# Are you in grad school?



## natty8 (Sep 25, 2010)

What are you studying and was it hard to get accepted?
Does it require you to give a lot of speeches/presentations?
Do you think the requirements are difficult? (homework, projects, etc.)

I'm considering applying for grad school (psychology) but I get nervous just reading the requirements and stuff like that. I don't think I'm smart enough to compete with other applicants and my SA makes everything worst. 

Whenever I read about people in this forum who are in grad school, I feel like everyone must be so brave and smarter than me...and I can't do what they're doing so I feel discouraged to even think about it. Even talking to professors make me nervous.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

natty8 said:


> What are you studying and was it hard to get accepted?
> Does it require you to give a lot of speeches/presentations?
> Do you think the requirements are difficult? (homework, projects, etc.)
> 
> ...


I hope this thread isn't dead! I just finished my first year of graduate school in evolutionary biology and ecology (Ph.D.). It was a bit stressful to get into my program, but I only applied to the top 4 programs in my field. I was rejected from two schools, wait listed (then accepted) at one, and immediately accepted at another. The application process involved filling out a general application form for each school and submitting a personal statement that highlighted my research experience and interests. At the schools that accepted me, I had to attend personal interviews. For one school, I was flown out individually and had mini interviews ALL day with faculty members and students. It was very taxing with my anxiety, but everyone was friendly. The second school was more stressful and I had to interview with 14 other students. The interviews were one-on-one and this time I only had 4-5 30 min interviews.

My program does require frequent presentations on my research. However, I don't mind so much because I've had a lot of practice and it doesn't really bother me anymore. I'm sure I'll have to present at large conferences at least once a year.

The requirements for my program are unique...I only have to take 5 classes for a grade and the rest consists of first year seminars and research rotations. I'm also required to teach for three semesters. The homework isn't bad at all. Things do get busy when you add research and teaching on top of a class or two. Programs vary significantly and I'm not sure what a psychology program would entail. The thing to remember is that the requirements always look a lot scarier on paper. I was terrified at first, but my first year wasn't as stressful as I imagined. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm not smart enough to be here...everyone goes through it though. I think there's actually a name for it. Imposter syndrome. I feel like I don't belong here even though I've earned it. It's a natural thing to feel in graduate school, so I wouldn't worry. I still get intimidated sometimes talking to older graduate students and professors about research. I feel like a complete dope. In reality, I probably sound somewhat intelligent and the more experienced students are sensitive to the fact that I'm a bit green. It's taken me about a year to feel more comfortable here.

My advice is this...if you are really passionate about your field and you know what you want to do, then give it a try. The most important thing is to find an adviser that will work for you. It's soooo important. Don't be intimidated by the requirements because they are scarier on paper than they are in real life. You need to remind yourself that you are capable and you deserve to be there. Don't let a little anxiety stop you from your goals. If you are still unsure about what you want to do or really nervous about applying/attending, try an internship or something. It will help you build confidence in yourself and help you decide if you truly enjoy the field.

Best of luck.


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## FreshPrince (Feb 14, 2008)

^^^ good post. I'm in grad school too, and I agree with everything you've said and feel a bit encouraged by everything you've said.


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## natty8 (Sep 25, 2010)

Primitive Fish, thank you so much for sharing your experience! 

The thought of having to give so much presentations and teach a class scares me already  But like you said, I'll try not to let that stop me. Although, I still have a lot of deciding to do, I love studying psychology in general but I have no idea which field I want to get into... and I do feel like I'm not as smart as my peers (which you mentioned as well, haha.) Maybe I'll give interning or volunteering a try first, built up my confidence and then see where to go from there. Thank you again, I got nervous just reading your post because I can't imagine myself doing all of that but I have more motivation than before now :yes


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

I'm glad I could help!  And trust me, everything looks scarier on paper. Take one step at a time and you'll do great!


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

I'm in grad school for an MBA. Taking one class per semester, as it's all I can afford. Hasn't been bad so far. Of course I got 100% in the class since it's the only one I have to worry about. And you still get access to all the campus free activities, being part of the college. Over all, grad school doesn't seem to be anything more than undergraduate. Now if I have to make a lot of presentation in later classes, I have no idea. I'd rather be coding than making speeches. Then again, they don't pay you manager money for doing grunt work. It's worth getting the paper if it propels you past others, financially.


