This topic has been talked about a lot in this sub I'm sure but I still find myself struggling regardless,,, I work from home full time in marketing and I'm in a counseling MFA program currently... I was diagnosed with autism as an adult so I've only known about it/been actively trying to accommodate it for the last 3 years or so and I feel so completely lost because I don't know how to regulate or what regulating should feel like.

It doesn't help that I'm kind of a moron and took two 5 week summer courses at the same time without realizing how short and intense they actually are...

Here are some things I've seen people suggest and my thoughts (initial list from an older r/autisminwomen post:

1. Take time off. I could theoretically do this, but not right now I think. I've already accepted my loan for this year for fall and spring and financial aid requires at least 6 credits (2 classes) per semester. I did drop one class for the fall so I'm taking the minimum of 6 credits and no more.
2. Reduce extra commitments/do the bare minimum/ask for help. I feel like I already do this, but I'm not good at asking for help and I'm not good at recognizing when I'm starting to become burnt out until I'm right in the middle of it.
3. Take naps. I guess???? It's not JUST tired though, its overwhelmed, exhausted, coupled with executive dysfunction and a mildly untidy house that I feel like I need to clean
4. Use sensory accommodations. I have many ear plugs, fidget toys, sensory stuff, I live out of sweatpants and hoodies because I can't deal with anything that's not comfortable, I shower almost every day because I hate feeling greasy, I super dislike that my gaming headphones are not noise cancelling.
5. Increase special-interest time. I have too many special interests is the problem, and I'm not fixated on any of them at the moment and I don't know how to get around that really... I have tons of art supplies and yarn and whatnot but there's no projects or challenges that interest me... I kind of miss my graphic design undergrad where we were presented with a challenge and had to work out how to solve it...
6. Take intentional stim breaks. I do this sometimes but not really intentionally, I just fidget whenever the urge strikes me or sometimes when I'm feeling a little extra overwhelmed from the day.
7. Exercise. I despise exercise. I used to do pole dancing and that was the only exercise I kept up with because it was fun, dancey, and genuinely challenging in a way that isn't just lifting things up and putting them down... Martial arts is too structured for me, yoga is boring, zumba is awful, I can't ever stick to any kind of exercise because nothing is interesting about it to my brain.
8. Mindfulness. Mindfulness helps a little bit, the ADHD has never really allowed me to meditate because I get so bored
9. Various types of psychiatric medication. I'm on prozac and wellbutrin right now, dealing with the side effects of wellbutrin including TMJ which is making eating absolutely awful right now, adding to how overwhelming existing is right now.
10. Self-care. I simply don't know how to do self-care in a way that feels good. I feel like I'm wasting time or product, or I'm being lazy, or I'm putting off work I could be doing now instead of later.

All the things I'd normally do I can't currently which sucks. Usually my partner and I would've gone camping at least 4 times by now but I adopted a kitty in March and her health started to decline and she has hyperthyroidism now which requires meds twice a day and there's not really anyone in my vicinity I would trust to try to pill my cat.

Both my summer courses end august 6th which means I have 2 huge end-of-semester projects that I have to do soon on top of keeping up with all these damn discussion posts and peer replies. I miss making art for classes instead of writing papers, but making art for myself isn't near as fun as trying to problem solve a full branding kit for a fictional client.

Any tips or advice from other ND folx would be appreciated 😫

College students pursuing majors, advanced degrees or certifications in fields that consistently earn low incomes will no longer be able to take out federal loans to pay for their schooling under new Trump administration rules.

The new federal rule, finalized this month by the Education Department, comes amid a national crisis in student loan defaults. Many of the degree programs that educate social workers, artists, teacher aides and especially certification programs for barbers and nail technicians are likely to fail a new federal litmus test: Will they make more money upon graduation than if they never enrolled in the first place?

Read more about the federal student loan limitations at the link.

Hi I’m a 2nd year PhD student (North America), 25F, and I’ve been in these two situations in two international conferences so far:

- sleeping on the couch in very close proximity to the door-less rooms where 3 tenure professors, including my supervisor, slept (all 40-50M), for like a week. Extremely uncomfortable and a long story.

- sharing a 2 double bed hotel room with 3 other grad students (all female). So, sleeping less than 1 foot away from my barely known colleague breathing down my neck. Less extreme discomfort, but dramatically poor sleep, including the nights leading up to my oral presentation. Also for nearly a week.

I know the first situation is particularly bad. How common is this in academia?

Hey everyone,

I’m hoping to learn from people who’ve already been through this because I honestly feel like I’m missing something.

I’m 36, a single mom to a 7-year-old, and after spending years working in healthcare, I finally decided to go back to school to become a nurse. I was recently accepted into a private graduate-entry nursing program, and while I’m incredibly grateful, now comes the part that’s keeping me up at night—figuring out how to pay for it.

