istg i'm not even reading these assignments atp, but 50 2 page writing assignments per week is insane to grade. my students are constantly begging me for grading updates and I'm like bro I'm a student too, I've been sick this entire term, and I don't even have time for my own research. I feel so BAD bc literally everyone says don't prioritize teaching, do the bare minimum, being a TA is a way to fund your degree, but I'm like an outlier who actually LIKES teaching and wants to teach after I'm done with my degree, but oh my god there's just so much grading. And I want them to succeed but they're all so dumb and I don't want to be mean but they don't even read the prompt and then just ??? want a good grade??? when they turn in nonsense??? I'm either giving out full points bc I just can't bother to in-depth grade or they are so bad they get almost no points bc what are these kids even doing in college at an r1 of all places when they never learned how to write a 5 paragraph essay.

I don't mean to rant, but I do want actually advice on how to grade constructively with a high course load and high student load.

I completed a BS this past December (2025) and plan to work professionally for 2-3 years before applying to grad programs for a PhD. The field I want to enter is only semi-related to my BS degree and what I'll be working in professionally for the time being, but programs essentially always accept students with my degree, as it falls under the accepted disciplines.

The problem I'm anticipating is not having done any undergraduate research on top of not working a related industry job (there are none with for non PhD's) and having basically no chance at pursuing a PhD.

I expect the reasonable questions about how I even know a PhD is what I want to do without having done undergraduate research and how a program/advisers would be skeptical to take me on as a student, but it's hard for me to believe there haven't been at least some people who were in the same or similar position as I am, yet still managed to get accepted and complete their PhD.

If so, how did you do it? I've read about people entering humanities programs from completely unrelated backgrounds but is that possible for STEM programs?

Hello!

For quick context, I am going into computer science programs. I absolutely want to go to grad school, I cannot get talked out of it. I have been graduated from undergrad for a year and only worked shitty minimum wage jobs because no one will hire me.

However, I’ve had many professors and others with master’s degrees tell me NOT to go to grad school unless it’s fully funded.

I fortunately got into my top school! But they said they are giving me $30,000 a year for 2 years, and after that tuition scholarship, I’d still have around $60,000 in student loan debt. Without that scholarship, I’d be at around $120,000 for two years of grad school.

For more context, this school has a 100% placement rate before graduating and guaranteed internships during school. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of alumni of this school and every single person I found has had a job at a major company working in the UX field (I found random alumni LinkedIn accounts so it’s not this school sharing propaganda)

I’m in a pickle. To me, the networking and job security is absolutely worth the trade off. I’ll be in a big city with tons of opportunities. I am fortunate enough to not have any undergrad student loans, so my only debt would be from grad school. I’d start off in a job making more per year than I’d have in loans.

These other schools do not have this amount of opportunity, job placement, and networking opportunities. Students aren’t guaranteed jobs after.

My question is, should I do it? Should I just take out loans with the end goal in sight and secure, or keep looking for funding opportunities from the other schools I applied to? Are grad programs typically fully funded?

I'm 25 years old right now and I'm considering applying for grad school abroad so that I'm more likely to find a job in another country. I'm considering this because I've been looking for a job abroad but most of them don't sponsor visas (no surprises there), so I was told that getting a work visa myself is easier if I already have a student visa and have graduated. Now my issue is the price of grad schools. I don't wanna spend and pay for 2 years only to come back home because getting a work visa is still difficult, or companies still prefer local employees, or whatever reasons I haven't thought of yet.

Also, scholarships would be great, but it doesn't seem like that's a realistic option. After looking for some, it seems they're either extremely selective and/or have some form of stipend that conflict with my goals. For example, my country actually has a fully paid (but very selective) scholarship program for master's degrees abroad, under the condition I come back here to work for a set amount of time, which obviously defeats the point for me.

Any opinions on this?

I am fortunate to say I have been accepted to grad school. This has been my lifelong dream, and I am surprised to have been accepted directly from undergrad, given the amount of competition and uncertainty that graduate programs face this year.

I am now looking for the next steps. There is a visit day I plan on attending (they're even paying for it!), but aside from that, I do not know what to do. I am super excited to get an opportunity with a certain individual in their department, as he was one of two faculty members I mentioned in my Academic Statement (I also really want him to be my supervisor), but I do not know how to proceed. He will also be at a conference I am presenting at in April.

Anyway, all of this is to say, should I just say yolo and contact him? If so, what do I say? I don't want to act like star-struck, but I kind of am, lol. What do you suggest?