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## jim11 (May 23, 2011)

Depend on who's my thesis advisor is. I used to do many presentations of my research during masters degree. My then advisor encouraged me to attend conference and asked me to assist him to teach undergrads. 

But now i'm doing phd under different advisor. Not much presentations and so far i did not attend any conferences. But i take my own effort to publish some works on academic journals.


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

jim11 said:


> Depend on who's my thesis advisor is. I used to do many presentations of my research during masters degree. My then advisor encouraged me to attend conference and asked me to assist him to teach undergrads.
> 
> But now i'm doing phd under different advisor. Not much presentations and so far i did not attend any conferences. But i take my own effort to publish some works on academic journals.


Can you tell me, what does that even mean? Publishing works? I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I neither wish to write nor read anyone's opinion or research on anything what-so-ever, and I still get straight As. I see people writing long thesis on stuff and articles, or at least saying they do, and I just don't get the concept. Possibly the same attitude I had towards having to do a science project for my high school physics class, which lead me to NOT take that class. Why is there such a forced compulsion to do that stuff with higher education?


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## jim11 (May 23, 2011)

Tomyx said:


> Can you tell me, what does that even mean? Publishing works? I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I neither wish to write nor read anyone's opinion or research on anything what-so-ever, and I still get straight As. I see people writing long thesis on stuff and articles, or at least saying they do, and I just don't get the concept. Possibly the same attitude I had towards having to do a science project for my high school physics class, which lead me to NOT take that class. Why is there such a forced compulsion to do that stuff with higher education?


You'll be "forced" to read research papers if you're doing a literature review for your thesis. It helps you to update your knowledge about a particular subject and to identify the existing research gaps so that you can write a thesis that fill the research gaps.

Many reasons why people want to publish their work. The typical reason is knowledge sharing. But I think the main reason is due to the "publish or perish" saying. Academicians need to publish their work to increase their reputation in their respected field, to make their CV looks good, and more importantly, for tenure track position. In order to be promoted, an academician in higher institution needs to publish an X amount of papers. The amount depends on the university. Of course they take into account the quality of the publications. Normally research papers indexed in ISI/Scopus is considered high quality but it is very difficult to get accepted.


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

Oh my god, that sounds like hell. I'm here getting a 4.5 GPAs in high school and I run into a simple book report in English and end up taking a B in the class and a 0 on the report, just because I don't care, and I can't do what I don't care about. It's like, even if I was to do a thesis on video games, it would be one sentence long. "I'd rather be playing video games than writing this ****."  I guess that's one reason I decided to go with programming, so every thing I type is for a practical and active purpose so I'm always playing and never commentating. I also hate cleaning, not sure if those two things are tied together somehow. I just hope they don't want me to write book reports in any future manager positions, heh.


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## jim11 (May 23, 2011)

Tomyx said:


> Oh my god, that sounds like hell. I'm here getting a 4.5 GPAs in high school and I run into a simple book report in English and end up taking a B in the class and a 0 on the report, just because I don't care, and I can't do what I don't care about. It's like, even if I was to do a thesis on video games, it would be one sentence long. "I'd rather be playing video games than writing this ****."  I guess that's one reason I decided to go with programming, so every thing I type is for a practical and active purpose so I'm always playing and never commentating. I also hate cleaning, not sure if those two things are tied together somehow. I just hope they don't want me to write book reports in any future manager positions, heh.


I need to start early so that my CV contents some publications that may help me to get a job in lecturing.

In my uni MBA students are given a year to complete a basic thesis. Basic thesis here means a research that not necessary producing original contributions to theory and practice. A replication of previous researches is acceptable for MBA. So MBA students can't really say no to thesis writing as it is a partial requirement to graduate.


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

jim11 said:


> I need to start early so that my CV contents some publications that may help me to get a job in lecturing.
> 
> In my uni MBA students are given a year to complete a basic thesis. Basic thesis here means a research that not necessary producing original contributions to theory and practice. A replication of previous researches is acceptable for MBA. So MBA students can't really say no to thesis writing as it is a partial requirement to graduate.


