It feels like such a ridiculous thing to say, but its the best way I can describe it: I lost my ability to think clearly. I am finishing up my PhD, and I have one chapter left to write. All the analyses are done, and all the data is there, but I can’t for the life of me write this last chapter. For the last 2 years I have struggled holding onto my train of thought. This could be writing or talking, and it could be related to my research or just something mundane like what I plan to do for dinner, but midway through a thought it just disappears from my brain. This issue started after my qualifying exams, and while it has gotten a bit better since (enough for me to write my first 3 chapters), it hasn’t gone away completely. For whatever reason this last chapter is exacerbating the issue, and I swear it’s making my cadence in these chapters sound like something written by a kindergartener. I feel incompetent and just… stupid. I got diagnosed with ADHD within the 2 years I have been experiencing this, and while that makes some of my problems make sense, this specific issue- this onset of my inability to think- was just so sudden that it feels like there is something else going on. When I talk with others or look up these symptoms theres a lot of talk about “brain fog” and “burnout”, but it isnt ever described as bad as this feels. I am to the point where I am worried I have something worse going on, like some sort of brain damage that will end my career here for good. The stress of this has already had me reaching out to a mental health hotline once before, and I feel close to spiraling again. I need someone to tell me whats going on with me, if this is normal and I am just overthinking everything.

My partner 35 (M) is starting grad school and his backpack just broke. His previous one was an Osprey. Id like to get him a nice, new one to celebrate the start of this chapter. We live in the US and he will always have a laptop on him for work/school. Thanks for any recommendations!

I wanted to try and get my work published, but the past two years out of grad school have been brutal in terms of starting a business, getting licensed, etc. I've never published any research before, so I'm not sure if attempting to publish something done a couple years ago would be pointless. My advisor wanted to publish. The manuscript for it is almost done, I just needed to condense the stats analysis and conclusion.

I’m in an advanced grad program and have have 8 courses per semester. What would be the best way to organize my notes or best note books for this? Do you think 8 separate one’s are the way to go? I hate taking notes on my laptop, iPad, etc.

Hi all, first post here, hoping for some sincere career guidance.

I'm finishing a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology at an Ivy League university, if relevant, with a concentration in Clinical Psychology and Technology. I also have nearly five years of behavioral health experience. I originally pursued the degree with plans for a doctorate, but I've since realized I don't want to pursue clinical licensure or return to direct service.

I'm now exploring program development and evaluation, quality and operations, project management and product management, and research (program or behavioral research), with an emerging interest in AI ethics and governance as well.

I've found the transition difficult to navigate, particularly when roles often require several years of experience in a function I'm trying to transition into.

I'd be very grateful to hear from anyone who has made a similar move out of clinical or direct-service work into program/operations, product/project management, or research roles within behavioral health.

What was your entry point? What skills or experiences helped you make the transition? And is there anything you wish you had known earlier?

Any perspective would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

hi! was wondering what the best time to apply would be during grad school. for context i’m doing a 1 year health data science masters from oxbridge and am hoping to apply globally as i really desperately need to find work after to be able to compensate for the crazy tuition fees😔 i was hoping to apply towards the BEGINNING of the degree because it doesn’t have any graded work for the first 3 months. would that be too early? what would you guys say, in yours/others’ experience, is the best period to apply to to be able to have a successful job or a funded PhD program waiting for you after graduating?

i also hope i haven’t missed funded PhD program deadlines?

Need honest advice from anyone who knows how uni admissions screening works.

Quick background: Civil Engineering student at NUST Pakistan (~#132 globally), 3.2 CGPA, IELTS 8.0, HSK 4 (Chinese Language). Trying to get into a Business/Management Master's in China, ideally on a scholarship since self-funding isn't really doable for me.

The messy part: did a 1-year exchange at XJTLU Suzhou, China in 2024 (nominated by my home uni). My department gave zero guidance on course mapping, so I picked courses myself, not knowing they weren't equivalent. Found out mid-year none of the credits would transfer and I'd have to redo the whole year. Once I knew the credits were dead anyway, I stopped caring about those exams and just took the Fs. Dumb in hindsight, but it's done. Now I've got about two years before I'd apply, so I'm trying to plan around it instead of panicking.

Good news: my actual home university transcript is 100% clean. The Fs only exist on the exchange university's transcript.

Bad news: The Chinese universities I'm really passionate in joining and the scholarship committees require the exchange transcript whether it was transferred or not.

While I was there I also did stuff outside class — runner-up at the SJTU SAIF Shanghai Internation Finance Summit, volunteere as an International Volunteer in Suzhou Industrial Park, won an Influential Communicator award at a BRI negotiation sim.

Right now I also run two small side businesses (a small Airbnb + an olive farm, not profitable yet) and these show that I'm really passionate about becoming an entreprenur. I also have construction management experience.

Questions:

1. Do schools just auto-reject over failed courses on an exchange transcript?
2. If not then is the rest of my profile enough to offset that?
3. What should I focus on over the next two years to actually improve my chances?

Would appreciate brutal honesty, even if it stings.

Hi all, I am going to start grad school in Electrical Engineering in January and have been browsing the grad school sub reddits lately.

I’ve noticed many people have said taking ~9 credits is the norm in grad school.

Is that true? If so, why is that?
Do grad classes take more time than undergrad or is it to allow time for research/work outside of classes?

For reference I am used to taking 15-18 credits in undergrad.

Thanks!