Grad Students Drowning in Thesis Stress
Many graduate students are experiencing significant stress related to thesis writing, including perfectionism, time constraints, and self-doubt. Some are even considering using AI tools for assistance, highlighting the pressure they feel.
SOURCES (60)
“Hi. I really don't know where to post this or even if I'm formulating correctly what is bothering me. I would appreciate your thoughts and advice. I recently defended my PhD (econ, europe). I started during Covid, so it took me over 6.5 years. Years…”
“This may just be a case of differences in programs, due to both location and field of study, but i don’t understand how people are able to take time off their PhD?! Like most of us, my journey so far hasn’t been perfect, with many setbacks and continual increase in scope leaving me feeling like i’m chasing after a runaway train. I have seen others describe the experience as a “marathon of sprints” and tend to agree! it’s been 2 months of 60-80hr weeks and i’m still behind!! my question is, how a”
“Hi, everyone. I have recently started my PhD, have just gotten done with my coursework, but six months have already passed. I am trying to study the literature, but it's so vast, and my guide's expertise is a whole other field. My topic is water remediation (material science), but I have found myself in a bottleneck situation, where everything seems like it can't be done or not worthwhile. Is there anyone else in the field who can guide me as to what the field looks like currently? &”
“Hi all, Ive recently finished up my first year of my physics PhD in the states and I’ve been toying with the idea of mastering out. I still love doing the science, my PI is great, and I think I’ve finally started to settle in here. With that being said, I’m in a smaller lab at a pretty prestigious place and I find some of the people I work with utterly insufferable. They are very much clout chasers, extremely hostile, and generally have been mean to me throughout my first year. They are also ext”
“Between my master’s and my doctorate, I’ve been in grad school since 2020, summers and all. During the last year, I’ve had some major family stuff happen, I’ve gotten a divorce, and I feel like I keep getting pelted with life event after life event. I’m really not doing well. I sit at my computer for long periods of time, but can’t make myself just *do the thing*. I’m also working several part time jobs to make ends meet. I’m burned out. I don’t think anything I could produce academically will b”
“Hi everybody, I am halfway through my PhD (2nd year from 3.5) in the field of Nanofabrication located in Australia and really struggling. I have been reading other posts over here and it helped me a lot so i decided to ask for advice. I started a PhD in another country to a new group, being the second graduate student from my supervisor, which i didnt know from before. As time passed, a lot of delays due to technical difficulties unrelated to me (such as the lab i needed to work in not being fin”
“I'm curious if this is just me or if other people have experienced it too. Early in grad school I could sit down with a paper and work through it pretty methodically. Now I feel like I spend more time jumping between references, supplementary material, and looking up unfamiliar methods than actually reading the paper itself. Maybe the literature has become more specialized, or maybe I've just become more aware of everything I don't know. Do you have a system for reading papers effici”
“So, I finished my masters this year and now am trying to get my brain together to prepare to hack my thesis up to make it into a publishable paper and I suppose I don't know where to start. I have the goal to try to publish before I start applying to PhD programs. My advisor and I left on fairly neutral terms but we haven't spoken since I graduated. She was fairly hands off for the majority of my research and as a result I don't necessarily feel super comfortable asking her for advic”
“I’ll be starting a PhD in CS this fall at a Tier 2 school in the U.S.. I’ll have a 20-hour RA. Is it possible to have a work/life balance as a PhD student? I always hear about the nightmares and how everyone works 50+ hours a week. I’m just curious, has anyone been successfully able to balance school with life and work/study a normal 40 hours or so? The balance is something that’s important to me for many reasons, a couple more prominent than others. submitted by /u/Perfect_Spinach_7”