Oh crap, well I guess I'll be the 4.0 grad student with a thesis drawn in crayon. I really wish there were more group projects available rather than thesis. That's what I did for undergraduate. We made a program and I did the GUI part of it. I suppose I better just go find a good thesis to copy. And then words upon words upon words that are complete and utter BS. I literally have no idea how to start on a report much less a thesis. That's gonna be nuts.


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

I'm an ecology PhD student. GPA and classes don't matter at all really (at my school). The entire point of the PhD is to do novel research and publish it. I have to publish 3-4 papers for my dissertation! It's what that are paying me to do! I can't even imagine a graduate student not doing a thesis!


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## catfreak1991 (May 24, 2014)

It entirely depends on the program and the school! Be careful of going in to a lot of debt for a Master's or Doctorate that isn't really going to pay off in the end or secure employment. I mean... school isn't just about getting a job, but for most people college is too expensive to get out without any job prospects on the horizon.

I decided to take a break after getting my Associate's Degree. I may go back and finish my undergrad degree since I have credits towards it, but I've come to the realization that most college programs (not including nursing, medicine, engineering law or some other tech-based field) are extremely over-priced and often leave students with massive student loans with few or no paying job-prospects.


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## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

I'm prepping for graduate admissions (going in Fall 2015). What concerns me a bit is that some grad schools require a bit of work experience in your field, which I lack. I've only worked 2 cashier jobs and that's it. My current undergraduate lack of opportunity in terms of internships, etc. Then you have the issue of 2-3 academic recommendation letters, but I know 3 professors who I can turn to. I'm hoping that my current GPA and a possible high score on the GRE will make things easy.I haven't taken the GRE yet and have been studying for it for a little over 2 weeks so far. If I go to school in England, I won't have to worry about that thing (I'm applying to three schools there). Decisions. Decisions.

If you're looking for a decent tuition then I recommend APPLYING ABROAD. American schools are great when it comes to education, but sometimes the Master Programs are a cash cow. I'm applying to 3 well known schools in England, 1 in Canada, and an American-accredited school in Egypt.


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## Laith (Mar 20, 2009)

med school


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## vanishingpt (Mar 9, 2012)

Not technically in grad school, but I'm an undergrad minoring in a design program which means I'm taking courses from the Year 1 Master's level. The application is the same, I had to send in a portfolio and have at least a 3.7 GPA.

There are not as many speeches and presentations as my undergrad. Maybe every 3 classes, there's 2 presentations for the whole semester. Whereas in undergrad, you'd have group discussions and critiques and presentations every two weeks.

As far as coursework, I'd say it's pretty hard if you cannot manage your time, but that goes for anything right? There's a lot of heavy technical reading that can be time consuming, and spreading up work and time between classmates to use the workshop facilities can be a pain.


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## Lelsey (Feb 7, 2011)

natty8 said:


> What are you studying and was it hard to get accepted?
> I feel like everyone must be so brave and smarter than me...and I can't do what they're doing so I feel discouraged to even think about it. Even talking to professors make me nervous.
> .


^^ THIS so much.. i just got admitted into an MBA program (not sure if that is considered grad school) and this has been what i felt all the time. Everyone seems to be much smarter, more out-going (read: likable) and accomplished than i am. I am even questioning my admission right now and it sucks.


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

Primitive Fish said:


> I'm an ecology PhD student. GPA and classes don't matter at all really (at my school). The entire point of the PhD is to do novel research and publish it. I have to publish 3-4 papers for my dissertation! It's what that are paying me to do! I can't even imagine a graduate student not doing a thesis!


I can't image doing one, as I don't give a crap about anything. I don't care to research, I don't care to know. The only validation of the act of doing a thesis is so you don't fail college. There is no real motivation. And most certainly, there is no point in writing more than a few pages of words about any subject. The very idea that 80 pages is a small thesis makes me want to bash my head against a wall.


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

Tomyx said:


> I can't image doing one, as I don't give a crap about anything. I don't care to research, I don't care to know. The only validation of the act of doing a thesis is so you don't fail college. There is no real motivation. And most certainly, there is no point in writing more than a few pages of words about any subject. The very idea that 80 pages is a small thesis makes me want to bash my head against a wall.


