, etc. And on top of that you get posts like this one when you try to calm yourself where the author tells you there no fun will be had in the next 3+ years. None. Still, I do believe that grad school is great. However, I have no personal empirical proof. So, dear grad students, please, do share all the reasons why you think grad school is fucking awesome. Why do you find it fantastic? What do you love the most? Why would you never trade it for anything else? Thanks. We, new grad students, will be grateful for our anxiety being replaced with excitement!

Archery clubs? What do you shoot? No joke, that was something I took into consideration for my schools. Neither one of them have an archery club, sadly, but that doesn't mean I can't bring my equipment and find a range somewhere.

But also to answer your question, as tough as it was, I learned a lot about myself through my grad school experience. I learned what I can and cannot handle, what I would do in moments of high stress, and who my true friends are.

Edited April 22, 2017 by MinaminoTeku

[ejpril88]

I love this thread! As a completely terrified future PhD student, I really needed to read something positive from current grad students.

[spectastic]

these type of stuff are highly dependent upon the program, group, field of study, etc. but..

1. relatively little politics and few red tape: when I worked in industry, it was absurd the amount of work we had to go through to justify simple company expenditures. In academia, I sometimes have to ask for my adviser's approval, and it's done. If I need to make modifications to one of the instruments I'm using, I don't have to setup a meeting and consult with 5 different safety, maintenance, operation managers approvals and take a fucking week to get it done. I can do it right now because I'm a level headed individual who understand the risks of the chemicals that I'm working with better than anyone else who can help me. Having that freedom is awesome, and something that only really happens in academia

2. being around like minded people. I used to work around conservative, close minded people in east texas, where new ideas are rejected because it's easy to do so, and thinking about new ideas is apparently too much mental gymnastics for them to handle. When I ask people why we're doing things a certain way, it pisses me off on the inside to hear "because that's the way it's always been done." It's like they're just showing up for a paycheck and couldn't care less about what their work. I don't want to be in that environment. Part of what excites me about research is I get to do new things. And if it works, I'm the man.

Those are two main things that I enjoy.

 

I'd like to say flexible hours too, but right now, I'm spread pretty thin.. I also really like the city I live in, but that won't be true for a lot of other grad schools, which might be located in the middle of nowhere.

[spectastic]

On 4/21/2017 at 3:55 PM, Cheshire_Cat said:

 

6. Naps.

 

oh hell yea

[shadowclaw]

There are plenty of days when I am filled with self-doubt or there is a crushing amount of work to do, but graduate school is awesome and the good days way outnumber the bad. So my list in no particular order:

1. I get to travel to interesting places either for research or for presenting research.

2. I got to move to a cool part of the country for my PhD, and I have access to amazing places for outdoor recreation and sightseeing.

3. I have more free time than that article suggests I should have. I can do things on the weekends and go on vacation during school breaks. I even have time during the week to ride my bike or go for a quick hike if I want to.

4. I'm not locked into a 9 to 5 schedule. My schedule varies each day of the week, and I like it that way.

5. I get to go to talks or have guest lectures from amazing researchers in my field.

6. My school is huge, and therefore I can take classes in an extremely wide variety of specialized topics (sorry to those at small schools, but you no doubt have other benefits that I don't).

7. I get to teach. Not a plus for everyone, but I personally find teaching to be extremely rewarding.

8. I'm exposed to a lot of cool research in a lot of different disciplines either through interacting with classmates, fellow TA's, or checking out events on campus (this isn't necessarily limited to the grad student experience).

9. My research will increase human knowledge of environmental processes and my particular project will actually influence some environmental policy in the region.

10. I'm building up practical skills in communication, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, etc. which are widely applicable beyond academia.

I'll also add that drinking is nowhere on my radar (and hasn't been since I was 21 or 22), but even if it was, grad school would not stop me from enjoying a beer/glass of wine/cocktail/whatever at the end of the day.

 

[magicsana]

I love this thread

[ejpril88]

Me too I can't wait to start grad school and have meaningful conversations.

[spectastic]

you don't need grad school to have meaningful conversations.. There are way more interesting people in the real world who have much more diverse experiences than grad students.

most grad students I know are boring AF.

Edited May 3, 2017 by spectastic

[ejpril88]

I've been in US only for one year and I didn't get a chance to meet interesting people. Besides my husband who is the same nationality as I am, I only talk to people in my office and don't share interests with them. Mostly because they are talking about food, sports and going to bars all the time. I tried to talk about something else but they weren't interested. 

[guest56436]

Honestly, many of the things listed in this thread are not exclusive to grad school/academia.

TBH, it's a slog. It's especially demanding if you are in a top doctoral program in your field. But if you like your work then there are moments that are interesting and fun. I mean, we're in the business of ideas. That alone is pretty cool. 

[TakeruK]

53 minutes ago, Comparativist said:

Honestly, many of the things listed in this thread are not exclusive to grad school/academia.

Definitely agree. Also, a lot of the crappy things about grad school is not exclusive to grad school either!  

