Hi folks!

I'm an undergrad looking at applying for grad schools and haven't taken the GRE yet, but it's required for a few schools I'm going to. I haven't taken any quantitative science or math classes for my social sciences degree, so I'm concerned about the quantitative reasoning section impacting my GRE score too much. Does anyone have any advice or experience with this that they could share?

I am a very visual person and often find it hard to keep all the papers I read straight in Zotero. I like to create webs of what papers cite each other, but it's hard to add to these drawings once I run out of space on the page. Is there a website or software people use for creating webs digitally? I don't want to deal with lots of formatting on PowerPoint or Biorender.

Hey guys. I just started grad school like 3 weeks ago. I’m in a microbiology PhD program.

i’ve never hated anything more. i used to love doing research and going to class and now it’s the bane of my existence. My PI is a devil sent directly from hell to make my life miserable. She’s rude, dismissive, and thrives on humiliation. I have learned nothing from her.

Long story short, I have a B.A in Biology and 3ish yrs of research experience. I need to drop out of this program as soon as possible. What are some potential career options for someone in my position? I honestly can’t even imagine working in a lab after this so now it feels like my only options are minimum wage jobs like being a cashier or server?

Just super frustrating because I made huge financial and personal sacrifices to move far away from my family just to have my personal goals soured. I can provide more context if needed, i’m just angrily writing this in the middle of an anxiety attack so i’m sorry if this doesn’t make sense or is unclear.

I'm considering going back to school to get my masters.

I’m responsible for picking up and dropping off the kids, helping with homework, and managing bedtime routines, as my husband currently works nights but may be switching to days soon.

Would you choose to drive an hour each way to attend a CSU with lower tuition and the program you need, or would you opt for a private school 20 minutes away, even though the tuition is higher, but it also offers the program you need?

For example:

CSUSB offers the clinical and PPS combo for $20k. APU offers the same combo for $50k.

APU is 20 minutes away, while CSUSB is an hour away.

I work full time and signed up to take 2 courses, but I just can't do it anymore. My goal was to get done with school as soon as possible, but I can't put off having a life for 2 more years. So I dropped down to 1 course per semester, every semester (Fall, Spring, Winter, and Summer). Slowing my roll, but taking engaged in my education. Due the job market, there is no real incentive to speed through it (I self fund, so no interest on loans). Just a remember-we are human being-not human doing. We need time to relax, do nothing, and enjoy life.

So I'm in my final year and my professor recommended me to one of his friend who is professor at one of the top Institutes in my country. This research fellowship us going to be minimum 2 months . So I have two options nov-dec (my semester exams are at November but I can retake exam before 6th semester exams which will be in april) or dec-jan ( so here as soon as my project ends I'll have my entrance exam. which is very important to me and I think I need few days just to focus on it.) Please give me your opinion on what should I do. Or am I being stupid and neglecting my coursework for some 2 months project.

Hi,

I am a postgrad student doing an MPhil Crop Science and I would like to know of any organisations that fund research in smaller countries.

Thanks

Hi all, I started my classes last week in a part time masters program (global affairs). I graduated with a bachelor's in Biotechnology around 10 years ago. Had multiple jobs during that time, got married, and moved countries. Now that I am back to studying, clueless is the right word to describe my situation. I don't know where to start. I don't even have a desk at home lol. I am now wondering if it's possible at all to do this while working full time. I also have two minor medical procedures scheduled during the semester and might miss 2 classes (more stress lol). If you have experience similar to this or advice on where to start or how to make this work please share it. Thank you!

I am applying for my masters in nutrition and looking into coordinated programs, some of my schools offer MPH and MS, some with a completely different application (SOPHAS vs their grad school app for example). Would it look weird if I apply to both programs? Also, say they are the same application, would that be weird?

I want to get my MS preferably, but my sciences are a little weaker and I have a BA undergrad degree that would help more with MPH, and ultimately either one will allow me to take the RD exam anyway.

Am I wildly overthinking this? Will the admissions team notice or care?

Hi everyone,

I'm in a really urgent and desperate situation. I recently graduated with a dual degree in Computer Engineering: one from the University of East London (CGPA: 3.7) and the other from Ain Shams University (CGPA: 3.4). It has only been 2 months since I graduated, but the official graduation certificates and transcripts will not be issued for another 2 months.

The problem is that I have only 14 days to obtain an acceptance letter for a Master's degree, or I will be required to enter mandatory military service in my country.

