Q&A: How hard is graduate school?

Let's bring some more Q&A to you! Today, I'm focusing on the following comment that came to my blog:

Not sure about the comment "what does not kill you". I have seen several candidates suffer mental breakdowns.


This comment came together with the question from another reader:

How tough is necessary grad school?

At that time, I replied as follows:

There's a big difference between building up some friction and being able to push through, and getting a mental illness. I'm not a psychologist, but I think a toxic environment, difficulties with an advisor etc. might be factors that can cause serious damage to a person's health (mental AND physical), instead of the actual research itself. But maybe I'm totally wrong?

So, how hard is graduate school really? How mentally challenging is it? How emotionally challenging is it? How psychologically challenging is it? As always, let's look at all different aspects - keeping in mind the comment I made previously: I am not a psychologist, so I'm not entirely qualified to even answer this question. Take my thoughts as an opinion, not as the book of law.

How mentally challenging is graduate school?

I must admit, I never really did a Bachelor's degree. I went to university after passing the entrance exam, and did a program after which I received my Master's degree (the "ir" title) after five years. I've been used to a high level of teaching from the beginning, so I can't really comment on the difference in difficulty level between your typical undergraduate and graduate course.

Throughout all my studies, in Belgium, the USA, and the Netherlands, I encountered different types of challenges. In Belgium, the volume of material you need to study prior to exams is significantly larger than in other countries. When you start your studies, it is vastly intimidating. You need to memorize a lot of material. It requires a lot of time and good planning. However, learning how to chew through a meter's worth of notes and course material has thought me how to be very efficient in my literature review, and how to study and memorize large amounts of material.

In the USA, the hardest part for me was adjusting to the new system and to the language. For some courses, I did not have the right background. Having to fill the gaps in my background on my own was challenging, and I felt lost and confused at times. Once I learned how to manage this problem, I could roll forward.

In the Netherlands, I only took one course, as the PhD program is research-only. I studied some topics on my own as well. The largest surprise and difficulty with the one course I took in the Netherlands was the way of examining: oral exam. I had taken oral exams frequently in Belgium before, but in Belgium you receive the question, get to prepare your answer, and then go into the professor's office. In the Netherlands, the professor asks the question while you are seated in front of him/her, and then expects an immediate answer. This different way of carrying out an oral exam took me by surprise!

In terms of research, we must say that research is an entirely different beast from studying. You may be good at reproducing material, but for research you need to take one step more and actually figure out the research question, the tools you need for answering the question, and then get to the answer. It involves different skills, and sometimes it can be lonely (but that's part of the other topics and challenges we'll discuss in a moment). Prior to every major breakthrough in your work, you can experience a time of friction. You're meddling in stuff, but it just can't seem to move forward. I call this "building up friction" - you build up this friction until finally the whole thing starts moving forward again.

How emotionally challenging is graduate school?

Dedicating three, four, or more years of your life to your PhD is something. If your program is research-only, you can feel isolated and lonely at times. Make sure you have a strong support network of fellow PhD students, friends, and reach out within your field through conferences and other events. Your research is a long project you have to see through from the beginning of the end. It can feel like a large responsibility, which can be emotionally taxing.

Try to stay balanced: leave time for self-care, eat properly, exercise, and sleep enough. Get out of your PhD bubble from time to time. Don't neglect your friends and family. If you approach your PhD with this attitude, you'll be more resilient when the going gets tough.

How psychologically challenging is graduate school?

PhD students are vulnerable for mental illnesses. There is the crushing weight of all expectations on the students. There is the major taboo on mental health in academia. Combine this with the toxic environment of some universities where the egos of the different professors are constantly at battle with eachother, and perhaps the lack of time and support from a PhD supervisor, and you have a cauldron for difficulties. Many universities now acknowledge this issue, and have decided to make a positive change. If you feel you need to talk to somebody about these issues, look for possible options and support within your university. Don't carry the burden on your own.

