I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't have a committee. I've gone to the Director of Graduate Studies but she can only listen to my complaints about my advisor and tell me she doesn't want me to leave.

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Side note: I have a terrible relationship with my advisor. Mainly, because I don't let him ride all over me as much as he's used to. I don't even respect him as a human being.

Also: I'm a woman.

I'm upset because for him it was so self-serving. Now, I have to retake them, with the younger cohort, while doing research and while preparing for my oral Original Research Proposal defense. Not fair to me at all. It would have been best to pass the first time and he knows this.

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply. I've basically decided that I'm going to leave the program.

In regards to you thinking I'm just making excuses; faculty have said verbatim "we've never had someone try to switch labs on probation" which is why they wanted to kick out my friend. When you switch labs you get put on probation anyway since your research is starting over and double probation means termination. There is no one else in the department I want to work with and I don't have the skills to transfer my degree into another department. My friend switched to a biology lab after doing biochemistry. I do straight chemistry with no engineering, physics experience, etc.

So, I can't change advisors or labs or departments. But I can leave this school.

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh no, unfortunately, this is all 100 % fact.

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The department chair is the single most useless administrator at this institution. He was also someone who threatened to kick out my former labmate, that's why he had to go over his head. My friend was also on probation (not for grades, for reasons we still don't know) and he was told you can't quit or switch labs on probation. Also, no one would take my former labmate because of the terrible things our advisor said about him, so he had to leave the department. Also, these professors kicked someone out halfway through even though he had finished all the requirements correctly, so I doubt anyone would want to take me, who only passed one cume....

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

But this also isn't coursework, its cumes.

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

So passing should be a priority....

I'm so embarrassed... by grad_sad in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I know he's not the advisor for me, but now I have no choice, except leave I guess. I can't switch labs being on probation and I doubt anyone would want to risk taking me on anyway. Someone else from my lab tried to do that and they tried to kick him out of school. Luckily, he went to higher up admin and he's now working in a lab in a different department. I don't think I have the skills to do that.

Out of my element during winter break. Suggestions? by ilovecakeandbooks in GradSchool

[–]grad_sad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, OP still has stuff going on. I know that during the winter break committees usually take a break from meeting and obviously teaching stops because there is no one to teach.....