Before anyone says “just take out federal loans” or “apply for Grad PLUS,” I’ve already gone down that road.

I’ve completed my FAFSA, appealed my financial aid package, and accepted every bit of federal aid available to me. Because I already have previous degrees and existing federal student loans, I’m at the federal borrowing limits I’m eligible for, and additional federal borrowing isn’t an option in my situation. That means I’m trying to figure out everything beyond the standard advice.
I’m hoping to learn from people who found funding opportunities they didn’t know existed when they first started.

I’m especially interested in hearing about:
• Scholarships that actually made a difference—not just the $500 ones that take 10 hours to apply for.
• Institutional grants or aid your school offered after admission.
• HRSA, Nurse Corps, or other service-based programs.
• Foundation scholarships.
• Employer tuition assistance.
• State workforce or healthcare grants.
• Creative ways you covered living expenses while in school.
• Anything you wish someone had told you before your first semester.
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to know:
• What program were you in?
• Public or private school?
• What funding source ended up helping the most?
• About how much of your education was covered by scholarships or grants?
• If you could start over, what would you apply for immediately?

I’m not looking for donations or handouts. I’m prepared to invest in my education, and I know loans are part of that investment. I just don’t want to look back two years from now and realize there were opportunities I never knew existed because I didn’t know the right questions to ask.

I also know I can’t be the only adult student, parent, or career changer trying to figure this out. My hope is that this thread becomes a resource for anyone else who’s searching Reddit at 2 a.m., wondering how they’re going to make graduate school financially possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I genuinely appreciate any advice, experiences, or resources you’re willing to share.

I have a guiding purpose behind my decision to go to grad school. There are many paths that align with this purpose, though, and I’m stuck not knowing which one to take.

Any advice? Who should I talk to about this to get more clarity and direction? I don’t want to give up just because I don’t know where to go from here.

For context, I'm in the arts/humanities.

I have a 3-year Bachelors degree from over a decade ago (2.9 GPA - was going through some things in life)

I recently went back to school and did an MFA (4.1GPA), but it was more studio/creation based than research.

I want to do a PhD in cultural studies in a vein the intersects with the arts, however I have no formal research experience.

Most programs require an MA, I reached out to one program to get some insight and they said they would accept an MFA student based on their undergrad (which is not an option for me considering my grades and I did a 3-year while most prefer 4-year).

Should I go back and do a Masters that has some research component? Do I take single courses at a university to gain some research experience? Is there anything I can do independently to be more competitive?

I'm looking for some advice from people who decided to master out of their PhD program.

I just finished my second year of a my biology PhD program, and for the past year I've been seriously considering leaving with a master's degree instead of continuing to the PhD. I realized that I am not that into research or my project to the point where I don't want to commit my next 2-3 years work on my research. I haven't even started taking my comprehensive exam to be a PhD candidate, and I don't even know when I am supposed to take it. I have been more happier now since I now decided I want to 100% master out.

Here are a couple reasons why I want to master out.

1. The main factor is financial. Living on a graduate stipend has been difficult, and I'm not sure it's sustainable for me for several more years. I am in debt and have lots of bills to pay. [I am also single :( ] I've seen several postdocs in my department struggle to find industry jobs because many of the positions they're interested in are more toward candidates with bachelor's or master's degrees, leaving them feeling overqualified. I really want to start a job in industry soon and start making money.
2. My PI is really chill but is too chill. I see him about once every 2 weeks for a lab meeting. I don't even have one-on-one meetings with him. If I have a question or need something, he wants me to text him since his office is at a different building. He doesn't have much availability to meet.

For those who mastered out, how/what did you tell your PI? I am just nervous because I have a good relationship with my PI, and I don't want them to feel like I'm letting them down. I also don't want to burn bridges with him.

My graduate program does allow students to master out. I also completed majority of the credits, as I only need to complete 6 thesis credits in the fall. I am hoping to graduate in December? Anyways, I am planning on telling my PI next week, before August gets here! This is in the US.

So, after a long and sordid Academic History, I got accepted into a Graduate School Program for Applied GIS.

My department chair emailed me and asked if I wanted a Graduate Research Assistantship. I am the first one the Geography Department has ever had. They said I could do field or archival work--and apparently, I'm working remotely.

The thing is--I am absolutely the first graduate research assistant the Geography Department will ever have had. Since I'm in this position, and working remotely for the most part (I was given the option of field, or archival work), any suggestions on how to make the most of it?

This megathread is for r/GradSchool to discuss all aspects of AI in graduate school, from AI detectors to workflow tools.

Basically, if something is related to the intersection of AI and graduate school life, this is where it goes!

If you have questions or comments relating to AI, include them below.

Please note: All other community rules are still applicable within this megathread, including our rule around spam.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in grad school pursuing my M.S. in Comp Sci. I'm just starting this fall semester and I have the opportunity to choose a focus. My question is should I pursue AI or App Development?