“I just started classes this summer for my MSW. I'm only taking two classes/4 credits right now. I graduated undergrad in 2015 so I'm rusty. The strangest part of grad school has been only being able to write small chunks at a time. I used to be able to crank out a whole paper in one night and get an A. Now, I find that it takes me much longer to formulate my thoughts and I can only write small portions of a paper at a time. It's kind of frustrating because I just want to get papers o”
“Confession time: two months ago, I was looking at my chapter three and realized I’d just written 40 pages of utter nonsense wrapped in five-dollar academic words. It was pure word salad, literally held together by vibes, anxiety, and duct tape. Classic impostor syndrome hit me like a freight train. I genuinely thought, “Who let me into grad school?” If you’re staring at your screen feeling like a complete fraud right now, take a breath. You aren’t stupid; you’re just too close to the canvas. Her”
“Hi y'all; I need some advice. So after 7 years in a 5-year PhD program (Humanities), I finally successfully defended my dissertation in May! I'm especially proud of myself due to the fact that in my last year in the PhD program, I moved to another state for an amazing non-academia job that is basically my dream job, and completed my dissertation while working full-time. That being said, I was given the summer to complete the final edits and incorporate the suggestions that the dissertati”
“Any other related advice will be dearly appreciated. As of now, having a good keyboard really helped me. its thocky af and i just dont wanna stop typing lol. submitted by /u/Alert-Translator2590 [link] [comments]”
“Hello all! As the title reads, I am entering the third year of my graduate program. Usually the program is two years and the second year requires an extra project. I delayed my thesis to complete my classes and not overwhelm myself because I do work nearly full time. With that being said, this thesis is 80-pages. And while it’s on a topic I’m incredibly passionate about (sports gambling in sports media), I do worry about maintaining consistent workflow towards completion with the basis of my wor”
“I’m an international PhD student in the US, and I’m honestly freaking out. I was supposed to graduate at the end of this year. I was finally at the stage where I could see the finish line. Then, completely out of nowhere, I developed severe sciatica. An MRI showed a large lumbar disc herniation with a free disc fragment compressing the nerve. I’ve developed weakness and numbness in my leg, and it’s looking increasingly likely that I’ll need spinal surgery. Right now I can barely walk normally, s”
“I have wanted a PhD for years now, and I have a shot to do it! A few pieces of context: I am starting much later than most in a program like this, I just entered my 30s! I have no kids, but my husband and I have been considering it. I finished my MA in English Literature at the end of 2022, and it took ages to find a program that would allow me to stay where I’m living now and take classes. I found one, and they are paying for my tuition! Fast forward to now, I just finished my first week of a s”
“OMSCS probably helps more as a checkbox than as magic credibility. tbh the stronger angle is nuclear PhD plus C++ plus HPC, then make the projects look like infra work instead of course notebooks. Training pipeline tooling, CUDA profiling, distributed systems stuff, not another tiny transformer repo.”
“i'm 100% down to just quit the phd if i have a reasonable full time offer. i want to use it as pivoting platform before i get anything solid. it still has some benefits in the sense that it's computational and i can get access to some nuclear coding jobs/projects that are otherwise not available to me. i have nothing else to do besides taking master classes if i just quit the phd rn”
“Wanting to share the playlist I made when I was STRUGGLIN to finish my PhD 2 summers ago. In case anyone needs some motivation! 💪🏻 you got this!! submitted by /u/neurosciencewriter [link] [comments]”
“Hello, Is it possible to do individual full-time PhD besides part-time work in Germany? Would supervisors agree to this? Since I cant find funded vacancies for my field… submitted by /u/Budget_Till1643 [link] [comments]”
“I I just got a PhD offer in biomedical engineering (yayyy!!) and I start in October. I applied straight from undergrad, so while I have some research experience, it feels nowhere near the level of research my PI expects from me in his lab over the next few years. What can I do to prepare? I already read through the project I’ll be working on very thoroughly before my interview, so there isn't much more I can do on that front at the moment. I know everyone says to just relax and enjoy the sum”
