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jo43ip

askacademia_train

Human: Serious question - do admins really think people are excited to read their regular 20 paragraph emails? Because I rarely get one that has useful info. Why is this a thing? No, I don't care what you think about "mental health awareness" when you provide nothing to support it. No, I don't care what you think about race relations unless you mean it and make meaningful changes. These almost always read like a self pat on the back. /endrant Assistant:

gb5l6p5

gb5kqwm

Slight modification: > Serious question - do admins really think people ~~are excited to~~ read their regular 20 paragraph emails?

Yours have paragraphs? Sometimes I just get a wall of text.

jo43ip

askacademia_train

Human: Serious question - do admins really think people are excited to read their regular 20 paragraph emails? Because I rarely get one that has useful info. Why is this a thing? No, I don't care what you think about "mental health awareness" when you provide nothing to support it. No, I don't care what you think about race relations unless you mean it and make meaningful changes. These almost always read like a self pat on the back. /endrant Assistant:

gb5kqwm

gb5mjd0

Yours have paragraphs? Sometimes I just get a wall of text.

As someone who has been involved in sending emails like this, a decent number of the items in any given email are a CYA so that no one comes yelling that you're not doing anything about X or yelling that you did something without telling people about it or without asking for community input.

jo43ip

askacademia_train

Human: Serious question - do admins really think people are excited to read their regular 20 paragraph emails? Because I rarely get one that has useful info. Why is this a thing? No, I don't care what you think about "mental health awareness" when you provide nothing to support it. No, I don't care what you think about race relations unless you mean it and make meaningful changes. These almost always read like a self pat on the back. /endrant Assistant:

gb5vto4

gb5qben

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff, Platitude platitude platitude platitude. Patting self on back patting self on back patting self on back. Attempt at hopeful platitude in face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Trying to sound empathetic by using my nickname, Dan

I’m not kidding, at least half of the emails I get from my grad program (students’) mailing list are from 60-70 years old tenured professors congratulating each other for some new award they got.

jo43ip

askacademia_train

Human: Serious question - do admins really think people are excited to read their regular 20 paragraph emails? Because I rarely get one that has useful info. Why is this a thing? No, I don't care what you think about "mental health awareness" when you provide nothing to support it. No, I don't care what you think about race relations unless you mean it and make meaningful changes. These almost always read like a self pat on the back. /endrant Assistant:

gb5nrv2

gb5vto4

Somehow ours have a formatting that just doesn’t work well with the university email and Outlook. They try to included staggered indents and bullet points, but they wind up shoved over to the far right of the page, making the emails even more obnoxious to read. You’d think that since every person on campus has to use the same email client and thus (I assume) see the same garbage formatting every time, that they would fix it. But nope.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff, Platitude platitude platitude platitude. Patting self on back patting self on back patting self on back. Attempt at hopeful platitude in face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Trying to sound empathetic by using my nickname, Dan

jo43ip

askacademia_train

Human: Serious question - do admins really think people are excited to read their regular 20 paragraph emails? Because I rarely get one that has useful info. Why is this a thing? No, I don't care what you think about "mental health awareness" when you provide nothing to support it. No, I don't care what you think about race relations unless you mean it and make meaningful changes. These almost always read like a self pat on the back. /endrant Assistant:

gb5qben

gb5nrv2

I’m not kidding, at least half of the emails I get from my grad program (students’) mailing list are from 60-70 years old tenured professors congratulating each other for some new award they got.

Somehow ours have a formatting that just doesn’t work well with the university email and Outlook. They try to included staggered indents and bullet points, but they wind up shoved over to the far right of the page, making the emails even more obnoxious to read. You’d think that since every person on campus has to use the same email client and thus (I assume) see the same garbage formatting every time, that they would fix it. But nope.

kng3m1

askacademia_train

Human: Does the feeling of “the more you learn the more you know you don’t know anything” ever end? Not sure if this has been asked before but it’s getting to my head, the more I study the more I feel behind or as an imposter..what are your stories/reflections on this Assistant:

ghkb2zg

ghkgxkc

Nope. Not in my experience

The thing that has gone away for me is that panicky grad school feeling that I missed something. I was always convinced that a reviewer or colleague would point out that I had missed an important and basic theory. Now if I have several papers in an area I'm not concerned about that. So now the things I don't know are interesting questions to explore, rather than possible pitfalls for exposing my stupidity.

kng3m1

askacademia_train

Human: Does the feeling of “the more you learn the more you know you don’t know anything” ever end? Not sure if this has been asked before but it’s getting to my head, the more I study the more I feel behind or as an imposter..what are your stories/reflections on this Assistant:

ghkgxkc

ghkg26y

The thing that has gone away for me is that panicky grad school feeling that I missed something. I was always convinced that a reviewer or colleague would point out that I had missed an important and basic theory. Now if I have several papers in an area I'm not concerned about that. So now the things I don't know are interesting questions to explore, rather than possible pitfalls for exposing my stupidity.

I stopped caring a long time ago. I learn as much as I can and as much as I need to know. I'm just trying to contribute to the scientific literature that's all. I'm a small cog in a big machine

kng3m1

askacademia_train

Human: Does the feeling of “the more you learn the more you know you don’t know anything” ever end? Not sure if this has been asked before but it’s getting to my head, the more I study the more I feel behind or as an imposter..what are your stories/reflections on this Assistant:

ghkgfnq

ghkgxkc

I think of this as being the opposite of Dunning-Kruger. Ultimately I rely on knowing that I have the skills to find information if I need to know something and remind myself that I do know plenty (think of explaining something you’re doing to a person wholly outside of the field/outside of academia for context, it helps).

The thing that has gone away for me is that panicky grad school feeling that I missed something. I was always convinced that a reviewer or colleague would point out that I had missed an important and basic theory. Now if I have several papers in an area I'm not concerned about that. So now the things I don't know are interesting questions to explore, rather than possible pitfalls for exposing my stupidity.

kng3m1

askacademia_train

Human: Does the feeling of “the more you learn the more you know you don’t know anything” ever end? Not sure if this has been asked before but it’s getting to my head, the more I study the more I feel behind or as an imposter..what are your stories/reflections on this Assistant:

ghkg26y

ghkhbef

I stopped caring a long time ago. I learn as much as I can and as much as I need to know. I'm just trying to contribute to the scientific literature that's all. I'm a small cog in a big machine

No it just eventually turns into “*we* don’t know anything”. But sometimes you know that even if you know nothing it’s still more than almost anyone.

kng3m1

askacademia_train

Human: Does the feeling of “the more you learn the more you know you don’t know anything” ever end? Not sure if this has been asked before but it’s getting to my head, the more I study the more I feel behind or as an imposter..what are your stories/reflections on this Assistant:

ghkgfnq

ghkhbef

I think of this as being the opposite of Dunning-Kruger. Ultimately I rely on knowing that I have the skills to find information if I need to know something and remind myself that I do know plenty (think of explaining something you’re doing to a person wholly outside of the field/outside of academia for context, it helps).

No it just eventually turns into “*we* don’t know anything”. But sometimes you know that even if you know nothing it’s still more than almost anyone.

sdykoy

askacademia_train

Human: Is it emotionally valid to steer away from academia due to its lack of empathy and compassion? I'm a graduating student in the university and it was my dream to become a professor and a researcher one day since our country lacks them. It was always the statement of our country's Department of Science and Technology and I was thinking before that I want to heed the call. This pandemic however broke my belief towards the academe. I can manage the burnout and the stressful learning curves of the academe. My problem however was the lack of empathy and pedanticism of the professors. Even though the Omicron surged and some universities in our country suspended classes and deadlines, our university did not even budge. The professor did not even ask if our late submissions were due to sickness. Scores were slashed off. Everything was cut-off and deducted as if there's no surge in our country. My partner became positive with Omicron and she begged almost all her professors through e-mail. **Her** deadlines were just extended by a few days as if a person can recover from it in just a week. I just realized "fk it!" I can't work with such people if I become a researcher and a professor one day. I realized that my dream to be in the academe is a sham. I can't be with people with no empathy and don't get me started with the low salary. I'm done with pedanticism. Did you guys also feel the same way at some point? Assistant:

hug17yx

hufulzw

Just to be clear OP, the grass isn't greener on the other side. Institutions (public, corporate) are not human. Humans are humans and so prepared to be disappointed. My recommendation would be to search for people who are empathetic.

That is one of the most reddit titles I have ever read.

sdykoy

askacademia_train

Human: Is it emotionally valid to steer away from academia due to its lack of empathy and compassion? I'm a graduating student in the university and it was my dream to become a professor and a researcher one day since our country lacks them. It was always the statement of our country's Department of Science and Technology and I was thinking before that I want to heed the call. This pandemic however broke my belief towards the academe. I can manage the burnout and the stressful learning curves of the academe. My problem however was the lack of empathy and pedanticism of the professors. Even though the Omicron surged and some universities in our country suspended classes and deadlines, our university did not even budge. The professor did not even ask if our late submissions were due to sickness. Scores were slashed off. Everything was cut-off and deducted as if there's no surge in our country. My partner became positive with Omicron and she begged almost all her professors through e-mail. **Her** deadlines were just extended by a few days as if a person can recover from it in just a week. I just realized "fk it!" I can't work with such people if I become a researcher and a professor one day. I realized that my dream to be in the academe is a sham. I can't be with people with no empathy and don't get me started with the low salary. I'm done with pedanticism. Did you guys also feel the same way at some point? Assistant:

hug17yx

hug1035

Just to be clear OP, the grass isn't greener on the other side. Institutions (public, corporate) are not human. Humans are humans and so prepared to be disappointed. My recommendation would be to search for people who are empathetic.

No one can meaningfully tell you your emotions are valid or not. It's not my experience that non-academic environments have more empathy or compassion. Both are very hit or miss.

sdykoy

askacademia_train

Human: Is it emotionally valid to steer away from academia due to its lack of empathy and compassion? I'm a graduating student in the university and it was my dream to become a professor and a researcher one day since our country lacks them. It was always the statement of our country's Department of Science and Technology and I was thinking before that I want to heed the call. This pandemic however broke my belief towards the academe. I can manage the burnout and the stressful learning curves of the academe. My problem however was the lack of empathy and pedanticism of the professors. Even though the Omicron surged and some universities in our country suspended classes and deadlines, our university did not even budge. The professor did not even ask if our late submissions were due to sickness. Scores were slashed off. Everything was cut-off and deducted as if there's no surge in our country. My partner became positive with Omicron and she begged almost all her professors through e-mail. **Her** deadlines were just extended by a few days as if a person can recover from it in just a week. I just realized "fk it!" I can't work with such people if I become a researcher and a professor one day. I realized that my dream to be in the academe is a sham. I can't be with people with no empathy and don't get me started with the low salary. I'm done with pedanticism. Did you guys also feel the same way at some point? Assistant:

hug17yx

hufwnci

Just to be clear OP, the grass isn't greener on the other side. Institutions (public, corporate) are not human. Humans are humans and so prepared to be disappointed. My recommendation would be to search for people who are empathetic.

Absolutely. I also wanted to be a prof - I wanted to help people learn, and share my passion for STEM. Academia is so toxic and demotivating, my current plan is to finish my graduate studies then work in the private sector. If you think your mental well-being would not be protected in academia, leave.

sdykoy

askacademia_train

Human: Is it emotionally valid to steer away from academia due to its lack of empathy and compassion? I'm a graduating student in the university and it was my dream to become a professor and a researcher one day since our country lacks them. It was always the statement of our country's Department of Science and Technology and I was thinking before that I want to heed the call. This pandemic however broke my belief towards the academe. I can manage the burnout and the stressful learning curves of the academe. My problem however was the lack of empathy and pedanticism of the professors. Even though the Omicron surged and some universities in our country suspended classes and deadlines, our university did not even budge. The professor did not even ask if our late submissions were due to sickness. Scores were slashed off. Everything was cut-off and deducted as if there's no surge in our country. My partner became positive with Omicron and she begged almost all her professors through e-mail. **Her** deadlines were just extended by a few days as if a person can recover from it in just a week. I just realized "fk it!" I can't work with such people if I become a researcher and a professor one day. I realized that my dream to be in the academe is a sham. I can't be with people with no empathy and don't get me started with the low salary. I'm done with pedanticism. Did you guys also feel the same way at some point? Assistant:

hug17yx

hufzu91

Just to be clear OP, the grass isn't greener on the other side. Institutions (public, corporate) are not human. Humans are humans and so prepared to be disappointed. My recommendation would be to search for people who are empathetic.

This is 100% what I did. Never looked back and I am so glad I decided to ditch.

sdykoy

askacademia_train

Human: Is it emotionally valid to steer away from academia due to its lack of empathy and compassion? I'm a graduating student in the university and it was my dream to become a professor and a researcher one day since our country lacks them. It was always the statement of our country's Department of Science and Technology and I was thinking before that I want to heed the call. This pandemic however broke my belief towards the academe. I can manage the burnout and the stressful learning curves of the academe. My problem however was the lack of empathy and pedanticism of the professors. Even though the Omicron surged and some universities in our country suspended classes and deadlines, our university did not even budge. The professor did not even ask if our late submissions were due to sickness. Scores were slashed off. Everything was cut-off and deducted as if there's no surge in our country. My partner became positive with Omicron and she begged almost all her professors through e-mail. **Her** deadlines were just extended by a few days as if a person can recover from it in just a week. I just realized "fk it!" I can't work with such people if I become a researcher and a professor one day. I realized that my dream to be in the academe is a sham. I can't be with people with no empathy and don't get me started with the low salary. I'm done with pedanticism. Did you guys also feel the same way at some point? Assistant:

hug10g8

hug17yx

I wanted to be a lawyer… and then I started working with lawyers and saw the corruption and loss of humanity and greed and… it just sickened me. So disheartening. I don’t want to become like them

Just to be clear OP, the grass isn't greener on the other side. Institutions (public, corporate) are not human. Humans are humans and so prepared to be disappointed. My recommendation would be to search for people who are empathetic.

msa8fv

askacademia_train

Human: I have a TT position - thanks, I hate it I am about 1 year into a TT position in chemical engineering and I feel so bad about myself. How does anyone have the resilience to stay in this job? Of course I was rejected by every grant I applied for (5), but it’s more than that. Nothing good happened, EVER. It was incredibly isolating, I worked 24/7, I GAINED 50 lbs (wtf!), one time I didn’t even set foot outside my house for nearly a month, and still nothing but negative feedback. Pretty much only hear bad news, from students and from grants. I don’t understand how other people find within themselves the will to keep working (or to even keep living - seriously). It just seems unyieldingly terrible. Everyday I have some experience solidifying what a worthless piece of shit I am, and never does anything good happen. Assistant:

gurjkc8

gurgrwn

Dude. I just resigned from my TT position after having a mental meltdown and, frankly, embarrassing myself through it all. I've forgiven myself because there are a lot of resources you can find where people talk all about their misery in academia. "Academia is Killing My Friends" tumblr comes to mind. You're not alone, but know that its okay to quit if you are not happy. Ultimately, you should be devoting yourself to finding your balance and happiness where you can because that comes first. Academia is inherently miserable, if its not your passion. The general consensus seems to be that when you have a PhD, you pretty much have a number of competitive and transferrable skills to get you into an industry position where you A) make more money, B) have time for work-life balance, and C) aren't slogging through negative BS from every angle. Your post really resonates with me because I've experienced a lot of what you have. My mental meltdown, and eventual resignation, was a surefire sign that this is not for me and I need to get out. No one will give a fuck if you quit because at the end of the day, its a job. Go find what works for you and get out if you're miserable. Don't suffer needlessly.

