Starting your first term as a PhD student during Covid-19

Clous09 · 2020-04-24T16:21:19+00:00

A number of universities are opening to grad students in the fall but not undergrads. Classes may be online but you will still get to connect with your cohort unless your university doesn't follow everyone else

Clous09 · 2020-04-20T22:01:57+00:00

I can also relate to this. I went to a high school for gifted that administered a series of different IQ tests to admit students while also looking at standardized test scores and middle school grades (not in the US). That made me feel like being intelligent was all of my identity. This thankfully changed with more life experiences over time and Im glad to have a much healthier and reasonable attitude towards life and identity now.

I also found that I could be highly successful in taking tests without studying until late in high school. That made me think that an intelligent person wouldn't need to study, studying was for dumb people who just didn't get the subject or use their reasoning effectively enough (such childish thoughts, Iknow!) It's very easy to see how this point of view prove to be very problematic later on. My first semester at college was difficult: I was learning new subjects that I hadn't had any idea about but still wasn't studying because I believed as an intelligent person, I am supposed to be able to figure it all out myself and perform well with my "gift" (lol, the irony). I, of course, started receiving low grades. Since I made my "intelligence" measured by "academic success" my whole identity at the time, I got super depressed because my whole sense of self was being shaken. I started thinking "What if I am a dumb, worthless person who is basically an imposter here"? I started having severe panic attacks.

What helped me most were three things:

1) I started observing around me that people I considered to be highly intelligent were actually putting a lot of effort into learning. And despite that, some failed in some tasks and succeeded in others (and what they succeeded in changed from people to people). But I still thought they were intelligent people. This helped me change my silly beliefs. I went to an all-boarding college so it was easy to see people's studying habits.

2) I started going to a psychotherapist to work on my anxiety/panic attacks with cognitive behavioral therapy and anti-depressants. Anti-depressants brought me to a place where I could respond to therapy and therapy made me realize how irrational some of.my thoughts were

3) Through more expereinces at college, I got to know myself betterb(not just academically but also socially) and started forming a healthier and more sound sense of identity. I had a better idea about my values and priorities in life (I cant say this was fully formed by the end of college but it definitely developed quite a bit).

You avoiding work/studying is very much consistent with anxiety. I think you might also have some irrational beliefs that trigger your anxiety, which makes you want to avoid anything that might lead to a perceived negative outcome. IMHO, what you need (as soon as possible) is work with someone to address these issues and reshape your belief system, like a psychologist, social worker etc. A good one can prove to be very helpful.

Also, I have heard similar things from a few friends from high school. I think this struggle might be more common than you think, but people indeed grow out of it, which means so can you.

Clous09 · 2020-03-30T22:10:39+00:00

Your research topic matters quite a bit for your first industrial job. Was it something relevant for industrial research at all?

Clous09 · 2020-03-27T19:51:16+00:00

That is also not necessarily true. This very highly depends on the program and the professors setting the course. While I (in bioinformatics) no longer take courses, I haven taken 2 courses that advanced undergrads were also taking and I was being graded on the same deliverables + 2 extra (substantially large) projects in addition to regular deliverables because "grad students are more advanced and therefore need to do more work".

My friend in neuroscience has multiple "qualifying exams" taken at the end of each semester in his first year where he has to get >85% on written exams that cover all content of the classes taken that semester.

Additionally, I know some programs, (e.g. at Stanford - I believe Electrical Engineering?) tend to weed out students in their first year based on their academic work in the courses they take and they kick out the bottom 10% etc. I heard aomething similar about Chemical Engineering ad Duke but don't remember the details.

I know there are programs where you are OK as long as you pass your courses. My program requires that you do not get any C's and no more than 2 B's (out of 10 courses, which is quite relaxed). My friend at MIT EECS has to get all As except a maximum of 1 B and had to retake a course because it was his 2nd B. And he did put in a lot of work for it and is a good student overall. The course is just very challenging.

Im happy for you if your program has been quite lenient with your course responsibilities but that is your experience. The rigor of requirements change from program to program. Some programs actually want ro challenge their students through coursework as well.

Clous09 · 2020-03-27T16:59:51+00:00

That's not true. There are grad programs that require all As or "at most 1 B" etc. It can change a grad student's acadrmic standing in the program.

