I noted this comic today on Twitter. It really depressed me, because it's true and because grad students are just supposed to suck it up.
I'm not saying getting a higher degree should be easy. But it would be nice if grad students were given some respect and recognition of their value (we do the research our PIs are too busy to do, we teach the classes no one else wants to teach, we put in 60+ hours a week for little pay, no vacation, and few benefits). But on one wants to give that kind of recognition to grad students. We're supposed to slave away and not say anything, and if we're not happy then obviously it's because we're too stupid/too whiny/too unmotivated to belong in grad school.
(Still bitter even after a year of being out. Could you tell?)
Hey, I'm still in grad school and I'm bitter. It puts me in an ethical dilemma because I talk to students who are thinking about grad school. Do I tell them only about the good parts of grad school or should I be honest and scare them off?
I think that's what I resent the most...being told only the good parts with vague caveats about there being a lot of work. Because telling me there's a lot of work isn't going to scare me off. I like a lot of work, especially for something I'm interested in. But then when the experience just became miserable, it made me feel even worse because all I had been told was these good things, and it's like, what's wrong with me that I'm not enjoying grad school the way everyone else is
( ... )
My current boss is like that. She's completely supportive of me taking a week off here to go visit my sister and newborn niece. Unfortunately, my committee chair isn't so understanding.
I've been giving snotty responses to passive-aggressive comments lately. I'd say something like, "Well, how about you read all these articles I'll need to know for my defense, and I'll stand at the bench and wish the supplies I need into existence." I've also been saying "Just deal with it" to people who were upset that I wasn't doing their work for them.
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I'm not saying getting a higher degree should be easy. But it would be nice if grad students were given some respect and recognition of their value (we do the research our PIs are too busy to do, we teach the classes no one else wants to teach, we put in 60+ hours a week for little pay, no vacation, and few benefits). But on one wants to give that kind of recognition to grad students. We're supposed to slave away and not say anything, and if we're not happy then obviously it's because we're too stupid/too whiny/too unmotivated to belong in grad school.
(Still bitter even after a year of being out. Could you tell?)
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