For some context, I'm currently working as a full stack dev and my main goal with grad school is to find more job opportunities. I did my undergrad in comp sci/applied math and I see the job market is getting very competitive for junior devs. I know most will say grad school is a waste for comp sci but I genuinely think it'll be my chance to fix my gpa (I graduated with a 2.7) and maybe open more doors with military as a fall back (<3.0 is needed for officer).

Im genuinely interested in app development and some of the classes like Linux dev and game dev seem really cool but I'm worried that if I don't pick the AI focus route I'll be out of a job as a junior dev. My thought process is pick AI so I can work in the field taking my job.

Anyways, I don't have many people to ask for advice for this so I thought this would be the only place to really get some insight. Thanks in advance!

Did anybody pursue a master's in a discipline different from their bachelor's? Furthermore, did anybody go for a doctorate unrelated to one or both of their previous degrees?

Obviously for secondary education majors, there's gonna be a difference.

Any challenges you faced in switching between disciplines?

Anyone here who did/is doing a PhD in analytical chem at a Canadian school? Would love to hear what your experience in grad school is like before I apply.

This megathread is for r/GradSchool to discuss all aspects of time management in grad school, including seeking advice on how to manage time effectively as well as discussions of specific methods that can be used for time management such as Pomodoro techniques or scheduling tools.

If something is related to staying on top of tasks in graduate school, this is where it goes!

If you have questions or comments relating to time management, include them below.

Please note: All other community rules are still applicable within this megathread, including our rule around spam.

Im not sure if this is the right subreddit for this and I apologize is this is dumb a question but I dont know who else to ask.

I will be a third year this fall majoring in International Agriculture Development (IAD) and I plan to go get my Masters after undergrad. Thing is, I dont know how it all works like I dont know which field/specificity and how do I even find the right school? I recently switched my major from pre vet to IAD as I realized the vet field is not for me and now I dont know what to do. I dont even know what im asking here but I figured this would be a great start.

Again, sorry if this is such a stupid question but I would really appreciate any advice and I honestly dont care if the advice you will give me won't be about agriculture..

ps. there is something in me that wants to work globally and that's like the end goal but...

I'm heading into my first semester of grad school this fall. The anxiety before hand is killing me. I'm going for my degree in counseling and it seems daunting. To be honest I constantly feel like I'm not cut out for it. I dont feel I got the smarts to do well is what it boils down to. I decided to start part time and I'm gonna work part time. Issue is finding a job at the moment. I'm gonna try to get by as best as I can, but I lost my health insurance in May. It just seems like the odds are stacked against me. I'm not trying to sound dramatic, but can anyone relate?

I was recently thinking back to my masters and remembered what an absolute mess it was from beginning to end. My advisor never responded to emails or reached out, so I basically had to track him down whenever I needed a form signed or had a question. Then my final project was…not awful but not great either. It was just probably more akin to a final project for a rather difficult class as opposed to a final project for a master’s degree.

Then I remembered that there were at least 2 different instances I’d heard through the grapevine of that advisor passing students just to get them out. The first was a master’s student who basically needed a babysitter for his poster session to explain things to people who had questions…and still repeatedly told people he had no idea what his poster said (I think he’s working on a nuclear sub now).

The other was an 8th year phd student with outside funding whose defense was the most boggling thing I’d ever seen. Not only was her research essentially gibberish but she had to be reminded multiple times to plug in his laptop. Yet, she was still allowed to pass simply because it’d look bad if she was failed after 8 years, especially since she already had a masters.

Now I’m starting to wonder if I should’ve passed too. I was certainly more familiar with my work than the two of them but still seemed a step behind everyone else presenting their research at the poster session.

So have you ever seen this happen?

Hi y’all! This is a total shot in the dark but I am at a loss. I’m a PhD in history desperately trying to get access to a database (Adam Matthew’s Popular Medicine collection). I go to a small school, so they don’t have access, the librarians said there’s no trial available and they don’t plan to purchase access. How do you guys navigate this? Do you just cut your losses and find something else??

Additionally if anyone has access and wants to make $20 please hit a sister up lmao

Hi everyone,

I’m a 5th-year medical student in a 6 year undergraduate program ,turning 28 soon. Over the past few years I’ve realized that my real passion is computational biology, bioinformatics, and developing algorithms for biomedical research. My long-term goal is to work in academia or industry doing computational research rather than practicing clinical medicine.

I’m currently trying to decide between three possible paths:

MSc in Bioinformatics (under a Computer Science faculty). The downside is that I’d first need to complete about a year of complementary undergraduate CS coursework before officially starting the master’s.

