Soooo... Masters and doctorates, amirite?

[Danny Phantom]

Hi everyone! It's been a hot minute since I was properly active on cK, but that was mainly due to the fact that I was nearing the end of my MSc. Now I'm officially a master in Animal Sciences! It has been a really tough journey, and I really wanted to thank the community for being one of my main sources of distraction during these past two (really, really messed up) years. With that, I wanted to open up the discussion of postgrad titles, because, well, I've seen some shit on these past couple years and noticed people often don't talk about/don't know how toxic this field is and what working on research is about/how it's like. So, I bring the following questions:

Do you have (or are enrolled in) a masters/doctorate degree? If so, in what field are you in and how is/was your experience? You're also welcome to use this topic to talk about any issues you may be having!

If you don't, what do you think people working on research do? How do you perceive them?

I'd also be happy to answer any questions about how working on research is like and offer some pros/cons if you're also thinking about following the academic route!

[Arabella]

I am currently getting my MBA, so I don't have a ton of lab experience - however working in a University that is a big research institution, and in departments that had tons of labs, your experience reminds me of what I've heard other students talk about. I've seen lots of students come in to our office crying because of the unreasonable demands of their profs, the pressure of the degree, and just feeling like they couldn't get through to their professor about things. I am sorry you are going through that!

[Charmander]

Hey Danny nice to see you back. I am sorry to hear about the frustrations and experiences you are having in the lab. I completed a MSc degree however it was a hybrid type program with in class education, in person clinical practicums and then a research project/thesis. So unfortunately I cannot speak to experience in a lab style environment. However, my personal opinion is that the students working on the Masters/Doctorate in the labs etc are some of the hardest working/underpaid and recognized individuals who get A LOT of demands placed on them. I respect that you are doing and I'm sorry to hear of the extra stress that has been put on your plate. Could it be that the changes could be due to reduced funds available by the lab but maybe your prof doesn't want to disclose it? I know that a lot of lad work (especially where I am) can be cut so fast if funding isn't there. I think it is worth a discussion with your professor and may approach it as getting feedback on how they think your performance is. Then based on what they say you can chat with them about how you are feeling regarding you putting in all this work but feeling that others think you are not. It's work a discussion and typically people are open to those and most of the time it does bring clarity and clear the air.

Wish you all the best with this.

[Cinnamoroll]

First of all, I’m thrilled to see you’re back and you’re doing some amazing things!!!!
You should be proud of yourself for all of the progress and accomplishments you’ve made thusfar.


I haven’t gone that far with my schooling and I’m unsure if I ever will. I enjoy school but I just am also ready to be done with it.

[kittyray]

Congratulations on your masters! It's been so exciting to see your periodic updates! The current situation sounds incredibly frustrating. As far as being told you're not meeting expectations, do you have any kind of rubric you can ask for so you can better understand what would be considered expectations? Maybe that would even help them do a better job at evaluating you. Does your program/school have any sort of office of accessibility? I feel like I may have asked you this when you had an issue a couple years ago, but can't recall the answer. They might be able to help you figure out how to have a conversation with your professor/colleagues about how your autism might affect your labwork and what might actually help without feeling like you're disclosing too much.

I don't have a master's yet, but it was always one of my goals, but it's had a lot of changes of what exactly that entails over the past decade, so I'm still figuring it all out.

[DarkSkies]

I had a bittersweet experience back when I was doing an engineering master. So yeah I'm gonna use spoilers for my own comfort.

Please log in to view spoilers.

My situation was yet very different from yours, so I agree you should sit and talk with your professor about your doubts. He is supposed to help you too but maybe he had no idea how you feel.

I sent you a strong hug, you have done it well, don't doubt yourself. If you wanna make better you always can, you have the willing and that's the best start!

[macaronbae]

I’m nearing the end of my master’s degree… 0/10 would not recommend.
I’m in my late 20’s and have a family of my own. I also work two jobs besides being a full-time student.
Maybe if I didn’t have so much in my plate it would have been a lot easier…
Would I get my doctorate? Honestly right now, no lol. I’m so sick of the papers and the “respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.”
Do I think getting my master’s degree is worth it? Yes. It’s definitely an accomplishment. Do I need it for my future job? Also, yes. Lol.
It’s definitely been a wild ride, but would not do it again.

[Danny Phantom]

Thank you all! It's really interesting to see the different views and different fields.

I am currently getting my MBA, so I don't have a ton of lab experience - however working in a University that is a big research institution, and in departments that had tons of labs, your experience reminds me of what I've heard other students talk about. I've seen lots of students come in to our office crying because of the unreasonable demands of their profs, the pressure of the degree, and just feeling like they couldn't get through to their professor about things. I am sorry you are going through that!

I'm happy for you! How is it going? I have little to no experience on how masters on other fields work, what is your research about?
Tbh when I joined the lab I didn't think it would be a problem due to the dynamics on the team, but oh boy I was in for a ride when I found out about some of the stuff that happens and when me and my professor started having communication issues.

Hey Danny nice to see you back. I am sorry to hear about the frustrations and experiences you are having in the lab. I completed a MSc degree however it was a hybrid type program with in class education, in person clinical practicums and then a research project/thesis. So unfortunately I cannot speak to experience in a lab style environment. However, my personal opinion is that the students working on the Masters/Doctorate in the labs etc are some of the hardest working/underpaid and recognized individuals who get A LOT of demands placed on them. I respect that you are doing and I'm sorry to hear of the extra stress that has been put on your plate. Could it be that the changes could be due to reduced funds available by the lab but maybe your prof doesn't want to disclose it? I know that a lot of lad work (especially where I am) can be cut so fast if funding isn't there. I think it is worth a discussion with your professor and may approach it as getting feedback on how they think your performance is. Then based on what they say you can chat with them about how you are feeling regarding you putting in all this work but feeling that others think you are not. It's work a discussion and typically people are open to those and most of the time it does bring clarity and clear the air.

