Hi everyone,

I'm conducting research on the differences between the Korean and Italian education systems and am seeking firsthand experiences from Korean teachers, students, and parents.

If you're familiar with the Korean school system (particularly middle and high school) and are comfortable communicating in English, I'd love to ask you a few questions. We can connect via email, Reddit chat, or video call—whichever you prefer.

My questions will focus on topics like:

• School curriculum and subjects
• Daily life and school culture
• Teaching methods and assessments
• Student workload and extracurricular activities

I won't use or publish any of your responses in my paper without your explicit approval.

Your insights would be invaluable to my research. If you're interested, please comment below or send me a DM. Thank you!

I am a graduate student, and I recently discovered that my advisor used my idea for another project that he is working with a different student. I had shared my manuscript, which I worked on with my co-authors at a different graduate school, with my current advisor to get her feedback. A few months later, I found out that her and her student were using one of my findings from the manuscript for the student’s project. I was really shocked, and I don’t know what to do about it.

Could you please share your experience or advice regarding this situation? I have evidence that (a) this idea was developed by me and my co-authors in a different graduate program, and (b) when and how I shared the manuscript with my advisor via email.

When interviewing candidates, which of the following does your department ask them to do?

• Research Seminar - Presentation with slides about your research

• Teaching Demo - Take over a class and show how you would normally teach

• Chalk Talk - No slides allow, just you in front of a whiteboard talking about your long term research/funding plan

In my experience I've noticed the R1's tend to do Research seminar + Chalk Talk and skip the teaching demo, while people at PUI's/SLAC's might never have heard of a chalk talk before. And then R2's are a mix depending on the department.

What does your school require for job candidates?

hi everyone im looking for research assistantship jobs in CT (psychology/Neuro) if anyone is aware of any leads! I will be graduating in May and I am looking to do research for two years!

I have an offer for MSc in Business issued by a Grande Ecole. It isn't "recognized by the state" in France but is simply issued by the school under it's own authority.

The school is fully accredited locally (and quite a famous and good one), and carries international accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA).

How big a deal is the not "recognized by the state"? I know it caused problems for one contact who couldn't use the degree in Chile because all their mutual recognition is based on Govt to Govt qualification equivalence.

How about North America? Europe?

How should I move forward?

I graduated from high school four years ago, but honestly, I haven’t developed myself much since then. My English skills aren’t great, and I’m not a native speaker. Right now, I’m not working, which is a first for me—I’ve never been without a job for this long. I’ve applied to many jobs, but nothing has worked out so far.

I live with my single mom, and we have a low income. I applied for FAFSA around November, and I was initially exempted from the TSI test. However, when I called them, they told me that exemption was only temporary, so now I have to take the test again. The problem is I’ve forgotten everything, especially math. I was already bad at math, and now I feel completely unprepared.

Despite that, I want to push myself to study because I know I need to do something. But I’m also struggling with choosing what to study. Every time I think I’ve found something I like, my gut tells me it’s not the right path. I’ve tried studying for the TSI, but I still don’t feel confident. At the same time, I don’t want to rush into taking the test and get a low score, which might delay me even further.

What should I do? I need a clear direction, and I’d really appreciate any advice. Thank you.

I have a question for you guys as I think you might have even a bigger problem than me with this. I am a mechanical engineer who went into software, so I am mainly working in R&D roles for the last couple of years. And one thing I was not expecting to be a big problem, but it clearly is, is keeping notes of all the different things I am building and testing out.

I had some senior engineers show me how they do it and most of them use a kind of simple scientific method framework of hypothesis-test-insights. Some of them run it in their head, not taking any notes and some take extensive notes in One Note or some other note taking app, where there are pages and pages of text and it is hard to find anything. I tried it all, keeping everything in my head, One Note, Notion, Obsidian you name it, but it just doesn’t stick. I feel like there is too much manual work and in the end it feels like I am just wasting time with it…

So as I said, I think you guys probably have even more information that you need to write down and then search later because you are working in the unknown. In engineering I think you quickly come to a point where you just guess some problems and you kind of make it through because you have done it many times, and then for the bigger ones you take some notes.

So whats your secret workflow for taking notes? Do you rely on memory, or have you found a system that works? Also stories about “notes hell” are welcome, I want to hear some of the horror stories you experienced hahaha

Youre a postgrad who hasn’t been in this situation before. Having decided to be supervised by prof A, but still have another meeting accepted with another prof (B) in next few weeks.

