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You sit down at the keyboard, ready to write up your research. But the harder you try, the worse you seem to feel.
Today we ask a vexing question: what makes thesis-writing so mentally and emotionally taxing?
We talk to two former grad students about their struggles with self-doubt, anxiety and loneliness in the writing process. We also gain insights from University of Toronto writing scholar Rachael Cayley.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âBoo Instrumentalâ by Dresden the Flamingo; âBeyond All Timeâ by Moments; âTransporterâ by Falls; âCausalityâ by Shimmer; âUnexpected Turnâ by Moments; âPagesâ by Shimmer; âWhat You Are Here Forâ by Moments; âCrescendoâ by Featherland.
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In this episode, two mothers tell us what itâs like to take on these daunting tasks at the same time. They share their feelings of guilt and recount moments of exhaustion.
When they do get the help they need, we learn, itâs often from individuals who care, rather than from a system that isnât really built to support them.
Together, these stories help us all understand the experiences of graduate student parents a little bit better. And for all the parents out there, we hope it helps you realize youâre not alone in finding this hard.
Music credits:Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âGrowing Painsâ by Featherland; âAuroraâ by Featherland; âSacred Groundâ by Falls; âDenaliâ by Bryant Lowry; âSecretâ by MCV Beatz
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Fehlende Folgen?
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People are always telling you to find work-life balance. Itâs easy to say, but why is it so hard to do?
In this episode, we explore the struggle that every grad student experiences: trying to find the right balance between spending time on academics and living the rest of their life.
Several grad students, past and present, share their stories. They talk about the guilt of saying no, the anxiety of proving they belong and the mistakes they made along the way. They point to a sobering, but perhaps reassuring, conclusion: finding the perfect balance â and staying there, in the Goldilocks Zone â may be an impossible dream.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âHypnotizedâ by Cast of Characters; âTickingâ by Alternate Endings; âExploring the Unknownâ by Adam Saban; âCaffeinated Marimbaâ by JCar; âOld Moonâ by Lincoln Davis; âWhich Witchâ by Dresden the Flamingo; âGlasgowâ by Falls; âPensiveâ by Shimmer; âAs Fate Would Have Itâ by Wicked Cinema; âParticlesâ by Chelsea McGough.
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Grad school is challenging at the best of times. But students who have experienced past trauma may find it especially hard to cope.
In this episode, we speak with two students who embarked on PhD programs while nursing personal wounds. One endured a terror attack in France; the other experienced years of domestic abuse. They share their struggles with academic life, and tell us how they came to understand and deal with their trauma.
Please note: This episode contains content some listeners may find disturbing. For information and resources on dealing with trauma, see our Resources page.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: âThing Gone Wrongâ by Moments; âSussexâ by Stephen Keech; âLight in the Darkâ by Moments; âCornersâ by Shimmer; âMemories of Future Eventsâ by Hill; âAnother Time, Another Placeâ by Sounds Like Sander ; "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song).
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Depression is more than just a feeling: itâs a mood disorder that can have devastating effects on our thoughts and behaviour. And it can be hard to detect in a high-pressure environment like grad school.
In this episode, we speak with a grad student who experienced depression during her PhD program. She explains the onset of the condition, what it felt like, and how she reached out for help.
Please note: This episode contains discussions of suicidal thoughts and other troubling subjects. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to one of the crisis lines listed on our Resources page.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: âHauntedâ by Emorie; "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âHauntedâ by Stephen Keech; âArcadiaâ by Cody Martin; âRipleyâ by Falls; âThree Metersâ by Stephen Keech; âThe Changing Tidesâ by Brent Wood; â1947â by Stephen Keech; âChasing the Northern Lightsâ by Sounds Like Sander.
Grad School Confidential is a production of Counselling & Clinical Services at the University of Alberta.
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Pointed critiques may come with the territory in academic life, but that doesn't make them any easier to hear.Join us for a conversation with Hayley and Jenna â recent PhD graduates (and successful academics) who have faced and overcome tough feedback.