No point it writing more than a few words about a subject? What? That's how ideas are spread and information is shared. I'm not talking about writing summaries about what other people have done, but writing up my own NOVEL results to a project. The point of my dissertation is to develop the skills needed to be a scientist and communicate my findings. Classes are a bit of a waste in my opinion. I can sit there and memorize a text book...but it doesn't help me apply that information. I research topics so I can figure out what questions need to be asked and how I can find the answer.

If you don't want to write a thesis, that's fine. I also understand about not giving a crap about most subjects. I'd die if I had to write one for English or history. From my perspective, it seems like you don't like your field that much. Why do it if the thought of writing a thesis and learning more about your field of interest is so painful? If you don't care about knowing anything, why would you go to grad school?


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

Primitive Fish said:


> No point it writing more than a few words about a subject? What? That's how ideas are spread and information is shared. I'm not talking about writing summaries about what other people have done, but writing up my own NOVEL results to a project. The point of my dissertation is to develop the skills needed to be a scientist and communicate my findings. Classes are a bit of a waste in my opinion. I can sit there and memorize a text book...but it doesn't help me apply that information. I research topics so I can figure out what questions need to be asked and how I can find the answer.
> 
> If you don't want to write a thesis, that's fine. I also understand about not giving a crap about most subjects. I'd die if I had to write one for English or history. From my perspective, it seems like you don't like your field that much. Why do it if the thought of writing a thesis and learning more about your field of interest is so painful? If you don't care about knowing anything, why would you go to grad school?


 I love playing video games, and I'd rather jump off a bridge than write about them. The ONLY purpose for me going to any college is to get the degree to get the job to get the money to get a woman. That's the sequence of me giving a ****. And honestly, an MBA is not an academic subject in the first place. Just a thing people do to help them become considered for managerial positions. And the one thing most of those jobs have in common is less work for more pay. And that's what I want. Otherwise, I can program or do IT crap until then.


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

Hmmm. If you do have to write a thesis, then I wish you luck and hope it isn't too terrible. Writing is rough. Writing about something you have no interest in is brutal. If you need help, most universities offer workshops/writing consultations to get you through it.

It seems we are opposites! Working to work/get money is a bit of a foreign concept to me. I couldn't do it!


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

Primitive Fish said:


> Hmmm. If you do have to write a thesis, then I wish you luck and hope it isn't too terrible. Writing is rough. Writing about something you have no interest in is brutal. If you need help, most universities offer workshops/writing consultations to get you through it.
> 
> It seems we are opposites! Working to work/get money is a bit of a foreign concept to me. I couldn't do it!


I will most likely be making a lot of use of those workshops then. I remember in my old college they had the math worhshop. Math is pretty much my best subject, but going from Calc 1 to Calc 2 with a space of 3-4 years in between was a bit of a jump, and I got that done with my usual A.

Yeah, well if I could get money without working, I'd do it. The things I like to do have nothing to do with work. It's just what I'm forced to do. I'd rather be playing games, dating, and having fun 24/7. I suppose I have rockstar tastes without the drugs and with a lack of financial means.


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## kylieky (Jul 4, 2012)

May I ask how you guys are paying for it? I have been lucky enough to have my undergrad tuition paid for in full with grants alone for the past 3 years and my last upcoming one. But I did end up having to take out loans too. Do you get grants for grad?


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## Tomyx (Jun 27, 2013)

kylieky said:


> May I ask how you guys are paying for it? I have been lucky enough to have my undergrad tuition paid for in full with grants alone for the past 3 years and my last upcoming one. But I did end up having to take out loans too. Do you get grants for grad?


I work an internship job at the moment and take one class a semester, also live at home. It's not the fastest or cheapest way to do it, but at least I get access to all the campus activities, so it works out for social ATTEMPTS. Which is probably worth more than taking the classes, considering you make money mostly based on how well you can relate to others no matter what you do. There's always the guy who does what you do but is in charge instead of working.


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## Primitive Fish (Apr 12, 2013)

kylieky said:


> May I ask how you guys are paying for it? I have been lucky enough to have my undergrad tuition paid for in full with grants alone for the past 3 years and my last upcoming one. But I did end up having to take out loans too. Do you get grants for grad?


I'm in grad school for a biology PhD...they actually pay my tuition and give me a full stipend for living expenses. It's common in the sciences to get paid for graduate work.


