Other grad students here?

Talk about anything you want to here.
Post Reply
User avatar
moonlass
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:19 pm
Gender: Female

Other grad students here?

Post by moonlass »

Just curious... are there any other grad students on here? I could use a few people to commiserate with.

Grad school is kicking my butt. The stress is making me sick and I don't at all feel qualified to do anything anymore. I wasn't even good at my bike shop job back in high school. I just feel like the whole world sees all this greatness in me but all I really am is a lump of dirt. It's my understanding that this is a common feeling among grad students. Still doesn't make me like it.
User avatar
lilac
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2018 3:46 pm
Gender: Female
Location: montreal

Re: Other grad students here?

Post by lilac »

i’m an undergrad student currently, but i’ll be wishing you all the best! to have gotten this far takes a lot of work and desication. be patient with yourself. i hope things calm down for you soon. also: you joined this forum on my birthday! june 9th. :•)
User avatar
moonlass
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:19 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Other grad students here?

Post by moonlass »

Thanks! Apparently I've been so stressed that I get nauseous every time I even think about work. Everything is just so hard and exhausting. What do you study? What university do you go to?
GroundedDancer
Posts: 66
Joined: Wed May 10, 2017 5:44 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Other grad students here?

Post by GroundedDancer »

I too am a grad student. Masters of History and Political Thought thesis track. I definitely think that the feeling is natural for grad students because its like you took something and really chose to dive into it, only to realize that maybe your not entirely cut out for it. When I was doing research for my thesis in NYC, I had been on archive visits several times for little projects at home. Nothing terribly new about it. However, NYC was my first time doing big time archive research for something personal - my thesis. I HAD SUCH A HARD TIME AND FELT LIKE SUCH A CLUELESS CLUMP OF TOILET PAPER.

Essentially, I felt as though I had NO IDEA what I was really doing or what I was even looking for in the archives despite having a thesis and a pretty clear idea of what to look for. I was really stressed out and wondered if I'd made a mistake in doing the research trip. I texted my professor my situation and she assured me that what I was feeling was normal. She said anyone who didn't feel that way when visiting an archive/conducting research were people who either a) were liars or b) not trustworthy. She said she would have been even more surprised if I'd actually felt confident and knew exactly what I was looking for. That, apparently, is a rare occurrence.

So, with that bit of reassurance, I went to my hotel room and made a simple altar/crystal grid using stones that I brought from home and a few materials from the room (towels, cups, etc). I used it to focus my energy on effectively using my time in NYC for research, lowering my anxieties about success and worth-fullness, and encouraging myself. It worked well, and I got more stuff done than not. The only negative was the heavy rain did put a damper on my trip for a few days.

I get what your feeling, but keep going! Even if you don't feel like you can do it, even if it seems unlikely, you keep at it! You will get past it and accomplish what you set out to do. From one grad student to another, I believe in your ability more than I sometimes believe in mine.
Post Reply

Return to “Member's Rants and Ramblings”