They share their stories, and Kevin D. Haggerty, co-author of 57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School, discusses the reasons that such criticism can hit hard.
For more on this and other episodes of Grad School Confidential, visit our website: uab.ca/gsc.
Guests:
Dr. Kevin D. Haggerty, Professor of Criminology and Sociology, University of AlbertaDr. Hayley Morrison, Assistant Professor, Department of Elementary Education, University of AlbertaDr. Jenna Lorusso, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Limerick
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âBrennarâ by Falls; âWistfulâ by Falls; âRaindropsâ by Moments; âCrocutaâ by Hill; âApostle of Irelandâ by Cody Martin; âFull Circleâ by Sounds Like Sander; âRemember Thisâ by Craig Allen Fravel; âEscapeâ by Memory Theory; âCayuga Landâ by Alsever Lake.
Grad School Confidential is a production of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta. -
Feeling spent, exhausted, over-extended? If so, youâre not alone. Grad students trying to balance the demands of life with new academic challenges often find themselves contending with burnout.
Join us for a conversation with Chantal, Katherine and Alle â grad students who know what the struggle is like. They share their stories, and we explore some useful remedies.
For more on this and other episodes of Grad School Confidential, visit our website: uab.ca/gsc.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âGemâ by Nu Alkemi$t; âRiver Walkâ by Wild Wonder; âWhat You Do Not Knowâ by Joshua Spacht; âMany Worldsâ by Memory Theory; âThrough Space and Timeâ by Alsever Lake; âLife in Binaryâ by Falls.
âMarimba on the Huntâ by Daniel Birch, available from freemusicarchive.com under a CC.BY-NC 4.0 licence.
Grad School Confidential is a production of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta.
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Grad studies are a lonely task at the best of times. Throw in a pandemic that keeps us away from friends and loved ones, and the days can be harder to navigate.
Join us for a conversation with Leah and Rubio, grad students who have struggled with loneliness and isolation during this unprecedented year.
For more on this and other episodes of Grad School Confidential, visit our website: uab.ca/gsc.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); âSkepticalâ by Lincoln Davis; âLift It Up and Feel Goodâ by Rhythm Scott; âDrama Deeâ by Rhythm Scott; âMoonflowerâ by Matt Wigton; âNo Place To Goâ by Alsever Lake; âDistant Memoriesâ by Joshua Spacht; âWait For The Morningâ by Joshua Spacht.
Grad School Confidential is a production of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Alberta.
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Does it sometimes feel like other grad students have it all together in the classroom and in the lab...while you don't have a clue what you're doing?
You're not alone.
Many grad students grapple with impostor syndrome, hard as it is to talk about. In this episode, we look closely at those feelings to figure out where they come from and how to overcome them. Along the way, we talk with Dylan, a student who learned a lot about himself after an epic bout with impostor syndrome.
For more on this and other episodes of Grad School Confidential, visit our website: uab.ca/gsc.
Music credits:
Licensed from soundstripe.com: "Shaken and Stirred" by Dreamland (theme song); "Forbidden Wing" by Cody Martin (opening); "Home Life" by Avocado Junkie (GSA message).
Licensed from storyblocks.com (for Dylan's story): "On Tiptoe" (audio); "Bizet's Habanera" by Keith Anthony Holden; "Seminar People Talking" (audio); "102518-wib-1m8"; "Sneak a Peek" by Bruce Zimmerman; "Turning Cogs" by Keith Anthony Holden.
Other musical excerpts include hikmet_minor2, performed by Hikmet AltunbaĆlıer and created by emirdemirel, available from freesound.org under a CC BY 3.0 license; trumpetsolo0_hikmet.aiff, performed by Hikmet AltunbaĆlıer and created by emirdemirel, available from freesound.org under a CC0 1.0 license; Performance Warm Up.wav by thatjeffcarter, available from freesound.org under a CC0 1.0 license; and tracks recorded by the Alberta Honour Band (1999).
Grad School Confidential is a production of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alberta.