“For everyone taking a break from their thesis/dissertation-writing by scrolling reddit (I’ve been lurking on your recent posts), I just want you to know I see you, I am you, and we got this. 💪 Please share any favorite writing/researching/brain-power tips, even the weird ones. For example, I feel like I do an unusual amount of productive thinking/processing my research while constructing Celtic Knots. It takes my focus off my thesis just enough, but isn’t so mentally-taxing that I’m paying too”
“I've been given 3 months to write 2 papers and send them to review. I dont wish to continue in academia. I just need to get these done as quickly and as easily as possible before I get started on my non academic job. What's the easiest paper to write and the one that easily gets accepted? I know review articles are one of them. Both easy to write and easy to get accepted. I dont want to get too many revisions later since I'll already be working in my NON academic job. But within your”
“My research proposal defense is in two days my program is a PhD in law. Any tips on how to be well prepared what to expect? submitted by /u/Alarmed_Listen4228 [link] [comments]”
“My program is 2 years. Submitted my thesis at the end of 2 years. A couple of delays and I just got the date to defend the thesis 1.5 year later. Is it normal? My life is different now compared to then. And it’s quite annoying. submitted by /u/Uninspiredwildcat [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I’m currently writing my motivation letter for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) PhD position. I’m struggling to decide on the right "voice" and tone to use. I’ve drafted the same section of my background in two completely different styles. Since MSCA heavily values both technical excellence and personal career development/agency, I’m torn on which approach evaluators prefer. Could you tell me which of these two styles reads better or fits the MSCA vibe more? Option”
“My master's dissertation (12,000 words) is due Aug 23. I have completed my qualitative interviews and some of the documents (I'm mostly relying on interviews but referencing some program documents). I've mostly done the reading for the lit review but after data gathering have realized I need to do some additional reading. I've created three draft themes and outlined my findings/discussion sections but am struggling because the themes overlap and reference each other, even though”
“Hi, I wanted to ask, I gave my thesis to my committee on May 18th, I defended a few weeks later. Is it bad if I email asking if they have my comments or should I wait longer, not sure what the norm is from when I give my committee my thesis to when I hear back. submitted by /u/Mobile_Caramel3885 [link] [comments]”
“I’m trying to make sense of my own master’s thesis defense (it’s over now and I passed after redoing the presentation). I went over the allotted time for the presentation (10 minutes - i think I took like an extra minute) and was thus failed. and I’ve been wondering ever since how much that alone can affect the outcome. I know the assessment is based on many factors, but my mind keeps coming back to the timing. If you’ve been on an examination committee or experienced this yourself, how much doe”
“Hi, I have been struggling to pick a topic for my thesis, and have been relying on chatgpt to arrive to a title that might be novel. i know it sounds very unprofessional but that is what i am. I have no experience in research, nor a lot of skill in computer science. My university does not necessarily require me to publish for me to graduate, and so i don't mind not publishing. As long as i can get away with something simple, are there any topics that you could suggest to me? I will be doing”
“Hey y’all, I’m a PhD candidate of literature and am about to take my comprehensive exams next week, but I am such a slow writer. I haven’t written an essay in over a year. I’ve been prepping for six months but I quickly learned I lost a lot of my writing and vocab skills. I used to write better, faster, and more efficiently than I am now. I’m so demotivated and am afraid I’m not going to be able to complete my exams. Anyone else have a similar experience? Any advice/tips? submitted by  ”
“Hi everyone, I’m 3 years into a PhD with around 6-12 months funding left to submit my thesis. I have 2 projects with data collection complete and 1 working project which I need to finish experiments. Sadly it is fairly messy “low quality” experimental data. One project involved very involved technical experimental work and I couldn’t characterise replicates due to time constraints. No first author publications, and my main PhD work will either be published in a low impact journal or not at all.”
