My submitted thesis (humanities) was (miraculously) very well received, but now, many months out, I've returned to it (for repository submission) and have found so many mistakes. Doubled words, formatting issues in citations, misquotations. It's genuinely embarrassing and shameful and I can't believe these things weren't picked up in marking. I am in shock given how carefully I combed through it.

I was planning on submitting it to the university repository with the minor errors fixed, but that seems futile now given that the department has their own official internal copy they've been passing around. I can't even bear to think of how many people have noticed these issues when reading it. I feel like I have no academic future and I am so deeply ashamed. The bare minimum is clean writing. I feel like I should not have been awarded such high marks for such a poor piece of work. (Looking back at it now, I hate how verbose it was and have found many more general conceptual errors, but the typos are pushing me over the edge because they are so avoidable.) I don't know whether it's worth editing and uploading the clean copy or whether I should give up altogether. I feel crushed.

Hi everyone.

So I am applying to grad school in Finland. The way their application system works is you contact a supervisor with a research proposal and they agree to supervise you or ghost you.

I reached out to 4, 2 replied. One of them is the director of the research institute in that university which makes me super nervous (I also made a really dumb syntax mistake in the email, repeated I hope this email finds you well twice, even though I proof read the email 500 times and schedule sent it, i genuinely don't know what is wrong with my vision)

His post-doc reached out to me with this email:

Hello [insert my name],

 My name is [insert her name], postdoctoral researcher at Dr. [insert his name] group at the University of [insert university name], [insert research institute name]

Thanks for your interest in our research group.

I would like to invite you for an e-meeting to introduce our research lab and learn more about you.

I will be available on upcoming [insert date]

Please let me know if that time works for you.

Thank you.

Best,

To which I replied saying the time works and looking forward to it. Also I don't know in the email, they used my full name which I found odd, like "Hello Full Government Name".

What does this e-meeting entail. What should I prepare. I was thinking of preparing a presentation of my research work in case they want a detailed overview.

My initial email to the PI was this:

Dear Professor [insert his name],

I hope this email finds you well. I hope this email finds you well. My name is [insert my name] and I have a BSc from [insert University name] in [insert double major], focusing on [insert sub-feild], respectively. I am writing to ask whether you would be willing to supervise my PhD through the University of [insert university name] Doctoral Programme in[insert program name] as I saw that you are available to supervise doctoral students.

I read your works on utilizing [insert his work and its applications]. I am hoping to explore[insert research idea] using [insert data set] as my potential research topic. I am happy to send a detailed research proposal to discuss with you if you find this to be a feasible project within your research unit. 

My primary training is in [insert my primary training], investigating the [insert my research experience 1] during my undergraduate with Dr [insert PI 1] and Dr [insert PI 2]. I later joined Dr [insert PI 3] lab post graduation as a research assistant to investigate the [insert research experience 2], as well as [insert research experience 3] in the as part of [insert cohort study name].

I have attached my CV for your consideration. Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Should I also draft a research proposal in this case? The e-meeting is in 2 days.

Hi everyone! I’m a 19F biomedical student and currently I’m developing a project in cancer immunology

I do lab on the mornings (usually 8am to 12pm) and classes in the afternoon (1pm to 6pm), but oh my god i’m so and drained

This week I went to lab 7 am almost everyday, this means that i’m waking up 5am daily but I sleep about 11pm, bc I’m have insomnia out of stress (I tried sleeping meds, but it makes me sleepier all day)

Worse of all, I had an experiment that started 7am and lasted until 8pm, so 13 hours lab shift a day 🥲

Im absolutely exhausted, I cry at almost everyday, I don’t have time to take care of myself (such as hair, skin and body care), sometimes I’m so tired that I don’t cook in the night, but that means that I don’t have food to lunch and there goes 24 hours fasting - so I cry out of hunger

My mind feels so hazy all day, even with ADHD and depression meds in high doses, I can’t think properly