I’m looking for universities in Italy that can issue an acceptance letter quickly. I don’t mind whether it's a public or private university; my main goal is to get that letter as soon as possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions for universities that might be flexible with their timelines or admission processes? Or does anyone have useful contacts to share?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much in advance!

Going Back to School After 5 Years in Sales – Seeking Advice!

Hey everyone,

After spending the last 5 years working in sales, I’m seriously considering going back to school, specifically for an MBA with a focus on supply chain management. My GPA from undergrad wasn’t the greatest, which has been a concern, but I’m at a point where this makes sense financially, as I can now take advantage of a lower tuition rate.

I’m hoping that by combining my sales experience with an MBA, especially with a supply chain concentration, I can open up more opportunities in my city, which has a strong industrial and automotive base. I feel like this could be a good way to pivot my career while still leveraging the skills I’ve gained over the years.

For those of you who have gone back to school after some time in the workforce, how did you navigate the transition? Did you find that your work experience helped balance out a lower GPA during admissions? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Just curious if anyone can speak to their experience as I'm working on my applications! (Referencing the school/area would also make it very helpful, but it's totally fine if you don't want to share that)

Weird question but I’m just curious. If this is stupid let me know. Say you’re assigned a 20 minute video for homework, do you pause it to take notes throughout it or just watch it and retain what you can?

I started my MSW this week and already am swamped with readings (2-4 hours per class and i have 4 classes total) on top of my field practicum that’s 20 hours a week and having to work my actual job to support myself!

I have ADHD and always struggled with reading and staying focused and it’s making me a bit anxious. I want to be able to retain what’s important for my classes and papers but it’s SO much it’s overwhelming and not sure how to go about it. Would appreciate any advice how to properly skim papers and take notes

clearly never learned how to efficiently do so in undergrad lol

Hi, I am a senior in computer science at UIC. I am an international student with only one internship that too from my home country (from a lesser-known company). I am thinking about applying for grad engineering schools and am looking for some advice.

1. Should I give GRE?

2. What kind of career services should I look for when deciding on a uni. I want to be particular about how that university handles international student career opportunities, because my current one frankly doesn't.

3. I am thinking of going into analytics and data science, so what courses do you guys recommend?

Hey y'all,

So in the beginning of July I moved across the country to start graduate school. I am attending at a small satellite campus in a small town a couple hours drive away from any larger city. With that, our small GSA plans a lot of things such as happy hours and some social events which as been great and I always feel very welcome at these things however I feel like while everyone is really nice I just haven't really made any friends that would text me to hang out outside of those social events and such.

I feel like it's just making this transition harder and while I am really enjoying my program so far I really miss my friends and the life I had before I moved. Any advice on this, has anyone been through something similar?

Hello, I’m a senior student from a small country in Europe, studying mechanical engineering (Bachelors) at a lesser-known university in the US with a 3.7 GPA and two CAD-focused internships under my belt. I’m looking to apply for a thesis-based Master’s program with the possibility open of pursuing a PhD. I’d love some advice on two things:

1. GRE: I’ve noticed that many programs don’t require the GRE anymore and also I am planning on taking it mid October . Is it still worth taking, or should I focus elsewhere?
2. Funding: I’m concerned about how to fund my Master’s program. Any tips on how to secure funding or scholarships?

Thank you so much for any advice you can share.

I really appreciate your help!

my_qualifications : Final year undergraduate, pursuing double major in English and political science.

1. My financial condition is middle income, parents' have given the liberty to pursue any of them given i can fund myself.

2. CLAT'25 is in December, is 3 months enough to prepare for it? I am already preparing for CUET-PG'25, but that is due next year.

3. The only other option is to go for Masters and prepare for Civil Services.

What would a reasonably well-financially secure path to pursue? I'm studying in Bengaluru and it's very expensive to live in

hi all, i have an m.a. in speech pathology and am considering going back to school in a year or two because i want to focus more on literacy education, so i'm considering an edD. i think im finding myself a bit stuck becuase i dont have a specific topic in mind, but just an area of interest.

is this something that could deter me from going back to school? like do i have to know more about the topic i want to focus on further in order to apply to specific programs?

In many educational settings, the curriculum is crafted with the "average" student in mind. This one-size-fits-all approach overlooks the diverse range of learning styles, abilities, and cultural backgrounds present in any classroom. As a result, students who may need additional support or enrichment often find themselves disengaged or frustrated. This can lead to a lack of progress and motivation. Think about your own experiences with teaching and learning. Have you noticed this issue in your classes? What strategies have worked or not worked for you?