Graduate Study in the USA

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Christopher McMaster (Ph.D., University of Canterbury). Christopher has taught for over 15 years as a regular and special educator in the United Kingdom, United States, Nicaragua and New Zealand. He co-edited and contributed to Postgraduate Study in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Surviving and Succeeding (2014) and is currently lead editor for the "Survive and Succeed" series in the UK, US, Australia and South Africa. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Education at Augsburg College, Minneapolis. Christopher can be reached at drchrismcmaster@gmail.com.

Slightly over a year ago I asked popular blogs and graduate associations from around the country to circulate a call for abstracts for a book by and for graduate students. I asked students to contribute to this book, an edited volume, based on the premise: If you could go back in time to when you started your studies, what advice would you give yourself?

The response was encouraging. Submissions were received from all over the United States, and a leading educational publisher, Peter Lang, quickly signed it on. The end result was a collection of 20 chapters full of useful advice to those currently studying, as well as those thinking of embarking on the graduate path. It is titled Graduate Study in the USA: Surviving and Succeeding, and is now happily in print.

This book is to be part of an international series that includes similar efforts from students or recent graduates in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom (the latter three are due out later this year). The concept was simple: graduate students writing for graduate students. After the publication of the New Zealand edition in late 2014, my co-editor (Caterina Murphy) and myself were soon asked by students in those countries, “Hey, can we have one too?”

Each edition in the "Survive and Succeed" series are written by graduate students (and sometimes recent graduates) in each country, reflecting the specific concerns or issues of that place. The books are not tomes of advice by the learned professor, but rather, students “doin’ it for themselves”, as the Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin sang in the mid-1980s.

This book is a survival guide to help US graduate students at each stage of their studies. As editors we gave each contributor a simple task: “If you could go back in time to when you started your graduate studies, what would you tell your younger, less experienced self? What advice could you give to prospective or current graduate students now, with the wisdom of your hindsight?”

Each chapter is written in an accessible manner, developing a relationship between writer and reader. I encouraged the contributors to imagine that younger self, or keen reader, sitting in front of them to hear useful advice. Not personal anecdote and smug survival story, but something each reader can take away and be stronger and more successful in their own studies.

The book is divided into five parts, each covering key elements for surviving and succeeding in graduate study. The first part examines the mechanics of graduate study and covers essentials such as advisory relationships, scholarships, conferencing, and building support networks. The second part concentrates on succeeding as an academic and includes writing, editing, and publishing, as well as the responsibility of being an academic. The third part considers understanding and navigating difference in academia. Part four focuses on maintaining health, well-being, and balance when working for long, concentrated periods of study, including chapters on the long neglected issue of study and disability and mental health. The final section is about studying from and in another culture, whether that be an American abroad, or a student new to America.

Graduate Study in the USA can be read cover to cover, or it can be treated like a guide book to a city you have not visited before, where you dip in and out of sections or chapters that are especially pertinent to you at the time. The point of the book is to show what is on offer, what may be expected, how to prepare for the unexpected, and how to make your travels through graduate study in the USA a rewarding experience.

Graduate Study in the USA: Surviving and Succeeding is available through most online book sellers, such as Amazon, and from the publisher.

Q&A: TU Delft or Georgia Tech for an MSc. in Structural Engineering

Dear readers, it's time for anoher Q&A post. Today, we are comparing TU Delft with Georgia Tech for a master's degree in Structural Engineering.

Some time ago, I received the following message:

Dear Doctor Lantsoght,

I am a student recently being admitted by TU Delft for MSc program in Civil Engineering ( Structural Engineering Track ). I am writing to you to ask for help in comparing TU Delft with the Georgia Institute of Technology. While TU Delft offers me with scholarship, the Georgia Institute of Technology gives me an admission of MS without financial aid. My main concern is that TU Delft seems to be a less recognized university in my country and I wonder whether Gatech has a better reputation on a worldwide scale (especially in terms of civil engineering). Would you please give me some advice on this issue?
Thanks a lot for your time!

My reply was the following (I enjoyed my time at Georgia Tech and TU Delft a lot):

Dear XX,

Thank you for reaching out to me with your question.