Although you contacted prof A later than prof B, A met with you the earliest, and the research is something that you are more interested in.

What do you do? Do you still go to the meeting with B?

I’m a PhD student in Switzerland, and every time I do cell culture and my PI sees me, he complains about the way I do it. From how I handle things inside the hood, to washing cells, splitting, and even the trypsin protocol—basically everything. It’s gotten to the point where I start making mistakes when he’s around because I get nervous, and now he wants to “train” me to teach me the “proper” way.

The thing is, everything I do, I learned from highly skilled people before joining this lab—people from a highly renowned place in the US, some of whom published first-author papers in Cell, Nature, and Science. I have a lot of experience working with immortalized cell lines, maintaining and amplifying them, doing treatments for differentiation, transfection, etc. Never had any issues, never had a single contamination.

I find it frustrating (and honestly, kind of offensive) that he constantly criticizes my technique. It feels like it diminishes everyone who taught me before I came here. That said, I get that he has his own way of doing things and wants me to follow his method. I’m okay with that—it’s his lab, and I’ll do what he wants. But I want to have a conversation before the training to make it clear that just because I wasn’t taught his way doesn’t mean my way is wrong.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice on how to approach this conversation without coming off as defensive?

I'm an early career political scientist (IR) struggling to find a list of available short term research fellowship. I'm in many societies newsletter but those rarely list short term fellowships that I happen to find through colleagues, linkedin etc. Is there some database/website to look for research fellowships? Looking for positions in Europe/ME/South Asia mostly

Hoping to attend University in the fall to elevate my master's in chemistry to a full PhD, with the prospect of then pursuing academia. With all the recent turomoils in the political landscape, what issues might arise that I need to be on the lookout for? For example, is it possible that stipend funding would get cut partway through the PhD program from lack of funding? Are chemists looked upon well in terms of future demand? As a point of reference my interests lie in quantum computing and qubit research. Thank you!

For the sake of brevity, I will keep this short.

I am (currently) a college freshman with a strong interest in partaking in research, particularly within think tanks or similar policy-focused organizations. I understand that many research fellowships are typically designed for upperclassmen or graduate students, but I'm eager to get involved early in my academic journey.

I have also accrued significant political and legal experience for my age. I serve on the local Central Committee, am the leader of my colleges partisan political club, led a regional non-collegiate political youth (18-40) organization spanning three major counties, and was appointed to my city's Human Rights Advisory Committee, representing a community of 30,000 within a larger city metro area of 103,000. I am currently running for chair of one of my state's major collegiate political organizations.

Beyond politics, I have published opinion editorials in my state's most widely read newspaper, been featured twice on Alhurra Middle East News, once before and once on this past Election Day, and hold a paralegal certificate with nearly two years of experience in the legal field, w/ legal research self-published to academia.edu.

I would like to strongly preface that I do not, in any way, compare my background to those with decades of experience who may view these accomplishments as preliminary or juvenile in scope. However, within my age group, I believe my record demonstrates a strong foundation in political engagement, legal work, and public advocacy, which I confidently feel could be utilized by a think tank, or similar organization.

P.S. Please forgive me if I have posted this in the wrong forum. I feel r/college may not be the correct avenue for this specific inquiry.

Thank you, all!

People have told me to choose someone who has published in recent years, but how much is enough? Some of my possible PI’s have published like 20 papers in 2024, but some have 5 or so. Is more always better? Or does it just mean they coauthor a lot?

How common is a chalk talk these days during an on-site interview for asst prof (research-focused)?

I’ve been told it will take one hour and it will be on a white board. This is in addition to a one hour seminar.

Honestly, I don’t know why the chalk talk is needed? Have we not already proven enough that we are sufficiently trained for the role based on a decade of PhD/postdoc training, CV, research/teaching statements, reference letters, Zoom interview, and on-site seminar and interviews. I don’t know why academia seems to thrive on endless assessments before granting a title/position that we then will fight tooth and nail to keep. Like which other job requires the candidate to fly out for a 1-2 day visit where you will feel like you’re dead by the end?

And why do I need to explain my future research on a white board if I will likely never use a white board in my life? I will never apply for a grant using a white board. Nor will I teach using a white board. If anything, slides would make more sense.