Imposter syndrome is a real thing with academics, particularly when you're working towards tenure, and I can't imagine how much it must be exacerbated if your first year was during COVID. At least when we were all together, it was easier to see how incompetent your senior colleagues also were.

msa8fv

askacademia_train

Human: I have a TT position - thanks, I hate it I am about 1 year into a TT position in chemical engineering and I feel so bad about myself. How does anyone have the resilience to stay in this job? Of course I was rejected by every grant I applied for (5), but it’s more than that. Nothing good happened, EVER. It was incredibly isolating, I worked 24/7, I GAINED 50 lbs (wtf!), one time I didn’t even set foot outside my house for nearly a month, and still nothing but negative feedback. Pretty much only hear bad news, from students and from grants. I don’t understand how other people find within themselves the will to keep working (or to even keep living - seriously). It just seems unyieldingly terrible. Everyday I have some experience solidifying what a worthless piece of shit I am, and never does anything good happen. Assistant:

gurhis1

gurjkc8

My best advice would be to do the job because of your own internalized interests in your field; no matter how much you achieve (eg big paper, big grant, recognition, whatever), the external validation from those achievements is only temporarily uplifting. Do the science for *you*, not for your colleagues or peers or students. Just remember your smart enough and good enough and gosh darn it people like you.

Dude. I just resigned from my TT position after having a mental meltdown and, frankly, embarrassing myself through it all. I've forgiven myself because there are a lot of resources you can find where people talk all about their misery in academia. "Academia is Killing My Friends" tumblr comes to mind. You're not alone, but know that its okay to quit if you are not happy. Ultimately, you should be devoting yourself to finding your balance and happiness where you can because that comes first. Academia is inherently miserable, if its not your passion. The general consensus seems to be that when you have a PhD, you pretty much have a number of competitive and transferrable skills to get you into an industry position where you A) make more money, B) have time for work-life balance, and C) aren't slogging through negative BS from every angle. Your post really resonates with me because I've experienced a lot of what you have. My mental meltdown, and eventual resignation, was a surefire sign that this is not for me and I need to get out. No one will give a fuck if you quit because at the end of the day, its a job. Go find what works for you and get out if you're miserable. Don't suffer needlessly.

msa8fv

askacademia_train

Human: I have a TT position - thanks, I hate it I am about 1 year into a TT position in chemical engineering and I feel so bad about myself. How does anyone have the resilience to stay in this job? Of course I was rejected by every grant I applied for (5), but it’s more than that. Nothing good happened, EVER. It was incredibly isolating, I worked 24/7, I GAINED 50 lbs (wtf!), one time I didn’t even set foot outside my house for nearly a month, and still nothing but negative feedback. Pretty much only hear bad news, from students and from grants. I don’t understand how other people find within themselves the will to keep working (or to even keep living - seriously). It just seems unyieldingly terrible. Everyday I have some experience solidifying what a worthless piece of shit I am, and never does anything good happen. Assistant:

gus4ybb

gurts0h

I’m TT (year 2) and think about quitting every day. I work constantly. I have become numb to rejection and the good news no longer brings me joy, it’s just a tiny bit of relief at most. I did recently get a grant but I am honestly almost resentful of it because now I feel tied to this position for several more years. The flexibility of this career is great and overall I like each task I do, but there are too many of them, and in an under resourced dept, we are all taking on way too much such that everything is devoid of joy. The salary is peanuts and the rewards are perverse. Just because you got here doesn’t mean you need to stay. I don’t think I’ll make it long term unless things get dramatically better in the next 2 years. This career path has relied on antiquated ideas of prestige for too long and those entering now realize that that’s not enough to sustain us, mentally or financially. You’re not alone and I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Take care of yourself and know it’s okay to leave for a healthier life. The academy will never love us back. Having a therapist and getting exercise most days is helping me get through.

It was a terrible time for it to be your first year. It really does get easier, in part because you learn a way to live with never getting stuff done. Once you have some preps under your belt and you learn how to manage your class so that it takes up less time, it gets much, much better . It is also exhausting and stressful because everything you need to do you don't know anything about. This is a vicious cycle, which is the bad news, because once you knock out some of the jenga blocks of happiness, shit goes downhill fast. But the good news it is - it is geometric in the opposite direction also. Take a walk, play with your dog, talk to some friends, do something that makes you a little bit happy. Get a little bit of exercise every day, even if it is a 15 min walk. Your planner is your friend. Tasks will expand to take up however much time you have.

msa8fv

askacademia_train

Human: I have a TT position - thanks, I hate it I am about 1 year into a TT position in chemical engineering and I feel so bad about myself. How does anyone have the resilience to stay in this job? Of course I was rejected by every grant I applied for (5), but it’s more than that. Nothing good happened, EVER. It was incredibly isolating, I worked 24/7, I GAINED 50 lbs (wtf!), one time I didn’t even set foot outside my house for nearly a month, and still nothing but negative feedback. Pretty much only hear bad news, from students and from grants. I don’t understand how other people find within themselves the will to keep working (or to even keep living - seriously). It just seems unyieldingly terrible. Everyday I have some experience solidifying what a worthless piece of shit I am, and never does anything good happen. Assistant:

gurw30j

gus4ybb

I won't tell anyone who hates their job to not quit if they can do something else, but are you connected with anyone else who is TT or otherwise? I have found, after being FT for a few years, that my professional connections have sustained me more than anything else.

I’m TT (year 2) and think about quitting every day. I work constantly. I have become numb to rejection and the good news no longer brings me joy, it’s just a tiny bit of relief at most. I did recently get a grant but I am honestly almost resentful of it because now I feel tied to this position for several more years. The flexibility of this career is great and overall I like each task I do, but there are too many of them, and in an under resourced dept, we are all taking on way too much such that everything is devoid of joy. The salary is peanuts and the rewards are perverse. Just because you got here doesn’t mean you need to stay. I don’t think I’ll make it long term unless things get dramatically better in the next 2 years. This career path has relied on antiquated ideas of prestige for too long and those entering now realize that that’s not enough to sustain us, mentally or financially. You’re not alone and I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Take care of yourself and know it’s okay to leave for a healthier life. The academy will never love us back. Having a therapist and getting exercise most days is helping me get through.

msa8fv

askacademia_train

Human: I have a TT position - thanks, I hate it I am about 1 year into a TT position in chemical engineering and I feel so bad about myself. How does anyone have the resilience to stay in this job? Of course I was rejected by every grant I applied for (5), but it’s more than that. Nothing good happened, EVER. It was incredibly isolating, I worked 24/7, I GAINED 50 lbs (wtf!), one time I didn’t even set foot outside my house for nearly a month, and still nothing but negative feedback. Pretty much only hear bad news, from students and from grants. I don’t understand how other people find within themselves the will to keep working (or to even keep living - seriously). It just seems unyieldingly terrible. Everyday I have some experience solidifying what a worthless piece of shit I am, and never does anything good happen. Assistant:

gus4ybb

gus4izy

I’m TT (year 2) and think about quitting every day. I work constantly. I have become numb to rejection and the good news no longer brings me joy, it’s just a tiny bit of relief at most. I did recently get a grant but I am honestly almost resentful of it because now I feel tied to this position for several more years. The flexibility of this career is great and overall I like each task I do, but there are too many of them, and in an under resourced dept, we are all taking on way too much such that everything is devoid of joy. The salary is peanuts and the rewards are perverse. Just because you got here doesn’t mean you need to stay. I don’t think I’ll make it long term unless things get dramatically better in the next 2 years. This career path has relied on antiquated ideas of prestige for too long and those entering now realize that that’s not enough to sustain us, mentally or financially. You’re not alone and I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Take care of yourself and know it’s okay to leave for a healthier life. The academy will never love us back. Having a therapist and getting exercise most days is helping me get through.

The negative feedback is going to come whether you work yourself to death or not, so I'd suggest to take care of yourself rather than not setting a foot outside your home. I used to overwork myself and I can't say I get better feedback now, I probably get the same, but I'm not as tired. I do the best that I can without tiring myself out.

vklywh

askacademia_train

Human: What do academics in humanities and social sciences wish their colleagues in STEM knew? Pretty much the title, I'm not sure if I used the right flair. People in humanities and social sciences seem to find opportunities to work together/learn from each other more than with STEM, so I'm grouping them together despite their differences. What do you wish people in STEM knew about your discipline? Assistant:

idq77ab

idpy2d8

I’m in physics (obviously STEM), and there is a funny thing that happens where established physicists get kind of bored with their discipline and all of a sudden start becoming self-proclaimed experts in psychology / philosophy / history / linguistics. It seems that when people are really good at one thing, they often overestimate their abilities at everything else. PhD students do this too to some extent.

We don’t have labs or PIs, and we don’t need grants to cover our salaries or get tenure. Most of our publications are single-author, and are much slower than most STEM fields. Single-author monographs (books) published by university presses are the gold standard. Impact factor is not a thing. Postdocs are much more rare, not part of the standard career trajectory.

vklywh

askacademia_train

Human: What do academics in humanities and social sciences wish their colleagues in STEM knew? Pretty much the title, I'm not sure if I used the right flair. People in humanities and social sciences seem to find opportunities to work together/learn from each other more than with STEM, so I'm grouping them together despite their differences. What do you wish people in STEM knew about your discipline? Assistant:

idq6mss

idq77ab

That all forms of instruction are political. You can hide it better in STEM, but to think there are not political, ethical, and moral implications of what you do is deeply neoliberal - which IS a political ideology.

I’m in physics (obviously STEM), and there is a funny thing that happens where established physicists get kind of bored with their discipline and all of a sudden start becoming self-proclaimed experts in psychology / philosophy / history / linguistics. It seems that when people are really good at one thing, they often overestimate their abilities at everything else. PhD students do this too to some extent.

vklywh

askacademia_train

Human: What do academics in humanities and social sciences wish their colleagues in STEM knew? Pretty much the title, I'm not sure if I used the right flair. People in humanities and social sciences seem to find opportunities to work together/learn from each other more than with STEM, so I'm grouping them together despite their differences. What do you wish people in STEM knew about your discipline? Assistant:

idq77ab

idq124d

I’m in physics (obviously STEM), and there is a funny thing that happens where established physicists get kind of bored with their discipline and all of a sudden start becoming self-proclaimed experts in psychology / philosophy / history / linguistics. It seems that when people are really good at one thing, they often overestimate their abilities at everything else. PhD students do this too to some extent.

Every person has an opinion on the economy. Most are idiotic.

vklywh

askacademia_train

Human: What do academics in humanities and social sciences wish their colleagues in STEM knew? Pretty much the title, I'm not sure if I used the right flair. People in humanities and social sciences seem to find opportunities to work together/learn from each other more than with STEM, so I'm grouping them together despite their differences. What do you wish people in STEM knew about your discipline? Assistant:

idq36ah

idq77ab

The challenges of measurement. I focus on educational psychology and I am helping one of my university’s STEM organizations develop an assessment for graduate students. They already had a foundational rubric started that they want to build from. Holy crap do I wish they’d brought in help beforehand. This thing is messy and complicated and their original plan for validity evidence skipped so many steps. Assessing learning is hard and making a good measure is even harder. Add in natural measurement error, and it’s a field that people make careers out of. You can’t just jump in and understand it

I’m in physics (obviously STEM), and there is a funny thing that happens where established physicists get kind of bored with their discipline and all of a sudden start becoming self-proclaimed experts in psychology / philosophy / history / linguistics. It seems that when people are really good at one thing, they often overestimate their abilities at everything else. PhD students do this too to some extent.

vklywh

askacademia_train

Human: What do academics in humanities and social sciences wish their colleagues in STEM knew? Pretty much the title, I'm not sure if I used the right flair. People in humanities and social sciences seem to find opportunities to work together/learn from each other more than with STEM, so I'm grouping them together despite their differences. What do you wish people in STEM knew about your discipline? Assistant:

idq05mt

idq77ab

That the need to talk with students and mentor them is critical and not some fad from Gen Z that will go away. I'm aware STEM classes have some huge numbers and giving each student one-on-one time isn't always plausible and it isn't in the job description. But, if your school/state has garbage mental health resources then your students are going to lean on you sometimes. I don't have a solution, just know there IS a social aspect to the job. If you're only interested in padding your CV you will soon be seen as an ineffective educator. As student enrollment declines and retention rates drop, administration will look at student reviews closer to improve those numbers.

I’m in physics (obviously STEM), and there is a funny thing that happens where established physicists get kind of bored with their discipline and all of a sudden start becoming self-proclaimed experts in psychology / philosophy / history / linguistics. It seems that when people are really good at one thing, they often overestimate their abilities at everything else. PhD students do this too to some extent.

jlixda

askacademia_train

Human: Anyone else depressed about defending their thesis online because of COVID? For YEARS, basically since I started my PhD, I have been dreaming about my thesis defense. I was going to invite all my friends and family and have a giant party afterwards. I have been working so hard for months now and I haven't seen most of my friends for ages, so I was really looking forward to my thesis defense to see them again at last. And now... all that is gone. I have to defend online, alone at home, and maybe have an at-home dinner with my boyfriend afterwards rather than the giant party I always dreamed of. I also had to leave the university quite quickly after my PhD contract ended because of a job opportunity, and I was counting on my thesis defense to properly say goodbye to my research group + everyone else in the department. Not going to happen now... and I have to leave the country for a postdoc in January 2021 so I can't postpone the defense to next year. I am kind of devastated. Does anyone have any advice? I am so sad about this but I don't think there are any other options for me. Assistant:

gap8vyv

gapakuh

I'm sorry that's happened to you, but perspective is critical here. You've completed your PhD. A lot of people are struggling to do that under the circumstances, and have limited access to resources they need, or have legitimate fears about how to pay rent or get groceries. You have a job lined up in a desperately depressed market, where thousands of new graduates saddled with debt have found their prospects dissipated or the positions they were promised gone because funding has evaporated. Although things aren't perfect, and you can't have the party that you were looking forward to, there is a lot of privilege in your post, and you should be pleased that so much *has* worked out for you despite the circumstances. There will be time and opportunity to make up for what you missed out on later.

I was in the same boat as you, but I actually loved defending my thesis online. There were like 60 people watching the stream, and I had relatives and friends watching that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. You’ll be able to celebrate with your friends and family in person next year, and you have a job lined up which is awesome. Just be proud of your accomplishment, and make sure you practice your talk beforehand to get used to the format. When I did my presentation, I just got into a nice zone of focusing in on my slides and talk and not worrying about the audience. Anyways, at least in our department, most people end up scuttling off to their meetings and to do work afterwards anyways, and we just have an awkward celebration after.

jlixda

askacademia_train

Human: Anyone else depressed about defending their thesis online because of COVID? For YEARS, basically since I started my PhD, I have been dreaming about my thesis defense. I was going to invite all my friends and family and have a giant party afterwards. I have been working so hard for months now and I haven't seen most of my friends for ages, so I was really looking forward to my thesis defense to see them again at last. And now... all that is gone. I have to defend online, alone at home, and maybe have an at-home dinner with my boyfriend afterwards rather than the giant party I always dreamed of. I also had to leave the university quite quickly after my PhD contract ended because of a job opportunity, and I was counting on my thesis defense to properly say goodbye to my research group + everyone else in the department. Not going to happen now... and I have to leave the country for a postdoc in January 2021 so I can't postpone the defense to next year. I am kind of devastated. Does anyone have any advice? I am so sad about this but I don't think there are any other options for me. Assistant:

gapahzo

gapakuh

I’m just ready to be done. Don’t care how it’s done or where I am as long as it’s over.