When deciding upon going to Georgia Tech and TU Delft, you are in a luxury situation: both are excellent schools. While I can't make the deciscion for you or tell you where to go, here are a few things to consider:
- If you don't get financial aid, does that mean you'll be paying off student debt until your retirement?
- in terms of rankings, both schools are doing very well. According to the QS international rankings, Delft is currently 2nd worldwide and GT 24th.

If finances are not an issue, try to figure out with whom you'd be working, and where you'd be able to find an advisor that is the best match for you, and your future plans. If you would like to spend some time after your studies working in Europe, Delft would be the best option, if you want to work in the USA, GT is your best option. Both schools are excellent options if you'd be interested in doing a PhD after the MSc program.

Hope that helps,

Eva

The GRE as preparation for graduate school

Time for more Q&A again today (and don't be shy to drop me a question, I'll answer it in a Q&A - it sometimes takes a bit more time, but I always answer!).

Here's today's question:

Hi there,

Do you think that taking the chemistry subject GRE will make a big difference for my application process into Graduate school?

I would like to do a PhD in biochemistry. I thought it would be good if I had the subject GRE, but the time when I plan to take it I will NOT have taken physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry yet...

Thanks!!


Let's break this question down to the 2 main parts here:

1. Should you take a subject GRE?

Since you already know that you want to do a PhD in Biochemistry, I assume you have as well already outlined a number of institutions where you would like to work, and supervisors with whom you would like to collaborate. If not, I would recommend you to start from there.
Then, once you know where you would like to apply, check the requirements. If they request that you take the chemistry subject GRE, then you need to make sure you fulfill this requirement.
However, if they don't mention it, I personally don't think an extra standardized test result will really make the difference in your application. I think showing your personal style and strengths through your autobiographical essay is something that will make a deeper impression on the selection committee. By all means, if you can go for a campus visit, I'd recommend you personally meet possible supervisors and see if you would be able to align yourself with his/her lines of thought.

2. Missing knowledge for taking the subject GRE

If you are planning on taking the subject GRE, you need to make sure your are well-prepared for the test. If you are lacking the knowledge of certain topics, I would recommend you to study these topics on your own, or to take these classes earlier than you planned. I don't think going to a test, knowing that you are missing some parts of the knowledge, is a good approach. Especially if you want to use the test for a graduate school application, you want to have a score that is equal to, or as close as possible to, the full grade. Most likely that means you'll need to pick up a book and work your way through the topic (and that might even be something you can use in your grad school applications: the ability to successfully study these topics in your own is something that will come in very useful in grad school). I really don't believe in going for the half-assed option of studying for the exam, only based on the topics you know. Go big or go home :)

And since some of these parts might sound a little harsh, I'd like to give you the following 3 pieces of advice:
- follow your instinct
- trust yourself
- don't panic

All the best, and I hope you can start your PhD in biochemistry very soon!

What do you think, dear readers? Do you agree, or do you have a complete different experience?

Is university expensive?

As I love infographics (even though I know they're often not the result of thorough research and their data typically does not hold together - but hey, they are pretty), I'm always on the hunt for interesting infographics about higher education. Recently, I came across the following infographic about the cost of graduate school.

Now, this infographic is pretty as always, but it's seriously missing the ball here, for the following reasons:

1. Scholarships: I know there are people that are providing their own funding for their studies, but there are so many scholarship options out there. If you are motivated and working hard, I think you can always find an option to get the education without it costing you a limb.

2. Other countries: Not all countries in the world charge these ridiculous fees that are so common in the USA. You can get an excellent education in Europe for much less. For comparison: a year (not semester!) of tuition and fees in Belgium costs about 500 euro. And it really is high quality education (not me being suddenly patriotic).


Source: Affordable-Online-Colleges.net

Graduate School per field

I recently came across the inforgraphic shown below.

Now, this infographic is a pretty visual, and it cites some sources for their data. But before you take this infographic to be the holy grail, use some of your own critical thinking.

First of all, there are a number of flaws in this infographic:
- It mixes doctoral and professional degrees. Two very different types of degrees with different goals - not to be mixed.
- The data only seem to apply to the USA. There's a whole world outside of the US as well.
- I think the numbers for occupations teach you more about the distribution of jobs rather than the effect of studying for a degree.
- Salaries vary largely - giving an average value is not telling you much at all.
- The "worst doctoral and professional outlooks" section only looks at graduates from law school. They should change that heading.

