grad school horror stories

One horror story is the never - ending workload. I had a semester where I had to read countless research papers, write multiple long reports, and prepare for weekly presentations all at the same time. It felt like there was no end in sight and I was constantly sleep - deprived. Another is dealing with difficult professors. Some professors were so strict that they would nitpick every little detail in your work, even if the overall idea was great. It made getting good grades feel almost impossible.

A common one is the stress of thesis writing. You spend months or even years on it, and there's always the fear that your advisor will reject it. For example, I knew a student who had to rewrite their thesis three times because their advisor kept changing their mind about the direction. Another is the lack of funding. Some students struggle to pay for their studies and living expenses, which adds a huge amount of stress.

I'll tell you about the never - ending workload. There were weeks when I had to pull all - nighters just to keep up with the assignments, readings, and lab work. My advisor kept piling on more tasks without considering our other commitments. For example, I had three major papers due in the same week along with regular lab experiments. It was like being in a never - ending cycle of stress and exhaustion.

Plagiarism accusations can also be a horror story. There was a case where a student accidentally included some text without proper citation. It was a genuine mistake, but the university took it very seriously. The student had to go through a long and nerve - wracking process of investigation. Even though he was eventually cleared, it left him very shaken and made him overly cautious about every little thing he wrote in his papers.

One way is to focus on other aspects of your application. For example, if you have strong research experience or relevant work experience, highlight that. I knew someone with a low GPA but they had worked in a top - notch research lab for two years. They were able to get into grad school because they could show their practical skills and knowledge gained from the lab work.

There was a group of grad students in my program. They were all working on different aspects of a big project. One of them accidentally mixed up some data, which initially seemed like a disaster. But instead of panicking, they all worked together to re - analyze everything. This incident not only strengthened their friendship but also led to a more comprehensive understanding of the project as a whole.

I applied to a top grad school for a computer science program. I thought my grades and research experience were solid. But I got rejected. I later found out they were looking for more specific skills in a new area of research that I hadn't focused on. It was really disheartening at first, but it made me realize I needed to expand my knowledge base.

One common element is determination. Despite setbacks, successful grad students keep going. For example, if they get a low grade on a paper, they don't give up but strive to improve. Mentorship is also important. A good mentor can provide guidance on coursework, research, and career choices. And, adaptability is key. As the academic environment changes, they can adjust their study and research methods.

A common 'new grad nurse horror story' involves being short - staffed during a busy time. For example, a new grad nurse might be responsible for more patients than they can handle. They have to deal with patients' various needs such as changing dressings, administering medications, and answering call bells all at once. And if something goes wrong, like a patient falling because the nurse couldn't get to them in time, it can be a really horrible experience for the new grad nurse. It makes them question their abilities and adds a lot of stress to their new career.

One horror story is when a new grad nurse was assigned to a very busy night shift on her own. She had multiple critical patients and the experienced nurses were too occupied to guide her properly. She almost gave a patient the wrong dosage of a strong medication due to misreading the chart in the chaos. Luckily, another nurse double - checked just in time.