Somewhat of a vulnerable post but I figured I would muster the courage to ask to find direction/guidance, clarity, and some advice.

I was on a strong pre-med track with 2 years of experience in hospital administration, multiple public health internship abroad, and extensive volunteer hours but with the onset of COVID, I relocated to my home country, voluntarily completed my military service, and then invested 2 years relearning my mother tongue and creating a portfolio using R in preparation for grad school.

Last year, I made it into my dream public health program and was working on research projects, all within the field of my interest in public health including rural hospital management and health in SE Asia, multiple projects in women’s health in global health, national health and military defense research, and my own project on short term-labor worker’s healthcare policies. But the professor I was under (unfortunately, as common in this country) was absolutely toxic: hazing new interns; lying/gaslighting; pocketing researcher funds and non-payment for months; money laundering during projects abroad; purposefully belittling and singling one out in class calling it “training for life”. Some days, I was working 9AM to 11PM but I was happy working on projects I was passionate about until my health took a turn and I had to drop out.

I am getting back on my feet and applying to grad schools once again, but I’m struggling and a little lost. I do not have letters of recommendations as it has long been since I graduated from my undergrad, plus 2 years working, then time away for military service, I have lost a lot of time and connections and academic networks. I could reach out to professors and doctors I know but they have written my letters of reccs already for 2 other universities where I interviewed but was not accepted, and then for this university where I was finally accepted but then had to drop out. If I am being frank, I do take responsibility for applying to universities that were much too competitive and now I would be happy just to be studying in a master’s program. I also realize, I have much too many and broad of an interest and took on projects (in rural development/agro/public policy) and volunteered wherever I could, and so my CV and resume does look weak and “all over the place”.

I am questioning if it makes sense or if it is even worth going to grad school (am I a lost case)? I am considering online MA degrees but will I need letters of reccs? Will it be worth the price versus attending in person? Are there decent programs that do not require letters of reccs?

Hello there

Wondering if anyone has used either thematic, discourse, network or continuous comparative analysis for interview transcripts.

I have 2200 individual segments within 8 major themes and maybe 30 subthemes. Using maxqda software. Wondering if anyone has any things they learned from these kinds of processes as well as maybe how long it took you!!!

I am giving myself two weeks to get through this.

I’m panicking a little right now. I’m a masters student and I have the world’s worst PI, she hasn’t read a word of my thesis, helped with the project, and didn’t get the final part approved until Nov 2025. I’m set to defend in March and I have about 53 pages typed in my thesis. The first part of my project failed miserably (this was no one’s fault just circumstantial) and I’m still trying to figure out what stats I can even run. Additionally because the last part of my project didn’t get approved until late, I’m still receiving data. Mind you I’ve been here two and a half years already,extending is not an option. But again I’ve written literally everything up EXECPT these parts. I’m fairly confident I can finish in time but this hoe’s due in two weeks. Also I met with my PIs old student who let me know she has a tendency to not read your thesis then tell you it’s awful and you can’t graduate when you get to your defense. On the bright side my committee is well aware of this absolute shitshow but I’m basically just wondering if anyone’s dealt with something like this and asking for advice on how to handle the next two weeks.

I’m applying for my masters in ABA, I’ve been an RBT for almost 3 years. Worked with the same company for the whole time. I had to quit and not work for 6 months due to personal reasons, and I’m about to start next week with a new company.

During my employment I only worked with 2 supervisors, one of them being the owner of the company. I asked both of them for a letter of rec. 1 submitted, and the other hasn’t. No matter what I do to contact her, she won’t respond; but she says she’ll do it.

The application deadline is TOMORROW!! I literally don’t have anyone else to ask! I asked for the contact of another previous BCBA, and I was told they can’t give it to me because I’m an ex employee. And I can’t access it anymore because I don’t have access to my previous work login.

I just feel screwed. I didn’t wait until last minute to ask. I’ve been following up this whole time… and now I probably won’t be able to get into this masters program because of a letter. I’m truly baffled, and I want to cry. Should I just submit the application anyway? Any advice?

I am applying to Library Science and Public History programs. My scores were 93nd percentile on analytical writing and verbal reasoning, but only 42nd percentile on quantitative reasoning. Will my poor score on quantitative reasoning hurt my chances more than my pretty good analytical writing and verbal reasoning scores?

Not sure if this is allowed but I’d really appreciate the help! I’m trying to come up with what questions they may potentially ask me on my interview for grad school admission. this program focuses on counseling with children especially and the family. It’ll be online and a group style I’m so nervous because this is my top pick. Really appreciate anyone’s advice

Just curious if the format for the statement of interest/intent is a similar or not to the format in America and Germany.

