Worst thing about graduate school

[CDarwin]

I just read a set of advice on entering graduate school, and I must say it shook me a bit. Apparently, "Graduate work is arduous and often emotionally draining; you will make barely enough money to live on, and you will have very little private time." Fun, fun.

 

I'm still planning on going eventually (not that I'd really have anything else I could do with a BA in anthropology), but in the name of advance preparation, anyone have any graduate school horror stories? What should the wide-eyed neophyte expect? This might be entertaining too, of course.

[ecoli]

another good thing people tell me, is get a hobby that has nothing to do with your thesis work. Helps with the sanity level, or so I'm told.

[swansont]

Car, girlfriend, hobby that costs money: pick one.

[Klaynos]

First don't need, second can't get, hobby wins! Go photography!

 

My advise would be to try and get a summer internship with a research group whilst still an undergrad...

[CharonY]

Well one could tell horror stories without end on every step in an academic career. Most would sound pretty similar and revolved around

- lack of money

-lack of time and therefore

-lack of sleep (imo the worst part in the long run)

-to be completely at the mercy of the advisor (can be good but if it is bad it is really bad)

 

It mostly depends on what you want. If you just want the degree and leave academia it is somewhat easy to ride through it. However, if you really want to go through all the bad times to get a position in academia it is far more haunting as you will get frustrated even more on every mistake you make and every bit that might leave you behind the competition. And then it will get worse if you do your postdoc.

But the single most important thing is simply this:

find the right group. If you are lucky this might boost your career to no end. If you are unlucky it may very well end it. Make no mistake, it is almost impossible to make a career in academia just with ones own ability and resources (at least not in the practical sciences). One has to be extremely brilliant to do so (and so far I have not met a single one that may qualify for it).

 

But in the end, for some reasons, if everything is right, it can be the best time in your life. This is the only time one can do research somewhat more carefree.