In the end, remember that it just depends on yourself and your interest whether you should go to graduate school or not. If you can do it, if you are interested in it, and if you are not going to go bankrupt over it - then why wait?

Life After Graduate School: What happens next?

The topic of finding a job after the PhD, and life outside of the ivory tower has stirred reactions in a good number of people. Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Gemma Gaten, who gives her warnings and outlook for life after graduate school. Gemma is a literature major and works as a paper writer atuk.bestessays.com. She is a blogger, photographer, and traveler. She writes more about education, student lifestyle, writing, and careers. To know more about her please visit herblog and add her in google+.

People believe that obtaining a master's or a PhD degree is a good investment for a bright future. If you are a diploma-holder of a higher degree of education, there are more doors of opportunities that await you once you step off the portals of grad school. Having an advanced degree is a big advantage in almost all industries especially in the fields of education, social services, medical health, business management, etc. If you have a desired position in a professional field, you need to take an advanced degree. In our education and employment system, it is like you are required to get a higher degree of education to become qualified to the position that you want to attain.

Why you should go to graduate school and be a PhD candidate? Well, to put it simply here are the things that graduate school can give you. Graduate education will provide you the intellectual ability, work ethics, improved and advanced skills, in-depth knowledge, and well-related work experience to the field that you want to belong to in the future. As you know and learn these benefits, you became more driven to increase your career security, professional and personal development, right?

If you know and understand the positive aspects of getting into graduate school, you get excited to start a graduate education right away. But before you indulge yourself to the challenging and stressful life in grad school, there are things that you must know first. Life in graduate school is different from the life after grad school. What do I mean by that? Many students didn't know that the things that matter during their graduate education years don't matter anymore once they got their Master's or PhD diploma.

Let's say you have completed the years of your master's or PhD degree, you got your diploma, and you're done with all those academic paper works. As you bid goodbye to your alma mater, do you already know what awaits you in the real world? How are you going to face your new life? How are you going to address the transition after graduate school into the workforce? To give you a clearer perspective of what I am saying, here's a simple illustration.

THE EXPECTATION

Some graduate students thought that they don't need to work harder and exert much effort in searching for job opportunities since they already got a ticket, their PhD diploma, to get the job that they wanted. This can be possible for PhD graduates who already have a career while taking their master's or PhD education. But for those beginners or those students who do not have a job in their prospective field, they have to start looking for a job immediately that would best fit their skills and educational attainment. Because even though they are Master's or PhD degree-holders if there are no available positions for them in the market place or in non-academic careers, it would take a while before they land a full-time position. But for those in line with research and academic work, there are plenty of job opportunities that they can apply for.

THE HARSH REALITY

Even if you are a graduate student or a PhD candidate, you need to keep your options open. Whether it's a non-academic or academic work, you have to understand that the real world doesn't only look at the diploma that you are holding or the years that you've spent in the academy. There are already many students who pursued their graduate education and not all of them were given good academic jobs. Becoming a graduate from a prestigious graduate school is a good credential, actually being a certified Master's or PhD graduate is already a big accomplishment. But the sad part here is that the school you graduated from and the degree that you have don't matter anymore once you go to the workforce. Companies need your advanced knowledge and abilities so you have to show them what are the things that you can do for them because if they don't see you as a good contributor to the success of their business they will not going to hire you.

THE ACCEPTANCE

You have to accept the truth, real world is far different from the life that you had in graduate school. Whether you like it or not, you have to understand how the real world works. You will obtain the career that you want with the help of your good credentials, advanced education, and the professional network you have built. But the promotions, recognition, high salary, and good benefits that you will receive will depend on the contribution that you will make to the company.

Writers' Lab: Improving narrative in multidisciplinary projects through blogging

As a starting point for today's post, I've chosen Maria Konnikova's excellent blog post on "Why grad schools should require students to blog".

Previously, we've looked at the benefit of blogging for your scholarly work, and how it can be valuable for every single academic. Moreover, we've discussed the possible reasons for blogging - there are many different paths you can take to blogging as an academic.