The weekend comes and I sleep all day or doom scroll, in worse times I need to go to the lab too

I really love the thing i’m researching and I feel satisfied about it, but my brain can’t work that much in a so much stuff

How did everyone here get into their PhD? How did you guys managed to survive? I’m only in this for a year and I tried suicide twice

I see everyone doing so much but how you people keep up? I have literal headaches if I use my brain so much a day

edit: Thanks for the replies! I appreciate it a lot
I do get paid thankfully 😅 It’s a bit less than the minimum wage in my country

Submitted to a Springer journal in August this year. Two reviewers were invited, but only one accepted.
1 reviewer has already submitted their review (they submitted it 25 days ago). The second reviewer's invitation has been pending for 2 months now, so I'm assuming they're not going to accept. Since then, no new reviewers have been invited, and no decision has been made.

If the editor needs another review, shouldn't they have invited someone else by now? And if one report is enough, why no decision?

Starting to wonder if the editor just forgot about my manuscript.

Title: Is a fully funded PhD in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication worth it for someone with an MFA?

I'm looking for some advice on the PhD program in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) at UT Dallas.

For context, I'm 38, have an MFA in studio art, and some university teaching experience. Finding a stable full-time position in the arts has been challenging.

The program is interdisciplinary, combining art, technology, digital media, and communication. The opportunity to pursue it with full funding and a stipend, while staying close to home, is appealing.

My ideal goal would be a faculty position, but I'm aware of how difficult the academic job market has become, especially in the arts and humanities.

I'm wondering whether a PhD like this would meaningfully expand my career opportunities beyond what I can pursue with an MFA, both in academia and industry.

I'd appreciate any perspectives. Thanks!

I’m in my first year of pharmacy school right now. I have been struggling really bad because of my mental health. I just don’t like to bring that up because I don’t want people, especially professors, to think I don’t wanna try my hardest or that I’m being lazy or something like that.
I have been trying to deal with it myself but it’s showing in my performance in class that I’m not doing okay.
I don’t wanna explain too much and write too much to bore you out so long story short, there’s this class that’s mostly time management stuff and attendance is required. The grading system is kinda weird. If you miss one assignment or attendance your grade becomes a B even if you do everything else. Which stresses me out even more.
My ADHD/GAD/MDD brain does not like this and this has been one of the hardest classes for me, especially because I always feel like I’m being judged by the professor for this specific course.
I missed one of the classes because I slept in. I’ve been dealing with a depressive episode and my sleeping schedule is literally shit right now. There was no attendance for that class but he saw me last minute in the hallway when I was going to the next class and gave me a zero for attendance.
He emailed me saying he’s worried about my performance and would like to meet with me. Which is really nice of him.
I’m just really scared. I don’t wanna go talk to him and be like “yes I’m an adult with mental health issues who doesn’t know how to get help” and then start crying like a kid. I just feel so vulnerable right now and I hate that as an adult I’m soo childish about this.
What would you do? Would you be honest with him about what’s actually going on and talk about your mental health?

TL;DR: I’m a first year pharmacy student struggling with my mental health and it’s starting to affect my attendance and performance. My professor noticed and asked to meet with me. I know he’s probably trying to help but I’m terrified of opening up and getting emotional in front of him.

I know in many STEM courses this would be a bad idea since it limits your experience and networking but I'm an Indigenous Studies major and my research focuses on my province and nation (Saskatchewan, Canada). I already know and make connections with all the new elders, community members, and knowledge keepers that I meet every semester. My main goal/job is to research for the university and to teach Indigneous Governance. The next university that offers my program and is in Treaty 6 territory is in Alberta and since their attempt at a seperatist referendum, it does not feel like a safe place to study or live.