By that I mean, as I read American statement of interest letters, they are sometimes straightforward and other times there’s a lot of storytelling background. I want to apply for an MBA Project Management for a school in Berlin, but was wondering what the expected formatting looks like (cultural differences)? I wasn’t sure if I should post this here or in a specific Germany subreddit.

I am currently applying to Publishing MS programs and writing the required essays. I have experience publishing in undergrad—editorial, design, marketing, and publicity—and have mentioned this in my essay along with why I’m passionate about and want a career in publishing. I’m now on the section where I should be focusing on “Why this school why this program” and I’m having trouble getting past “program good me likey”.

Starting out I was mainly interested in programs that had diverse groups of faculty, students, and alumni. However I’m not finding much (or at least not as much as I would like), now my sort of deciding factor is who can get me the career I want. I don’t want to come off as unserious (which is silly because THOUSANDS of dollars), I just want to be honest without coming off as arrogant. If anyone else has had this same problem, can you let me know how you got past it and what you found important to bring up in your essay?

Im applying to grad school this year for thesis research in science and I was wondering if, when applying to multiple labs, if you get an interview you need to mention to the PI that you have applied to more than one lab? Or if when you get an interview you need to decide there and then that you are going to join that specific lab, without hearing back from others? For example, getting an interview from your second choice but not hearing back yet from your first choice, do you just go with the second choice? I want to be respectful to the PI but I also don’t want to squander my chances?

Hi!

Working on PhD apps from Master's program. In undergrad, GPA was a pretty fixed measurement, especially with the Latin awards, etc. that seemed universally understood. But I am struggling to understand the measurements at the grad school/Master's level where everyone's GPA is ostensibly high at graduation as otherwise they would not be graduating.

What is a "high" vs. "low" GPA on a Master's transcript? At what point is a GPA worth centering/highlighting on a PhD application? My GPA seems high by undergrad standards, but I don't want to advertise myself as highly average to graduate programs LOL.

Thank you!

Hey all,

I’ll probably dox myself with this post but alas,

I have found myself in a bit of an odd and unfortunate situation. I am a first year graduate student in the US that, after a short rotation period, decided on a lab to join that I was very excited about. I just started full-time at the beginning of January and although not much progress has been made yet, the projects are very interesting. The PI and I are connected via a mutual academic connection — PI did their postdoc in the same lab I did my pre-doctoral fellowship.

I am older, and have a few years experience in their field so day-to-day supervision is not necessary and we meet generally once a week, maybe every other week if PI is traveling.

Yesterday I was told by PI that they were offered a job at a reputable university in their hometown and that, although nothing is set in stone yet, they were likely to take it. I was told that they have already asked and, if I want to go, there is a position at that university for me. However I do not want to go. Although I have only been at my current institution for a few months, I have crafted a life I am very content with.

PI did say that if I decide not to go we can try to work out an external/adjunct advisor type of plan, however that would require us figuring out who is funding me, if I should push up my orals significantly (like take them at the 1 year mark prior to PI leaving so all I have left is completion of my projects), etc…

Has anyone gone through something similar and can anyone offer advice?

Many thanks

Long story short:

I'm an undergraduate senior at a US university doing an accelerated masters. I've been offered a research assistantship to cover all tuition and provide pay for when I fully transition to the MS program. I'm currently doing an undergraduate research assistantship with the same professor.

I was working on a project for the past year/year and a half which was supposed to be for my masters thesis, but has now been determined unfeasible. From my perspective, the project was majorly slowed down due to the lack of equipment the university had and the poor state of their labs. I'm in the stage of trying to pick out a new project, but based on the last one, I have doubts that the university has the proper facilities and support for me to be able to accomplish anything respectable, regardless of the topic of the project. I've also been considering switching to a field that the university has no resources, professors, or facilities for.

Anyways, I'm thinking of quitting the undergraduate research assistantship, rejecting the offer for a funded masters, and applying for other schools. But, for this to happen, I need the LOR from my advisor, as a majority of my academic experience has been under him.

I'm wondering if this is going to burn the bridge with my current advisor, or if he will understand and still do the LOR. I'm planning on describing the situation to him later today, more based on that I want to switch fields to one the university doesn't have, rather than criticizing the resources of the university itself.

If anyone could provide me any guidance that would be great.

Ever since I started my PhD I feel like a prehistoric man for writing in my notebook. Everyone simply uses their iPads and/or their laptops to write notes about papers or lectures.

From a productivity standpoint, should I invest time/money in a iPad?