This is the first time I will be taking 2 MBA classes on separate days, in person. After working 8 hours, I will have 1.5 hours to get home, shower and get to class etc. I know these 3 hour classes are draining and you get tired after a full work day. I will already be tired. What is the best way to tackle this?

If I have a coffee at work I wont drink coffee again. So lets say im tired at work and need the coffee. I already had it at work. So can't rely on that.

I’m currently doing a graduate diploma and I’m planning to do a masters in counselling psychology next year then possibly a phd in psychology after.

Technically I can do the Phd now without doing the masters ( I’m in Canada ) But I think it will be hard financially.

Im thinking I’ll do the masters which will give me a great job better than what I have now then do the Phd . Im planing to work part time during the masters and Phd to support myself .

Do you have any advice or a better plan to suggest ?

To remove any disparities, I'm well versed in English, or at least to survive in a metro or buy stuff from shops.

In grad study, I see that you are judged on how good you explain yourself, not like learning stuff and scribbling the things at full pace in undergrad, which I did decently.

I explain stuff two to three times and it becomes time consuming and complex, for a fixed amount of work.

Please tell me how you tackle this issue, I'm new but open to critics and ideas, this will improve all of my skills.

Hi all, I’ve begun studying for the GRE, though i’m a bit lost of what kind of study plan to have. I am aiming to score 160V/160Q as a minimum, i’ve done some practice tests from the ETS book and scored similar to my desired marks, but still don’t feel confident. Any tips on what to study and how to continue striving for that 170/170 would be greatly appreciate :)

I also am unsure about the analytical writing section, I haven’t done any practice for that section yet. I’ve heard from my peers that the Analytical Writing score is not considered in my application?

TL;DR

I need some tips/study plan options to score highly on the GRE, and need some clarification about the analytical writing section - is the score weighed in my applications?

(applying for electrical engineering/software engineering)

From your experiences, which advising style do you feel you thrive under?

For example, I work best under a Mentorship/Supportive Style. The advisor acts as a mentor, offering guidance, support, and constructive feedback while encouraging the student's intellectual growth. As someone who struggles with confidence, especially when starting a new field of research, I work best in a situation where the advisor provides gradual guidance and builds up my confidence and expertise over time. I gradually get more independence as I become more comfortable.

In contrast, I worked with an advisor before who adopted a more hands-off style. Combined with high expectations (I was their first and only student), this was challenging, and led to feelings of isolation, pressure, and frustration.

Hey everyone! I am from India and am going to begin my MSc in Computer Science at Imperial College London next month. Pretty excited for it. I wanted to know that what should be my plan of action if I want to pursue a PhD in the US later on?

I have done 6-7 months of research work (not in the domain I intend to do my PhD in) during my undergrad as well. My MSc is gonna be of 1 year with a 4 month research thesis. What should I do besides my degree to crack a chance at T10 universities in the US for a PhD. Do I opt for a drop year after MsC for a research project, or perhaps a pre-doc, or even a job. Because I don't wanna elongate my study path as I know a PhD would take 5-6 years ultimately.

Any tips would be really helpful for my career.

As grad students, we often find ourselves grappling with the question: Is the pursuit of a higher degree genuinely worth the investment of time, money, and mental health? Many of us have entered grad school with dreams of academic achievement and career advancement, only to face unexpected challenges like funding issues, disillusionment with our programs, or even conflicts within our cohorts.

Moreover, there's the looming question of postdoc opportunities and job prospects after graduation. Are we setting ourselves up for success, or are we just delaying the inevitable job market frustrations?

What has your experience been like? Do you believe the sacrifices made during grad school ultimately pay off? What advice would you give to those considering this path? Let's share our thoughts and experiences!

I had to go to community colleges and small schools for my undergrad (most of it was online). It’s always been my dream to go to a big school like LSU or Texas. I’m not necessarily looking for the classic “college experience” you get as an undergraduate student but can you still have fun as a grad student? I’d like to go to the football and basketball games maybe go to some parties but from what I’ve read it’s either go to undergrad parties where you look creepy at or stay at home and study 24/7. Just trying to pursue my dream to go to a big school and try to get SOME of the experiences I missed out on. I’m 25 and single by the way I know a lot of grad students are older and married with kids. I’d also be living on campus and would probably go to either LSU, Florida state, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, or Ohio state.