#PostGradLife

[30ouquase]

Control.

It’s funny how we start a new year wanting to improve certain things that are within our reach and control.

For example, due to health issues, bad test results, and so on, I need to lose 25kg. So, here I am, exercising every day since January 1st with the goal of losing that weight and improving my health. I’m also reading every day. I set a goal of 50 books for 2025. I think I might even surpass it, but we’ll see. In my teenage years, I used to read over 100 books a year.

I also thought about planning a trip—I don’t know with what money—and started organizing my Korean studies as well as continuing my postgraduate research. I’ve started eating more fruit, and since January 1st, I’ve been eating two servings a day.

People on the internet say it only takes 21 days to form a habit, so if that’s true, there are just 17 days left for all of this to become routine. I’m thinking about making 2025 a truly great year—mentally, physically, financially, and professionally. Since 2025 marks my 30th birthday, I want it to be like 13 Going on 30—“thirty, flirty, and thriving.” Not that I haven’t done cool things in other years, but this year, specifically, I REALLY want it to be a turning point. The year when I can finally sit down and see that I made it. That it’s okay if it came at the cost of hard work, sweat, and tears because I actually did it.

And all of this will only happen if I stick with the mindset I have now—of taking control over my life.

[prashasconsulting]

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[valentinareed]

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[poetrybymalimarks]

Here’s a Post-Grad Poem😚

[sagittarius-studies]

high schoolers/early undergrads: wow ✨ dark academia ✨ is so cool i wish i could get paid to drink coffee and read literature

me, a final year phd student: i am overworked and underpaid and i live with the constant anxiety of stuff im doing not being for my phd. my passion for my work is exploited at every turn, the continuation of my work is at the mercy of getting a rare scholarship, and my possibility of finding a tenure track job ever is about 0.001%. as soon as i can get out of academia ill get out and never look back. f*ck academia.

[caffeinatedbookpages]

4 February 2021

Took a break from the hectic schedule. Had coffee from ICH (Indian Coffee House), I love black coffee and cutlet from there. Then I bought some books from Crossword and then some secondhand books. Caught with a friend after months. I'm soo happy. This break was much needed.

Now I'm back to my hectic schedule with assignments and classes. It's just the fourth day of third and final term and my schedule is already filled with deadlines.

[shedobestudyingthough]

19/02. Final day of our introduction to law subject and finally holed up in the library again (not a fan of state-wide lockdowns).

[justhereforthemonet]

Calling All English Lit Grad Students and Professors: Advice Wanted

TL;DR: I’m thinking of ditching my job and going to grad school/trying to become a professor and would love some general advice on the process (especially from US citizens going to grad school in the UK/Europe)!

For context: I graduated from college in 2018 with a degree in English Lit and a minor in Film and Media Studies that’s launched me into a career in marketing and social media. I have found that career path unfulfilling and on many days rather soul sucking.

I have always wanted writing to be a big part of my work, but still haven’t nailed down a specific path I wanted to take. Screenwriting and novel writing have been the main avenues that have appealed to me, but I haven’t made any large strides in either. Recognizing that big strides in either of those careers takes time, I feel like the marketing day job is slowly killing my creativity and my academic ability, making it harder and harder to pursue those passions on the side.

I miss being in an academic setting where I am challenged, inspired, and working on things that I find genuinely worthwhile. My time in the corporate world has me considering going back to school and maybe even pursuing a career in academia. I’m nervous to take that path for a few different reasons and would love some insight from this community, on top of my own personal research, as I think about this career switch!

As I said, I feel as though my creativity and academic ability have been negatively impacted by my years out of school which has me questioning if I’d be able to keep up in (or even be accepted into) a competitive program. I’m also not sure which lane I’d like to work in most. Classics? Romantics? Victorian Era? Modern? Comparative Lit? Creative Writing? Taught vs. Research programs? It all intrigues me and I didn’t really have a specialization in college. Is there anything specific you would recommend doing to brush up on skills? Particular online courses or exercises to do? Tricks to figure out which area of literature you are most passionate about? 

I’ve also heard a lot of people who are pursuing careers as professors are struggling to find work, especially that pays well enough to live on. My current work is fairly stable and well paying, which I’m undeniably grateful for, especially now, even if it is unfulfilling. Any advice or insight into what it’s really like out there looking for work as a professor, especially in English, or even what day to day life is like as a professor would be helpful! Of course I have this idealized version of the work in my mind, but I’d like to know more about the reality of it before uprooting my life.

I’ve had my eye on University of Edinburgh as my top choice should I decide to go back to school, so any insight into their program would be great! I’m also very open to hearing about other grad programs, especially in the UK/Europe. I’m working on saving up for the whole process, but financial insights other than tuition costs would also be fantastic. General cost of living, what it’s like trying to work on a visa while studying, all that kind of information would be helpful.