Earlier on PhD Talk, we've looked at how academic writing can make us better writers. Maria Konnikova shows us how popular writing can make us better academic writers, and how that can increase your chances for success in graduate school, or in her words:

And partway through another all-nighter (I was working under some tight deadlines), I had an epiphany: thank god I’ve spent the last few years blogging, writing a book, and doing freelance journalism. Otherwise, I’d be lost. Truly.

During that epiphany, she realized there is not much of a difference between on the one hand researching for an article for a magazine, bringing material together from different sources, and on the other hand writing about multidisciplinary research, reconciling two different fields of study and their own vocabulary.

As Konnikova explains how she came to an article that turned out to be a goldmine for her research, it is once more clear that it is not through sheer luck that she stumbled upon this piece, it is because blogging thought her to research widely. By the same token, it strengthens my belief that reading sparks creativity, and that grazing around in the literature, wandering off on undiscovered paths might lead us to unexpected goldmines. In Konnikova's words:

To me, as a blogger, cross-citation is standard practice. I have to do it every day when I research a new blog topic or look at the background for a new piece. It’ s natural to include anything that may potentially be helpful—and to put areas in dialogue even if they don’t normally cross over. I don’t feel compelled to stay within any arbitrary academic boundaries; I just use what seems most, well, useful.

She also proposes the following:

I’d go a step further: incentivize students to blog and to write for a popular audience on topics that go beyond their immediate area of interest. At Columbia, for instance, we can write a grant for one of our comprehensive exams. Why not let a series of published blog posts count as well?

Taking this idea one step further, we could recommend multidisciplinary research groups to write posts on a group blog, and practice writing in a style and language that is accessible for all different backgrounds involved in the project. We could invite groups to learn to speak eachother's language by sharpening their narrative into a common ground.

25 Quick and Easy Ways to Save Money in Graduate School

When you are living from paycheck to paycheck in graduate school, it is time to change your spending habits around.
When you are dreaming of saving for the downpayment of a house, or a new car - again, it's time to start pinching pennies and make your little graduate school paycheck go far.

In this post, I give you 25 ideas on how to get started with saving money on your regular expenses.

1. Check out the weekly sales of the supermarkets. Just go online and look at what's on sale in the grocery store this week. At times, I can get up to 10% off my total purchases, just by planning my meals around the products that are on sale.
2. Bike to campus. If you live within 10km of campus, you should leave your car in the garage and bike to campus. Not only will you save a lot on gas, it's also healthy and it kickstarts your brain for the day.
3. Ditch the meat every now and then. Your body doesn't need a big piece of meat every day. You can make rice with vegetables, or a pasta with a nice sauce, without needing to spend on meat.
4. Save the juice. Turn of the lights in all the rooms at home, except for the room where you are at that given moment.
5. Happy thrifting! You can save tons of money by buying clothes, furniture, decorations,... in thrift stores. Moreover, you are reusing items that otherwise would be thrashed - so it's an eco-friendly choice too.
6. Share a house. Even though you're in your mid or late twenties as a PhD student, try to cut down on rent by sharing a house with roommates. Just look for other PhD students - you don't have the lifestyle to live with undergrads anymore.
7. Grow your own herbs. Buying a full pot of basil is only double the price of buying fresh basil, but with one plant you are good for many months (just give the basil some light and water).
8. Bring your own meals. Bring your meals to campus, and bring some snacks as well. Buying from the cafetaria/food court and from vending machines is not a smart choice. Moreover, if you bring your meals, you have better control over what you actually eat, and how good that is for your body.
9. Shop for presents online. You can find great gifts at online gadget stores, or on Etsy, where lovely handmade craftworks are sold at good prices.
10. Only spend on given days. All other days, or spending-free days. I, for example, typically only spend on Tuesdays for groceries and (sometimes) Saturdays.
11. Use soap and shampoo bars. Bars of soap and shampoo last much longer than bottles, as you have to make them foam yourself, instead of just squeezing a bottle and using too much product.
12. DIY beauty. See what you can do at home, and what needs to be done by a professional. For example, I cut and dye my hair myself, but I do go once a month to a nailstylist.
13. Online deals. If you plan a weekend getaway, or a massage - check out online deals websites for a great discount.
14. Buy in bulk. Often, buying in bulk gives you a great discount. For deodorant and toothpaste, there are regularly buy 2, get 2 for free actions - that's the moment to buy these items.
15. Vegetables in bulk. You can save by buying large packages of the same vegetable. Just chop them up and keep them in the freezer - they last up to 6 months in there.
16. Library card. Get yourself a library card if you like reading books. Don't buy every single book that you'd like to read.
17. Repair your stuff. Try to repair your electronics when they give up on you. Learn how to sew your clothes back together.
18. Get a water filter. And just stop buying bottled water - it's expensive and not eco-friendly.
19. Invest in quality. Buy shoes that last many seasons, and electric appliances that won't die after using them a few times.
20. Ask yourself: "Do I really need this?". Before you buy something for yourself, stop for a moment and consider if your really need this in your life. If you don't, then don't drag something new into your house.
21. Don't buy a dryer. Just dry your clothes on a drying rack or outside on a clothesline. You save on electricity.
22. Smart investments. If you have something valuable, protect it. Use a surge protector for your electronics and a solid lock on your bike.
23. Keep an eye on when advantages end. You might be enjoying a certain discount for a certain number of months, and afterwards the company will charge you the full amount. I recently got a 150 euro phone bill, because my phone company put me on the biggest plan, for the smallest fee for a given number of months. I didn't keep track of the months, and then got charged the full amount.
24. Wear hand-me-downs. You can trade clothes that you don't like that much with friends and family, and get something new for free.
25. Read personal finance blogs. They contain tons of great information on saving money.