I was in the same boat as you, but I actually loved defending my thesis online. There were like 60 people watching the stream, and I had relatives and friends watching that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. You’ll be able to celebrate with your friends and family in person next year, and you have a job lined up which is awesome. Just be proud of your accomplishment, and make sure you practice your talk beforehand to get used to the format. When I did my presentation, I just got into a nice zone of focusing in on my slides and talk and not worrying about the audience. Anyways, at least in our department, most people end up scuttling off to their meetings and to do work afterwards anyways, and we just have an awkward celebration after.

jlixda

askacademia_train

Human: Anyone else depressed about defending their thesis online because of COVID? For YEARS, basically since I started my PhD, I have been dreaming about my thesis defense. I was going to invite all my friends and family and have a giant party afterwards. I have been working so hard for months now and I haven't seen most of my friends for ages, so I was really looking forward to my thesis defense to see them again at last. And now... all that is gone. I have to defend online, alone at home, and maybe have an at-home dinner with my boyfriend afterwards rather than the giant party I always dreamed of. I also had to leave the university quite quickly after my PhD contract ended because of a job opportunity, and I was counting on my thesis defense to properly say goodbye to my research group + everyone else in the department. Not going to happen now... and I have to leave the country for a postdoc in January 2021 so I can't postpone the defense to next year. I am kind of devastated. Does anyone have any advice? I am so sad about this but I don't think there are any other options for me. Assistant:

gap6fw0

gapakuh

I'm in the exact same boat right now and still working through it as well. It really, really sucks, but it won't make the PhD any less valid when you get it

I was in the same boat as you, but I actually loved defending my thesis online. There were like 60 people watching the stream, and I had relatives and friends watching that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. You’ll be able to celebrate with your friends and family in person next year, and you have a job lined up which is awesome. Just be proud of your accomplishment, and make sure you practice your talk beforehand to get used to the format. When I did my presentation, I just got into a nice zone of focusing in on my slides and talk and not worrying about the audience. Anyways, at least in our department, most people end up scuttling off to their meetings and to do work afterwards anyways, and we just have an awkward celebration after.

jlixda

askacademia_train

Human: Anyone else depressed about defending their thesis online because of COVID? For YEARS, basically since I started my PhD, I have been dreaming about my thesis defense. I was going to invite all my friends and family and have a giant party afterwards. I have been working so hard for months now and I haven't seen most of my friends for ages, so I was really looking forward to my thesis defense to see them again at last. And now... all that is gone. I have to defend online, alone at home, and maybe have an at-home dinner with my boyfriend afterwards rather than the giant party I always dreamed of. I also had to leave the university quite quickly after my PhD contract ended because of a job opportunity, and I was counting on my thesis defense to properly say goodbye to my research group + everyone else in the department. Not going to happen now... and I have to leave the country for a postdoc in January 2021 so I can't postpone the defense to next year. I am kind of devastated. Does anyone have any advice? I am so sad about this but I don't think there are any other options for me. Assistant:

gapakuh

gap8b6l

I was in the same boat as you, but I actually loved defending my thesis online. There were like 60 people watching the stream, and I had relatives and friends watching that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. You’ll be able to celebrate with your friends and family in person next year, and you have a job lined up which is awesome. Just be proud of your accomplishment, and make sure you practice your talk beforehand to get used to the format. When I did my presentation, I just got into a nice zone of focusing in on my slides and talk and not worrying about the audience. Anyways, at least in our department, most people end up scuttling off to their meetings and to do work afterwards anyways, and we just have an awkward celebration after.

I'm so sorry, I would be in the same boat as you. It just sucks. Maybe you can tell yourself that despite all the shit going on, and everyone around the world having their plans disrupted, you managed to achieve something incredible. And it gives kind of a historical significance to the event, and a good story to tell in the future. Try and make the most of it, have an online defense party with your coworkers and friends. This is still a happy occasion even though it doesn't follow your expectations. Not perfect things can be good, in a different way. You rock and it should be celebrated.

jlixda

askacademia_train

Human: Anyone else depressed about defending their thesis online because of COVID? For YEARS, basically since I started my PhD, I have been dreaming about my thesis defense. I was going to invite all my friends and family and have a giant party afterwards. I have been working so hard for months now and I haven't seen most of my friends for ages, so I was really looking forward to my thesis defense to see them again at last. And now... all that is gone. I have to defend online, alone at home, and maybe have an at-home dinner with my boyfriend afterwards rather than the giant party I always dreamed of. I also had to leave the university quite quickly after my PhD contract ended because of a job opportunity, and I was counting on my thesis defense to properly say goodbye to my research group + everyone else in the department. Not going to happen now... and I have to leave the country for a postdoc in January 2021 so I can't postpone the defense to next year. I am kind of devastated. Does anyone have any advice? I am so sad about this but I don't think there are any other options for me. Assistant:

gap6fw0

gap8vyv

I'm in the exact same boat right now and still working through it as well. It really, really sucks, but it won't make the PhD any less valid when you get it

I'm sorry that's happened to you, but perspective is critical here. You've completed your PhD. A lot of people are struggling to do that under the circumstances, and have limited access to resources they need, or have legitimate fears about how to pay rent or get groceries. You have a job lined up in a desperately depressed market, where thousands of new graduates saddled with debt have found their prospects dissipated or the positions they were promised gone because funding has evaporated. Although things aren't perfect, and you can't have the party that you were looking forward to, there is a lot of privilege in your post, and you should be pleased that so much *has* worked out for you despite the circumstances. There will be time and opportunity to make up for what you missed out on later.

xp66g1

askacademia_train

Human: Why are American public universities run like businesses? In the US, many universities are public in that they're theoretically owned and operated by the government. Why is it then that they're allowed to set their own policy, salaries, hunt for alumni donations, build massive sports complexes, and focus on profitability over providing education as a public service and being more strictly regulated like elementary and high schools? Assistant:

iq2fidk

iq2l6sq

I mean... it’s the government that wants them to do those things? Public universities are run by the government, through appointed boards of regents/trustees. There is a public desire for them to be run in a way that minimizes the need for public funds, and sports and alumni donations are a huge part of that. Policies and salaries of public institutions are largely controlled by the state government. Public will for increased funding isn’t generally there. In fact, states are consistently cutting back on investment in higher education because it’s politically unpopular many places. It’s not as regulated as K12 because it doesn’t deal with minors, but rather adults. Moreover, public universities aren’t about profiting: they’re about breaking even on the costs and minimizing the amount of subsidy necessary. Not sure why you think they’re trying to be “profitable” or what you mean by that. In fact, most universities including private are non-profit entities.

Money, dude. It's money.

xp66g1

askacademia_train

Human: Why are American public universities run like businesses? In the US, many universities are public in that they're theoretically owned and operated by the government. Why is it then that they're allowed to set their own policy, salaries, hunt for alumni donations, build massive sports complexes, and focus on profitability over providing education as a public service and being more strictly regulated like elementary and high schools? Assistant:

iq2fidk

iq3neri

I mean... it’s the government that wants them to do those things? Public universities are run by the government, through appointed boards of regents/trustees. There is a public desire for them to be run in a way that minimizes the need for public funds, and sports and alumni donations are a huge part of that. Policies and salaries of public institutions are largely controlled by the state government. Public will for increased funding isn’t generally there. In fact, states are consistently cutting back on investment in higher education because it’s politically unpopular many places. It’s not as regulated as K12 because it doesn’t deal with minors, but rather adults. Moreover, public universities aren’t about profiting: they’re about breaking even on the costs and minimizing the amount of subsidy necessary. Not sure why you think they’re trying to be “profitable” or what you mean by that. In fact, most universities including private are non-profit entities.

For many of us in the USA, the proportion of our budget that comes from the state has dropped below 10%. It used to be 30-40% a few decades ago. We gotta keep the lights on, so there's been a big shift to keep patents, get grants, partner with business, and any other way to generate revenue. Many colleges at R-1 universities have faculty that average over $500k in external funds per year. Back in the day, tax money enabled state unis to be substantially cheaper than posh private schools. Those days are long gone, and the relentless drive for revenue is the only way to keep from having sky high tuition. The crappy thing is even though the state doesn't pay much for public universities, they still retain governance authority. With the anti-science/anti-reality shift in US politics, it's quite bad in some areas.

xp66g1

askacademia_train

Human: Why are American public universities run like businesses? In the US, many universities are public in that they're theoretically owned and operated by the government. Why is it then that they're allowed to set their own policy, salaries, hunt for alumni donations, build massive sports complexes, and focus on profitability over providing education as a public service and being more strictly regulated like elementary and high schools? Assistant:

iq3do7n

iq3neri

It also kind of baffles me how many years of study you ask of your students in some fields. For example, a capable 18 year old can start medical school in most countries straight from school. In the US you must be a postgraduate. That's either a money making scheme or a problem with the public education system.

For many of us in the USA, the proportion of our budget that comes from the state has dropped below 10%. It used to be 30-40% a few decades ago. We gotta keep the lights on, so there's been a big shift to keep patents, get grants, partner with business, and any other way to generate revenue. Many colleges at R-1 universities have faculty that average over $500k in external funds per year. Back in the day, tax money enabled state unis to be substantially cheaper than posh private schools. Those days are long gone, and the relentless drive for revenue is the only way to keep from having sky high tuition. The crappy thing is even though the state doesn't pay much for public universities, they still retain governance authority. With the anti-science/anti-reality shift in US politics, it's quite bad in some areas.

xp66g1

askacademia_train

Human: Why are American public universities run like businesses? In the US, many universities are public in that they're theoretically owned and operated by the government. Why is it then that they're allowed to set their own policy, salaries, hunt for alumni donations, build massive sports complexes, and focus on profitability over providing education as a public service and being more strictly regulated like elementary and high schools? Assistant:

iq3neri

iq2wwq1

For many of us in the USA, the proportion of our budget that comes from the state has dropped below 10%. It used to be 30-40% a few decades ago. We gotta keep the lights on, so there's been a big shift to keep patents, get grants, partner with business, and any other way to generate revenue. Many colleges at R-1 universities have faculty that average over $500k in external funds per year. Back in the day, tax money enabled state unis to be substantially cheaper than posh private schools. Those days are long gone, and the relentless drive for revenue is the only way to keep from having sky high tuition. The crappy thing is even though the state doesn't pay much for public universities, they still retain governance authority. With the anti-science/anti-reality shift in US politics, it's quite bad in some areas.

It's interesting what's happened with the American university system in the last 30 years. They are run like businesses because they are. But they are also incredibly bloated and not suffering the consequences that normal businesses would in the same circumstances. It will be fascinating to see how this develops in the next 10-20 years.

xp66g1

askacademia_train

Human: Why are American public universities run like businesses? In the US, many universities are public in that they're theoretically owned and operated by the government. Why is it then that they're allowed to set their own policy, salaries, hunt for alumni donations, build massive sports complexes, and focus on profitability over providing education as a public service and being more strictly regulated like elementary and high schools? Assistant:

iq3gw28

iq3neri

Everything in America is run like a business. Money and business are the cultural gods that are worshiped, sacrificed for, and offered all that we have of value to.

For many of us in the USA, the proportion of our budget that comes from the state has dropped below 10%. It used to be 30-40% a few decades ago. We gotta keep the lights on, so there's been a big shift to keep patents, get grants, partner with business, and any other way to generate revenue. Many colleges at R-1 universities have faculty that average over $500k in external funds per year. Back in the day, tax money enabled state unis to be substantially cheaper than posh private schools. Those days are long gone, and the relentless drive for revenue is the only way to keep from having sky high tuition. The crappy thing is even though the state doesn't pay much for public universities, they still retain governance authority. With the anti-science/anti-reality shift in US politics, it's quite bad in some areas.

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Human: Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do? Assistant:

iummm1f

iummhwk

I would make the apology face to face. It is more personal and does not leave a paper trail. In my institution we are cautioned against ANY discussion of grades via email.

In Brazil, some years ago, grades would be publicly posted, for all students in a session. I think it really depends much on cultural aspects and/or legislation

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Human: Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do? Assistant:

iunb6wq

iumxn94

I would not admit to a FERPA violation in writing

In my Diff EQ class the first test had a student who had a perfect score, he had her come up and get her test first and made a big deal out of it. I don't think she minded, she was beaming, and I had always interpreted it as a kudos, good job sort of deal, not really a singling out sort of thing.

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Human: Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do? Assistant:

iunb6wq

iun8ubr

I would not admit to a FERPA violation in writing

This happen to me in my differential equations class. It was hilarious, I had skipped class after the exam, and didn't come in until Wednesday. The professor in front of the class said, just because you got a 100% doesn't mean you can skip class. I blushed and my friends cracked up laughing. I even had a bet with another friend that I beat him on the exam, and he got a 97, going into class I was like, fuck I'm gonna have to buy him a 6 pack. It's a fond memory.

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Human: Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do? Assistant:

iuo13g9

iuntc94

I’m not sure if there’s a cultural difference or not here cause… what’s the big deal?

I had a professor in from an American university. He made it as a tradition to share three top scores on tests/exams/etc.

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Human: Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do? Assistant:

iuntc94

iup5ck1

I had a professor in from an American university. He made it as a tradition to share three top scores on tests/exams/etc.

I don't think outing is the right term for this cause I thought you were talking about them being gay lmao

i7jmn2

askacademia_train

Human: Do professors appreciate simple email replies such as just a "thank you"? On one hand I would assume sending a quick "thank you" or a one-sentence appreciation would be polite. On the other hand I wonder if this would be annoying as it just clutters up your email more. So are there any guidelines on how I should respond to a professor's reply when only a simple appreciation/thank you is warranted? Assistant:

g12g2oe

g12em3w

Prof here. A quick thank you is always appropriate. It can be a nice way to acknowledge receipt of the message you got, especially if it was a longer one.

My prof tell ma me she always appreciate thank you emails

i7jmn2

askacademia_train

Human: Do professors appreciate simple email replies such as just a "thank you"? On one hand I would assume sending a quick "thank you" or a one-sentence appreciation would be polite. On the other hand I wonder if this would be annoying as it just clutters up your email more. So are there any guidelines on how I should respond to a professor's reply when only a simple appreciation/thank you is warranted? Assistant:

g12em3w

g12omhg

My prof tell ma me she always appreciate thank you emails

I’ll be disappointed if OP doesn’t reply thanks to each comment

i7jmn2

askacademia_train

Human: Do professors appreciate simple email replies such as just a "thank you"? On one hand I would assume sending a quick "thank you" or a one-sentence appreciation would be polite. On the other hand I wonder if this would be annoying as it just clutters up your email more. So are there any guidelines on how I should respond to a professor's reply when only a simple appreciation/thank you is warranted? Assistant:

g12i5o2

g12omhg

A note of thanks regarding some particular kindness is nice, but please don’t send “thanks “ when for example you ask a question like, when is the assignment due and I say Tuesday.

I’ll be disappointed if OP doesn’t reply thanks to each comment

i7jmn2

askacademia_train

Human: Do professors appreciate simple email replies such as just a "thank you"? On one hand I would assume sending a quick "thank you" or a one-sentence appreciation would be polite. On the other hand I wonder if this would be annoying as it just clutters up your email more. So are there any guidelines on how I should respond to a professor's reply when only a simple appreciation/thank you is warranted? Assistant:

g12omhg

g12k4go

I’ll be disappointed if OP doesn’t reply thanks to each comment

Communication is *super important* \- letting us know you got our email is extremely helpful, esp. when it leaves a paper trail for *you* as well as *us.* I have had to send students reminders about assignments or whatever and the difference between making or not making a grade adjustment is that student demonstrates responsiveness and engagement. I get not every student has equal email access and some Professors explicitly *don't* like email, but in my class if I send you an email and you can respond, it goes a long ways.

i7jmn2

askacademia_train

Human: Do professors appreciate simple email replies such as just a "thank you"? On one hand I would assume sending a quick "thank you" or a one-sentence appreciation would be polite. On the other hand I wonder if this would be annoying as it just clutters up your email more. So are there any guidelines on how I should respond to a professor's reply when only a simple appreciation/thank you is warranted? Assistant:

g12omhg

g12mekf

I’ll be disappointed if OP doesn’t reply thanks to each comment

Professor here - thank you emails are somewhat rare and always appreciated by me at least!

hagwrf

askacademia_train

Human: How do you switch off your brain and resist the constant urge to be productive in your free time? For context, I recently finished a PhD in a subject I absolutely love and my graduate studies went really well, but I am frustrated with the academic lifestyle and moving to industry. But all those years in grad school, I developed unhealthy feelings of guilt any time I wasn't trying to "get ahead" somehow in my spare time. Even after finishing the PhD and having some free time on my hands, I can't switch off. I constantly feel the need to be learning something new or doing something productive, and it causes me a ton of stress, guilt and anxiety if I don't. I learned to live with it during grad school, but I'm surprised to find it still gets to me. How do you guys switch that part of your brain off? Assistant:

fv36eyt

fv2urnq

I learned a trick in grad school that helps. If I put my leisure activities of choice in my to-do list, right alongside my work goals, then it's still something to check off. This helps me remember to see those activities as also required. So I check off yoga, bike rides, walks, video games, reading for fun, etc. This has helped me immensely. Good luck!