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## cpuzManiac (May 8, 2011)

im currently an undergrad majoring in Computer Networking entering my senior year this coming fall and will hopefully earn my degree next may.

I plan on taking a year off and just working fulltime (to save up money) before going on to Grad school in 2016.

This summer i'm currently in a undergrad research program at another university. I've also had another research experience two summers ago. I like doing research, its the pursuit of knowledge that I really enjoy. 

I'm fairly certain I want to get a PhD in Comp. Sci. however I dont want to teach, I just want to do research. I hope to get a RA position as a grad student. having to teach is a huge fear of mine, I'd avoid a TA position at all costs. I want to try find a good program thats heavy in research and not so much in teaching, I dont know how realistic I am being though.

i'd just basically like to be a research computer scientist, not a professor who teaches classes.


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## Morpheus (May 26, 2006)

natty8 said:


> What are you studying and was it hard to get accepted?
> Does it require you to give a lot of speeches/presentations?
> Do you think the requirements are difficult? (homework, projects, etc.)


I finished my PhD in history last December. I was in grad school for 7.5 years. When I applied to grad school I was rejected from several schools, but I was also accepted to several. Getting in isn't easy, but its not extra hard either. Schools admit more people to grad school than there are jobs for that degree so that they can either collect extra tuition money or use the grad students as a source of cheap labor. I did have to give several speeches & presentations, but forcing myself to do that actually helped with my SA. I found grad school extremely difficult, but intellectually rewarding. It did not pay off financially, though.



> I'm considering applying for grad school (psychology) but I get nervous just reading the requirements and stuff like that. I don't think I'm smart enough to compete with other applicants and my SA makes everything worst.


A lot of grad students feel like imposters, or like they're not smart enough to be there. Most drop out.



Tomyx said:


> The ONLY purpose for me going to any college is to get the degree to get the job to get the money to get a woman.


That means you don't belong in graduate school. Grad school is for intelligent people, or people who want to be intelligent, who have a strong interest in a particular subject.



> And the one thing most of those jobs have in common is less work for more pay. And that's what I want.


So you're lazy? I guess that makes you a typical capitalist. A lot of management positions actually require 50+ hours per week at work, although their "work" consists of telling other people what to do, and making plans for telling other people what to do. If you want to do no work and make lots of money, what you want is to have a huge amount of money and put it in the bank or stock market (or other investment) and then live off the interest / dividends. Then you can live off others' labor.



kylieky said:


> May I ask how you guys are paying for it? I have been lucky enough to have my undergrad tuition paid for in full with grants alone for the past 3 years and my last upcoming one. But I did end up having to take out loans too. Do you get grants for grad?


I was employed as a Teaching Assistant for many years. They gave me a tuition waiver and $15,000/year. Teaching was initially terrifying because of my SA, but making myself do it actually made my SA less severe. I also had to take out loans, and use money from my savings, in the later part of grad school when the university became more stingy.


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## cpuzManiac (May 8, 2011)

Morpheus, how did you deal with the teaching? Like I posted earlier, i'm terrified of teaching. I'm not sure how History is for Grad students, but was there an option to be an RA instead?

I'm planning to go into grad school for Comp Sci and I want to just be an RA while in grad school. I really, really want to avoid teaching and TA positions like the plague.


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## Morpheus (May 26, 2006)

cpuzManiac said:


> Morpheus, how did you deal with the teaching? Like I posted earlier, i'm terrified of teaching. I'm not sure how History is for Grad students, but was there an option to be an RA instead?


There are very few RA positions in history, you can't really get away from teaching in history. I was never offered an RA position. You'll have a better chance at doing that in Comp Sci. I did a couple of things to handle teaching. One is I started doing regular relaxation exercises, including progressive muscle relaxation every night and meditation every morning. I used the CBT mood diary to refute my irrational thoughts. I made myself do it even though it initially caused me a great deal of distress.

I also used teaching methods that shifted the focus away from me. I'd try to get my students to talk, instead of doing all the talking myself. Like ask them a question about the readings for that day and, if no one answers, stay silent until someone pipes up. The extroverts hate silence and will eventually answer the question (or make a guess). No one can stay silent longer than me. Open ended questions, not yes/no questions, are better for getting a discussion going. Questions that start with why or how, or that have multiple answers, are often useful to get them talking.


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