I’m sure people here can convince me the value of the chalk talk, and if possible also the white board one in particular :) I’m lost. thanks

Higher ed is a political target. Taking out the public intellectuals and academy are some of the most important early steps for authoritarianism to get its roots in deep.

But we do no favors for ourselves when screeching on social media about the injustices and dangers in ways that the average American does not understand nor care about. It will just make it easier to discredit the academy and rally the people against us. Some people think that’s big part of why we are here now.

On the other hand if we go quiet, we enable the authoritarians. Universities are making changes to keep from drawing attention, meaning they are following executive orders and scrubbing sites and programs.

We need to think short game and long game. What are the best plays right now, especially without walking into a pre-planned trap?

Is it risky to try and pursue a career in academia, given the current climate? Not to be alarmist, but should most university professors, whether adjunct, teaching, or research, be counting their days? Was considering a PhD but now worried.

Edit: I mean academia generally, but the social sciences and humanities in particular. Also in the US.

I apologize if this is beating a dead horse in this sub or even if it comes off as a silly question. I’m currently trying to trim words in a manuscript, and I had the idea of asking ChatGPT for some suggestions on what phrases are too wordy in the manuscript and could be removed, and I would manually check each suggestion and implement if needed. Is this an issue that journals might have, or is this even something that I’d have to declare in the first place?

Hi! I was wondering whether researchers working on grants obtained through the CHIPS act, via Dept. of Commerce, Energy, NSF etc., working at NIST, National Labs, and universities have also been affected?

I recently got an offer for an R&D internship and I have 72 hours to accept or decline the offer. I also applied to 7 other REUs including funding from my home university to continue working in my research lab. Which is more valuable (industry vs. REU research vs. continuing in my current group) for applying to PhD programs?

Given that REUs are super competitive, I don't know if I'm screwing myself over through declining this offer and possibly ending up with no REU acceptances. I could work in my current group but in some cases, I might not be paid--would this be worth it?

Pretty sick of my current role in academia and can probably get a biotech job offer soon that at least doubles my salary. My NIH (NCI) K22 application is due Feb 12 and I think I above a good shot at it, but it won’t be approved by the council until September/October even if there are no delays. Earliest activation date is December and that’s a long time to be making a shitty salary in an academic position I hate.

What do we think?

I have been asked for onsite interview for a permanent position in US. Does the employer cover the costs of travel and accommodation expenses ?

I'm (24 F) a Ph.D. student in the US, and I received full funding to attend a conference at the University of Oxford in March. The conference is only two days; would it be dramatic to fly all the way from the US to the UK for a two-day weekend conference? (I've never done an international conference, so I don't know what's typical!)

I’m a history professor in the United States. I’m considering moving to Europe, most likely to either Spain or Italy.

(I’m a citizen of an EU country, so no visa to worry about.)

I teach at a community college, so I have more to show for my teaching skills than for my research and publishing.

But in reading about academic ranks in Spain and Italy, it seems to me like they emphasize research over teaching (in Italian, the very titles often include the word “ricercatore.”) Is this perception accurate? Are there exceptions?

In other words, is there such a thing as a teaching-intensive university or professorship in Spain, Italy, or anywhere else in Europe?

What are the best places to look for more information on academic positions and the sort of work professors do in different European countries?

Hello, I hope I've come to the right place or that someone can help me with the following legal question. It concerns the advertisement of a position as “Junior researcher” (Art. 24 Law 240/2010, RTDa) in Italy. The job advertisement specifies an age limit of 35 years. I otherwise meet all the requirements (PhD in the relevant field, sufficient publications), but I am 36. I have not worked in the field for the last three years because I have three children and it was incompatible for me. Now I'm wondering whether it's right to exclude me from this process, as it discriminates against me (in my opinion) mainly because I'm a mother. Other job advertisements at the same university (also advertised as junior researcher positions) have age limits of 40, many do not specify an age at all. This seems extremely arbitrary to me. Can someone explain this to me from a legal perspective? Thank you and best regards

https://www.reddit.com/r/sciencememes/s/bzRpUEcOTL

Sorry if this is a dumb question but this meme got me thinking...why do we still pay journals to publish papers? Isn't it time for an overhaul of the system that's currently in place? I'm a PhD student and have had to publish in alternative journals due to cost of publishing. This meme kind makes me really wonder why we keep feeding into the system.

