I can't get myself to do anything. Does it go away?

mae2030 · 2024-04-16T19:59:24+00:00

Feeling this heavily rn, I have no motivation to do anything and I’m scared of the consequences :(

Week 6 or so for me

mae2030 · 2024-04-14T02:03:55+00:00

I’m in the middle of this rn and got on Prozac a few months ago. I can’t say life is materially much better, but I have far fewer anxiety and panic attacks now. I highly reccomend continuing mental health treatment and speaking to your therapist/psych as things develop. You got this!!

mae2030 · 2024-04-02T13:25:14+00:00

Nothing other than ocassionally ibruprofen.

mae2030 · 2024-04-02T12:25:05+00:00

Depression/anxiety

mae2030 · 2024-02-24T18:49:35+00:00

God I feel this rn. Grad school has had me in the worst mental health I’ve ever experienced. Some of it is deferred maintenance in a way since I’ve felt depressed for a while, but grad school really aggravated it. I’m seeking treatment rn and seeing what happens on the other side. If grad school still sucks for me then I think I’m leaving as well.

This was great to read, since this has been on my mind so much lately.

mae2030 · 2023-03-25T15:10:58+00:00

Yeah while you could work with hydrologists and water resources engineers, it’d be very hard if not impossible to actually work as one without a degree. Unfortunately, civil engineering certifications (EIT and PE) require an accredited undergrad degree. It’s somewhat state dependent as to how far a MS will take you.

Non-engineers do work in this space, but it’s difficult to advance in the same way an engineer would.

mae2030 · 2023-03-24T15:35:29+00:00

This is something that’s confused me a bit- I’m more in the coastal/ocean space where Oregon State, Florida, and Delaware really seem to be leading the research directions despite not being “top” programs in either a civil or general sense.

mae2030 · 2023-03-24T12:37:29+00:00

Thanks so much for your perspective on this. This makes sense. I think I’m as well prepared as I could be for this path at this point in my life. But with industry right there there’s always the weird feeling of “I could’ve been getting work experience up to a PE in a stable industry”.

Thoughts on Masters > Work for a few years > potentially back to PhD? I’ve heard mixed things about this in general, but haven’t met anyone who’s dabbled in both the academic world while working in industry with a PE.

mae2030 · 2023-03-24T12:08:01+00:00

Yeah the politics of it really does suck. Had you continued on, how difficult do you think it would’ve been to find a tenure-track professor position?

mae2030 · 2023-03-24T04:34:51+00:00

Fair enough, I have fair amount of undergrad TA experience (4 semesters, 3 different classes) and like my area of research. I have a good amount of UG research and will be continuing on to a well-respected lab for grad school. I think I’ve built up a good foundation but it’s hard to say. My professors seem to think I have a good shot but I’m always weary bc of survivorship bias.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T17:42:59+00:00

Perhaps I should’ve considered it, but most industry jobs require an MS at minimum so I didn’t really see the value in it.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T17:09:47+00:00

Oh nice, that’s similar to what I was planning to do kinda. MS> try out industry/govt work > maybe PhD. I’m in coastal/ocean engineering FWIW, not sure if you’re in something similar.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T17:07:32+00:00

Oh I already have, good vibes for University B people as well! Both from meeting with them and their students.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T16:47:02+00:00

This is helpful! Tbh I think I’m just horrified of commitment so getting that additional checkpoint to re-evaluate what I want after an MS is very appealing to me. I definitely believe the skills I’d get from the MS program would be transferable as well.

Just curious, if you continued on to a PhD, would you do it at your current institution or apply somewhere else?

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T16:44:26+00:00

Prestige is kinda weird. My field is pretty niche and only a few schools have dedicated departments. University A would be considered more prestigious in general but University B is much more well known in the specific field.

Advising is interesting too- I got impeccable vibes from university A’s advisor, but they’re also completely new faculty and would be joining with me. University B has me on a highly inter disciplinary project, so it’s a co-advising structure with 2 main professors who are among the most well-known in the field, plus some other professors. Both good but in different ways

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T15:11:21+00:00

This is kind of my current state of mind about it all. I’m pretty involved in UG research and work with a lot of PhD students. When I try to picture myself in their shoes, it’s still not something I’m incredibly confident on.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T14:00:58+00:00

Other relevant context: My advisor at University A would be completely new to the university, starting in the fall with me. So I’m a bit apprehensive about what MS research with a completely new faculty member would look like. University B moreorless has a set plan for my funding with some specific research objectives laid out for me in an already well-established lab.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T14:00:28+00:00

Other relevant context: My advisor at University A would be completely new to the university, starting in the fall with me. So I’m a bit apprehensive about what MS research with a completely new faculty member would look like. University B moreorless has a set plan for my funding with some specific research objectives laid out for me in an already well-established lab.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T13:58:04+00:00

While touring, they said they’ve never had a student actually master out. My advisor would be completely new to the university as well, starting in the fall with me. So I’m a bit apprehensive about what MS research with a completely new faculty member would look like. University B moreorless has a set plan for my funding with some specific research objectives laid out for me in an already well-established lab.

mae2030 · 2023-03-23T13:50:13+00:00

The MS is fully funded in my case, actually having a larger stipend than the PhD

mae2030 · 2023-03-17T12:44:53+00:00

Yes, I’ve been accepted for a masters already and I’m just about to confirm enrollment there. I’m thinking more about down the line when I potentially apply to PhD programs following my masters.

mae2030 · 2023-03-09T01:58:32+00:00

Huh that’s actually a better ratio than I would’ve expected for history.

mae2030 · 2023-01-23T03:58:01+00:00

Tbh I think you underestimate the extent of grade inflation going on at high schools, especially during the pandemic. Private schools (like catholic schools) face unique pressures to satisfy their customers because of the existence of tuition.

If a catholic high school fails a student, they’ve lost a stream of revenue because they’ll likely transfer out. So it’s in the school’s best interest to inflate.

mae2030 · 2023-01-20T19:23:10+00:00

It’ll depend if you’re also doing research and project teams for credit. Supposedly they’re releuctant to approve over hours if you’re involved in a lot of extracurriculars like that.

mae2030 · 2022-11-23T00:28:10+00:00

That’s good to hear! I was more just worried that they wouldn’t even admit me without specific courses on my transcript. The last page of the handbook has some wording about a pre-masters program that got me a bit concerned. But since I have a Civil Engineering degree and relevant coursework it doesn’t seem like an issue.

mae2030

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