May 03, 2011

The lies they told us about Graduate School

1) There will be plenty of jobs when you graduate. Look at all the baby boomers!
2) You're really smart, so graduate school will be a piece of cake.
3) It doesn't matter what lab you complete your degree in. It only matters how much and in what journals you publish.
4) Science is desperate to have more women and minorities join the ranks.
5) Graduate school was the best time of my life!
6) Scientists strive to be unbiased. What is science if not neutral?
7) Preliminary exams are all about your coursework.
8) Your closed door session after the defense seminar is for show. You're home free when you get to that point! What is your committee going to do? Fail you??

[Thanks to YoungFemaleScientist for pointing out some of these, and boohoo to life for teaching me the others.]