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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by philyra on May 20, 2007, at 23:22:54
does anyone else feel like grad school is sometimes like a cult?
here are the similarities i've come up with lately:
-isolation from friends and family
-feeling like no one "outside" can understand your experience
-manipulative and authoritarian "mind control" by superiors
-various methods of indoctrination
-creeping inability to make simple conversation with non-grad students; even my jokes are changingsometimes it seems like grad school is simultaneously enlarging my worldview, increasing my brainpower, etc., and cutting me off from the real world! it's getting harder and harder for me to feel connected to people not involved in my academic life. is it just the immersion factor? do people in, like, the peace corps or political organing or any other incredibly taxing lifestyle/job activity feel this way? or is there something particular to ph.d. programs?
just a sleepy thought...
philyra
Posted by Happyflower on May 26, 2007, at 14:39:13
In reply to grad school taking over life *possible trigger*, posted by philyra on May 20, 2007, at 23:22:54
Hi Philyra,
I have been thinking about this a lot. I think even undergrad will change you too. You do see the world differently and who you like to be around changes too. But I guess since now that I am older I am trying to not forget that school smarts aren't the only ones, and that you can still have things in commom with no educated people. But youhave to try not let the cult get you. ;-) I do understand what you mean, it makes a lot of sense to me, I am just glad you are aware of it.
Posted by philyra on May 27, 2007, at 14:04:46
In reply to Re: grad school taking over life *possible trigger*, posted by Happyflower on May 26, 2007, at 14:39:13
thanks for responding HF :). i guess the subtext to my post is that i've really been struggling with mood the last few months and part of that is feeling isolated from the world outside school. i just don't have the energy/time to do stuff outside school these days, even when i have down time...and i've been really depressed. for some reason i've felt shy about posting that here.
take care,
philyra
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