Thanks, Armani. I was writing a journal about the mental health of graduate students. According to one study, poor work-life balance is one of the major causes of depression of graduate student. It’s very important to have a balance.

I can’t agree with you anymore!!! I was feeling very excited to meet people from other countries when I first came here!!! We’re coming here not only for research but also for other interesting things….

I keep hearing about all those exams but I just like to not think about any of them at the moment. I have some of my friends in my research group who are preparing for the Qualifying exam and just seeing what they going through worries me. I also think that each department has different types of Qualifying exams… correct me if I’m wrong. Some departments follow the system you just mentioned, but others have a couple of questions given to the students to answer in a month. Not sure which is better. Thanks for sharing your experience, and I wish you luck in presenting your Proposal!

You touched upon an important issue, we go back to the male privilege again. I’ve always had this constant thought that I love my career but at the same time I would also want to build a family! Do I really have to choose one or the other?! Why is all the burden on the woman and not the man?! If I choose both it becomes challenging in terms of getting a job and as you mentioned the tenure dilemma. I wonder if things will change by the time we graduate!! (fingers crossed!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

That’s great! As you said, it’s all about practice. I feel like reading more scientific articles helps in writing as well – in terms of sentence structures and overall structure.

This is an indication that the professional industry is starting to change their traditional methods of hiring people. I read an article before that they also look at the soft skills and if the candidate has had any community service experience and so on. Personally I do not think the GRE score by itself should indicate someones qualifications, but generally speaking, I think its a good sign how companies are starting to come out of their bubbles now! Thanks for sharing!

I certainly agree, but I was most offended by the professor’s actions after the fact. Regardless of what happened in that particular incident, or how the professor verified the story, he certainly should not have made the entire affair public nor encouraged members of the public to harass this T/A. Even if he was 100% right about the incident, he stepped over the line by doxing her.

Out of curiosity, do you think he should have been punished? If so, how?

It is so interesting that you notice and share those nuances, it can definitely inform your grading better!

You are right Dalya! However, learning a new language seems ambitious! Diversity in a research group sometimes creates problems to the people who constitute the smallest fraction of that group. I really feel helpless when my labmates talk in their native language in front of me!

Although Im not a native English speaker, but I believe that practice is always key. Continuous communication in terms of writing and verbal will greatly help achieve the highest expectations. I can definitely tell that my writing fluency since I started my PhD has greatly improved, and its only been a year. Thanks for posting!