“Has anyone chosen a PhD topic on whim? I had made a post earlier about how I am interested in multiple unrelated things in my discipline. I have been hopping and skipping from topic to topic for quite some time now. I was thinking of just selecting a topic at random. Has anyone done this? For people who will ask, why would I even want to do a Phd if i am not extremely passionate about research, I am extremely passionate but just not about one thing. submitted by /u/MadamdeSade [link]”
“As the title says, I am seeking some suggestions on review papers. I think I do descent while writing research articles but review article? I Suck! Topic: experimental physics. submitted by /u/Alert-Translator2590 [link] [comments]”
“Just out of curiosity, before one does a PhD, how much research papers should one read before pursuing the degree? I am going to pursue a MSc in the UK, and would like to dive into a PhD in Mechanical Engineering related to Biomechanics and Cardiovascular Engineering. I am quite new to the topic, however want to gain sufficient knowledge doing a PhD. submitted by /u/Shadows4K [link] [comments]”
“Entering my PhD in Islamic studies this fall, in NA, and I'm nervous about the gaps in my languages. I know I will have these 2 years (before comps) to dial them down, but my fluency is fragmented, as the research language is also my "mother" language which I don't speak but do understand. Has anyone had similar experiences? It's not like I'm starting from 0, but I feel incompetent—especially since i'm meeting my advisor tomorrow for the first time irl submitt”
“I am curious about the less obvious lessons people learn in grad school. Not the usual advice like “work harder” or “manage your time,” but the small things that seemed harmless at first and later became a real problem. Maybe it was not setting expectations with an advisor early, saying yes to too many things, choosing a project too quickly, avoiding difficult conversations, not learning a reference manager, or not building a support system outside the program. What is one small mistake from you”
“Is it an absolute necessity for a PhD student to be able to write a decent thesis? I think I am good at doing research itself and finding new approaches, but horrible at writing stuff. I used to think that academia was good for me, but now I see that it is almost a requirement to write a good paper, which I can't do. Should I switch careers, or are there other options? submitted by /u/DealOk5003 [link] [comments]”
“Genuine question for people on both sides of this. For those who did a Master's or PhD: what was the reason for you to subscribe this path? Career advancement, deeper knowledge, credentials, a career switch, or something else? Looking with the benefit of the hindsight, do you think it was worth it? Also curious about a hypothetical. Say someone is already working and things are going well for them: comfortable salary, prestigious company, nice colleagues, good work pace, clear career ladder.”
“I’m going into my 6th year and had been planning to defend in the late fall/early spring. The timeline was dependent on the experiments for my last thesis chapter being finished this summer. Conferences delayed things but I spent 3 months trying to optimize, express, and purify proteins I need for this study to be able to get all the experiments knocked out in one swoop. This week I started experiments and found out that half of the proteins (most of the mutants) I made degraded in the freezing”
“Hello all. I’m just starting my Masters and will be deciding on a preliminary thesis topic soon. It turns out a dellow student has very similar research interests to me and I’m worried our trajectories will clash. I don’t deal well with competition. Has this happened to you? Am I overthinking it? We’re both still in the very early stages of narrowing down our focus. submitted by /u/scanner_barkly [link] [comments]”
“Your topic is actually close to what mine was (only I wasn't at the business school). As with everything in PhD research, you'll figure out your tools as you go — try not to look for one that solves everything. It's usually some combination. Tags in Obsidian could be helpful for coding themes and letting them evolve as your analysis deepens; they end up being a useful mirror for how your thinking is shifting over time!”
