Totally understand the one about accepting guilt for relaxing...

LOL so glad someone bump this thread...all true!!

Oh God - all so true. Having finished my master's over the summer, and finally getting to go through graduation on 30 November, I realise now exactly what I've got myself in for with the PhD.

I give two first year art history tutorials a week (which also means I have to mark essays and exams), and I'm meant to do my own work... Sleeping is a guilt-inducing activity, as is tonight's Christmas dinner cooked by some friends. :( How does one get past the guilt that is grad school? I'm enjoying my research and it's turning out that my topic really hasn't been done before (thank God!), and it's usually rewarding to teach as well, but I feel like taking lunch is classed as wasting time. From you more experienced PhDs, does the guilt diminish with time? I bloody hope it does!

Got my BA in English and Studio Art and just finished my first semester towards my M.S. in Counselign & Ed Psych for HIgher ed. ehhhh...its okay. I'm not too into my classes, but I love my job and can't wait for my practicum and internship.

for those of you in or have been in grad school:
1. how long did it take you and how many classes a semester?
2. Did you go to grad school directly from undergrad?
3. did you or do you plan to go directly to doctorate work?
4. And how much debt are you in after all of this?


For me:
1. i should be done by may 2007, with 4 classes a semester for the first year. 2 in the summer, 3 in fall 2006, and 1 or 2 in spring 2007.
2. i came directly from undergrad. graduated in may 2005
3. i do if i can get in.
4. so far, not too bad. altho more fom my first year of grad than all my undergrad. I'd say about $26-30, 000

1. I took 6 classes for my master's thesis in chemistry. 3 my first semester, 2 my second semester, and 1 this semester. The rest of my credits were thesis research hours.

2. Yup, went directly from undergrad to grad...Now that I look back, I should have taken a year off like my friends did. I probably wouldnt have been as burnt out.

3. I was originally a PhD student. Most departments in the sciences won't allow you to apply to the master's program, you can only apply to the PhD program. After my first year, I realized that I didn't want to do chemistry anymore, so I'm leaving with my masters.

4. NONE! There are perks to going to grad school in the sciences, like stipends and tuition waivers. ;)

Well I'm a first year Graduate student pursuing my MA in Forensic Psychology(not what CSI does!) and I eventually want to work with sex offenders. My grad school's a little different cause it's not so much reserach based as it is working professionally.

So here you go:

1. I just finished my first year of grad school and I took around 13 credits with six classes total. I just got my grades today except for one and so far i'm rocking it with a 3.7 (which i never got in undergrad)
2. I went to grad school directly cause let's face it, not much a BA in psychology is going to do for you out there.
3. I'm getting married when I'm done with graduate school and I want to work and get licensed for a bit, but i think I will eventually go back for my Ph.D. I haven't decided if the desire to be called Dr. will outweigh all the work I have to do.
4. As far as debt is concerned i'm slightly spoiled and have none so far. My school is in chicago which is a forty-five minute commute from my home. My parents offered to pay for my schooling if I lived at home and since my fiance lives out here it wasn't a bad deal. next year I might rack up some debt with my brother going to college though.

1. I am currently half way through my 4th year, and have probably another 1.5-2 years to go. We take all of our classes our first year. You can take more later if you want but that is more for if there is a class specific to your research topic.

2. I did go directly from undergrad. At time's I'm glad I did, others I really regret it.

3. I skipped my Masters and am going directly with a PhD

4. I get a stipend but it is just enough to live on so I did end up taking loans out. In the end I hope no more than $35,000

1. It should take me 4 years and hopefully no longer... As for classes... I took 3 (3 credit hour) classes my first semester... In addition I took a 1 credit hour seminar class that I take every semester... Then I also took 2 other 1 credit hour classes... Next semester I will be taking 2 maybe 3 if my advisor has his way (3 credit hour) classes and seminar... After that I have 4? 1 credit hour classes left... and 2 or 3 (3 credit hour classes)...
2. I took a year and a half off between undergrad and grad school (I got married during that time and worked)
3. I planned from the beginning to work towards my phd
4. I will be in no debt... As it was mentioned previously in science fields you have TA or GA positions... In addition I also have a fellowship...

I recently finished my first semester of my Masters in School Counseling.

1. I should finish May 2007 taking 4 classes a semester.
2. Yes
3. No
4. None :)

I completed 24 of the 45 credits required for my masters in clinical psychology and then became pregnant with my daughter. I was unable to finish, but it would have taken me another 2 years.

1. I took 6 credits (2 classes) per semester while working full time. In Spring and Summer, I only took 3 credits each semester.

2. I worked for 3 years before going back to grad school.

3. I had not decided what to do about doctoral work but didn't really think I would go back for it because, the way most clinical psych programs work, you have to do a combined masters/PhD program at the university where you're pursuing your PhD, so I would have had to repeat the masters level work.

4. None. I had tuition reimbursement through work.

Since I totally changed careers 7 years after that, I don't feel badly about not finishing, but at the time that I got pregnant, I was devastated.

OK, I spoke WAAAAAAY to soon, this program has whooped my ass!

1. I should be done by may 2007 also.
2. I also came directly from undregrad. Well kind of. I graduated in Dec 04, but took six months to "find myself". I didn't want to go in any field that I had my current degree in! I was a cinch from going back to complete a second degree, High School Physical Education, since I was only like 24 hours from getting that degree. I didn't think I would get into grad school, but I applied at the last minute and got accepted. That was cool because I preferred having a career in student services to being a coach.
3. No.
4. Probably about 25k.

1. Three years at 3 classes a semester. Graduated May '04.
2. Not exactly. I skipped a semester.
3. I do plan on doing doctorate work, but I needed a break.
4. appox. $60,000

I just finished my first semester (well, second if you count the summer as a semester) of grad school and now that I'm out for winter break, I have no idea what to do with myself! I feel bad about just sitting around doing nothing...I mean, it's been about a year and a half since I've had any time off, and I can't believe I don't have a paper to write or a project to do. Aaaaauugghhh! :p

Oh my gosh - me too! I have been playing stupid little computer games (Bowling for Elves, anyone?), baking cookies, hanging out at the Starbucks where my friend works, and just generally feeling really weird without articles to read or papers to write. And I think that the local coffee place that I frequent probably misses me now that I'm not there every night trying to get everything done.

I thought about starting to write my lesson plans for next semester, but I haven't gotten that desperate yet. :)