Some ideas to focus on something else: - get some fun videogame to play, - call your parents more often, - watch some shows on Netflix with your s.o., - have a baby - start an arts project, - exercise, cook, and eat healthy - let yourself dive into the depths of Reddit and find an obscure, yet interesting, topic to talk to other kind strangers However, it is likely that you are feeling that you are not doing enough in your work time. Perhaps you can keep track of your tasks during the week to remind you of your hard work so far? Then, you can rest assured that you have done your best during the week, and you cannot possibly do better than your best. Therapy and meditation can also help with that. Science and results are really nice, but they are only a small fraction of all the world has to offer. Good luck!

hagwrf

askacademia_train

Human: How do you switch off your brain and resist the constant urge to be productive in your free time? For context, I recently finished a PhD in a subject I absolutely love and my graduate studies went really well, but I am frustrated with the academic lifestyle and moving to industry. But all those years in grad school, I developed unhealthy feelings of guilt any time I wasn't trying to "get ahead" somehow in my spare time. Even after finishing the PhD and having some free time on my hands, I can't switch off. I constantly feel the need to be learning something new or doing something productive, and it causes me a ton of stress, guilt and anxiety if I don't. I learned to live with it during grad school, but I'm surprised to find it still gets to me. How do you guys switch that part of your brain off? Assistant:

fv36eyt

fv32cwq

I learned a trick in grad school that helps. If I put my leisure activities of choice in my to-do list, right alongside my work goals, then it's still something to check off. This helps me remember to see those activities as also required. So I check off yoga, bike rides, walks, video games, reading for fun, etc. This has helped me immensely. Good luck!

I haven’t found the solution myself, but spending time with others and getting back into old hobbies are two strategies to help me feel more balanced. Part of it is recognition that the old way of constant work is unhealthy. I’m trying to remind myself that, at the end of my life, I probably will wish I worked less, and I try to think about hoe I could spend my time in a way that adds to my health, not my CV. And, Draw strong boundaries (e.g. no weekend work) and try to add new things to your life to fill that time, perhaps starting with activities that used to give you joy but that you haven’t put a lot of time into in recent years.

hagwrf

askacademia_train

Human: How do you switch off your brain and resist the constant urge to be productive in your free time? For context, I recently finished a PhD in a subject I absolutely love and my graduate studies went really well, but I am frustrated with the academic lifestyle and moving to industry. But all those years in grad school, I developed unhealthy feelings of guilt any time I wasn't trying to "get ahead" somehow in my spare time. Even after finishing the PhD and having some free time on my hands, I can't switch off. I constantly feel the need to be learning something new or doing something productive, and it causes me a ton of stress, guilt and anxiety if I don't. I learned to live with it during grad school, but I'm surprised to find it still gets to me. How do you guys switch that part of your brain off? Assistant:

fv2sx3k

fv36eyt

"Healthier" Ways: Exercise, pick up a new hobby, play board games, garden, spend time with people I love "Less Healthy" Ways: Alcohol

I learned a trick in grad school that helps. If I put my leisure activities of choice in my to-do list, right alongside my work goals, then it's still something to check off. This helps me remember to see those activities as also required. So I check off yoga, bike rides, walks, video games, reading for fun, etc. This has helped me immensely. Good luck!

hagwrf

askacademia_train

Human: How do you switch off your brain and resist the constant urge to be productive in your free time? For context, I recently finished a PhD in a subject I absolutely love and my graduate studies went really well, but I am frustrated with the academic lifestyle and moving to industry. But all those years in grad school, I developed unhealthy feelings of guilt any time I wasn't trying to "get ahead" somehow in my spare time. Even after finishing the PhD and having some free time on my hands, I can't switch off. I constantly feel the need to be learning something new or doing something productive, and it causes me a ton of stress, guilt and anxiety if I don't. I learned to live with it during grad school, but I'm surprised to find it still gets to me. How do you guys switch that part of your brain off? Assistant:

fv2urnq

fv36t0t

Some ideas to focus on something else: - get some fun videogame to play, - call your parents more often, - watch some shows on Netflix with your s.o., - have a baby - start an arts project, - exercise, cook, and eat healthy - let yourself dive into the depths of Reddit and find an obscure, yet interesting, topic to talk to other kind strangers However, it is likely that you are feeling that you are not doing enough in your work time. Perhaps you can keep track of your tasks during the week to remind you of your hard work so far? Then, you can rest assured that you have done your best during the week, and you cannot possibly do better than your best. Therapy and meditation can also help with that. Science and results are really nice, but they are only a small fraction of all the world has to offer. Good luck!

This is why I smoke weed.

hagwrf

askacademia_train

Human: How do you switch off your brain and resist the constant urge to be productive in your free time? For context, I recently finished a PhD in a subject I absolutely love and my graduate studies went really well, but I am frustrated with the academic lifestyle and moving to industry. But all those years in grad school, I developed unhealthy feelings of guilt any time I wasn't trying to "get ahead" somehow in my spare time. Even after finishing the PhD and having some free time on my hands, I can't switch off. I constantly feel the need to be learning something new or doing something productive, and it causes me a ton of stress, guilt and anxiety if I don't. I learned to live with it during grad school, but I'm surprised to find it still gets to me. How do you guys switch that part of your brain off? Assistant:

fv36t0t

fv32cwq

This is why I smoke weed.

I haven’t found the solution myself, but spending time with others and getting back into old hobbies are two strategies to help me feel more balanced. Part of it is recognition that the old way of constant work is unhealthy. I’m trying to remind myself that, at the end of my life, I probably will wish I worked less, and I try to think about hoe I could spend my time in a way that adds to my health, not my CV. And, Draw strong boundaries (e.g. no weekend work) and try to add new things to your life to fill that time, perhaps starting with activities that used to give you joy but that you haven’t put a lot of time into in recent years.

s6disn

askacademia_train

Human: How do I cite a transgender author's name Hi, everyone! I am trying to cite an old article by an author who has since come out as transgender and changed their name. Do I cite the text using the name which appears on it (essentially deadnaming them), or do I use their new name? I feel like this is kind of a tricky situation because, on the one hand, I want to respect the author's new name, but I also want my citations to be "correct" for plagiarism's sake. Assistant:

ht2ynug

ht2yq4u

A quick google suggests that you should use their preferred name, in the MLA style at least: https://style.mla.org/citing-author-who-has-transitioned/ I have also seen that there is some new process to allow a simplification of the name-change process, which is being implemented. Might cause some problems with understanding the lineage of your academic ideas though. Sorry to give both answers!

Here’s what MLA 9 (idk about other style guides, sorry) says in section 5.15 If you are writing about or working directly with an author whose name changed and you know they do not use their former name in references to their work—for example, trans authors—list their works under the name they use, regardless of the name that appears in the source. Do not supply information about the name change or cross-reference entries, and avoid using the former name in your prose.

s6disn

askacademia_train

Human: How do I cite a transgender author's name Hi, everyone! I am trying to cite an old article by an author who has since come out as transgender and changed their name. Do I cite the text using the name which appears on it (essentially deadnaming them), or do I use their new name? I feel like this is kind of a tricky situation because, on the one hand, I want to respect the author's new name, but I also want my citations to be "correct" for plagiarism's sake. Assistant:

ht2yq4u

ht2y95l

Here’s what MLA 9 (idk about other style guides, sorry) says in section 5.15 If you are writing about or working directly with an author whose name changed and you know they do not use their former name in references to their work—for example, trans authors—list their works under the name they use, regardless of the name that appears in the source. Do not supply information about the name change or cross-reference entries, and avoid using the former name in your prose.

Are you just talking about citing the article, or referring to the article in your text? The purpose of a citation is so other people can look up your references. You cite what someone would use to search for the article, so the citation itself should use the name on the published article. The author can ask the publisher to change their name on the article.

s6disn

askacademia_train

Human: How do I cite a transgender author's name Hi, everyone! I am trying to cite an old article by an author who has since come out as transgender and changed their name. Do I cite the text using the name which appears on it (essentially deadnaming them), or do I use their new name? I feel like this is kind of a tricky situation because, on the one hand, I want to respect the author's new name, but I also want my citations to be "correct" for plagiarism's sake. Assistant:

ht2ynug

ht2y95l

A quick google suggests that you should use their preferred name, in the MLA style at least: https://style.mla.org/citing-author-who-has-transitioned/ I have also seen that there is some new process to allow a simplification of the name-change process, which is being implemented. Might cause some problems with understanding the lineage of your academic ideas though. Sorry to give both answers!

Are you just talking about citing the article, or referring to the article in your text? The purpose of a citation is so other people can look up your references. You cite what someone would use to search for the article, so the citation itself should use the name on the published article. The author can ask the publisher to change their name on the article.

s6disn

askacademia_train

Human: How do I cite a transgender author's name Hi, everyone! I am trying to cite an old article by an author who has since come out as transgender and changed their name. Do I cite the text using the name which appears on it (essentially deadnaming them), or do I use their new name? I feel like this is kind of a tricky situation because, on the one hand, I want to respect the author's new name, but I also want my citations to be "correct" for plagiarism's sake. Assistant:

ht4o8yp

ht3klp5

There should be uniformity in how we cite people who have changed their names since the publication, regardless of whether they transitioned, got married, or just wanted to change their name for another reason. Since it is impractical to keep track of who changed their names, the simplest way to do this is to stick with the name in the original publication. We are citing a paper of the past (a paper that has been published), often with many authors that are literally dead. Some of these authors might have even changed their names while they were alive. This is different than referring to a living, breathing person with the name they currently have. The whole point is to refer to something written in the past.

Speaking as a trans researcher, you should ALWAYS cite trans people by the name they CURRENTLY use, regardless of what name the paper was originally published or cited under. It is often very difficult to change your name on all copies of a prior paper, especially if it is widely cited. The process for updating your name on old publications varies widely from journal to journal, and some won't even permit you to do it at all. It's logistically difficult and emotionally taxing. Also, tools like Google Scholar are extremely slow to update names even if the author has already gotten a paper updated with the original publication venue. Not citing someone under their chosen name is as you correctly said an act of deadnaming; it outs the person, reassociates them with an identity they're uncomfortable with, exposes them to potential harassment and future deadnaming, and makes it harder for them to get credit for their work by splitting up their citation counts. Citing people by the name they currently go by allows them to exist in academia as themselves with dignity and respect, and there's nothing "incorrect" about doing it since they're still the same person who authored that original paper.

s6disn

askacademia_train

Human: How do I cite a transgender author's name Hi, everyone! I am trying to cite an old article by an author who has since come out as transgender and changed their name. Do I cite the text using the name which appears on it (essentially deadnaming them), or do I use their new name? I feel like this is kind of a tricky situation because, on the one hand, I want to respect the author's new name, but I also want my citations to be "correct" for plagiarism's sake. Assistant:

ht4o8yp

ht3v400

There should be uniformity in how we cite people who have changed their names since the publication, regardless of whether they transitioned, got married, or just wanted to change their name for another reason. Since it is impractical to keep track of who changed their names, the simplest way to do this is to stick with the name in the original publication. We are citing a paper of the past (a paper that has been published), often with many authors that are literally dead. Some of these authors might have even changed their names while they were alive. This is different than referring to a living, breathing person with the name they currently have. The whole point is to refer to something written in the past.

I use the name the author uses and when in doubt, they in the singular. I'm old and hope that's OK.

mzo1du

askacademia_train

Human: Just got my PhD. Now what? It all feels less spectacular than it should. I loved my field when I decided to pursue a PhD. And then I started getting worn out. I dropped out because I was having too much trouble working with other graduate students. I found a job in the field, and seeing how my profession works in practice killed any last passion I had remaining for the subject. I ended up losing my job during the pandemic and decided to finish my degree. It was the easiest option, and an option that meant I could stay at home. The passion never came back, but I was able to finish writing and defend my dissertation. So, now what? I'm working for my advisor and will do so for the next couple of months. I hate every minute of it. Doing anything feels like a hassle. The thing I hate doing most is *writing*, which is not a good omen for a future academic career. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I know I can't be the only person who's gone through this. How did you pivot to something else? How do you find meaning in your work? Assistant:

gw24r90

gw23ec8

Realize there are more career options than being an academic. Even in industry, you are not locked into R&D positions. Of friends I have with STEM PhDs: one is in sales of high-end research equipment. One does a kind of technical support, company buys his company's product and he goes on-site until everything is working, he gets to travel all of the time and loves it. Another is basically a high level recruiter and talent scout for PhDs for R&D. Another has a job where she just reads articles and attends conferences, her job is stay on top of the literature and the latest/greatest and send reports to the R&D staff so they don't have to waste time doing that stuff. Another works for a large academic group writing policy related to STEM. If you are in biomedical, look into being a Medical Science Lesion (it is what I would probably be doing if I was not in academics). Another got a fellowship (with congress I think) to work on governmental policy (lost track of her). Another works doing grants congruency at a university (there is the whole world of research oversight, IRB, IACUC, Bio/Radiation Safety, post-award, etc.). I interviewed for a job with the government to be a grants officer (giving out grants rather than writing them). I also interviewed with the military to do evaluations on trainees (the military seemed to take a very broad view of what a PhD qualified you to do). And another friend busted is butt working as hard as possible for about 10 years in industry, getting lots of stocks, etc., retired early and is now a documentary film maker. This is on top of getting jobs that are teaching oriented, such as small liberal arts colleges and community colleges. The first job I was offered at a liberal arts college didn't even have a publication requirement for tenure, just giving research presentations at regional conferences would have been enough. My point is, you do not have to become your advisor. Being an academic at a research university is only one option. Good luck!