I wouldn't say that anything I listed is reason enough to choose grad school over another path. For example, it's nice that I get to travel a bunch for my grad program (one of the main reasons I enjoy grad school) but if I was working in a "real" job, I would be paid 2-3 times as much and can just use that money to pay for my own travel, lol. 

I contributed to the thread with the spirit of, hey, we made the choice to go to grad school, so let's think about the positive consequences of this choice, rather than, "Here are some reasons to choose grad school over other options".

[Pitangus]

I've enjoyed my time as a grad student. My experience may be unusual, but in my mind I got to spend five years being paid to do whatever I wanted most of the time. I made my own schedule, worked long hours when I needed to (i.e. summer fieldwork) and didn't work long hours when I didn't need to (i.e. the rest of the year). Like @shadowclaw, I got to conduct research that has direct implications for management decisions, which is what I wanted. And given that I never got to travel anywhere when I was younger, I enjoyed the opportunities to travel for conferences. And I liked getting to live on my own in a new part of the country for awhile. 

And call it blasphemy, but I found the whole process to be pretty easy. I had good luck in winning fellowships and research grants, so I never felt like a "poor grad student"; in fact, I put away almost $30k in savings during my time here. I picked a group of pretty low-key personalities for my committee, and my qual exams and defense were a breeze. My advisor was only ever concerned about results, so as long as I hit the milestones for productivity, she didn't care what I did or when I did it. When things went wrong with my research, I either spun what remained into something workable, or just used it as a lesson to move onto something more promising.

I think maybe I just had the "right" personality for my program, and I went in knowing what was important to me, so I got what I wanted out of the experience. Grad school definitely isn't for everyone, and I would never encourage someone to consider it based on my experience. But for those who are already set on the idea, I think it's worth noting that some people do have a good time with it.

[spectastic]

15 hours ago, ejpril88 said:

I've been in US only for one year and I didn't get a chance to meet interesting people. Besides my husband who is the same nationality as I am, I only talk to people in my office and don't share interests with them. Mostly because they are talking about food, sports and going to bars all the time. I tried to talk about something else but they weren't interested. 

people in general are basics. they go to work in a job they hate, buy things they don't need, in order to afford nice things, so that they can impress people they don't like, and post that shit on social media to make their lives seem awesome. no wonder so many of them are on antidepressants. this is as much true for people in academia as anywhere else. a lot of people stumble into a phd without a real incentive to really be there. I kid you not some of them want to spend 5 years of their lives and opportunity cost from a real job just to have a "PhD" on their resume. interesting people are everywhere though. you just have to look harder. 

[spectastic]

and yea, most of the things on the lists are not unique to grad school at all.

If I could work in the areas I want to work in without a PhD, and not hit a ceiling in 10 years, I would not be doing a PhD. It's an investment, and it's not glamorous, at ALL..

out of all the trivial things listed, like being able to travel, meeting like minded people, the NOT 9-5 (which isn't that bad btw..), I would trade all of these for an industry salary with benefits and 2-4 weeks of paid vacation plus sick days and holidays in a heartbeat.

 

you get near full autonomy in what you want to investigate, and access to resources that enables you to grow as a researcher faster than anywhere else. that's about it in my opinion.

[ejpril88]

8 hours ago, spectastic said:

people in general are basics. they go to work in a job they hate, buy things they don't need, in order to afford nice things, so that they can impress people they don't like, and post that shit on social media to make their lives seem awesome.

This is SO accurate and so depressing at the same time.

[ExponentialDecay]

8 hours ago, spectastic said:

people in general are basics. they go to work in a job they hate, buy things they don't need, in order to afford nice things, so that they can impress people they don't like, and post that shit on social media to make their lives seem awesome. no wonder so many of them are on antidepressants. this is as much true for people in academia as anywhere else. a lot of people stumble into a phd without a real incentive to really be there. I kid you not some of them want to spend 5 years of their lives and opportunity cost from a real job just to have a "PhD" on their resume. interesting people are everywhere though. you just have to look harder. 

I could appreciate this artistic vision if it weren't so cliche. It's like seeing The Kiss in every college dorm room at this point. Could we work towards developing a more novel and exciting perspective on the selfsame human condition of which we are all part?

[3dender]

2 hours ago, ExponentialDecay said:

I could appreciate this artistic vision if it weren't so cliche. It's like seeing The Kiss in every college dorm room at this point. Could we work towards developing a more novel and exciting perspective on the selfsame human condition of which we are all part?

I don't know. Why look for something new and exciting when the cliche description is the most accurate?  Cliches are cliches for a reason.

[Cheshire_Cat]

I think there are a lot of differences between people, and when their interests don't fit our own, we are very quick to write them off as "basic" without realizing that what is interesting to you, may be considered "basic" to someone else.  It is fun to think of ourselves as better than everyone else and special because we have a certain career, hobby, or interest that not very many people share.  But imo you are just as self absorbed and "basic" as everyone else if you have to talk about your own hobbies and interests in order to interact with other people in a meaningful way.