Recent research has quantified the costs and savings of offering a free first year of university education in the U.S. Using open-source virtual classes and national exam proctoring, the total cost would be $331 million—less than 1% of the U.S. Department of Education’s annual budget. In contrast, students would save $63.4 billion per year in tuition and living expenses. Does this evidence prove that free education is financially feasible, or are there hidden challenges that make implementation unrealistic?

Read more: First Step to Scaling Innovation at the National Level in the U.S.: Economic Costs and Savings for Free First Year of National University Education

I really hope that I don't get in trouble for asking this question. I feel like asking a department might not be the move at this time. However, I feel it's quite necessary given the current political climate, the area of research I study, and the fact that I would go long distance with my partner (actively in PhD program). I want to get every insight that I can before I make any decisions! I have an incredibly stable job in the field just lack those letters on my name to advance in my long-term future.

So I applied for a humanities PhD. For background, the school is "privately governed, state assisted" university. To be honest, I didn't know what the heck that means, but it sounds like it might be important to the question I'm asking. I went to a land-grant state school in the SEC.

Will federal freezes affect PhD stipends in the humanities? What about university-level stipend funds for underrepresented and first-gen students? Thinking about the end of coursework as I move to research -- what about fellowships and programs that tend to support research on race? I have previously received support from TRIO programs and know how much that additional or alternate funding matters. Since sometimes it's more than a department could provide.

I see it as a trickle down so please correct me if I'm wrong. The current administration may begin to reduce federal funding to be used towards universities, funding which frees the university from a lot of costs that the state probably couldn't make up. If the state can't make it up -- university budgets suffer and then the allotment and scramble for a smaller pot begins. What happens to the humanities departments if they get scraps?

I imagine that the department isn't going to tell potential students that there could be trouble in the future. I also don't want to be so blunt that I come off as rude to my advisor who also works admin in the department. I've also had people in academic circles say, "Oh the courts will stop that from happening. XYZ are just blowhards they won't actually be able to change our course content." So I think I'm justifiably wary.

Is now just a wrong time to start a PhD?

Hi all! I'm a first-year MA student in a 2-year program, culminating in a thesis. I have an interdisciplinary research interest in AI, Labor, and Human Fulfillment. For this, I've been studying Eastern and Western Philosophy (Existential, Epistemic, Political), Psychology and Cognitive Science, Feminist Studies, and Film Studies. I have a background in tech and UX design, so I am not an expert in any of these disciplines. I'm just enthusiastic about these subjects, which is why I'm pursuing this degree.

I'm unsure about my career path after grad school, but I've been thoroughly enjoying studying. To make the most of this journey (in terms of credentials and experience), I've been figuring out how to get some of my work published in journals. The more I speak with my faculty advisors and writing consultants, the more I see potential in my work. I've started to become quite ambitious, thinking that this could even turn into a book.

I've heard about people turning their PhD or even Masters Thesis into books, and I was hoping for some advice on where I should begin. I have no experience in the journal or book publication process, and I need to learn more about it. If there's someone who has been on a similar journey, what advice would you have for me? Should I think about journal or book publishing only after finishing my thesis? Does it even need to be a linear process, or could I work towards multiple goals at the same time?

I'm not planning to pursue a PhD at this moment...I'm worried that once I'm back working a 9-5 job, it may take me a long time to get back into researching, writing, and publishing unless I figure out a way to stay connected to this project while I'm still immersed in academia.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

I am from Ukraine and looking good university in Europe or USA. For education I have only 10k$ - 15k$. I want to go on computer science. Maybe you know some good variants

I feel extremely anxious/guilty as I applied for a research assistant position today and listed my former thesis supervisor and head of the department as a reference without getting her permission first.

In my defense, I only saw the position advertised today so I had a very short turnaround time to apply. While the position is not in the same department as I did my Masters, it is at the same institution and the head researcher would most certainly have a working relationship with my former supervisor as he used to teach on the program I did. Due to the tight turnaround, I emailed my supervisor but had to send my application out late as I had not gotten a response. It’s possible they won’t even consider a late application, and I probably should have submitted it without her as a reference, but I panicked and just wanted to put my best foot forward.

I feel so much regret - have I screwed up my chances and potentially a possible reference?