I don’t think I’ve shared anything about my experiences in grad school since I started in September. So this entry will be all about that.
My grad school experience has been, well, lukewarm. I don’t really have another appropriate term to describe it. It’s comfortable yet tame.
Surely there are some benefits of being in grad school that I do enjoy.
ONE:
Professors and staff take dedicated interest in learning and helping me with my research endeavors and academic financial assistance.
TWO:
Having an office means I actually have a permanent space on campus that is dedicated solely to me.
THREE:
There’s no need to check when my library books are due, since I can borrow them for a term.
FOUR:
There are a lot of serious grad students with a true passion in all facets of planning.
I commend the University for really striving to help students reach their academic potential, and I encourage everyone to come here if they also want to have their academic potential met. Unfortunately, the good news comes to an end.
I understood ever since I drafted my applications a year ago that attending grad school was a choice. And because I continue to see this as a choice among other options (i.e. go to work, be a bum), I have higher expectations about the life that I would like to live.
With that in mind, I continue to question my decision. Was this the best choice for me? How much precedence should my professional advancement have over my personal life? What do I seriously value more? Is it really a short term pain for a long term gain? What exactly are my long term gains?
Grad school, at least in my experience, is about a lot of thinking— which the Planning department proudly encourages and wilfully facilitates. While my thinking activity is happening, I can tell you that it’s not always academic thinking— just lots of random thinking. The low requirement of course-based work for the first eight months truly faciliates a lot of this random thinking. Thinking that can be destructive— and usually revolves around the above questions.
I found that undergrad work, as many of you can concur, was just about deliverables. There was no time to think thoroughly, the objective was to get your shit done, or face drowning in the sea of papers, labs, assignments, and exams. Because there wasn’t even time to think things thoroughly for course work, this certainly leaves no time to think about these ‘random things.’ Grad school, however, is very different.
Anyways, as much as the school component of life is fine, but the life in Waterloo is just so blah. Living in Uptown is surely no compromise to the hussle-bussle, accessible, and the good-food-nature of Toronto. And I totally feel the effects of the shrinking-to-almost-no-existence social network here in Waterloo, leaving it quieter than I would like. I miss my summers where I can quickly call up someone and we can just grab a coffee, dinner, or just whatever.
In an ideal world, the University of Waterloo would be in Toronto. Yes, Waterloo was named the Intelligent Community of the year, but unfortunately, it was not also awarded for its community vibrancy. This is why I’m torn these days.
Yes, pity me. Or slap me out of it.
there there. I plan on visiting you at least once next semester.
I think I went through the same turmoil as you last year. I think you just get over it by reminding yourself why you made the decision in the first place.
Think about all the things you wished you could do (academically) and now finally being able to accomplish them as a graduate student! I know it's lame, but think about your ability to contribute to the scholarship in a field of your passion!
Just think that your paper is no longer just another piece of crap. It's something that can influence your professor's opinion on the matter. [cue images of socrates and aristotles...]
i think your moment of epiphany will come soon enough -- just keep on truckin'
I feel your pain about being away from Toronto and also the doubts that come with any transition period. I sometimes find myself wondering how life would be different if I had gone into grad school instead of med!
Having time for random thinking is important I think, and that's so cool you have a real office.
I have some friends here who are originally from K-W, so as I mentioned before, we may make a field trip to the area in which case we can hang out! We'll definitely need to do dim sum or John's Italian Caffe if you are around for Christmas break:)
P.S. Do you read PhD comics? SO good:)
I might be coming up to Waterloo. Would you accomodate me if I did?
Van, i'm sure we can work something out :)
Denise, yep, i've read phd comics-- I was introduced to it by my roommate :)
Dude, you might not be in Toronto but
a. you have time to think about random stuff; and
b. you have your own office.
All UT has got going for it is its stupid name and some heavy hitter profs... nothing else.. not in the Planning department anyways. I share my office with at least 12 other people! I work in a basement with no natural lighting. I only have access to Illustrator on the computers and not the full Adobe suite. I got no funding and by the time I'm done it will have cost me more than $16,000 for 5 letters that I can put after my name... every letter cost me more than $3,000! I'm looking forward to April when I'm done. And right, I have no time to scratch my head because I have to take three courses while I write my Current Issues Paper... The planning program at UT has bullshit written all over it. I really really really miss Waterloo.. We had it soooo good!
I'm just a tad bit bitter... just a tad bit. :P
I second Shimi's thoughts. I feel like i'm in undergrad again... cept without u guys. Would be nice to do some random thinkin with u these days.
Hang in there Mattburger!
Here's the way I think about it:
When I'm 65 am I really going to say: Gee, wish I had skipped grad school and worked 43 years instead of 41 years.
A lot of people (not all, of course) start working right after school only to realize that they really need more education if they want to be doing something much better. It's a lot easier to get that education now compared to when you already have a job, and possibly a family.
Take advantage of your "freedom" to do things you would find very hard to do in 10 years.
It's a long haul, i wish i can say it's worth it -- but i'm not done yet myself! having been going nonstop since high school for over 10 years now, i so just want it to end. at least ur not in steeltown hammytown, there is even less to do here... ha still dont know why you like it here. hang in there, we still have spice girls concert to look forward to together :P