I felt similar when I got my PhD. When I started, it seemed like this fantastic thing, to put dr. in front of my name. But after a while, you realize that the title is just that: A title. I always figured that was part of the process, and that's why getting a PhD takes such a long time: You become so intimately familiar with what is known overall about some small part of human knowledge, that it becomes almost mundane. So, what to do? First, take a step back: You've done a great thing! Be proud of your accomplishment. And secondly: Start living the rest of your life, whether that's inside or outside of academia. Industry isn't all that bad: You can make more money, enjoy shorter deadlines, and more free time.

mzo1du

askacademia_train

Human: Just got my PhD. Now what? It all feels less spectacular than it should. I loved my field when I decided to pursue a PhD. And then I started getting worn out. I dropped out because I was having too much trouble working with other graduate students. I found a job in the field, and seeing how my profession works in practice killed any last passion I had remaining for the subject. I ended up losing my job during the pandemic and decided to finish my degree. It was the easiest option, and an option that meant I could stay at home. The passion never came back, but I was able to finish writing and defend my dissertation. So, now what? I'm working for my advisor and will do so for the next couple of months. I hate every minute of it. Doing anything feels like a hassle. The thing I hate doing most is *writing*, which is not a good omen for a future academic career. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I know I can't be the only person who's gone through this. How did you pivot to something else? How do you find meaning in your work? Assistant:

gw24r90

gw201eq

Realize there are more career options than being an academic. Even in industry, you are not locked into R&D positions. Of friends I have with STEM PhDs: one is in sales of high-end research equipment. One does a kind of technical support, company buys his company's product and he goes on-site until everything is working, he gets to travel all of the time and loves it. Another is basically a high level recruiter and talent scout for PhDs for R&D. Another has a job where she just reads articles and attends conferences, her job is stay on top of the literature and the latest/greatest and send reports to the R&D staff so they don't have to waste time doing that stuff. Another works for a large academic group writing policy related to STEM. If you are in biomedical, look into being a Medical Science Lesion (it is what I would probably be doing if I was not in academics). Another got a fellowship (with congress I think) to work on governmental policy (lost track of her). Another works doing grants congruency at a university (there is the whole world of research oversight, IRB, IACUC, Bio/Radiation Safety, post-award, etc.). I interviewed for a job with the government to be a grants officer (giving out grants rather than writing them). I also interviewed with the military to do evaluations on trainees (the military seemed to take a very broad view of what a PhD qualified you to do). And another friend busted is butt working as hard as possible for about 10 years in industry, getting lots of stocks, etc., retired early and is now a documentary film maker. This is on top of getting jobs that are teaching oriented, such as small liberal arts colleges and community colleges. The first job I was offered at a liberal arts college didn't even have a publication requirement for tenure, just giving research presentations at regional conferences would have been enough. My point is, you do not have to become your advisor. Being an academic at a research university is only one option. Good luck!

Congratulations. I finished my Materials Science PhD in November 2019 and felt the exact same. It's a terrible time looking for a job right now and I'm doing some living-wage work in politics for a bit while I try to have a rethink about what I want to do next.

mzo1du

askacademia_train

Human: Just got my PhD. Now what? It all feels less spectacular than it should. I loved my field when I decided to pursue a PhD. And then I started getting worn out. I dropped out because I was having too much trouble working with other graduate students. I found a job in the field, and seeing how my profession works in practice killed any last passion I had remaining for the subject. I ended up losing my job during the pandemic and decided to finish my degree. It was the easiest option, and an option that meant I could stay at home. The passion never came back, but I was able to finish writing and defend my dissertation. So, now what? I'm working for my advisor and will do so for the next couple of months. I hate every minute of it. Doing anything feels like a hassle. The thing I hate doing most is *writing*, which is not a good omen for a future academic career. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I know I can't be the only person who's gone through this. How did you pivot to something else? How do you find meaning in your work? Assistant:

gw24r90

gw1x4ov

Realize there are more career options than being an academic. Even in industry, you are not locked into R&D positions. Of friends I have with STEM PhDs: one is in sales of high-end research equipment. One does a kind of technical support, company buys his company's product and he goes on-site until everything is working, he gets to travel all of the time and loves it. Another is basically a high level recruiter and talent scout for PhDs for R&D. Another has a job where she just reads articles and attends conferences, her job is stay on top of the literature and the latest/greatest and send reports to the R&D staff so they don't have to waste time doing that stuff. Another works for a large academic group writing policy related to STEM. If you are in biomedical, look into being a Medical Science Lesion (it is what I would probably be doing if I was not in academics). Another got a fellowship (with congress I think) to work on governmental policy (lost track of her). Another works doing grants congruency at a university (there is the whole world of research oversight, IRB, IACUC, Bio/Radiation Safety, post-award, etc.). I interviewed for a job with the government to be a grants officer (giving out grants rather than writing them). I also interviewed with the military to do evaluations on trainees (the military seemed to take a very broad view of what a PhD qualified you to do). And another friend busted is butt working as hard as possible for about 10 years in industry, getting lots of stocks, etc., retired early and is now a documentary film maker. This is on top of getting jobs that are teaching oriented, such as small liberal arts colleges and community colleges. The first job I was offered at a liberal arts college didn't even have a publication requirement for tenure, just giving research presentations at regional conferences would have been enough. My point is, you do not have to become your advisor. Being an academic at a research university is only one option. Good luck!

What field are you in if I may ask?

mzo1du

askacademia_train

Human: Just got my PhD. Now what? It all feels less spectacular than it should. I loved my field when I decided to pursue a PhD. And then I started getting worn out. I dropped out because I was having too much trouble working with other graduate students. I found a job in the field, and seeing how my profession works in practice killed any last passion I had remaining for the subject. I ended up losing my job during the pandemic and decided to finish my degree. It was the easiest option, and an option that meant I could stay at home. The passion never came back, but I was able to finish writing and defend my dissertation. So, now what? I'm working for my advisor and will do so for the next couple of months. I hate every minute of it. Doing anything feels like a hassle. The thing I hate doing most is *writing*, which is not a good omen for a future academic career. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I know I can't be the only person who's gone through this. How did you pivot to something else? How do you find meaning in your work? Assistant:

gw23ec8

gw201eq

I felt similar when I got my PhD. When I started, it seemed like this fantastic thing, to put dr. in front of my name. But after a while, you realize that the title is just that: A title. I always figured that was part of the process, and that's why getting a PhD takes such a long time: You become so intimately familiar with what is known overall about some small part of human knowledge, that it becomes almost mundane. So, what to do? First, take a step back: You've done a great thing! Be proud of your accomplishment. And secondly: Start living the rest of your life, whether that's inside or outside of academia. Industry isn't all that bad: You can make more money, enjoy shorter deadlines, and more free time.

Congratulations. I finished my Materials Science PhD in November 2019 and felt the exact same. It's a terrible time looking for a job right now and I'm doing some living-wage work in politics for a bit while I try to have a rethink about what I want to do next.

mzo1du

askacademia_train

Human: Just got my PhD. Now what? It all feels less spectacular than it should. I loved my field when I decided to pursue a PhD. And then I started getting worn out. I dropped out because I was having too much trouble working with other graduate students. I found a job in the field, and seeing how my profession works in practice killed any last passion I had remaining for the subject. I ended up losing my job during the pandemic and decided to finish my degree. It was the easiest option, and an option that meant I could stay at home. The passion never came back, but I was able to finish writing and defend my dissertation. So, now what? I'm working for my advisor and will do so for the next couple of months. I hate every minute of it. Doing anything feels like a hassle. The thing I hate doing most is *writing*, which is not a good omen for a future academic career. I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. I feel trapped. I know I can't be the only person who's gone through this. How did you pivot to something else? How do you find meaning in your work? Assistant:

gw1x4ov

gw23ec8

What field are you in if I may ask?

I felt similar when I got my PhD. When I started, it seemed like this fantastic thing, to put dr. in front of my name. But after a while, you realize that the title is just that: A title. I always figured that was part of the process, and that's why getting a PhD takes such a long time: You become so intimately familiar with what is known overall about some small part of human knowledge, that it becomes almost mundane. So, what to do? First, take a step back: You've done a great thing! Be proud of your accomplishment. And secondly: Start living the rest of your life, whether that's inside or outside of academia. Industry isn't all that bad: You can make more money, enjoy shorter deadlines, and more free time.

jeubny

askacademia_train

Human: I just saw an advertisement embedded as the first page of a journal article PDF 😡 This made me grumpy. The journal is not an open access so my institution gets to pay for the pleasure of me seeing ads. Thanks Wiley! Assistant:

g9iqn9t

g9ia495

I've never seen this inside the PDFs of a single paper. But in journals or in websites often. Especially if they're relevant and inoffensive like the one you mention (for a scientific conference!!) I don't see any issue.

AIP journals do it all the time - the first page of *Applied Physics Letters* is an ad too.

qw9xrs

askacademia_train

Human: TA dealing with a condescending student Hi all, Have any of you had to deal with a condescending student? How did you deal with it (or did you?)? I (30F) have a student (19M) this semester who emails me frequently with questions that have always seemed to insinuate that I didn't know what I was talking about. But I assumed I was being oversensitive or paranoid, so I have always answered him promptly and cheerfully. However, today, the student got in a long back and forth with me (over email) about a basic statistical analysis in which he is FULLY incorrect, but has continued doubling down no matter what I say (or how many resources I send him). Finally he wrote back something along the lines of "fine I still think it means xyz but I guess I just won't include how we got our results." To be clear, he literally added a new statistical test that is not part of the assignment, and makes no sense with the data. The last email especially was honestly very rude, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm leaning towards just leaving it alone, since he apparently cares so much about having the last word, but I'm worried about grading his final paper if he continues to double down on this. Has anyone else encountered something like this, and what did you do? Assistant:

hl1vofm

hl1kwzx

I've encountered students like this in the past, and I honestly email my supervisor with a heads up and then forward the email chain or BCC them so they'll have it for documentation. I'd recommend this as a CYA move regardless. I had a student a about 3 years ago that I caught plagiarizing. I emailed my direct supervisor about it the night before I returned papers. When the student questioned me on it, he became so hostile that he tried to corner me so I couldn't leave, then demanded to follow me to my next class. When I refused, he went immediately the department chair and told him that I'd failed him on "common knowledge." (It was a straight copy and paste from the internet.) By the time I came out of my next class, I already had an email and a missed call telling me I needed to see the department chair. If I hadn't already given my direct supervisor a heads up, there would have been an issue. If there's a potential problem, ALWAYS CYA and let your supervisor know.

I generally see back and forth engagement over email is a waste of time. That said, leave it alone, grade his paper, and if he complains tell him that you have no intention of changing it because it was graded correctly and fairly. If he persists just end the conversation by telling him that he’s welcome to appeal his grade. Let the professor know that this particular student is stubborn and ignorant so he/she won’t be surprised when the student emails them to complain about you. Sadly you should also expect a poor evaluation, but that’s better than wasting time on someone who refuses to learn from you.

qw9xrs

askacademia_train

Human: TA dealing with a condescending student Hi all, Have any of you had to deal with a condescending student? How did you deal with it (or did you?)? I (30F) have a student (19M) this semester who emails me frequently with questions that have always seemed to insinuate that I didn't know what I was talking about. But I assumed I was being oversensitive or paranoid, so I have always answered him promptly and cheerfully. However, today, the student got in a long back and forth with me (over email) about a basic statistical analysis in which he is FULLY incorrect, but has continued doubling down no matter what I say (or how many resources I send him). Finally he wrote back something along the lines of "fine I still think it means xyz but I guess I just won't include how we got our results." To be clear, he literally added a new statistical test that is not part of the assignment, and makes no sense with the data. The last email especially was honestly very rude, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm leaning towards just leaving it alone, since he apparently cares so much about having the last word, but I'm worried about grading his final paper if he continues to double down on this. Has anyone else encountered something like this, and what did you do? Assistant:

hl1u67u

hl1vofm

If I am working with someone passive aggressive I parse their sentences into explicit and implicit comments, things that they wish to be noted, tasks for me and questions. I just break it al down and say what I agree with or disagree with. Like robotically candid. Including, “I sense you are implying that x; I believe not x. Unless this is an urgent or very serious question I do not wish to discuss it further.” Just get all the bullshit in the open and refute it. You mark him.

I've encountered students like this in the past, and I honestly email my supervisor with a heads up and then forward the email chain or BCC them so they'll have it for documentation. I'd recommend this as a CYA move regardless. I had a student a about 3 years ago that I caught plagiarizing. I emailed my direct supervisor about it the night before I returned papers. When the student questioned me on it, he became so hostile that he tried to corner me so I couldn't leave, then demanded to follow me to my next class. When I refused, he went immediately the department chair and told him that I'd failed him on "common knowledge." (It was a straight copy and paste from the internet.) By the time I came out of my next class, I already had an email and a missed call telling me I needed to see the department chair. If I hadn't already given my direct supervisor a heads up, there would have been an issue. If there's a potential problem, ALWAYS CYA and let your supervisor know.

qw9xrs

askacademia_train

Human: TA dealing with a condescending student Hi all, Have any of you had to deal with a condescending student? How did you deal with it (or did you?)? I (30F) have a student (19M) this semester who emails me frequently with questions that have always seemed to insinuate that I didn't know what I was talking about. But I assumed I was being oversensitive or paranoid, so I have always answered him promptly and cheerfully. However, today, the student got in a long back and forth with me (over email) about a basic statistical analysis in which he is FULLY incorrect, but has continued doubling down no matter what I say (or how many resources I send him). Finally he wrote back something along the lines of "fine I still think it means xyz but I guess I just won't include how we got our results." To be clear, he literally added a new statistical test that is not part of the assignment, and makes no sense with the data. The last email especially was honestly very rude, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm leaning towards just leaving it alone, since he apparently cares so much about having the last word, but I'm worried about grading his final paper if he continues to double down on this. Has anyone else encountered something like this, and what did you do? Assistant:

hl1vofm

hl1t917

I've encountered students like this in the past, and I honestly email my supervisor with a heads up and then forward the email chain or BCC them so they'll have it for documentation. I'd recommend this as a CYA move regardless. I had a student a about 3 years ago that I caught plagiarizing. I emailed my direct supervisor about it the night before I returned papers. When the student questioned me on it, he became so hostile that he tried to corner me so I couldn't leave, then demanded to follow me to my next class. When I refused, he went immediately the department chair and told him that I'd failed him on "common knowledge." (It was a straight copy and paste from the internet.) By the time I came out of my next class, I already had an email and a missed call telling me I needed to see the department chair. If I hadn't already given my direct supervisor a heads up, there would have been an issue. If there's a potential problem, ALWAYS CYA and let your supervisor know.

I deal with it by treating them like they're insecure and need a lot of reassurance (which is generally the case), and also by refusing to engage if they decide they want to argue. Don't get sucked into long back-and-forths with a student who just wants to argue - it's fine to ignore emails that don't contain a question. It's also fine to ignore every part of an email but the questions. If he doubles down on it, pass him along to the professor of record for the class, and let them deal with him. It's probably wise to forward the whole exchange to the professor in advance, to let them know this is going on and that they might have to deal with it.

qw9xrs

askacademia_train

Human: TA dealing with a condescending student Hi all, Have any of you had to deal with a condescending student? How did you deal with it (or did you?)? I (30F) have a student (19M) this semester who emails me frequently with questions that have always seemed to insinuate that I didn't know what I was talking about. But I assumed I was being oversensitive or paranoid, so I have always answered him promptly and cheerfully. However, today, the student got in a long back and forth with me (over email) about a basic statistical analysis in which he is FULLY incorrect, but has continued doubling down no matter what I say (or how many resources I send him). Finally he wrote back something along the lines of "fine I still think it means xyz but I guess I just won't include how we got our results." To be clear, he literally added a new statistical test that is not part of the assignment, and makes no sense with the data. The last email especially was honestly very rude, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm leaning towards just leaving it alone, since he apparently cares so much about having the last word, but I'm worried about grading his final paper if he continues to double down on this. Has anyone else encountered something like this, and what did you do? Assistant:

hl1vofm

hl1uq43

I've encountered students like this in the past, and I honestly email my supervisor with a heads up and then forward the email chain or BCC them so they'll have it for documentation. I'd recommend this as a CYA move regardless. I had a student a about 3 years ago that I caught plagiarizing. I emailed my direct supervisor about it the night before I returned papers. When the student questioned me on it, he became so hostile that he tried to corner me so I couldn't leave, then demanded to follow me to my next class. When I refused, he went immediately the department chair and told him that I'd failed him on "common knowledge." (It was a straight copy and paste from the internet.) By the time I came out of my next class, I already had an email and a missed call telling me I needed to see the department chair. If I hadn't already given my direct supervisor a heads up, there would have been an issue. If there's a potential problem, ALWAYS CYA and let your supervisor know.