If you got this far, thanks for reading!! And thanks in advance for any information and advice you can provide. I’m open to discussing on this post or in DMs, whichever works for you. Also, if you don’t have any particular advice, but can relate to any of this and want to chat, hmu ❤️️

[ariesthevirgin]

Acceptance

I need to stop forcing myself to be something I am not. Today marks the first day where I am not in COMPLETE denial. I am okay with acknowledging that I may not be as good in International Relations as I hoped to be. Now that I think about it, “being good” isn’t even the problem. The problem is that I do not hope to pursue a career in International Relations, a degree I worked five years on in hopes of landing me my “dream job”. Actually, after spending so much of my early twenties forcing myself to become an expert in International Relations, I’m struggling to find my true identity. My life has been riddled with the aesthetics of my education as opposed to chasing what my honest heart truly desired. Now that I’ve accepted this fact about myself, I hope my journey to self-determination becomes easier. It explains why papers and in-class discussions never came easy to me. I worked my ass off to achieve good grades, but in the grand scheme of things, it was just for grades - it did not really benefit me in any other way (other than maybe having an edge in political discussions... or trivia). My interests for International Relations partially stems from the hope to be viewed as an intellect. To prove to everyone (family, friends, coworkers) that I could accomplish a university degree in a complex subject where I was somewhat interested into the topics. But is there passion? Is there a drive to throw myself into the depths of international politics, economics and history? On my free time, I do not delve into current events and listen in on world news podcasts. I confess, I am currently working as a sales associate for a fashion brand that I’ve admired since I was young and I am ACTUALLY enjoying what I do. It’s the first time I’ve felt that my skills truly matched a profession and even though I cannot fully accept this minimum wage job as a university grad, it makes me happy. Yes, I don’t want to work in retail forever but it’s the first step into a different direction (slightly more creative that political science perhaps). I need to tell myself that IT’S OKAY. I work with high school graduates and IT’S OKAY. I don’t earn as much as my friends who have full-time positions in laboratories, hospitals, and companies and IT’S OKAY. I have days where I feel incompetent and a failure and IT’S OKAY. You know why it’s okay? Because I know that this isn’t forever and there’s something greater for me. I want to believe in myself and to persevere in order to achieve a goal - it’s been awhile since I’ve had a sense of purpose. But it’s okay to be lost as long as you keep looking. My happiness derives from positive social interactions and my ability to create meaningful relationships with different types of people. I hope to take myself abroad and to gain experience through new opportunities. Maybe that’s why I chose International Relations. I needed context for the places I hope to visit/live. I want to be educated on topics such as colonialism, economic relations, and sociology so I am not ignorant towards foreign cultures and people. My degree was not an error, it was a stepping stone for what I want to do next. I realized that it is okay to change direction (however to actually change that direction is another story...). It is okay to admit that others are better than you. It is okay to not stay in academia. It is okay to be the least academic in your group. My abilities are unique and it makes me different, not worse-off. The post-grad depression hit me hard a few months ago, still is if I’m being honest. But I want that to change. And I can be the only one to change my life story. I can no longer base my success on how I do in relative to those around me. They do not write my story, I do. And it is time to get out of my slump and to brainstorm my next course of action. The first step is denial but I am now on the second step - acceptance. For those who feel the same way, know that you’re not alone. We are in this together and we’ll get out of this together. Keep on making mistakes as long as you keep on trying. Sending positive vibes and lots of love <3

[the-dhanakp]

01.21 am and still counting. 🤯

[groundedwriters]

Day 1 of posting something until I get my Master’s degree. 

Technically I’m writing this for 20/04/2021. I had a hectic day and barely had any sleep working on the assignment my supervisor gave me. I worked overnight and fell asleep at 7am only to wake up at 9am to continue my work.

By 10.30am I did what I could and took a shower. Got ready in 30 minutes and headed out to meet my supervisor.

The meeting was chill, but she gave more work for this week on top of my already piled up work. 

I had to contact so many people that it almost made me had a panic attack. What saved me was the fact that my brain was already in mush so it couldn’t really comprehend the severity of my anxiousness while making 20+ phone calls within the last 5 hours.

I had a quick lunch and dived back into getting in touch with people from the faculty, the department of finance, the postgraduate department, etc. I felt like a flat volleyball being passed around from one person to another. They led me in circles and every time I managed to get in touch with someone and explained my problems, they would say that my problem are not within their scope and told me to contact *insert name of other department*. Soon, after being passed around several time, I came back to the first person that I contacted, and they flat out told me it wasn’t their problem. 

Whelp.

I was finished with the phone calls around 4pm and decided to give myself a break and fell asleep until 8pm.

I woke up groggy and tired. But thankfully, it was already passed Iftar, so I can have dinner with my room mate. 

Ended the day with a cup of tea and will probably continue this vicious cycle of sleepless night for the next 2 weeks. 

[serotonindeficientx]

It’s the panick you get while doing nothing that stings the most

[mathilda-studies]

[21.01.21]

New year, still work to do. My second semester hasn’t started yet, but I started after the break by writing 8000 words in 10 days because I procrastinated over Christmas... Those reports are handed in now, and I got results back for another assignment I finished before the holiday - 72%, which is in the highest scores of my course, so I’m very happy! This afternoon is spent in the library, reading some preparatory texts for my dissertation, which will hopefully build/expand on my undergrad diss, but with more focus on the heritage/modern implications. Specifically, I am interested in the misappropriation of runes, runestones, and other Viking myths by white supremacists and neo-n*zis.

🎧 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (original game soundtrack)

[ramyeonupdates]

{ #university } || source: clurmcgee

[mithryil-blog]

I need some active studyblrs to follow!

Drop me a note if you are active or recommend someone who is! 💜

[betulaphilosophy]

“Towards a dual-aspect theory of emotions. A neo-neoplatonic approach”

- late night idea for a phd project in philosophy; any suggestions?