Maybe you quit grad school, or you’re thinking about it. Maybe you found us by googling some variation of “I want to quit grad school but I am afraid/I have no job/how do I tell my wife/I want my spouse to quit.”
Join the club.
Special Note: Lauren is collaborating with other post-ac bloggers to create a catch-all resource for grad school quittas and other academics saying sayonara. Check it out!
Hartwig HKD via Compfight
Mama Nervosa was started by Jen and Lauren, grad school quittas extraordinaire, and while we knew that we had struggled to come to terms with our own decisions to leave, we had NO IDEA how many other lost souls were out there, grappling with post-academic uncertainty.
Read the “Grad School Quittas” Category for all of our posts about graduate school and the quitting thereof.
Read “The Alt-Ac Life” Category for Lauren’s writing about her post-academic, alternative academic career as an adviser and observations about transitioning from grad school to work.
Jen teaches as an adjunct, so her writing about work life is also relevant.
GSQ GREATEST HITS:
- Here’s Lauren’s quitting story, sorta
- Jen left grad school ABD; she writes about how she came to that decision, and her surprise in realizing that really, no one cares, in This Blog Has Been Created Entirely By Grad School Quittas.
- On the off chance that you still have time to SAY NO TO THE PhD, Lauren offers advice on what to do instead in 4 Roads Not Traveled.
- In Google Diaries: We Know You Quit Grad School, Jen writes about what she’s done in the 8 years since she left a PhD program, and how she figured out what to say about herself and her experiences in non-academic job interviews.
- In “Let’s Talk About Debt” (Part 1), Lauren takes on the issue of student loan debt in a three part series. “Fallout: The Pychological Debt of Grad School” talks about the mental toll of school, and quitting school.
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Hi there. About to be a quitta. Meeting with my committee on Wednesday bright and early. Would rather have a root canal. But by golly, this is the right thing to do. And ps I love this blog. BLESS YOUR HEARTS AND THANK YOU FOR WRITING IT! Wish me luck.
Welcome to the bright side, EMP! Good luck with your committee and keep us posted!
Thinking of you and hoping all went peacefully this morning EMP!! Welcome to the club.
Well, you ladies sure are awesome! I’ve started coming out of the closet, so to speak, on my blog and thought I’d share part 1 in case anyone is interested: http://ellamybabylove.blogspot.com/2012/09/this-is-hard-part-one.html The committee meeting went better than expected (my advisor was nicer to me than she ever has before, hmmm…), and I’m freeeeeeeeeee!
I’m about to be a quitta! I’ve been reading this blog for a long time now, and am really excited about howtoleaveacademia.com. Thanks so much for all you do. You are awesome.
Congrats, Vik! I will check out your blog. Please consider contributing to the website or book!
wow. hi. i’m half way through an MA program with a graduate assistantship, and am very very seriously thinking about leaving. i’m not satisfied, i’m not liking my adjunct job options when i’m done (especially with the ever-increasing amount of student loan debt i carry). i’m a single mom, and i’m not sure that grad school as a whole is not for me, but right here right now? it’s not working. thank you for being here, thank you for sharing the process, and i can’t wait to read more! i blog, personally, at the link i’ve shared, but i also blog academically at parablematernal.wordpress.com.
Thanks for reading, Chelsea. These are tough issues, especially with children. GOOD LUCK!
I recognize your name from the Offbeat post! Glad you like it
. Good luck with your decision.
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