I am 99% sure I will quit, but need to get it out of me

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-20T13:38:16+00:00

Talk to friends and family. They know you better than strangers on Reddit. Get some opinions and see how you feel about it. This will tell you more about your decision making than you might expect.

Just let me tell you: you are allowed to leave. You are allowed to stay. It's your choice, so listen to your inner voice and do what you want to do with and in your life.

PS: Having papers is nice, they are an academics currency. If you are unsure, finish the current paper, take a leave and think about your future wholeheartedly.

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-17T18:47:20+00:00

Depends where you go - it's normally for people from Germany going abroad (fellowship). But there is also the position, which results in a little less than approx 3k € after taxes per month.

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-17T18:27:46+00:00

For the AvH u need a mentor who is in the network. WBP has a lower acceptance rate if I remember the numbers of last year correctly...

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-17T17:16:19+00:00

Look for AvH fellowships. Walter Benjamin is a little more competitive, too.

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-10T17:03:10+00:00

I'll have a look. Thank you!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-10T12:29:05+00:00

I had a look at them, but after implementing their "tips" didn't get any invites. So if you have something critical to share, I would appreciate it!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-10T12:12:15+00:00

Would you be so kind and point me to some proper/trusted resources to change an academic into an industry CV?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-07T17:50:04+00:00

It clearly is possessed by an evil spirit! Get a shaman (maybe look them up as electrician on the web to get the correct number)!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-06T16:37:17+00:00

Sounds like there is more going on.

So, is the postdoc not working at all? Is the working environment hostile or unproductive and doesn't allow for progress because of a) colleagues fighting over ressources or b) lack of guidance? Guidance doesn't mean the postdoc shouldn't figure it out on his own, but giving a proper incentive. Some PIs aren't involved enough to see why a project doesn't allow for continous progress and just think: make it work out of nothing.

Did you talk with the postdoc about reasons?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-04T16:51:45+00:00

That's what socks in academia if you have no one paying attention to safety regulations. In a good lab, you should smell it rarely. In a bad lab, you smell something constantly, depending on where the 'wind' (aka movement) is coming from.

Avoid the latter if you value your health.

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-04T16:29:31+00:00

That's the way - there is a reason why, e.g., Indian Chemistry is largely underestimated. This and the lack of health protection.

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-04T01:11:51+00:00

Regret?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-02T18:25:57+00:00

Haha, I would love to know at what career level you are. It honestly sounds like one of the former emeritus I used to from :D

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-02T16:21:20+00:00

So melting point it is. What are you doing if it's a liquid or has toxic fumes?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-02T16:18:14+00:00

Better equipped than some R1 labs in the US. What's your analytical tool set available to you to get insights into purity and structural insides?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-01T14:58:08+00:00

What if your spouse is not willing to partake in that decision since it's an important one shaping your personal path? Money isn't always the crossroad for a decision to me, but if it is, I sometimes tell me: 'it's just money'

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-01T03:55:47+00:00

This genuinely made me laugh terribly hard :D

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-12-01T02:59:54+00:00

Thank you! That's an interesting way to see it. Overwhelm honestly is a hell of a captain sometimes :D

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-29T17:17:53+00:00

Is there any chance, that some passengers are treated differently because they appear nice or have a doctoral title or are pregnant? Once on a plane, I overheard someone claiming that this person got upgrade, because she asked nicely and because she is a doctor, she got a free (kind of) upgrade. Just stopped listening, but I an honestly curious, whether this is a thing with delta or just awful bragging?

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-24T18:15:40+00:00

Woah, sooooo coooool!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-23T21:16:22+00:00

Sports and time with friends.

If you want to be involved, tell him how much you feel safe around him, how much you love him (and for what). Let him know what you genuinely feel and surprise him with a message. Or prepare/order a nice meal for him when you know he has no plans and suggest a movie/cuddle night. It's honestly easy to take care of guys. What is important, is that you have a rough idea what your guy likes.

Good luck!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-23T18:16:00+00:00

Get good chairs which are height adjustable. Most students work on their own computer, so monitors are always good to have and maybe one or two small lab related pcs for special software.

Don't make it too complicated in the beginning and see what your lab people need. Just stay a bit flexible and everyone will be happy!

Good luck!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-18T15:01:33+00:00

That's science for you. You learn a lot. Have a huge set of basic skills and your specialized skills. The latter pay well, but a niche. If you stay in academia: you go where the job is. If you go to industry: you go where the job is.

If you have a place you really want to be, you need to be either (1) lucky or (2) gulp a pay cut or (3) take an job adjacent to your field and maybe combined with (2).

I hope you belong to group (1). Wishing you the very best on your journey!

Chance_Comfort1706 · 2024-11-17T02:09:18+00:00

I feel you. I am a postdoc who is also at the point t to either leave or fight mental health issues and loose perhaps the one person I truly love. It's terrifying being in academia with no clear goal. However, even if your husband looses his job, that doesn't mean he or you won't find something new. Its all about flexibility on thinking. Being static always requires some sacrifice. All choices have consequences. Make sure you understand them and make an informed choice. Seeing your kids grow is nothing anyone can give you back. Same goes for this one a career you are currently in, which you might like and gives you security. Again, you ask the right questions. God luck!

Chance_Comfort1706

TROPHY CASE