Kill him with kindness, but at a certain point you just give him the tools and enough rope to hang from and leave it at that. He can choose what to do with the rope. You could, this time, dedicate a portion of class to reminding the students why we use the analyses we use for different situations. You could also ask if his major is stats. If it is. Good luck, I have met a few who dont understand that in many applied fields we have very noisy data and must do things to deal with that. The only thing I have to add is that, if you want to bring up him being rude to you via email as a learning opportunity you can phrase it to come from a place of concern. I.e.: "Hey is everything ok? The tone of your email came off like you were pretty stressed. You cant get any body language across, so it might help you to choose your words more carefully in that format. Otherwise people may think things are not OK."

qw9xrs

askacademia_train

Human: TA dealing with a condescending student Hi all, Have any of you had to deal with a condescending student? How did you deal with it (or did you?)? I (30F) have a student (19M) this semester who emails me frequently with questions that have always seemed to insinuate that I didn't know what I was talking about. But I assumed I was being oversensitive or paranoid, so I have always answered him promptly and cheerfully. However, today, the student got in a long back and forth with me (over email) about a basic statistical analysis in which he is FULLY incorrect, but has continued doubling down no matter what I say (or how many resources I send him). Finally he wrote back something along the lines of "fine I still think it means xyz but I guess I just won't include how we got our results." To be clear, he literally added a new statistical test that is not part of the assignment, and makes no sense with the data. The last email especially was honestly very rude, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm leaning towards just leaving it alone, since he apparently cares so much about having the last word, but I'm worried about grading his final paper if he continues to double down on this. Has anyone else encountered something like this, and what did you do? Assistant:

hl1vofm

hl1lttv

I've encountered students like this in the past, and I honestly email my supervisor with a heads up and then forward the email chain or BCC them so they'll have it for documentation. I'd recommend this as a CYA move regardless. I had a student a about 3 years ago that I caught plagiarizing. I emailed my direct supervisor about it the night before I returned papers. When the student questioned me on it, he became so hostile that he tried to corner me so I couldn't leave, then demanded to follow me to my next class. When I refused, he went immediately the department chair and told him that I'd failed him on "common knowledge." (It was a straight copy and paste from the internet.) By the time I came out of my next class, I already had an email and a missed call telling me I needed to see the department chair. If I hadn't already given my direct supervisor a heads up, there would have been an issue. If there's a potential problem, ALWAYS CYA and let your supervisor know.

I think the biggest mistake here is pressing the 'reply' button. I've had a student looking for a MSc project supervisor. He wad quite open about being very picky about it. I told him straight about his attitude and the reason he's in the uni. Never seen him again.

og99xm

askacademia_train

Human: Did you buy yourselves a nice gift when you defended your PhD? I was talking to a fellow grad student recently and she told me she’s been planning to buy herself a really nice pair of shoes when she defends, as a gift to herself for making it through. I defend in a little over a month and I can’t stop thinking about this. I feel like I should commemorate this milestone with something that I can hold onto forever but I’m at a loss for ideas. Have you ever given yourself a really nice gift either for defending or reaching some other academic milestone? If so, what was it? Assistant:

h4hk3p1

h4hjxxw

I bought a copy of my thesis and a frame for my diploma.  It was a two panel frame.  I was going to put my undergraduate diploma in one and doctorate in the other, but then my dog graduated obedience school so I put her certificate by my doctorate.  I want her to know I'm proud of her.

I buy myself a small gift after every milestone. Often it’s affordable jewelry that I can then wear when I’m feeling like an imposter. It’s like armor, reminding me of my successes. After I defended my PhD I did a long road trip to celebrate. I have no regrets and many amazing memories from that trip.

og99xm

askacademia_train

Human: Did you buy yourselves a nice gift when you defended your PhD? I was talking to a fellow grad student recently and she told me she’s been planning to buy herself a really nice pair of shoes when she defends, as a gift to herself for making it through. I defend in a little over a month and I can’t stop thinking about this. I feel like I should commemorate this milestone with something that I can hold onto forever but I’m at a loss for ideas. Have you ever given yourself a really nice gift either for defending or reaching some other academic milestone? If so, what was it? Assistant:

h4hk3p1

h4hdyou

I bought a copy of my thesis and a frame for my diploma.  It was a two panel frame.  I was going to put my undergraduate diploma in one and doctorate in the other, but then my dog graduated obedience school so I put her certificate by my doctorate.  I want her to know I'm proud of her.

"I'm going to buy a nice mechanical watch" That was four years ago, still haven't gotten around to it.

og99xm

askacademia_train

Human: Did you buy yourselves a nice gift when you defended your PhD? I was talking to a fellow grad student recently and she told me she’s been planning to buy herself a really nice pair of shoes when she defends, as a gift to herself for making it through. I defend in a little over a month and I can’t stop thinking about this. I feel like I should commemorate this milestone with something that I can hold onto forever but I’m at a loss for ideas. Have you ever given yourself a really nice gift either for defending or reaching some other academic milestone? If so, what was it? Assistant:

h4hk2xj

h4hk3p1

My husband bought me the full set of Roald Dahl children's books when I completed. Love them.

I bought a copy of my thesis and a frame for my diploma.  It was a two panel frame.  I was going to put my undergraduate diploma in one and doctorate in the other, but then my dog graduated obedience school so I put her certificate by my doctorate.  I want her to know I'm proud of her.

og99xm

askacademia_train

Human: Did you buy yourselves a nice gift when you defended your PhD? I was talking to a fellow grad student recently and she told me she’s been planning to buy herself a really nice pair of shoes when she defends, as a gift to herself for making it through. I defend in a little over a month and I can’t stop thinking about this. I feel like I should commemorate this milestone with something that I can hold onto forever but I’m at a loss for ideas. Have you ever given yourself a really nice gift either for defending or reaching some other academic milestone? If so, what was it? Assistant:

h4hd3du

h4hk3p1

My partner is entering his PhD this year. Some ideas I have for him: quality leather satchel/laptop bag (will last forever), shadow box containing his graduation regalia and degree, bound copy of thesis, etc. The leather bag is probably the best “gift to self” idea on the list because you can use it daily in your work and it will only become better with use.

I bought a copy of my thesis and a frame for my diploma.  It was a two panel frame.  I was going to put my undergraduate diploma in one and doctorate in the other, but then my dog graduated obedience school so I put her certificate by my doctorate.  I want her to know I'm proud of her.

og99xm

askacademia_train

Human: Did you buy yourselves a nice gift when you defended your PhD? I was talking to a fellow grad student recently and she told me she’s been planning to buy herself a really nice pair of shoes when she defends, as a gift to herself for making it through. I defend in a little over a month and I can’t stop thinking about this. I feel like I should commemorate this milestone with something that I can hold onto forever but I’m at a loss for ideas. Have you ever given yourself a really nice gift either for defending or reaching some other academic milestone? If so, what was it? Assistant:

h4hj9i8

h4hk3p1

I won't defend until next summer, but I plan on getting myself a tattoo.

I bought a copy of my thesis and a frame for my diploma.  It was a two panel frame.  I was going to put my undergraduate diploma in one and doctorate in the other, but then my dog graduated obedience school so I put her certificate by my doctorate.  I want her to know I'm proud of her.

k9f725

askacademia_train

Human: Why do professors feel the need to tell students they aren't cut out for certain careers or them to pursue something else? I know it's not all professors, but why do some professors feel the need to destroy students passions by telling them to drop the majors/minors? From personal experience I've had professors tell me to not pursue STEM careers because I wasn't cut out for it. I was so distraught and hate myself for listening to them. I'm studying environmental policy now and am doing a minor in IR and I've spent the majority of my free electives taking the courses to complete it, the issue is that I've been struggling a bit trying to grasp the understanding of IR theory and I ask for help from the professor quite a bit, recently he asked why I was taking the course and I told him that I was pursuing a minor in it, he looked surprised and then told me it would be best if I dropped the minor, since I didn't seem "cut out" for it. I really admire the work this professor does in the field, hearing that just broke my heart that I cried after ending the zoom call with him. Assistant:

gf3ulhj

gf458b1

I wanted to be a dancer (I am not, I am a biologist) and it was because I simple did not have enough talent as a dancer. I can enjoy it, I can still take classes, but there was no way I was good enough to ever do anything real with it. The person who told me the did me a favor.

I largely do agree with the other commenters -- a professor says something like this because they believe that you are not meeting the kind of benchmarks they would reasonably expect out of someone who will go on to be successful in the field. At the same time, I would never tell a student directly that they aren't cut out for a field. It's unnecessarily harsh and the phrasing suggests that there's an inherent, unmodifiable suitability factor to each person. But, I think it would be appropriate (and important) for a professor to say, for example, "You are \[underperforming in/struggling with\] \_\_\_\_, and this is an important \[concept/skill\] for \[field\]. This is concerning, because it only gets harder from here."

k9f725

askacademia_train

Human: Why do professors feel the need to tell students they aren't cut out for certain careers or them to pursue something else? I know it's not all professors, but why do some professors feel the need to destroy students passions by telling them to drop the majors/minors? From personal experience I've had professors tell me to not pursue STEM careers because I wasn't cut out for it. I was so distraught and hate myself for listening to them. I'm studying environmental policy now and am doing a minor in IR and I've spent the majority of my free electives taking the courses to complete it, the issue is that I've been struggling a bit trying to grasp the understanding of IR theory and I ask for help from the professor quite a bit, recently he asked why I was taking the course and I told him that I was pursuing a minor in it, he looked surprised and then told me it would be best if I dropped the minor, since I didn't seem "cut out" for it. I really admire the work this professor does in the field, hearing that just broke my heart that I cried after ending the zoom call with him. Assistant:

gf3z0xa

gf458b1

I know it's hard, but I think it will benefit you to think harder about this than to just condemn these professors because their feedback hurt your feelings. The fact that you admired this IR professor is not a reason he shouldn't give you professional advice. That's his job. He may have wanted to help you by not encouraging you to keep pursuing a degree or career in which he, as an expert, believes you can't succeed. When you think back to the work you did for these professors in their classes, can you think of any evidence that what they told you wasn't *true*? If you want to be successful in the areas in which they are advising you, whether their advice was truthful is a lot more important than whether it was kind. In my experience, getting better at something where I was struggling to this degree has required a total paradigm shift, not just trying harder and definitely not just rejecting any advice that hurt my feelings. I had to find a new reason to be there, new way to study, new way to manage projects, new way to think. I think that's common. It's concerning to me that you've gotten this type of feedback from multiple people in multiple different fields. It suggests to me that maybe there is something cross-cutting you need help with, like writing or professionalism or being more of an autodidact, that is undermining you in multiple settings. I would strongly suggest talking about this with a mentor you like and trust, and asking them to be candid with you. Whatever they say, don't take it personally-- constructive feedback is a gift. Someone who thought they couldn't help you would be more likely to say nothing. Take some time and be kind to yourself. It really hurts to receive this kind of feedback, and it's OK to not be ready to process it or act on it immediately.

I largely do agree with the other commenters -- a professor says something like this because they believe that you are not meeting the kind of benchmarks they would reasonably expect out of someone who will go on to be successful in the field. At the same time, I would never tell a student directly that they aren't cut out for a field. It's unnecessarily harsh and the phrasing suggests that there's an inherent, unmodifiable suitability factor to each person. But, I think it would be appropriate (and important) for a professor to say, for example, "You are \[underperforming in/struggling with\] \_\_\_\_, and this is an important \[concept/skill\] for \[field\]. This is concerning, because it only gets harder from here."

k9f725

askacademia_train

Human: Why do professors feel the need to tell students they aren't cut out for certain careers or them to pursue something else? I know it's not all professors, but why do some professors feel the need to destroy students passions by telling them to drop the majors/minors? From personal experience I've had professors tell me to not pursue STEM careers because I wasn't cut out for it. I was so distraught and hate myself for listening to them. I'm studying environmental policy now and am doing a minor in IR and I've spent the majority of my free electives taking the courses to complete it, the issue is that I've been struggling a bit trying to grasp the understanding of IR theory and I ask for help from the professor quite a bit, recently he asked why I was taking the course and I told him that I was pursuing a minor in it, he looked surprised and then told me it would be best if I dropped the minor, since I didn't seem "cut out" for it. I really admire the work this professor does in the field, hearing that just broke my heart that I cried after ending the zoom call with him. Assistant:

gf4jtyj

gf4ekot

On the flip side, encouraging students that show obvious bad habits and qualities does them no favors. Some careers require a long, competitive road, and it is wrong to tell students their chances are better than they are. Check out r/gradschool for some testimonials. If one person telling someone that they can’t do a thing is enough to dissuade them, how strong a dream could it have been?

I agree with the other professors on this thread. While it might sound a bit harsh to hear a professor say “they aren’t cut out” for a field, it’s probably because the professor has some idea what the major and/or career entails and doesn’t see passion from the student. I teach technical writing. I once had a tech writing major tell me that she didn’t see any reason to do an audience analysis that she was late turning in. She couldn’t imagine ever having to do an audience analysis after graduation. I told her that audience analysis is the most basic job duty of a technical writer, and if she couldn’t bring herself to do it as a student, she would struggle in the profession. She was offended, but I was trying to help her avoid pursuing a degree and career that she didn’t seem to want.

k9f725

askacademia_train

Human: Why do professors feel the need to tell students they aren't cut out for certain careers or them to pursue something else? I know it's not all professors, but why do some professors feel the need to destroy students passions by telling them to drop the majors/minors? From personal experience I've had professors tell me to not pursue STEM careers because I wasn't cut out for it. I was so distraught and hate myself for listening to them. I'm studying environmental policy now and am doing a minor in IR and I've spent the majority of my free electives taking the courses to complete it, the issue is that I've been struggling a bit trying to grasp the understanding of IR theory and I ask for help from the professor quite a bit, recently he asked why I was taking the course and I told him that I was pursuing a minor in it, he looked surprised and then told me it would be best if I dropped the minor, since I didn't seem "cut out" for it. I really admire the work this professor does in the field, hearing that just broke my heart that I cried after ending the zoom call with him. Assistant:

gf4bvc6

gf4jtyj

Anyone can learn and become an expert in anything, with enough time, the right teachers, and the right teaching processes. Your professor probably feels like you have or will struggle too much in their program. This doesn't mean you can't do it. If you don't want to give up, let their doubt motivate you to prove you are capable.

On the flip side, encouraging students that show obvious bad habits and qualities does them no favors. Some careers require a long, competitive road, and it is wrong to tell students their chances are better than they are. Check out r/gradschool for some testimonials. If one person telling someone that they can’t do a thing is enough to dissuade them, how strong a dream could it have been?

k9f725

askacademia_train

Human: Why do professors feel the need to tell students they aren't cut out for certain careers or them to pursue something else? I know it's not all professors, but why do some professors feel the need to destroy students passions by telling them to drop the majors/minors? From personal experience I've had professors tell me to not pursue STEM careers because I wasn't cut out for it. I was so distraught and hate myself for listening to them. I'm studying environmental policy now and am doing a minor in IR and I've spent the majority of my free electives taking the courses to complete it, the issue is that I've been struggling a bit trying to grasp the understanding of IR theory and I ask for help from the professor quite a bit, recently he asked why I was taking the course and I told him that I was pursuing a minor in it, he looked surprised and then told me it would be best if I dropped the minor, since I didn't seem "cut out" for it. I really admire the work this professor does in the field, hearing that just broke my heart that I cried after ending the zoom call with him. Assistant:

gf4jtyj

gf48x4j

On the flip side, encouraging students that show obvious bad habits and qualities does them no favors. Some careers require a long, competitive road, and it is wrong to tell students their chances are better than they are. Check out r/gradschool for some testimonials. If one person telling someone that they can’t do a thing is enough to dissuade them, how strong a dream could it have been?