Wish you all the best with this.

Thanks a lot! That sounds really interesting, a hybrid program seems to have a better impact on a professional environment, I think - I'm glad you got that sort of experience! Class education sounds particularly interesting. How did it go?

I'm uncertain about the cuts, but I feel like it could be the reason. I'm uncertain though, as my professor is very upfront about most things. The problem with bringing this issue to him is that I feel like I have a very different view from what's going on vs the rest of the lab, which makes me very insecure about talking about anything I've been noticing/thinking because I feel like they'd just brush it off and say I'm completely wrong and/or I'm making things up.

First of all, I’m thrilled to see you’re back and you’re doing some amazing things!!!!
You should be proud of yourself for all of the progress and accomplishments you’ve made thusfar.


I haven’t gone that far with my schooling and I’m unsure if I ever will. I enjoy school but I just am also ready to be done with it.

That's fair, it is a very tiring process and going further is not necessarily the best choice or as the best outcome for everyone! I remember seeing a lot of people in my class on vet school that were there just to get the degree, not because they necessarily wanted to be vets, and that ended up influencing their performance during the classes.

Congratulations on your masters! It's been so exciting to see your periodic updates! The current situation sounds incredibly frustrating. As far as being told you're not meeting expectations, do you have any kind of rubric you can ask for so you can better understand what would be considered expectations? Maybe that would even help them do a better job at evaluating you. Does your program/school have any sort of office of accessibility? I feel like I may have asked you this when you had an issue a couple years ago, but can't recall the answer. They might be able to help you figure out how to have a conversation with your professor/colleagues about how your autism might affect your labwork and what might actually help without feeling like you're disclosing too much.

I don't have a master's yet, but it was always one of my goals, but it's had a lot of changes of what exactly that entails over the past decade, so I'm still figuring it all out.

Thanks a lot! It was a wiiiiild ride. Well, I did ask my professor a few times and he says "You're doing fine, if there's anything wrong I'll let you know" but there's always this lingering feeling I'm not doing enough and that I'm not exactly welcome there tbh. My situation with my professor is a bit... fragile? I'm not sure if this is the best word to describe it. I'm trying to understand what he expects of me and trying to communicate my needs, but I suck at communication. He's trying to help me how he can, but more often than not it ends up being harmful because we can't seem to meet halfway and understand each other. I also feel like the way he's treating me vs the other students is vastly different, to the point that he barely even talks to me at the lab. I may be wrong here, but I always have the feeling that something is off. He used to treat me in a very different way, and actually seemed to trust me. We do have an accessibility team available for the entire university, but they're known to ignore the needs of autistic people specifically (to the point where a girl sued them because they refused to allow her to enroll in the accessibility program they have on because she has lower support needs and "was not autistic enough to benefit from the program"), so I don't think they'd be of much help.

---------- Post added at 06:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 PM ----------

I had a bittersweet experience back when I was doing an engineering master. So yeah I'm gonna use spoilers for my own comfort.

Please log in to view spoilers.

My situation was yet very different from yours, so I agree you should sit and talk with your professor about your doubts. He is supposed to help you too but maybe he had no idea how you feel.

I sent you a strong hug, you have done it well, don't doubt yourself. If you wanna make better you always can, you have the willing and that's the best start!

Thanks a lot for your kind words, dear! I've been trying to communicate better with him but I feel like I've hit a wall. He's a great professor and really helpful, but I feel like we're getting nowhere and that he doesn't really trust me or my work.

I'm really sorry you had that experience, some professors have terrible attitudes. I'm glad you were able to finish your masters despite having a shitty tutor. If you were ever to pursue a doctorate, would you be able to go to another institution to maybe avoid having to deal with him all over again? While the academic field is indeed filled with sharks, I'm sure there might be somewhere with a healthier dynamic!

- - - Updated - - -

I’m nearing the end of my master’s degree… 0/10 would not recommend.
I’m in my late 20’s and have a family of my own. I also work two jobs besides being a full-time student.
Maybe if I didn’t have so much in my plate it would have been a lot easier…
Would I get my doctorate? Honestly right now, no lol. I’m so sick of the papers and the “respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.”
Do I think getting my master’s degree is worth it? Yes. It’s definitely an accomplishment. Do I need it for my future job? Also, yes. Lol.
It’s definitely been a wild ride, but would not do it again.

Woah, you really should be proud of yourself for balancing everything! I can't even imagine how hard it must be to go through the stress of a masters + 2 jobs + family. May I ask what your field is/what do you plan to work with? It's ok if you're not comfortable sharing. ^^

[macaronbae]

I’m looking to be a licensed therapist! I’m very passionate about mental health, so there was really no way around it but get my master’s!

[Danny Phantom]

I’m looking to be a licensed therapist! I’m very passionate about mental health, so there was really no way around it but get my master’s!

Oh my, that's awesome! I'm sure you have a bright future in the field.
And can I just say HOW DISSAPOINTED and MUCH MORE ANGRY I am at your tutor for being in the psychology field and acting like a major a-hole who doesn't seem to care about others.