“advice needed on how to work on a massive time crunch. my time doing my master's program is compressed because i took a medical leave in my second semester and ended up having to do my entire 2-year master's (usually where people work on their theses during the summer) in 3 semesters. my department did not allow me to start over since i'd already started some of the core courses and passed two of them. i'm nearing my third semester, and i have to write my thesis, but at this poin”
“GOING TO PUKE it’s through zoom though so that takes off the load a lot 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 submitted by /u/pinkparadigm [link] [comments]”
“Defended my MSc thesis a week ago, and it was nothing like what I imagined. Committee members asked really simple questions (literally mentioned in the abstract itself) and basics which a freshman would be able to answer. It wrapped up under 90 minutes; the chair even mentioned this is the fastest defence he has ever seen. I worked on this thesis for about a year and a half, and no one engaged with it. My supervisor asked me if I would be willing to submit a paper, but he recommended a very low-”
“Hello! I feel like it should be professional yet personal, written like a coherent story that clearly explains your motivations for pursuing graduate study. Is that right? Also, what if they don't state a word count or page count limit? Prompt: "The Cinematic Arts Personal Statement should be a carefully prepared explanation of the applicant's goals, describing any film, television, scholarly, critical or other creative background, as well as career objectives. It should present a c”
“I sit down to turn my massive pile of literature review notes into a structured thesis outline or a clear abstract, my brain just resets. I end up staring at a blank Google Doc for two hours before giving up. How do you guys actively break through this initial formatting paralysis? Are there any clever, under-the-radar free tools or structuring hacks you swear by to get that first ugly draft down? submitted by /u/Appropriate_Bird1981 [link] [comments]”
“Big congratulations on getting a PhD! Especially with ADHD. A lot of benefits come eith ADHD like creativity and thinking outside the box, but organization and focus (aside from hyperfocusing) can be challenging. I'm just starting to use Obsidian myself. Lots to learn as I leave the Microsoft world and plunge head first into the Linux world.”
“Does anyone else struggle with writing a “research story” ? My supervisor keeps telling me to write a story. But it’s so hard to link all the seperate parts, my project is so interdisciplinary lol. And I just suck at structuring because I will write everything and not know how to link each paragraph. It’s so hard. submitted by /u/Superb_Zone_1154 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone I have my PhD research proposal defense the day after tomorrow, and my ppt doesn’t look very professional. The presentation is 10 minutes and has three sections: -Research problem -Why this topic is important (current state of the art) -Research methodology Any tips to make the slides more professional and academic? Thanks! submitted by /u/ali00hj [link] [comments]”
“Masters Thesis is due tomorrow. Any last minute tips? submitted by /u/sushionpizzas [link] [comments]”
“What does a typical day look like? How many hours do you usually work each day? How do you manage stress and maintain a work-life balance? What was the most difficult part of your PhD? If you could start again, would you still choose to do a PhD Do you have any advice for someone about to begin a PhD submitted by /u/TrueCost443 [link] [comments]”
“Hii, I am a PhD student in education, nearing the end of my third year and I still haven’t finished writing my comprehensive exam (two papers, 25-30 double spaced pages each) and I genuinely don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. I have been working on them since September but they just don’t finish? My literature review esp has been Sisyphean. I set myself a deadline for end of July for edits to both but I don’t know how I’m going to finish? I also made the mistake of visiting home and the”
“Hey guys! I've am really curious about how defending thesis actually works. I've heard things like defending for 4hrs and stuff. Can you all share your experiences and advice pls? (I'm open to hearing about different fields/countries) I wanna start phd after 2 years. submitted by /u/spareapple1 [link] [comments]”
“I’m close to finishing my PhD, and I’ve been feeling mentally exhausted for quite a while. At this point, I’ve pretty much decided to leave research and work as a quant instead. Part of this is practical: the financial upside and career structure outside academia seem much clearer to me. But I also realize that my current view of academia may be heavily colored by burnout, so I’m trying to understand what I might be missing. For those who continued in academia after your PhD, what made you choos”
“I know the thesis is meant to change over the course of the PhD and that it might end up drastically different from the initial proposal. That is the process. But do you ever feel, based on the feedback you receive from supervisor(s), that you are end up writing something you never really wanted to write in the first place? How do you balance taking the feedback from a knowledgeable scholar with staying true to the project you want to write/create? Edit: I should add that I’m doing a literature”
“I have two strong LOR but am missing a third, which I know many if not most grad programs require. I plan on trying to get a letter of rec from one of my professors this Fall. It wouldn't be very strong obviously but has anyone known someone who's done this or think this is possible? I'm particularly nervous as I know I'd likely have to give them a month or so to write it and as apps are due in December, that would mean I only have ~3 months of interacting with them. It probably”