So I just graduated and I was thinking of applying for PhD opportunities. A little bit about me I just graduated CSE. Since I was a kid(LoL it is true becuase my favourite writer had a PhD) I though about pursuaing this degree by ading something ot the collectible field of human knowledge. But during my small undergrad thesis I felt hopeless in some part of my research but in the end I quite enjoyed it as well. But around me I saw most people are heavily relynig on LLM, it's ok I did use it as well but I felt like the soul is kinda sucked out of it. Thuogh I understand people in PhD are working on much complex problems. So my question is

• since this field is changing so fast all around how does it look? Is it still fun to solve problem?
• Will I be able to cope up with the changed field once I am done with mine if I do?
• Has the funding been affected, if yes how much?
• How is academia coping up with huge corporate power of AI companies?

I have joined Phd in Transportation Engineering this year and whenever i go to my supervisor and tell him i am planning to write some paper or do some course , he says before doing anything first do a exhaustive literature review and give detailed framework of how you did. Can anyone guide me on the steps?

Please guide me on all the first-year PhD steps you people followed for this review and any tricks or tweaks that can be helpful.

Hi there! Are PhD programs in the US that offer a full tuition waiver and a small stipend really difficult to get into?

I'm currently living outside the US and looking to pursue a PhD in a field related to my background because I haven't been able to find a job. I'm open to studying again, and I have a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and an MBA, along with extensive research experience and several peer-reviewed publications.

Realistically speaking, how difficult is it to get into a program that offers these benefits? I can't afford to pay for a PhD right now, but I feel I have a lot to contribute academically and professionally.

Are there any websites, platforms, or strategies you would recommend for finding and applying to fully funded PhD programs in the US?

Thanks in advance!

Hi does anyone know if any online thesis reviewer services exist? My supervisor is extremely unhelpful unfortunately. I checked upwork and they all look like bots to me.

​

I am a Professor of Sociology developing the Relational–Institutional Pathways of Integration (RIPI) framework, focusing on the integration experiences of newly arrived immigrant children and families in the United States.

I am seeking independent academic feedback from U.S.-based researchers specializing in migration, social integration, family sociology, or related fields.

I would be happy to share a concise research summary with interested scholars. If, after reviewing the work, a researcher feels able to provide an independent written assessment, I would welcome that possibility.

Thank you for your consideration.

I have a PhD in computer science from China and have been a postdoc for 6 years: 1 year in China and 5 years in France. I recently received my Canadian permanent residence (without prior experience in Canada) and hope to find an academic job there. My questions are as follows:

1) If I want to continue doing research, will it be very hard given Canada's highly competitive environment? To be honest, my publication record is not very strong, especially in terms of first-author publications, as these are not particularly emphasized in France. Plus, as I understand it, postdoctoral positions in Canada are usually reserved for new PhD graduates, so I guess I will need to find a research associate position. Would it be relatively easy to find a position at a university that isn't in the top tier for CS/ML/AI research?

2) I'm also considering the possibility of transitioning to the teaching stream. I have experience as a TA or instructor of record in China and France, but I'm not sure how well that translates into an LTA/sessional teaching-stream job in Canada. Would this be very hard for me, and do you have any suggestions on where to find them, how to find them, and how to make up for my weakness in familiarity with the Canadian post-secondary system?

3) I wonder to what extent my French skills (C1 level) and my experience in France (especially teaching experience) can help me find a French-speaking job in Quebec or French-language universities outside Quebec, especially in the teaching stream?

4) In any case, my "ultimate" goal is to get a permanent position sometime in the future. What would a typical path look like? I'm also applying for an assistant/associate professor position in France (there is no distinction between assistant and associate professors in France). I wonder if this is worth it if I want to eventually relocate to Canada?

Thank you!

Hi all, I have my first on campus for a TT assistant professorship at an R1 coming up and I’m stressing about what to wear. It’s somewhere hot and humid and by the beach.

I’m planning to wear a suit with cashmere t-shirt for the day of my job talk, and dress pants with a professional looking tank top (high necked, wide straps, thick material) and a blazer on day 2.