It’s not a passion if it can be “crushed” by some words spoken by a professor.

j36xig

askacademia_train

Human: There are so many people complaining about academia, being overworked and underpaid, not having work-life balance,... Why do people actually want to work in academia? I left academia 5 yrs ago, after 2 postdocs. I loved my research but wasn't interested that much in teaching, so I didn't really try to get a job in academia. Assistant:

g7a1muh

g7a4a33

I could make a lot more money in the industry, but I can't stand the 'professional' approach to work: 8 to 5, wearing a shirt, working on stuff because it's what the company wants and not because it's what you find interesting. So yeah, I'm overworked (but that's my own fault), underpayed and stressed out about what my next position will be, but I get to be all that from my bed, doing what I love.

I get paid to teach and research about Vikings... when there isn’t a Global pandemic I get to fly to England every year or so and hang out with other folks who do the same and drink and argue and visit castles and stuff. I get to have interesting conversations with enthusiastic young adults who remind me that not everyone is an irretrievable monster and I get to watch them transform from little gangly baby deer doofuses to fully functional adult doofuses. Obviously there are a lot of stressors, it requires a tremendous amount of luck **and** effort to succeed, and not every day or every interaction is positive by a long shot but still, how many people actually get to say they are doing what they actually want to do for a living?

j36xig

askacademia_train

Human: There are so many people complaining about academia, being overworked and underpaid, not having work-life balance,... Why do people actually want to work in academia? I left academia 5 yrs ago, after 2 postdocs. I loved my research but wasn't interested that much in teaching, so I didn't really try to get a job in academia. Assistant:

g7a15xi

g7a4a33

There are people complaining about academia, but there are also people complaining about just about every other job out there. I think people naturally complain about work. That being said, from my perspective, I like academia way more than the alternative (for me, that is practicing law).

I get paid to teach and research about Vikings... when there isn’t a Global pandemic I get to fly to England every year or so and hang out with other folks who do the same and drink and argue and visit castles and stuff. I get to have interesting conversations with enthusiastic young adults who remind me that not everyone is an irretrievable monster and I get to watch them transform from little gangly baby deer doofuses to fully functional adult doofuses. Obviously there are a lot of stressors, it requires a tremendous amount of luck **and** effort to succeed, and not every day or every interaction is positive by a long shot but still, how many people actually get to say they are doing what they actually want to do for a living?

j36xig

askacademia_train

Human: There are so many people complaining about academia, being overworked and underpaid, not having work-life balance,... Why do people actually want to work in academia? I left academia 5 yrs ago, after 2 postdocs. I loved my research but wasn't interested that much in teaching, so I didn't really try to get a job in academia. Assistant:

g7a0zwo

g7a4a33

Uh, because not everybody is miserable. I love my TT AP job, my department and colleagues are great, and our school takes care of us. My work life balance is great, I make good money, and get to work on research I love and control 80% of the time. Even teaching is fun and engaging, albeit draining, when I actually have to do it. Yes, I know I’m very very lucky, but just wanted to make a point that not everyone is miserable or unhappy.

I get paid to teach and research about Vikings... when there isn’t a Global pandemic I get to fly to England every year or so and hang out with other folks who do the same and drink and argue and visit castles and stuff. I get to have interesting conversations with enthusiastic young adults who remind me that not everyone is an irretrievable monster and I get to watch them transform from little gangly baby deer doofuses to fully functional adult doofuses. Obviously there are a lot of stressors, it requires a tremendous amount of luck **and** effort to succeed, and not every day or every interaction is positive by a long shot but still, how many people actually get to say they are doing what they actually want to do for a living?

j36xig

askacademia_train

Human: There are so many people complaining about academia, being overworked and underpaid, not having work-life balance,... Why do people actually want to work in academia? I left academia 5 yrs ago, after 2 postdocs. I loved my research but wasn't interested that much in teaching, so I didn't really try to get a job in academia. Assistant:

g7a0nh0

g7a4a33

Lack of (awareness of) alternatives is a big one; but also some combination of being fanatic about the particular job, ego, brainwashing, over-identification with the job, self-delusion. And, very importantly I think - it's not the same experience for everybody, like, at all. Some people are lucky in terms of privilege/connections/savvy and hence access to grants etc, and have a wonderful time; and there are presumably some actually nice departments out there that haven't been corrupted by marketization. So I think people see that and sort of have the "temporarily embarrassed millionaire" thing, as if it's in reach for them. And people vary in how much they're bothered by the downsides. The old "you don't have to be a sociopath to thrive in academia, but it helps" thing holds too true, too often.

I get paid to teach and research about Vikings... when there isn’t a Global pandemic I get to fly to England every year or so and hang out with other folks who do the same and drink and argue and visit castles and stuff. I get to have interesting conversations with enthusiastic young adults who remind me that not everyone is an irretrievable monster and I get to watch them transform from little gangly baby deer doofuses to fully functional adult doofuses. Obviously there are a lot of stressors, it requires a tremendous amount of luck **and** effort to succeed, and not every day or every interaction is positive by a long shot but still, how many people actually get to say they are doing what they actually want to do for a living?

j36xig

askacademia_train

Human: There are so many people complaining about academia, being overworked and underpaid, not having work-life balance,... Why do people actually want to work in academia? I left academia 5 yrs ago, after 2 postdocs. I loved my research but wasn't interested that much in teaching, so I didn't really try to get a job in academia. Assistant:

g7a0nh0

g7a1muh

Lack of (awareness of) alternatives is a big one; but also some combination of being fanatic about the particular job, ego, brainwashing, over-identification with the job, self-delusion. And, very importantly I think - it's not the same experience for everybody, like, at all. Some people are lucky in terms of privilege/connections/savvy and hence access to grants etc, and have a wonderful time; and there are presumably some actually nice departments out there that haven't been corrupted by marketization. So I think people see that and sort of have the "temporarily embarrassed millionaire" thing, as if it's in reach for them. And people vary in how much they're bothered by the downsides. The old "you don't have to be a sociopath to thrive in academia, but it helps" thing holds too true, too often.

I could make a lot more money in the industry, but I can't stand the 'professional' approach to work: 8 to 5, wearing a shirt, working on stuff because it's what the company wants and not because it's what you find interesting. So yeah, I'm overworked (but that's my own fault), underpayed and stressed out about what my next position will be, but I get to be all that from my bed, doing what I love.

vp9h43

askacademia_train

Human: Are those of you on the US job market worried about job prospects post Roe v Wade? I'm a young (28 yo) woman currently in a VAP position and a year out from my PhD. I'll be hitting the job market hard again this Fall with the hopes of landing a TT job. But I can't help but feel like my options will be EXTREMELY limited, especially if I decide not to apply in an states with current/forthcoming abortion bans, which is a high possibility for me as a childfree person. As if the the TT market wasn't competitive enough, now most academics will be clamoring (even more than usual) to apply to jobs in blue states and it just makes me wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I just saw my dream job posted at a school in St. Louis, MO. Prior to Roe being overturned, my partner and I were actually talking about St. Louis being an ideal place for us to end up because of the low cost of living but high cultural value. Dream job + dream place, but it doesn't even really make sense to apply in a place where I don't have rights to life-saving healthcare. I guess I'm just looking to vent or perhaps looking for support or just wanting to see if other academics are overwhelmed/upset about this particular aspect of the current fucked up situation in the US. Assistant:

iehw5gg

iehslmp

Absolutely. I'm in a red state and have an academic job I really wanted. I am now considering leaving academia just so I can escape this state.

It's a huge issue. I'm in a red state and it was already difficult. This will make the market even more skewed and harder to manage.

vp9h43

askacademia_train

Human: Are those of you on the US job market worried about job prospects post Roe v Wade? I'm a young (28 yo) woman currently in a VAP position and a year out from my PhD. I'll be hitting the job market hard again this Fall with the hopes of landing a TT job. But I can't help but feel like my options will be EXTREMELY limited, especially if I decide not to apply in an states with current/forthcoming abortion bans, which is a high possibility for me as a childfree person. As if the the TT market wasn't competitive enough, now most academics will be clamoring (even more than usual) to apply to jobs in blue states and it just makes me wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I just saw my dream job posted at a school in St. Louis, MO. Prior to Roe being overturned, my partner and I were actually talking about St. Louis being an ideal place for us to end up because of the low cost of living but high cultural value. Dream job + dream place, but it doesn't even really make sense to apply in a place where I don't have rights to life-saving healthcare. I guess I'm just looking to vent or perhaps looking for support or just wanting to see if other academics are overwhelmed/upset about this particular aspect of the current fucked up situation in the US. Assistant:

iehuvsc

iehw5gg

I'm also in a Visiting position and am applying everywhere I can. Though, due to my SO's job and kids, can't move to get a full time. I'm stuck applying in Florida and worried about a 15 week ban or worse.

Absolutely. I'm in a red state and have an academic job I really wanted. I am now considering leaving academia just so I can escape this state.

vp9h43

askacademia_train

Human: Are those of you on the US job market worried about job prospects post Roe v Wade? I'm a young (28 yo) woman currently in a VAP position and a year out from my PhD. I'll be hitting the job market hard again this Fall with the hopes of landing a TT job. But I can't help but feel like my options will be EXTREMELY limited, especially if I decide not to apply in an states with current/forthcoming abortion bans, which is a high possibility for me as a childfree person. As if the the TT market wasn't competitive enough, now most academics will be clamoring (even more than usual) to apply to jobs in blue states and it just makes me wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I just saw my dream job posted at a school in St. Louis, MO. Prior to Roe being overturned, my partner and I were actually talking about St. Louis being an ideal place for us to end up because of the low cost of living but high cultural value. Dream job + dream place, but it doesn't even really make sense to apply in a place where I don't have rights to life-saving healthcare. I guess I'm just looking to vent or perhaps looking for support or just wanting to see if other academics are overwhelmed/upset about this particular aspect of the current fucked up situation in the US. Assistant:

iehslmp

iehv0d7

It's a huge issue. I'm in a red state and it was already difficult. This will make the market even more skewed and harder to manage.

The question before you, imo, is whether or not you would live in a red state. If you get a TT job you’ll be financially privileged enough to get abortion care in another state or find a work around. This is super shitty but I think it is your reality (financial privilege)

vp9h43

askacademia_train

Human: Are those of you on the US job market worried about job prospects post Roe v Wade? I'm a young (28 yo) woman currently in a VAP position and a year out from my PhD. I'll be hitting the job market hard again this Fall with the hopes of landing a TT job. But I can't help but feel like my options will be EXTREMELY limited, especially if I decide not to apply in an states with current/forthcoming abortion bans, which is a high possibility for me as a childfree person. As if the the TT market wasn't competitive enough, now most academics will be clamoring (even more than usual) to apply to jobs in blue states and it just makes me wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I just saw my dream job posted at a school in St. Louis, MO. Prior to Roe being overturned, my partner and I were actually talking about St. Louis being an ideal place for us to end up because of the low cost of living but high cultural value. Dream job + dream place, but it doesn't even really make sense to apply in a place where I don't have rights to life-saving healthcare. I guess I'm just looking to vent or perhaps looking for support or just wanting to see if other academics are overwhelmed/upset about this particular aspect of the current fucked up situation in the US. Assistant:

iehuvsc

iehv0d7

I'm also in a Visiting position and am applying everywhere I can. Though, due to my SO's job and kids, can't move to get a full time. I'm stuck applying in Florida and worried about a 15 week ban or worse.

The question before you, imo, is whether or not you would live in a red state. If you get a TT job you’ll be financially privileged enough to get abortion care in another state or find a work around. This is super shitty but I think it is your reality (financial privilege)

vp9h43

askacademia_train

Human: Are those of you on the US job market worried about job prospects post Roe v Wade? I'm a young (28 yo) woman currently in a VAP position and a year out from my PhD. I'll be hitting the job market hard again this Fall with the hopes of landing a TT job. But I can't help but feel like my options will be EXTREMELY limited, especially if I decide not to apply in an states with current/forthcoming abortion bans, which is a high possibility for me as a childfree person. As if the the TT market wasn't competitive enough, now most academics will be clamoring (even more than usual) to apply to jobs in blue states and it just makes me wonder if it's even worth it anymore. I just saw my dream job posted at a school in St. Louis, MO. Prior to Roe being overturned, my partner and I were actually talking about St. Louis being an ideal place for us to end up because of the low cost of living but high cultural value. Dream job + dream place, but it doesn't even really make sense to apply in a place where I don't have rights to life-saving healthcare. I guess I'm just looking to vent or perhaps looking for support or just wanting to see if other academics are overwhelmed/upset about this particular aspect of the current fucked up situation in the US. Assistant:

ieitifa

ieimvf3

I'm a male, but this is absolutely a factor I am taking into account. I've been thinking about switching jobs recently, and for a number of reasons (family, COL, etc.) certain options in the South looked worth considering. I am no longer considering those particular options, because I don't want to drag my SO into a place where it might become an issue.

If you're open to it, you moving to a red state means you are one more Dem voter. If you don't, that's one less educated person in that state. This is easy for me to point out, because I live in a blue state.

ljtcxz

askacademia_train

Human: Editor is "strongly" encouraging me to cote his papers. I received my review comments for a recent manuscript. The comments were addressable, but the editor sent a LIST of 15 of his papers asking to cite them. Some of the papers are somewhat relevant, so I cite 4 of them. The manuscript came back, and the editor says it will be accepted once I fix some "citation issues" My advisor told me to just cite every paper on the list and send it back. I did, and the paper got accepted. Does this not seem a bit shady? Seems like the editor is using his position to boost his citations. Assistant:

gng8iz9

gng63lg

Fuck that. I would contact the Editor in Chief. This editor is riding roughshod over the reputation of the journal - if the EiC does nothing, then frankly spend the rest of your career not publishing there and making sure everyone you work with knows why.

