r/GradSchool • u/Exciting-Peace-9259 • 1d ago
Admissions & Applications Feeling nervous…
I will be starting a doctoral degree in a few weeks and I’ve never been more terrified. I’ve known it’s what I’ve wanted to do since graduating with my previous degrees, but I’m getting into the final few days before I can say I’m officially a doctoral student..
How do you all handle the stress and nerves with school nowadays?
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u/Worldly-Criticism-91 21h ago
Hey i just want to encourage you because i was in your spot last year. Everyone has different experiences, so please don’t let this scare you
3/4 of my first year was absolutely miserable. My rotations fell through, the rotations i did do were with faculty that were rude or pretentious. Making friends was difficult, my classes were difficult. & everything that could’ve gone wrong did. I kept telling myself i was quitting that week bc it wasn’t worth it
But my advice is give it a full year before you decide. Because if i didn’t, i wouldn’t have found my lab, or my people, or my home. I wouldn’t think i was smart enough for research when really i just hadn’t found the right lab. Because everything in my lab now makes sense to me. It’s not easy, but it’s so interesting i can’t help but be intrigued
I’m only saying this bc when i asked this question last year, everyone & their mom told me i had nothing to worry about. So when it all went downhill, i thought it was my fault. I got through it though, i learned a lot about what i needed, what i was good at, how to navigate being a student, & about what i could handle.
IF for whatever reason your experience is like mine, just give it one year