Quote:
Originally posted by sosinceredst
I saw this post and I had to respond. I had to echo what AKA_Monet said about grad school. I am in the first year of getting my PhD and although I do not pay monetarily for it, the form of currency is with my blood, sweat and tears...literally. Faculty members believe that your nose should be to the grindstone. You should not be sleeping or eating...you should be living your research project. And if you're not, you get no attention. I'll be doing this for the next 5 years or so, so this craziness will be my life.
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Ahhh, I know your struggle. What you are saying is true. Faculty members do feel that way. My best advice is to keep a life outside grad school. As time goes on as you are getting more involved in your project, it will become very important to maintain balance in your life. Do what makes your happy.
Here are a few things I did:
1. I always tried to make sure to not work more that 10 hours a day in the lab. I learned this the hard way....
2. Also, if you can do it, try not to work 7 - 8 days straight without a break.
3. Stay involved in your community through church, your sorority or volunteer efforts. Maintaining contact with people outside grad school will help keep you grounded.
4. Take time to exercise. It sounds simple and obvious, but it needs to be done. I started yoga in grad school and I'm glad I did. Yoga helped to relieve so much stress.
5. Keep your hobbies, or start one. I started needlepointing and knitting. The repetative motion of stiching was calming.
6. Enjoy your project. It is yours. No one else will know more than you will about your project. You will become the expert on your topic and people will come to you.