This is certainly unethical, particularly as these comments are usually the purview of the reviewers and not often made by editors. If you're willing to pursue this, it may be worth contacting the journal offices (of course not the same editor) and indicating this kind of unethical behavior, but that's not a sure thing - some journals may act to preserve their academic integrity, others may be more protective of their editors and not take action.

ljtcxz

askacademia_train

Human: Editor is "strongly" encouraging me to cote his papers. I received my review comments for a recent manuscript. The comments were addressable, but the editor sent a LIST of 15 of his papers asking to cite them. Some of the papers are somewhat relevant, so I cite 4 of them. The manuscript came back, and the editor says it will be accepted once I fix some "citation issues" My advisor told me to just cite every paper on the list and send it back. I did, and the paper got accepted. Does this not seem a bit shady? Seems like the editor is using his position to boost his citations. Assistant:

gng5yq2

gng8iz9

Contact the other editors about this

Fuck that. I would contact the Editor in Chief. This editor is riding roughshod over the reputation of the journal - if the EiC does nothing, then frankly spend the rest of your career not publishing there and making sure everyone you work with knows why.

ljtcxz

askacademia_train

Human: Editor is "strongly" encouraging me to cote his papers. I received my review comments for a recent manuscript. The comments were addressable, but the editor sent a LIST of 15 of his papers asking to cite them. Some of the papers are somewhat relevant, so I cite 4 of them. The manuscript came back, and the editor says it will be accepted once I fix some "citation issues" My advisor told me to just cite every paper on the list and send it back. I did, and the paper got accepted. Does this not seem a bit shady? Seems like the editor is using his position to boost his citations. Assistant:

gngezvn

gngdh8i

15?!! Haha what a POS. Even if your manuscript is a review, this is insane. Your advisor must have seen these sorts of things before to act so lackadaisical.. either way, congratulations on your manuscript being accepted

your advisor is shady as well. And that editor should be removed from whatever journal this is. Forcing other authors to include these "fake" citations as a criteria for publication is completely unacceptable. If you want to go nuclear (and I do not advise this) but one could withdraw your paper from the journal with the reason that the editor forced unnecessary citations into it.

ljtcxz

askacademia_train

Human: Editor is "strongly" encouraging me to cote his papers. I received my review comments for a recent manuscript. The comments were addressable, but the editor sent a LIST of 15 of his papers asking to cite them. Some of the papers are somewhat relevant, so I cite 4 of them. The manuscript came back, and the editor says it will be accepted once I fix some "citation issues" My advisor told me to just cite every paper on the list and send it back. I did, and the paper got accepted. Does this not seem a bit shady? Seems like the editor is using his position to boost his citations. Assistant:

gngezvn

gngdlp9

15?!! Haha what a POS. Even if your manuscript is a review, this is insane. Your advisor must have seen these sorts of things before to act so lackadaisical.. either way, congratulations on your manuscript being accepted

Shady, but surprisingly common. Often times reviewers will try the same thing. The most vicious reviews I ever got were two reviewers for a pretty crappy book. They were clearly personally offended and both ripped into the work in a way I'd never seen before or since. I was scratching my head, but one of them suggested I should have cited a particular PhD THESIS (which had never been cited before), instead of the work by that person's advisor, which I did cite. Looking at the editorial board, it turned out the author of that thesis and her husband were on it. I didn't bother revising it.

ljtcxz

askacademia_train

Human: Editor is "strongly" encouraging me to cote his papers. I received my review comments for a recent manuscript. The comments were addressable, but the editor sent a LIST of 15 of his papers asking to cite them. Some of the papers are somewhat relevant, so I cite 4 of them. The manuscript came back, and the editor says it will be accepted once I fix some "citation issues" My advisor told me to just cite every paper on the list and send it back. I did, and the paper got accepted. Does this not seem a bit shady? Seems like the editor is using his position to boost his citations. Assistant:

gngciv0

gngezvn

I think it is things like these that make academia lose credibility and drive the public distrust in science. Unless we actively take measures to address these actions, distrust will continue to grow, understandably and justifiably so, and so will the consequences of this on scientific progress and it’s practical implications. The pandemic is a perfect example of this.

15?!! Haha what a POS. Even if your manuscript is a review, this is insane. Your advisor must have seen these sorts of things before to act so lackadaisical.. either way, congratulations on your manuscript being accepted

fs1e21

askacademia_train

Human: I notice a lot of things are different between USA academia and "rest of the world" academia. Should we split up askacademia? Or make a rule that you have to specify country with each question? Gets confusing otherwise. In true academia fashion we should not endeavour to improve anything and leave it as broken as it was 🤣 Assistant:

flzscx0

flz2upm

Is it possible to include [Country] and [Field] in the submission title text box by default? E.g. [Country] [Field] - POST TITLE [USA] [Humanities] - How many hours a week do you spend at work? [Australia] [STEM] - What the hell is a qualifying exam??? I think this fixes the problem, without applying flairs to the *user*. That way if I have experience/questions in more than one country, I can respond without having to change my flair or causing confusion.

We have some questions that are country specific but a lot are about teaching, generally transferrable. Plus, I like seeing how things may be done in different places.

fs1e21

askacademia_train

Human: I notice a lot of things are different between USA academia and "rest of the world" academia. Should we split up askacademia? Or make a rule that you have to specify country with each question? Gets confusing otherwise. In true academia fashion we should not endeavour to improve anything and leave it as broken as it was 🤣 Assistant:

flz2kck

flzscx0

Then we also have to split the USA into R1, Rh2, community college, etc. so... no. Added: R2 not Rh2...

Is it possible to include [Country] and [Field] in the submission title text box by default? E.g. [Country] [Field] - POST TITLE [USA] [Humanities] - How many hours a week do you spend at work? [Australia] [STEM] - What the hell is a qualifying exam??? I think this fixes the problem, without applying flairs to the *user*. That way if I have experience/questions in more than one country, I can respond without having to change my flair or causing confusion.

fs1e21

askacademia_train

Human: I notice a lot of things are different between USA academia and "rest of the world" academia. Should we split up askacademia? Or make a rule that you have to specify country with each question? Gets confusing otherwise. In true academia fashion we should not endeavour to improve anything and leave it as broken as it was 🤣 Assistant:

flzscx0

flz16rf

Is it possible to include [Country] and [Field] in the submission title text box by default? E.g. [Country] [Field] - POST TITLE [USA] [Humanities] - How many hours a week do you spend at work? [Australia] [STEM] - What the hell is a qualifying exam??? I think this fixes the problem, without applying flairs to the *user*. That way if I have experience/questions in more than one country, I can respond without having to change my flair or causing confusion.

There is r/AskAcademiaUK, could direct people there too? Otherwise, country specification or flag flairs would be helpful.

fs1e21

askacademia_train

Human: I notice a lot of things are different between USA academia and "rest of the world" academia. Should we split up askacademia? Or make a rule that you have to specify country with each question? Gets confusing otherwise. In true academia fashion we should not endeavour to improve anything and leave it as broken as it was 🤣 Assistant:

flzscx0

flz5d6f

Is it possible to include [Country] and [Field] in the submission title text box by default? E.g. [Country] [Field] - POST TITLE [USA] [Humanities] - How many hours a week do you spend at work? [Australia] [STEM] - What the hell is a qualifying exam??? I think this fixes the problem, without applying flairs to the *user*. That way if I have experience/questions in more than one country, I can respond without having to change my flair or causing confusion.

Yeah, flairing country or at least by discipline (even if it's just major streams e.g STEM/Humanities/SocSci) would help tremendously in getting answers rather than the typical 'ymmv' disclaimer.

fs1e21

askacademia_train

Human: I notice a lot of things are different between USA academia and "rest of the world" academia. Should we split up askacademia? Or make a rule that you have to specify country with each question? Gets confusing otherwise. In true academia fashion we should not endeavour to improve anything and leave it as broken as it was 🤣 Assistant:

flz4ws6

flzscx0

Food for thought, adding more flair options would solve this issue.

Is it possible to include [Country] and [Field] in the submission title text box by default? E.g. [Country] [Field] - POST TITLE [USA] [Humanities] - How many hours a week do you spend at work? [Australia] [STEM] - What the hell is a qualifying exam??? I think this fixes the problem, without applying flairs to the *user*. That way if I have experience/questions in more than one country, I can respond without having to change my flair or causing confusion.

lo8mck

askacademia_train

Human: How to tell a struggling PhD student who wants to stay in academia that it's time to look for other jobs? I have a PhD student who is finishing this year who ended this job round with no postdoc offers. It's not completely surprising, unfortunately. The student, let's call them P, has had 4 years to improve on things like writing, communication, technical skills, and programming but has fallen short on all of them for where they need to be to be competitive for postdocs. That being said, P is a hard worker, super enthusiastic about research, and has been a good member of my group. P has gotten some interviews, but often gives extremely technical talks with no introduction (despite many rounds of feedback on this from me and others) and has tripped up when asked about the deep details of their work. Unfortunately, I see almost no way of them making it through the whole tenure track (postdoc, postdoc, faculty, building a group) without a quantum leap in their skills, even if there was an offer this year. P is understandably very upset about not getting any offers but continues to say that all they want is a career as a researcher and to stay in academia. This doesn't seem realistic and I want to start gently steering them towards the idea of looking for opportunities in industry or policy, especially since their PhD funding runs out later this year. But I'm not at all sure how to have this conversation without dashing their dreams. They're really eager and dead-set on this line of work, but I just don't see a path. Any advice for how to steer this conversation and offer constructive suggestions? I feel terrible that I have to deliver this news, and I've never done it before. Assistant:

go53s65

go5okmh

Perhaps you could lay out a series of job options in an honest and helpful way. That would include other types of academic positions (teaching heavy jobs), industry, and anything else the student may fit. I think most importantly you should sit this student down and tell them in detail exactly where they are behind and where they would need to be for a research job. Type up bullet points and print it out and give it them. We've all had people tell us we can't accomplish things, and sometimes that discussion provides motivation for the next step in someone's life, regardless as to which direction they decide to go.

Research scientist is a legit academic career, but it is not TT. In the absence of a post-doc, they should be applying for these positions.

lo8mck

askacademia_train

Human: How to tell a struggling PhD student who wants to stay in academia that it's time to look for other jobs? I have a PhD student who is finishing this year who ended this job round with no postdoc offers. It's not completely surprising, unfortunately. The student, let's call them P, has had 4 years to improve on things like writing, communication, technical skills, and programming but has fallen short on all of them for where they need to be to be competitive for postdocs. That being said, P is a hard worker, super enthusiastic about research, and has been a good member of my group. P has gotten some interviews, but often gives extremely technical talks with no introduction (despite many rounds of feedback on this from me and others) and has tripped up when asked about the deep details of their work. Unfortunately, I see almost no way of them making it through the whole tenure track (postdoc, postdoc, faculty, building a group) without a quantum leap in their skills, even if there was an offer this year. P is understandably very upset about not getting any offers but continues to say that all they want is a career as a researcher and to stay in academia. This doesn't seem realistic and I want to start gently steering them towards the idea of looking for opportunities in industry or policy, especially since their PhD funding runs out later this year. But I'm not at all sure how to have this conversation without dashing their dreams. They're really eager and dead-set on this line of work, but I just don't see a path. Any advice for how to steer this conversation and offer constructive suggestions? I feel terrible that I have to deliver this news, and I've never done it before. Assistant:

go4nz5q

go5okmh

This is exactly what I'm worried about. I apologize for not answering your question but I'm hoping you may consider my dilemma. I'm a physics masters student interested in advanced theoretical physics. Though I'm doing masters right now, I don't think I'm competent enough do any kind of research in the field I'm interested in. I haven't solved any problems from books or assignments. I have ok grades. I don't think I'm a dumbass and consider myself to be reasonably good at things which I've studied properly which is not much. But I doubt I can do research in string theory if I didn't even read Sakurai/Goldstein properly. I admit all my problems are due to procrastination. I'm in a serious dilemma. Should I just try to do some small lame master's thesis and apply for grad school or should I leave masters and start masters all over again in a different uni to properly study? I may procrastinate once again but I'm really worried I would not be able to do any good research if I don't know the basics and regret later in life. Some information: I get paid while doing masters in my country so money is not an issue. I sincerely can't imagine myself not learning physics or science in general to understand the world. I don't know what else is there other than understanding the world and I think physics is the one I love the most because I believe in reductionism and believe that everything should be understood from the absolute fundamental ideas. My school has nothing to do with it. It's me and my fucking procrastination. I'm hoping that the result would be different this time. I might be wrong and waste another couple of years, but is there any other option I have? Appreciate any response. Thanks.

Research scientist is a legit academic career, but it is not TT. In the absence of a post-doc, they should be applying for these positions.

lo8mck

askacademia_train

Human: How to tell a struggling PhD student who wants to stay in academia that it's time to look for other jobs? I have a PhD student who is finishing this year who ended this job round with no postdoc offers. It's not completely surprising, unfortunately. The student, let's call them P, has had 4 years to improve on things like writing, communication, technical skills, and programming but has fallen short on all of them for where they need to be to be competitive for postdocs. That being said, P is a hard worker, super enthusiastic about research, and has been a good member of my group. P has gotten some interviews, but often gives extremely technical talks with no introduction (despite many rounds of feedback on this from me and others) and has tripped up when asked about the deep details of their work. Unfortunately, I see almost no way of them making it through the whole tenure track (postdoc, postdoc, faculty, building a group) without a quantum leap in their skills, even if there was an offer this year. P is understandably very upset about not getting any offers but continues to say that all they want is a career as a researcher and to stay in academia. This doesn't seem realistic and I want to start gently steering them towards the idea of looking for opportunities in industry or policy, especially since their PhD funding runs out later this year. But I'm not at all sure how to have this conversation without dashing their dreams. They're really eager and dead-set on this line of work, but I just don't see a path. Any advice for how to steer this conversation and offer constructive suggestions? I feel terrible that I have to deliver this news, and I've never done it before. Assistant:

go5okmh

go55iv0

Research scientist is a legit academic career, but it is not TT. In the absence of a post-doc, they should be applying for these positions.

You're not responsible for making career decisions for your student, so you don't “have” to deliver this news. You can however, explain different paths and how you assess your student's ability to succeed on those paths. This can then serve as basis for the student's own decisions. The student will understand that is better to have an acceptable job lined up than being unemployed in search of the perfect opportunity. But the student may not yet understand their chances correctly. In your opinion, they are unlikely to succeed on the tenure track path, so it would be risky for them to pursue this path further – as evidenced by their difficulty in finding a postdoc. (And I'm assuming they already cast a wide net, instead of only looking at prestigious or local positions). You can be quite honest in your assessment that even if they were to grab a postdoc, you don't think they have the skills to progress further. But as an aside, working in academia doesn't have to involve tenure as the goal. In STEM, it should be generally possible for a PhD holder to successfully transition into industry, even without very strong writing, technical, or programming skills – the deficit in communication skill is probably more worrying though. The main hindrance seems to be the student's self-image as a researcher or future professor. A better image might be something like “highly qualified professional”. It might already be helpful to reinforce that they do have career choices, that they don't have to go the postdoc route just because they did a PhD. I.e. the lack of success on the postdoc market is not a career failure, it is a sign in a different career direction. But you're worried they'd be heading towards failure if they stay on that path. If you can pull some strings to get the funding, you can significantly soften the blow by offering a clear (financial) off-ramp to the student: a guarantee that they will be employed for a few months longer, with an understanding that they really need to churn out applications because you cannot (and will not) offer further support afterwards, and that those applications shouldn't go to positions in academia. The advantage of such an off-ramp is that it sets clear boundaries and expectations (their career problem isn't your problem).

lo8mck

askacademia_train

Human: How to tell a struggling PhD student who wants to stay in academia that it's time to look for other jobs? I have a PhD student who is finishing this year who ended this job round with no postdoc offers. It's not completely surprising, unfortunately. The student, let's call them P, has had 4 years to improve on things like writing, communication, technical skills, and programming but has fallen short on all of them for where they need to be to be competitive for postdocs. That being said, P is a hard worker, super enthusiastic about research, and has been a good member of my group. P has gotten some interviews, but often gives extremely technical talks with no introduction (despite many rounds of feedback on this from me and others) and has tripped up when asked about the deep details of their work. Unfortunately, I see almost no way of them making it through the whole tenure track (postdoc, postdoc, faculty, building a group) without a quantum leap in their skills, even if there was an offer this year. P is understandably very upset about not getting any offers but continues to say that all they want is a career as a researcher and to stay in academia. This doesn't seem realistic and I want to start gently steering them towards the idea of looking for opportunities in industry or policy, especially since their PhD funding runs out later this year. But I'm not at all sure how to have this conversation without dashing their dreams. They're really eager and dead-set on this line of work, but I just don't see a path. Any advice for how to steer this conversation and offer constructive suggestions? I feel terrible that I have to deliver this news, and I've never done it before. Assistant:

go5okmh

go56pt9

Research scientist is a legit academic career, but it is not TT. In the absence of a post-doc, they should be applying for these positions.

There is a wide range of caliber of colleges. I’m not sure what level you are at now but are they so bad they couldn’t get a job at even the bottom of the barrel colleges? Is it possible to recalibrate on what realistic level of university they could work at aka at the bottom? Perhaps when they realize what their academia prospects are they will change course. I wasn’t prime academia material and had itty bitty colleges invite me to recruitment days and positions for post docs. My roommate had a post doc position basically guaranteed the moment she inquired about it (sounds crazy but it actually paid less than our PhD and was at a teeny college ) In some ways getting an industry job can be harder. While my research advisor networks and advocates any time a PhD student goes to academia or national lab when it comes to industry job hunting students were on their own.