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Questions tagged [emotional-responses]

On emotional issues such as guilt, discouragement, jealousy, anxiety or feelings of inadequacy affecting academics and researchers.

21 votes
1 answer
4k views

How to cope with feelings of powerlessness on a PhD?

I am currently a third year PhD student of pure mathematics. I've been dealing with a feeling of burn out for a long time now. Quite frankly I struggle to find interest in anything related to my ...
Severn's user avatar
  • 213
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is it common to feel anxious when reading papers?

I am a graduate student, and I often feel strangely anxious when reading papers. I was wondering whether the same is true for other people. There are basically two scenarios where I feel that way: a)...
sgf's user avatar
  • 1,214
99 votes
4 answers
21k views

I'm feeling discouraged after getting tenure; should I quit?

A few months ago, and seven years after I obtained my PhD, I finally got tenure. Hence I have a permanent position in academia. After a few months in this new position, I find myself thinking of ...
Johnny Cage's user avatar
  • 2,156
89 votes
17 answers
22k views

As a TA, how to react if I come across a Facebook group in which students insult me?

I am a PhD student in Europe and also TA for some bachelor's degree classes for my supervisor. Just by chance, I have found an open Facebook group (normally, the group aims to create an interaction ...
optimal control's user avatar
83 votes
14 answers
19k views

How do really talented people in academia think about people who are less capable than them? [closed]

To be more specific, how do really top professors think about students who are much less smart than them, the students can be their Ph.D. students or just students who were taking his/her class. This ...
Robert's user avatar
  • 941
73 votes
7 answers
12k views

How to care less about teaching?

Fifth year math grad student as of this Fall. ABD, currently on target for six years in total. I have very strong feelings about the way courses should be taught, graded, and organized. I have ...
dedekindpoetssociety's user avatar
60 votes
11 answers
17k views

How to deal with unnecessary stress introduced by the supervisor?

I am doing my PhD in a high prestige UK university. I am finishing my second year and I have funding for three years in total. I have already two papers finished (pending to be published) and ...
Aventinus's user avatar
  • 924
57 votes
7 answers
12k views

My student told me his mother has cancer, what do I do?

Today I saw that one of my students in the class was looking very sad. He sat down at the end of class and he looked like he was in a bad mood. After all the students left the classroom I called him ...
M R R's user avatar
  • 3,399
47 votes
11 answers
10k views

How do I continue work if I love my research but hate my peers?

I am an established researcher in my discipline, which is a sub-field of computer science. In the last years, I have successfully published papers and generally enjoyed doing research, as in ...
mto_19's user avatar
  • 1,275
44 votes
15 answers
10k views

How should I control my nervousness, so as not to disturb my presentation on the day of a conference?

My paper is successfully accepted in a very prestigious and reputable conference, to be presented orally in one of the presentation sessions. This is my first time that I am going to give such a talk ...
enthu's user avatar
  • 7,548
43 votes
11 answers
13k views

Thinking about leaving academia for good. I am feeling guilty and disappointed in myself. Any thoughts/advice?

I have a PhD in mechanical engineering and am currently a postdoc. I have been fairly productive in my research, published fair amount of papers during my 5 years PhD and 1.5 years of Postdoc ...
carterjack's user avatar
42 votes
8 answers
10k views

How to deal with unavoidable failure in my first year of tenure-track applications?

I got my PhD recently. I applied to many tenure-track positions and got selected for several onsite job interviews. Yay. However I have actually been told in no uncertain terms by several trusted ...
user91750's user avatar
  • 447
41 votes
9 answers
8k views

How not to lose confidence in front of supervisor?

I have been working on my doctoral thesis with a very well known professor in the field. I am going to finish 1 year of my study with him. As usual, we have been meeting every week at least once on ...
Coder's user avatar
  • 12.8k
39 votes
8 answers
10k views

Is Relocating Necessary in Academia?

Despite experiencing a lot of drama and negativity at my university, I love my city and hate the idea of relocating. Sometimes I even think of reapplying there just so I could stay in this city (this ...
user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
9k views

Gap year before post-doc?

I have been in a rush to accomplish academic goals since I remember myself. Started my PhD right after undergrad and did my Masters on the same time. Now I am about to submit my thesis and feel kind ...
JKR's user avatar
  • 353

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