Grad School Confessional

The dreaded thesis defense. While there are arguably harder things that you have to complete as a graduate student, there are few things more important than a successful thesis defense. Ironically, for how transparent the scientific and research process is aimed to be, the defense process itself can hold somewhat of a mythical value in its obscurity. In this final episode, Anna and I chat about the process of preparing for a PhD defense, what you can expect during the defense, and tips for how to leave the other end with a few extra letters added to your title.

In this Sunday Service, Anna and I rant about the perplexity of an unpaid assistant adjunct professor position and what different forms of academic labour are valued at. Please leave us a review on whichever platform you listen to, follow us on twitter @gradconfessing, and if you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected].

Feeling like a fraud or imposter while in graduate school is so common, it may very well just be a rite of passage. But feeling imposter syndrome does not take away from your value as a graduate student nor the work and training you are doing. Our feelings may be real, but they do not reflect reality. In this episode, Anna and I chat about the stories of grad students who felt like frauds or imposters, and how common these feelings can be within grad school. Please leave us a review on whichever platform you listen to and subscribe to our new YouTube channel if you haven't already! And if you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected].

In this Twitch livestream, Anna and I rant about the issues surrounding credibility and establishing legitimacy with titles in Academia. Catch our Sunday Service livestream every other Sunday at twitch.tv/gradschoolconfessional or anytime on YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @gradconfessing.

Dating and romantic relationships are undoubtedly important. But when combined with the stress and demands of grad school, a partner can be both a welcome blessing of relief and a curse of interpersonal conflict. Combined with a global pandemic, and you would be hard-pressed to want to date at all. In this episode, Anna and I chat about the stories of grad students, some of whom found partnership and support within a relationship and others who had some less than ideal romantic experiences to . Please leave us a review on whichever platform you listen to, and subscribe to our new YouTube channel if you haven't already! And if you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected].

In this Twitch livestream, Anna and I rant about the overreliance on metrics and quantifiability of academics and how these undermine the development of both good science and good scientists.   Catch our Sunday Service livestream every other Sunday at twitch.tv/gradschoolconfessional or anytime on YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @gradconfessing.

The thesis is an essential part of graduate school. The culmination of the training, the research expertise, and the skills acquired, the thesis can be a daunting task, made all the more difficult with unexpected roadblocks to projects and poor feedback.  In this episode, Anna and I chat about the stories of grad students who saw barriers and unforeseen issues arise during every step of their thesis - from inception to ethics to writing. Please leave us a review on whichever platform you listen to, and subscribe to our new YouTube channel if you haven't already! And if you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected].

In our first Twitch livestream, Anna and I rant about the caveats and idealisms of Open Access Publishing in Academia. Catch our Sunday Service livestream every other Sunday at twitch.tv/gradschoolconfessional or anytime on YouTube, and follow us on Twitter @gradconfessing.

Much like one of those disorienting-circus-funhouse-mirror places, there is no single image of what the PhD experience will look like. Often, these differences are greatest when comparing between countries, as expectations, funding, loans, exams, and job prospects can vary dramatically. In this season finale episode, Anna and I, along with our guest hosts, Suzanne and Jayron from The Struggling Scientists podcast, discuss the differences in PhD experiences between Canada and the Netherlands. If you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected]. Be sure to check out The Struggling Scientists podcast as well on your favorite streaming platform!

On its own, becoming a parent is an incredibly stressful and life-altering experience. Combined with the, often, incredibly stressful and life-altering experience of grad school, and it does truly feel like a miracle that anyone makes it out on the other side, alive and defended. That said, few can argue the fulfillment and accomplishment that come with both of these experiences, and for those that wish to experience both, it is the duty of the institution to accommodate them as much as possible. After all, I remember being a kid once, and I turned out to be preeeetty cool. In this episode, Anna and I, along with our guest host, Dr. Kendra Nelson Ferguson, discuss the confessions of grad students who were either planning for, expecting, or new parents to children, while in grad school. If you have a confession you'd like to share, you can use this anonymous link (https://forms.gle/jfGHFwDfSZ67ce7r8) or email us at [email protected].