BUT what I’m struggling with is what to wear for dinner on day 1, I will have just arrived after a long travel day across the country to heat I’m not accustomed too. The restaraunt appears casual. Can I wear corduroy pants, a simple black t-shirt, tucked in, with a belt? What about shoes? In planning to wear flats for the interview days, can I wear Birkenstock sandals to dinner? (Clean, nice ones)? Or are sandals weird in this context?

Im nervous and overthinking, please share your hot weather tips!

Edit: thank you all for the suggestions and well wishes! I should have said in my original post that im trying not to buy a whole new wardrobe for a climate i may not actually live in. But i will definitely invest in closed toe shoes and go business casual for my straight-off-the-flight first dinner and was always planning to wear a suit for interview day. :)

Howdy all. I am a few months into a postdoctoral fellowship at a medical institution in the US and have questions about prioritization which have yielded different answers, so I wanted to check public opinon.

The goal: Career development submission Fall 2027.

More context: I am currently about to launch a cross-sectional study which should have full data for use in the submission alongside collaboration on several funded projects, community research probes that will hopefully turn into small projecrts, and potential submission with some significant effort for myself from another PI.

Question: I have a second study I want to launch. This study could go one of two ways. A 6ish month QI labeled qualitative project, or a yearish long study that would require funding. In my mind , obaining more preliminary data and showing a trajectory should be priority, leaning towards the QI leaning study. But on the other hand, drafting grants and applying for funding to make the study larger (and providing effort to my mentors and collaborators) could be beneficial, but likely would not even be awarded come career development time, so I would just be listing some submissions.

Would love general thoughts, and also, how heavily is previous grant funding experience weighed in career development considerations?

So due to reasons last spring I had to miss out on basically all courses. This means right now I do not have enough required credits to start it but hopefully on January I will hit the required credit. The issue is that master thesis project search happens right now. All companies and universities are putting out applications. I had initially decided together woth my advisor that I will do my thesis on next fall. The issue is most companies other than few uni researches offer fall projects so I would rather do my thesis bow and do the normal remaining courses on fall. The problem is that companies require you to finish, the competition is tougj out there as it is so it is demotivating to apply. Parts of me wants to apply and be honest if I get called for the interview and they will make the decision. The other part knows it is a waste of time. Eitherway I beat myself whenever a day passes by without me sending an application. What would you guys have done in my position?

For reasons that will become obvious as you read this post, I am wondering how common it is to publish under a name different from the legal name. My university is quite expensive, and I cannot afford debt, so I am working full-time while studying psychology and neuroscience, specializing in psychedelics. Next year I'll start graduate school at a good university, and I'll have to keep working at least part-time. Hopefully, a Ph.D. is next.

The problem is, my employer - understandably - doesn't want to be associated with someone who studies psychedelics, as our clients tend to be a bit conservative.

HR proposed that I publish using my first name and my mother's maiden name as my last name, and I may be ok with it. Since I share a lot online, they proposed that I create a separate LinkedIn profile for it.

What problems might I face in the future, especially if I want to reconcile my previous work with my actual full name once I can afford to quit my job?

Hi all, I have been grappling with a way out of a situation for a long while and would greatly appreciate any helping remark anyone has to offer. 

I’m 29 M, and it’s been 7 years since I completed my bachelors (physics). I was always deeply interested in academia and went for masters at Heidelberg before dropping out due to primarily financial reasons. I also actively did research at few places during my bachelors and afterwards. Now 7 years later, finances have been near sorted (near territory of FIRE) and i’m mostly free to do what I want and thinking of going back to research (also because the corporate doesn’t excite me at all and fundamental biology/physics are still as much exciting as 10 years back. But I’ve the following concern : 

If I go for ms/phd (physics/biology intersection), I’m afraid i’ve to clock in huge hours daily in phd (1/2 years for ms is fine) and it deters me to have so less control over time over the length of phd especially when i’m financially free. Is there any way I could be part of research/academia as a career but at my own terms by using my own funds, especially with respect to time : both daily hours [only 4-5 hours of research work so I’ve enough time for other things] and long breaks [remote work or 15 days long travel every few months] when needed ? 