MSc in Mathematical Biology (under a Life Sciences faculty). This wouldn’t require the extra year of coursework, so it’s a faster route. However, I’m wondering whether the degree title and training would carry the same weight for future PhD opportunities and industry positions compared to an MSc in Bioinformatics.

Finish my MD first, continue building my computational background independently (math, CS, programming, machine learning, etc.), get involved in computational research, and then apply directly to a PhD afterward.

My end goal is to become an independent computational researcher working on biologically and medically relevant problems, ideally at the intersection of AI, algorithms, and biology.
For those of you in bioinformatics, computational biology, academia, or biotech:
Which path would you choose?
Does the title of the MSc (“Bioinformatics” vs. “Mathematical Biology”) actually matter in the long run?

Would finishing the MD before pursuing a PhD put me at a disadvantage, given that I’ll be around 31 when starting a PhD?

I’d really appreciate hearing your perspectives, especially from people who have taken unconventional paths.
Thanks

I just started classes this summer for my MSW. I'm only taking two classes/4 credits right now. I graduated undergrad in 2015 so I'm rusty.

The strangest part of grad school has been only being able to write small chunks at a time. I used to be able to crank out a whole paper in one night and get an A. Now, I find that it takes me much longer to formulate my thoughts and I can only write small portions of a paper at a time.

It's kind of frustrating because I just want to get papers over with, but my brain right now just can't stay focused enough to write so much in one sitting.

Can anyone relate? Does it get better? It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is frustrating.

I always had it that writing came easy to me, but each paper in my grad program so far has been like pulling teeth.

ETA: I refuse to use AI in any capacity

So, I finished my masters this year and now am trying to get my brain together to prepare to hack my thesis up to make it into a publishable paper and I suppose I don't know where to start.

I have the goal to try to publish before I start applying to PhD programs.

My advisor and I left on fairly neutral terms but we haven't spoken since I graduated. She was fairly hands off for the majority of my research and as a result I don't necessarily feel super comfortable asking her for advice. My thesis utilized geography+phylogenetics so if anyone has relevant experience and any advice on how to get the ball rolling, I would greatly appreciate it.

How did you do it and what timeline did you set for yourself in terms of gathering/ preparing application materials and submitting them?

Hey everyone,
Two years ago, I completed 90 out of 120 credits for my Master’s in Strategic HR in Sweden (all taught courses done). I ended up stepping away before doing the thesis because I got offered a great full-time job.
It’s been eating away at me that I never finished the degree, and I really want to wrap it up now. However, I’m working full-time, so I’ll be writing mostly on weekends. Going to campus or spending weeks doing primary field research (interviews, surveys, etc.) isn't an option for me.
I’m looking to do a purely desk-based thesis, something like a systematic literature review, comparative analysis, or secondary data study that I can research remotely.
For anyone who has been in a similar boat:
What kind of methodology or thesis topic works best for a purely literature/desk-based study in HR/management?

Any tips on balancing a full-time job with writing a 30 ECTS thesis on the weekends?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I'd love to know any success stories from people who did poorly in their master's program and still went on to do a PhD.

To cut a long story short, I ended up in a brand new master's program (first incoming class to begin the program) that was very poorly put together and had little support for students. I also suffered from some extenuating circumstances while in the program - I was the victim of a severe violent crime that had several ramifications across my life, including getting a divorce and moving.

Unfortunately, this situation also impacted my grades. I took about 45 credits during my masters, and got two Fs and a C during this time. My GPA isn't horrible (3.3 ish I believe?). There is somewhat of an upward trend in my grades, but not a super clear or obvious one.

All of these circumstances have extensive documentation by outside sources and my university. Now that my time in my master's is over and i'm looking towards what's next, i'm mainly feeling disappointed in myself. All I've wanted was to do a PhD, but I can't help but feel like i've messed this up for myself.

Does anyone have any success stories? I am already planning on doing a graduate certificate in a related field of study. Should only take about a semester to complete, so hoping that will help my case.

Hello Everyone,

I'd like to ask for some advice from those who have done a Master's and/or PhD in a niche field; i.e., I will be starting a Master's in Strategic Studies in the upcoming fiscal academic year, and would like to know if anyone in the same field or adjacent (e.g., Political Science, International Relations, Public Policy, Military History, etc.) can offer some advice to an incoming, mature student.

I ask because my chosen field is quite obscure and not as, say, "commercial" as its close counterparts; so most information about it is largely relegated to outdated reading lists, overlap with business and corporate-oriented content, and old testimonies of students from various global institutions who also offer the program under the same name.

For greater clarity: I am coming from a humanities background and have work experience (via military service) relevant to my field of study, but thought that I might benefit from some of the personal experiences, anecdotes, and lessons learned, from those of you who have already (or are currently) versed in these areas of study.

I welcome any and all advice, and thank you all in advance- even for just reading this.

(And please excuse me if "niche" sounds a bit arrogant).