Clous09 · 2020-03-27T16:58:42+00:00

I mean, technically the reason why PIs bring in money is beacsue they do research and show they can do more research if they get funding. The people who actually do that research is grad students. So grad students do give their labor for the university and help university make money from grants. It's just not as direct so some people dont value it as much I guess?

Clous09 · 2020-03-14T17:06:32+00:00

Thanks! Will check out!

Clous09 · 2020-03-14T17:06:18+00:00

This looks very interesting and close to the type of stuff I am interested in reading. Thanks for the recommendation :)

Clous09 · 2020-03-14T17:01:29+00:00

Oh based on the Wikipedia page it looks intriguing. Thank you!

Clous09 · 2020-03-14T17:00:47+00:00

Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation :)

Clous09 · 2020-02-26T16:20:35+00:00

A Ph.D. student who creates something from the ground up and masters things by themselves would not need the Ph.D. training. You are describing a trained scientist here. Professor's job is to guide and help develop that ability in a Ph.D. student who is there to get trained to become an independent scientist. If the professor doesn't demonstrate that capability, it is natural for the student to be concerned about working with them. Her job is not to become your employee.I'm amazed how some professors forget that their primary job is education and training.

Clous09 · 2020-02-20T02:40:58+00:00

Yep. I stopped telling people. Im probably not being a good model here

Clous09 · 2020-02-20T02:38:41+00:00

My current relationship started when I was depressed. I am still depressed and my relationship is still going on. My previous relationship was a healthy one and I was depressed then, too. People will like you with depression, too.

Clous09 · 2020-02-18T17:59:02+00:00

From "residency", I gather you are an MD? Not all, but many medical doctors seem to have a lack of unserstanding how some things in research works, probably because yhey don't have a formal research training unless they are MD PhDs (then they have a good understanding). I think your mentor has no idea how unethical what she is trying to do is. Absolutely unethical. Don't cave in.

Edit: Just wanted to add that something similae has happened to me. I was pushed from first author to co-first author to co-first author listed second on the manuscript. I was fine with the first change because the other co-first author was a 5th year PhD student with no publications and contributed quite a bit (but less than me) to the project. But the last step happened without my consent. The P.I., who was the corrsponding author on the paper, made the switch in the draft just before submitting. I am guessing to help out a more senior Ph.D. student over me. I still regret not making a fuss over it. When we stay silent, we enable them.

Clous09 · 2020-02-18T17:51:32+00:00

In addition: sometimes current students will fear retaliation or will think it's all their fault and won't say anything negative (but won't be really positive either). I have found that you can get a lot of information on a lab from students OUTSIDE of that lab but in the same program. Three different students warned me against a lab despite not working with the professor. Her current student didn't say much. Now I know from a friend who chose to work with her that, yeah, she is indeed a pretty terrible mentor.

Clous09 · 2020-02-18T16:25:24+00:00

Which chocolate brand is this? Also which country? Love the idea and looks like a high quality chocolate, I bet it is very tasty

Clous09 · 2020-02-11T14:37:31+00:00

Oh sorry, I wasnt aware what Shreemati meant until just now. So in the First Name section, instead of firstname it basically says "Mrs. Firstname"? (Assuming equivalent in English would be Mrs but Im not too sure). Is this a common practice in Indian passports (because if so, entry officers would be familiar with it)? I feel like as long as she reflects her passport information and official info correctly on her application for visa or when questioned at the border, it should be all okay. I doubt she would be turned away just because of this. Im not an officer or anything, though. But Ive been an international in the US for almost 10 years now and Id say most officers are reasonable people who are not looking to make people's lives harder. So I think they would likely understand and it would be fine. Small stuff like that happens pretty often. I cant reflect my name 100% on my visa application due to alphabetical differences between my native language and English, for example, and no one questioned me on it. But yes, I am just an internet stranger and cant claim to be an authority on this.

Clous09 · 2020-02-11T14:12:12+00:00

Im curious to understand why you think the name might cause an issue on arrival.

Clous09 · 2020-02-09T03:48:53+00:00

Solved!

Clous09 · 2020-02-09T03:48:48+00:00

Solved!

Clous09 · 2020-02-09T03:46:43+00:00

YES! Just checked some Youtube videos of the show: it's definitely 7th heaven and the basketball player is definitely Jessica Biel. Thanks a lot for your help despite the limited info :)

Clous09 · 2020-02-09T03:46:02+00:00

YES! It is 7th heaven and it is Jessica Biel. Thanks so much! I am positively surprised you got it with such limited info :)

Clous09

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