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It's important to remember that everyone in your cohort will have different strengths and weaknesses. You may be behind in research methods, but you could end up doing better than your cohort in other classes.
I don't think anyone in my cohort got a B in our research methods class, but I do know a few who got B's in our first statistics course.
I don't think anyone in my cohort got a B in our research methods class, but I do know a few who got B's in our first statistics course.
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a B in methods is not terrible. Grad school is less about the grades and more about the acquisition of info and knowledge.
that being said, Idk if you should drop out or stay...thats up to you. I do know that there is no known predictive capacity for getting a B on methods on doing poorly and having a bad experience in the rest of your stay.
There are many covariates here, if you will 😉. Perhaps those who usually do less well do so for reasons other than you have...lack of motivation or apathy etc...perhaps that is the reason some seem consistently below the grade. Perhaps your motivation and will to improve is the moderator here that will make you different than the norm.
On the other hand, I do think it is difficult to have an UG in literature (if that's what you have). There were a few people in my grad program who came out of non-"science" UG majors and it they often didn't have the proclivities to engage the statistical end of our training.
Evaluate whether your dilemma is one of capacity or something else. If capacity...consider another path. If something else...find out what.
that being said, Idk if you should drop out or stay...thats up to you. I do know that there is no known predictive capacity for getting a B on methods on doing poorly and having a bad experience in the rest of your stay.
There are many covariates here, if you will 😉. Perhaps those who usually do less well do so for reasons other than you have...lack of motivation or apathy etc...perhaps that is the reason some seem consistently below the grade. Perhaps your motivation and will to improve is the moderator here that will make you different than the norm.
On the other hand, I do think it is difficult to have an UG in literature (if that's what you have). There were a few people in my grad program who came out of non-"science" UG majors and it they often didn't have the proclivities to engage the statistical end of our training.
Evaluate whether your dilemma is one of capacity or something else. If capacity...consider another path. If something else...find out what.
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I totally feel you on your dilemma. I had similar performance issues (for different reasons) my first semester, which carried over well into this semester, as well. My issues stemmed mainly (so I thought) from a medical condition that adversely affected my performance, but I received some very harsh feedback from my advisor and other faculty. What I eventually came to realize was that I am just not interested in clinical work and the first year of my program is very clinical course-heavy (plus stats). This led to a lot of boredom and lack of motivation, which ended up carrying over into my non-clinical work and strongly affected my quality of life. I got to the point where I was very close to leaving my program because I was so unhappy. However, I took a month or so to mull everything over and I eventually decided to drop the clinical portion of my degree and focus on research only and I couldn't be happier. The faculty at my program was extremely supportive, even the ones who had been my strongest critics only weeks earlier.
Obviously, this is the opposite of the problem you're having, but I still wanted to tell you my story because I learned some valuable things from it. First of all, I learned to be open and honest with the faculty about what is going on. It is REALLY scary at first, but I really found that once you let them know what is going on, they not only view your performance with a different light but they may be able to help you. Don't forget that these people have been doing this for years and have seen countless students go through the same struggles. Maybe ask your professor what the students who "turned things around" did to get themselves on track. Maybe consider taking an incomplete in your course and taking an undergraduate research methods course over the summer to get caught up. Just really take some time to brainstorm how you can improve your situation, or if the situation is worth improving.
Also, as much as your advisor is wanting you to be independent, she is an advisor... she is there to advise you. I have found that professors LOVE when you go to them and admit that you're lost and ask them to help you find your way. Don't feel like they are expecting you to know everything--that is how I felt, completely embarrassed to clue them into how overwhelmed and lost I was feeling. But once I approached them, they were extremely open to helping me through everything.
Sorry, I'm babbling at this point. Anyway, feel free to PM me if you want to talk more!
Obviously, this is the opposite of the problem you're having, but I still wanted to tell you my story because I learned some valuable things from it. First of all, I learned to be open and honest with the faculty about what is going on. It is REALLY scary at first, but I really found that once you let them know what is going on, they not only view your performance with a different light but they may be able to help you. Don't forget that these people have been doing this for years and have seen countless students go through the same struggles. Maybe ask your professor what the students who "turned things around" did to get themselves on track. Maybe consider taking an incomplete in your course and taking an undergraduate research methods course over the summer to get caught up. Just really take some time to brainstorm how you can improve your situation, or if the situation is worth improving.
Also, as much as your advisor is wanting you to be independent, she is an advisor... she is there to advise you. I have found that professors LOVE when you go to them and admit that you're lost and ask them to help you find your way. Don't feel like they are expecting you to know everything--that is how I felt, completely embarrassed to clue them into how overwhelmed and lost I was feeling. But once I approached them, they were extremely open to helping me through everything.
Sorry, I'm babbling at this point. Anyway, feel free to PM me if you want to talk more!
So much of what is grim about graduate school is discussed in this thread. The OP almost certainly put an enormous amount of work into applying to graduate school and is probably as committed to finishing as if she's a third-year. And for what? To be made to feel like a child angering mommy for asking for help with homework and have a "total lack of confidence" in one's skills.
It's not just you. This sort of infantilizing is built into the very structure of graduate school. Good luck. Don't leave unless YOU want to.
It's not just you. This sort of infantilizing is built into the very structure of graduate school. Good luck. Don't leave unless YOU want to.
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I'm not trying to be glib, but how else are you going to move from weakness to proficiency in this area other than getting help?
Also, I wrote a really scathing indictment of your advisor for withholding support from you because I missed this part on first glance:
I think this is really the heart of the matter. The best areas to "be independent" are areas in which you have gained some proficiency. I don't think its reasonable for any advisor to expect you to be independent in an area that is an admitted weakness. That's the time they need to be an advisor.
Also it's funny how often we try to mind-read our advisor considering we try to get our clients to do less of that.
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Hi there,
I actually think you (or both you and your advisor) are confusing independence with feedback and..well...advising. Working independently does not mean that you don't speak to your advisor about your projects and/or concerns. It means to be able to come up with ways to find solutions for problems on your own, but it doesn't mean that at the end of the day you shouldn't make sure you are on the right track.
You don't want to make it look like you need/want your advisor to hold you hand through everything, but his/her job is to help you and as long as you can demonstrate that you have the appropriate effort into it, then no advisor should be reluctant with their assistance.
I actually think you (or both you and your advisor) are confusing independence with feedback and..well...advising. Working independently does not mean that you don't speak to your advisor about your projects and/or concerns. It means to be able to come up with ways to find solutions for problems on your own, but it doesn't mean that at the end of the day you shouldn't make sure you are on the right track.
You don't want to make it look like you need/want your advisor to hold you hand through everything, but his/her job is to help you and as long as you can demonstrate that you have the appropriate effort into it, then no advisor should be reluctant with their assistance.
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I have to develop a mediational model and I asked my advisor for help. And I'm a second year, haha.
This is the best answer yet. Getting your degree is about what you learn, not the letters on your "report card," and not how you rank with the rest of your class. Just make sure you're getting what you need out of it and passing.
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This is an excellent point. I've given an entire lecture on the difference between mentorship, supervision, consultation, and process (groups for professionals). Each type of professional relationship encompasses different factors. It sounds like the OP needs to speak to his mentor about their dynamic, and what areas s/he should be more independant, and areas where closer guidance is needed.