What do you do for keeping your little expenses under control?

Five Ways to Control your Budget in Graduate School

During your PhD, you certainly aren't bathing in luxury. Even if you have funding for your research, and are paid a salary that keeps you alive, most likely, you just get by.

Buying kitchen appliances, unexpected health bills, car repair costs - these larger bills could put your account below zero in an instant.

With a husband across the Atlantic, I had an extra challenge when it came to keeping my finances stable. I spent a small fortune in airfares, but I always had my emergency savings for a rainy day.

In this post, I will explain you five essential steps that can take you from living from paycheck to paycheck, to having a more stable grip on your expenses.

1. Log and analyze all your expenses

If you aren't doing this yet, then start doing this today. Open a spreadsheet and make a few columns (groceries, bills, going out, sports, ...) and log every single expense you have.
That 1,20 euro parking ticket? Log it!
That 5 euro blouse you scored in the sales? Log it!
Everything needs to go in there.

At the end of the month, have a closer look at your expenses.
How much do you have monthly in bills?
How much do you need for food?
How much could you have saved by not buying lattes, lunches,...?

2. Know your annual expenses

If you work with monthly budget spreadsheets, you might forget that you have large expenses on a yearly basis as well. These expenses could be your tuition fees, your car maintenance or your city and water taxes.

Identify these expenses, and know exactly in which month you can expect them. Then, consider how much you should put aside in the months prior to that, in order not to get too tight in the month with the big expense.

3. Budget

Now that you have an idea of how much you actually spend, start to make budgets.
You can tell yourself for example a maximum amount to spend on eating out. Likewise, try to shop in the grocery store for a given amount each week, and keep track of what you put into our cart while you're browsing around.

4. Save something every month

Try to save a small amount of money, every single month. It's plain simple: if you want to have a cushion for a rainy day, you should spend less than you earn, always.

5. Drastically cut out the small expenses, reward yourself with a larger one

You can go really far in cutting out the small expenses - and I'll go into that in a next post. Then, identify something large (maybe a kitchen appliance, or a fancy book) that you really want. Start putting half of the money you save from the small expenses aside for your dream project, and the other half for a rainy day.
By rewarding yourself for saving money, you will feel motivated to keep up this lifestyle and not revert to old habits of overspending and living from paycheck to paycheck.

Do you keep track of your expenses? Do you use budgets? Share you experience in the comments section!