an excerpt from La Lecturess
Yesterday Andy read a post from a blog entitled, La Lecturess to me. It is called "To Those Who Fell Along the Way" and includes the following excerpts (for those of you who don't want to go actually read it--it is rather long):
I know what she's talking about.
As for my cohort, 10 people began my program not quite seven years ago...But we lost 50% of our already small entering class, none of them for financial or family reasons. Two of them were even, I'd say, among the three smartest and coolest of us all, and one of them is the child of academics...But even with their advantages, the five people we lost in my year left (with one exception) simply because they were deeply and profoundly unhappy. Yes, they were doing what they'd always thought they wanted to do. And yes, they truly loved what they were reading and teaching and researching. And yet, they were so unhappy that they couldn't function...."most of my readership probably knows what I'm talking about," she says.
It's hard to explain this to someone who hasn't been through grad school, but of course most of my readership probably knows what I'm talking about; I myself was so depressed my second year of grad school that the only way I got through many days was by telling myself that I could drop out in May, after I'd gotten the M.A. I think, in fact, that part of what makes grad school so hard is that when you're unhappy doing what you love, you look at yourself and think, "what else is there? if I'm not good at this one thing that really matters to me, what am I good at?"
I know what she's talking about.
posted by Jessica at
9:25 AM
3 Comments:
And you know that I know too.
I read this when she posted it, and I actually had an almost angry reaction to it, to the suggestion that the people who left were "lost." I think maybe some of them were really "found" when they realized they needed to get out.
I personally will continue to struggle with the decision of whether or not to drop out up until I graduate, though I think I'd feel worse if I were wondering if I should have finished instead. But everyone has to figure that out for herself, and it's really annoying when there's no right answer.
By
Anonymous, At
10:36 AM
ditto. On all of it. What is it about grad school that makes it like this? TNO's friends who work in the bike shop think we are living a life of luxury and in a way, we are. But it's soul destroying, love-of-learning crushing luxury. Is it worth it? She's hit the nail on the head. If this is what I love but I'm unhappy doing is, what else is there?
Where should I go and what should I do?
By
Anonymous, At
1:15 PM
well, my experience with grad school ended horribly. just as the author talked about, all through highschool and college i LOVED everything biology. i KNEW i was meant for it. immunology ph.d. rolls around and, man, i was miserable. i came home depressed and angry and couldn't figure out where my life was going. i still loved reading and learning about it, i just couldn't imagine doing it forever. so, i bailed. best move of my life. i switched direction totally, took at class at the u of m, got an internship at the DFL and now i'm the director of a congressional district. a sweet ending to a hard story, but, for anyone questioning grad school, i'm not saying you should quit, but right now in our lives is the perfect time for some re-evaluation. we're young enough to bounce back, motivated and energized enough to strike off in a new direction, and hey, why set yourself up right now to be miserable for the next 60 years (we'll have to work that long after the republicans have taken away social security). best thing to do is to just take some time to make sure you are on the right path for yourself.
By
a&e, At
2:35 PM
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