Calling all Grad Students!

FlipFlop1025 · July 2015

Any other graduate students out there?

I'm a full time graduate student in the final year of my PhD, hope to graduate in May. Having a constant headache and being totally exhausted is not helping my data analysis and thesis writing!

Have you told your adviser yet and how did they react? Or, when do you plan on telling them?

ACleanLife24 · July 2015

I am starting a PhD next year and already spoke with the programme advisor... I will take my 6 months full stipend off plus 4 months unpaid and return to study in JAN 2017... works best for the programme me and baby...

My first year has a lot of course work so I will finish that and take exams while on maternity

He was a bit chauvinistic about it and really pushed for me to delay a year as "you may decide motherhood is a better option then this".... I think he could see my eyes burning as this came out of his mouth

FlipFlop1025 · July 2015

Sounds like you have a great plan! I can't believe the program advisor said that to you though. It's amazing you can take so much paid time off (my university offers 6 weeks paid time off).

To meet my goal of graduating in May, I'm going to need to juggle a lot this spring - defending the thesis, having a baby, getting a real job! Not looking forward to tackling my first real job interviews extremely pregnant

I'm expecting my advisor to be supportive and helpful - I'll break the news in a few weeks, when I'm a little further along and the crazy summer of lab work ends.

St0v3s · July 2015

I'm currently going to school online for my masters so for the most part it works out. Not sure how it will go in the long run

jupiterthecat · July 2015

Not a grad student, but I've been there! I think grad school is a great time to have a kid. I had my first on postdoc. I'm tenure-track now.... and I'm actually stressing about how I'm going to break the news to my Ph.D. students, so it's hard on both ends! I'm sure it will stress them out to have me gone for a while. And I'm trying to figure out how to keep my research going. Yikes, work-life balance is HARD.

meg_2006 · July 2015

I'm not a grad student, but I am going back to school. I'm currently taking a few classes I need to get into a physical therapy assistant program. Right now I'm taking anatomy and physiology 1 as a summer intensive. That's a class that's difficult enough on its own, but the fact that I'm taking it as an intensive AND while pregnant makes it triple hard. Plus the smell of formaldehyde from dissecting cats is making me sick! I'm taking the second one in the fall as an evening class because I still work full time as a teacher. Now I have to decide if I want to apply for the program the following school year (I'd have a 6month old AND 3 year old at home) or wait till the following year. I think I'm going to meet with my advisor and get her opinion.

laylazscott · August 2015

I just finished my first year in my 4 year long doctoral program in marriage and family therapy. Haven't shared the news yet but I don't anticipate any problems since I'll still be in the course work portion of the program.

ashcav · August 2015

I'm currently enrolled in an online Masters program. I am going to try to finish right before baby arrives but more than likely I'll have one class remaining.

School + full-time work + growing a human is exhausting.

EmmaChrismer · August 2015

I am in an online masters program. I haven't told my advisor yet but need to. I'll graduate in January so I'm hoping I can meet trucking along for a bit more.

Agreed, school + full time job + growing a human is incredibly exhausting! I crashed for the night at 7:30 last night!

lamell · August 2015

I'm in my final year of engineering graduate school. Definitely going to be a rough fall. Im taking the rest of my courses this fall and planning on orally defending in Feb before baby arrives.
I told my advisor yesterday, but he is super chill and his wife is actually due a few months before me. So he was just really excited for my husband and I. Then he commented that everything made so much more sense now. (Taking classes early, defending early, skipping a conference next march, etc.)
I'll be working 1/2 time for full pay spring semester, which is the "maternity leave" option here.
It's all I can do to make it through a full day in the lab at this point!! Classes haven't even started..

FlipFlop1025 · August 2015

lamell said:

I'm in my final year of engineering graduate school. Definitely going to be a rough fall. Im taking the rest of my courses this fall and planning on orally defending in Feb before baby arrives. I told my advisor yesterday, but he is super chill and his wife is actually due a few months before me. So he was just really excited for my husband and I. Then he commented that everything made so much more sense now. (Taking classes early, defending early, skipping a conference next march, etc.) I'll be working 1/2 time for full pay spring semester, which is the "maternity leave" option here. It's all I can do to make it through a full day in the lab at this point!! Classes haven't even started..

I hear you! I'm exhausted as well - mostly working on writing and struggling to make it through a full day! I'm also in my final year of the PhD. I told my advisor this week and she was 100% supportive, I was so relieved! We will for sure have a busy next few months - good luck!!

lockettlady · August 2015

Add two other kids into the equation along with full time work, community responsibilities and school and that level of exhaustion is me! I need a permanent nap!

DivergingBird · August 2015

I work full time and go to grad school part time. My advisor will find out next month. I'll be done next August, so I should be able to stay on top of everything, since it's mostly online

smccorkill · August 2015

I am in my final year of my doctorate program in dentistry. I actually told the Dean of Student Affairs already and he was so, so supportive! He said the great news made his summer and he fully expects me to bring baby around for visiting once he or she is born

felt good to hear someone so supportive but I know that he will be in the minority.... My program is very male-dominated and pregnancy is not a thing that happens... Ever. Oh well! Here's hoping for health and wellness for everyone on this board so we can all graduate

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