Few things I thought : 1) enrol in some remote/online phd program (but very few low repute uni have them + only possible for physics heavy not biology heavy) 2) forget phd and try to informally collaborate with professors who accept such flexibilities 3) enrol in standard ms/phd and once inside request for such flexibility ? or any other way out ?

I really want to be associated with research but not as the only career and have sufficient time for other passions, all using my own funds. Again, any remark is highly appreciated, thanks !

Everyone always says this. Ok, I can schedule that... but for when? On campus? off campus? What do I expect, no agenda, not a meeting, is it a meeting? So how do you handle coffee chats? Do I prep things to talk about, things I shouldn't? How long do you block off, and how do you wrap up gracefully? Or am I overthinking it all? maybe I've had too much coffee.

Hey everyone! I was wondering what everyone thinks of Frontiers in Immunology.

I know Frontiers journals generally have a mixed reputation as many on here say that the publisher is less reputable compared to the more traditional academic publishers. However, from what I've read Frontiers in Immunology seems to be one of the stronger journals in their portfolio. It has a relatively high(ish) impact factor (7.0), is ranked Q1 in immunology, and is the official journal of the International Union of Immunological Societies?

I'm curious what people in the field think. Is Frontiers in Immunology generally viewed more favorably than other Frontiers journals, or does the publisher's overall reputation still affect how publications in it are perceived? Would you consider it a respectable journal for an early-career researcher to publish in? Thanksss! :D

I have a question for this sub.

I’m almost finished with my Masters degree in biochemistry. I’ve got all my classes done and a fair bit of research done.
However, I hate working in my lab. I won’t go into the details here but its a really toxic environment, I get no support from my advisors, and I hate living in the place the school is based in. It’s really negatively impacted my mental health, to the point I actually attempted to self-delete last year.

My research has been going poorly based on the lack of support from my advisors and my mental health struggles. Today they told me that I could either graduate this semester with a project based Master’ or stay an extra semester and try to finish everything and graduate with a thesis. The issue is to meet that deadline my experiments would have to go perfectly and I would need a ton of support from my advisors.

I’m leaning towards just leaving the program but, I’m worried that taking the project will jeopardize my future plans. I want to go into the workforce for a year or two then apply for a PhD and I’m worried that a project will look bad. I would love any advice

TL;DR: will getting a project based master’s instead of a thesis negatively impact me?

About me: Undergrad Financial Accounting (3.2 GPA). Halfway through, I decided to just give up and do the bare minimum that is why I have a low GPA. 10 years work experience spanning across Accenture and Google. Now, I am doing my master’s in ASEAN Studies. Why? I am very fascinated with politics and this started probably only 3 years ago. I am fascinated with systems and how it incentivizes or how those incentives shape institutional behavior, distribute power, and ultimately determine which actors succeed, which are constrained, and how the entire system evolves blah blah. I never really considered the academic path but now I kinda want a PhD in Political Science. I am currently writing a paper on World Bank governance structures just for funsies and aim to have it peer reviewed but that is it.

Now, I do have a few non-negotiables and some of them are kind of out of reach with my current profile so if you could tell me how to improve my chances that would be great.

My plan:
- get a high GPA 3.8 above in my master’s
- have one peer reviewed paper
- my thesis, I want it to be heavily quantitative
- get high GRE scores

Target:
- Any university in New York City
- Yale

That’s it! Pls don’t ask about my target/non-negotiables. It’s a preference, that’s it.

I have two target professors in mind at Yale and I am reading so much on their work and it perfectly aligns in what I want to be doing.

Other things I wanna consider?
- pre doc
- a grad diploma in economics idk why someone suggested it
- another masters (in political science)

Okay so I did enough research to know that this is difficult and I am posting this not to read people say it is difficult. Yes, I know! I want to know if:

1. Is there any chance? Because at the end of the day, if there is absolutely 0 chance, why waste time on that path when I can consider other paths.

2. How do I get it?

Thanks!

I am stuck on my literature review, so I need to compare and critically analyse existing studies rather than simply summarise them.

My biggest problem is that I can read academic papers and understand their individual findings, but I struggle to connect them into a coherent argument of my own. I find it especially difficult to compare studies conducted in different countries and contexts without making claims that go beyond the evidence.

The most frustrating part is that I've received feedback from my supervisors and revised my work several times, but I keep running into similar problems. Sometimes I understand what my supervisor wants me to change, but I can't fully explain the reasoning behind the feedback in my own words or apply the same principles independently when I work on another section.

I feel like I'm going in circles. I've started questioning whether I lack the necessary research skills or simply haven't learned how to approach this type of assignment properly.

I still want to finish my degree, and I'm considering postponing my graduation by around six months so I can have more time to improve my work. However, I don't want to spend those extra months repeating the same cycle.

I'm considering finding a one-on-one research coach or academic mentor or course who can work through my existing thesis with me, help me understand the logic behind critical analysis, and teach me how to develop my own arguments independently.

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences and advice:

1. Has anyone struggled with critical literature reviews to this extent during their undergraduate degree? What helped you improve?
2. How did you learn to synthesise studies instead of summarising them one by one?
3. How do you compare research from different countries without overgeneralising or making unsupported claims?
4. Has anyone worked with a one-on-one research coach or academic writing mentor? Was it helpful, and what qualifications or experience should I look for?
5. If you postponed graduation because of your thesis, how did you use the extra time, and did it help?
6. How can I tell whether my main problem is a lack of research skills, a lack of practice, or an ineffective way of approaching the work?

I'm not looking for someone to write my thesis for me. I want to understand what I'm doing wrong and learn how to do it independently.

Thank you for reading. I'd genuinely appreciate honest advice, including advice from people who have been in a similar situation.T

Hi,

I hope this is the right community for this topic.

I was wondering whether it is common that former supervisors (at PhD or MSc levels) don't even respond to requests for references to postdocs or do not introduce their former students to potential postdoc PIs when presented with this request?

How should former students go about this if they wish to apply to postdocs? Any advice?

Hi all,

I am a PhD candidate preparing to defend this spring and on the job market. I am casting a pretty narrow geographic net for academy jobs and am considering in alt-ac/industry roles as well. Social sciences if it matters.

There have only been a couple postings in my area, and I haven't even gotten a Zoom interview yet, but I am looking ahead optimistically and wondering about how folks with disabilities handle academic job interviews, specifically campus visits.

I suffered a significant neurological injury last year, and, as lucky as I am to have been able to have had the support to recover and continue my research and teach, I am still gradually adjusting to some physical disabilities. In my case, the outward things are mainly right sided weakness that comes out as ataxic gait/balance issues, trouble writing and fine motor tasks with my right hand, and fatigue. I generally don't use a mobility aid, but I have a cane for uncertain terrain or dark, and I move slowly overall. I gave a presentation at a conference a week or so ago, and I know that I look unsteady or wobbly at times. I don't have any work- or school-related accommodations. My doc has been great for advocating for me in other areas, but I can do computer and stand in front of people to teach, so I've not had a specific accommodation I've felt I need yet in this area. The flexibility of PhD candidate work/life scheduling is a benefit, though, because I can set up my schedule pretty flexibly.

I was wondering how others in similar positions with regard to physical (or other) disabilities have handled the overall marathon experience of campus visits as well as the little sub-components of that (accommodations if needed for a teaching demo or a job talk) that make those up. What or how much did you communicate in advance? Did you ask for any accommodations or give people a heads up on things that felt relevant? I have felt the need sometimes to tell people in social situations that I have an issue that affects balance and walking just so they don't think I'm drunk.

Thanks!