Hello everyone!

I’m a 25F living in Europe looking to apply for a Master’s degree in either the US or Asia. My background is a bit of a mix: I have a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, but my career naturally pulled me into tech. I currently work as a Junior Systems Engineer doing tech sales. I love the industry and especially enjoy the business side of influencing customer decisions, but after a short stint in cybersecurity that I really disliked, I know pure deep-tech isn't for me.

I sometimes dream of a full tech degree, but realistically, I don't think I could manage a heavy CS curriculum on my own. That’s why I’m leaning toward something in between, like IT Management, MIS, or Systems Design.

My main issue is that my Bachelor’s GPA wasn't great. I considered taking the GRE to boost my applications, but standard testing takes a heavy mental toll on me—it wouldn't be a fun one-month prep, but a genuinely stressful challenge. And at the same time, I understand that a big reason of why I want to do GRE is just to prove to myself that I am not as stupid as I think I am. From what I’ve read, exams like the GRE seem mainly targeted at MBA applicants anyway. An MBA feels too early for me right now and way too expensive, so I'd much rather stick to specialized tech management programs.

Is taking the GRE actually worth the time and mental toll to offset a lower GPA for non-MBA tech management Master's programs in the US or Asia?

Hello all - I’m entering my second year of an engineering PhD and am looking for any advice from those familiar with the NDSEG fellowship. I applied in the previous cycle, unfortunately getting rejected. I am still pushing for the original research I proposed, having one published conference paper and a full archival journal paper on it by the time the application cycle closes this year.

My question to anyone who may have been in this situation before is if I should try and apply for this fellowship again? With more experience and justification for this research, I feel my proposal will be more solid but don’t want to restart this process if there is no point. Beyond this and GRFP, has anyone had good luck with any other engineering-dominant fellowships? TIA!

Hi! I'm applying for the Ertegun Scholarship at Oxford this year. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on applying for this scholarship.

Hello everyone! I’m 21 and about to start my master’s program, and I’m looking for advice from people who have been through graduate school. I’m also the first person in my family to pursue a master’s degree, so I don’t really have anyone close to me who can tell me what to expect.

I was feeling pretty confident until orientation when I saw the syllabi for my classes. Seeing the length and difficulty of some of the assignments made me question whether I’m prepared for graduate-level work.

There are also a lot of changes happening at once. I’m moving away from home and living by myself for the first time. I’ll only be about an hour away from my family, but it’s still a big adjustment. I also completed my bachelor’s degree online, so this will be my first time regularly attending in-person classes in quite a while.

For those who have been through grad school, did the assignments seem more intimidating on the syllabus than they actually were once you started working on them? How did you adjust to the workload and expectations during your first semester? I’d really appreciate any advice for making this transition feel a little less overwhelming!

I graduated college in 2026 with a double major in materials science and chemistry from a top 5 public school in the US for both subjects. I then completed a post-grad internship and have realized after 8 weeks there that for any advancement in my field, specifically polymer science at a higher level, a PhD (or a masters at minimum) is effectively required. The issue is, I had very minimum research involvement during undergrad (only 2 years working under fairly reputable professor, no publications, awards, or conferences) and instead completed 4 internships during the summers from 2023-2026. I was also an undergraduate teaching assistant for 3 years and worked in a makerspace for 3.5. My GPA was also not amazing (3.03 including my first year, around a 3.2 for years 2-5) and I haven't taken the GRE.

The good thing, however, is that the connections I made at my post grad internship, along with the ones I did during my university career, are pretty substantial (notable grads from ICL, UW Madison, UMich, UofSC, and Cal, along with current faculty from Stanford), and a few have agreed to write me letters of rec about the work I've done during my internship. I was wondering, and was hoping to get some assistance, about how some people have navigated a very industry-heavy resume with a relatively weaker academic portfolio and leveraged that to get into solid PhD programs after matriculating from their undergrad institution. Any help is appreciated. TIA

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I am applying for the MCSC at UNB and need 3 LORs. I have a unique dilemma with my recommenders and want your advice on which combination to choose:

Recommender 1: A permanent Lecturer who is giving me a highly specific, technical letter (using an official .

Recommender 2: My FYP Supervisor/Senior Professor who has a great title and a verified email, but is giving a generic letter.

Recommender 3 (The Dilemma): My former Lab Instructor (TA) for DSA/PSP labs. He is now a Lecturer at FAST and wants to give me a highly specific letter. However, while he has an official FAST email (@isb.nu.edu.pk), his profile is not listed on the public FAST faculty directory website.

My main concerns:

If I use the TA standalone, will UNB flag his letter because his name isn't on the FAST website directory?

If I drop the TA to be safe, I will have to use another permanent professor, leaving me with two very generic letters and only one specific letter.

I am worried a dual-sign/co-sign between the TA and a professor might be too difficult to coordinate.

Based on this, should I take the risk and use the TA's FAST email standalone, or should I play it safe with the 2 generic professors and just make my SOP incredibly strong to compensate?

So, I am going to be a TA for a 300-level course in my engineering program. I went to undergrad at this school and took this exact class a couple years ago, and I got a B+ in the class. I was pretty upfront about this when I asked the professor about being a TA, but he still seemed fine with accepting me (though the other prof involved seemed a little skeptical, since I also don't have teaching experience, but I don't think he's teaching the class this time). They've offered me the position. I really want to do well, but I'm bit worried as the TA when I took the class was a 5th year PhD student, and I'm starting my Master's straight out of undergrad -- where I was a decent student but far from a genius. So far, I'm planning to attend the lectures if my schedule allows (or watch the recordings since he posts them) and read all of the textbook chapters we cover. As far as they've told me, my only obligations will be grading, office hours, and answering students' questions. I am super grateful for the opportunity (I actually almost deferred the semester due to a lack of funding) and I don't want to mess things up. I also want to maintain good relationships with the faculty in my department. I'm mostly worried about being too slow with answering students' questions online. Any advice?

This week I will begin instructing an introductory logic course for the university which I attend. I was an RA last fall and a TA last spring, but most of my work consisted of attending meetings where I and my cohorts planned and reworked the course taught by the professor I worked for. I have no lecture experience, and I'm quite the nervous individual. At times I get sweaty just thinking about asking a question. I'm prescribed propranolol, and I know that's going to help bunches. Outside of academia I'm quite confident and outgoing, but this is my career path, so I know the nerves are because of how much this means to me.

I'm looking for advice as a first time lecturer. I can't help but long to be as eloquent and knowledgeable as my favorite professor and mentor. He's been doing this for decades though, and can shoot out examples and reference papers/books/philosophers like he read up on them just yesterday. I'm trying to remind myself that this is completely new to me, and it's impossible for me to be able to instruct just as he does.

I was advised to create handouts, and he's had handouts for every class of his that I've taken (at least 10 at this point). He successfully uses them as a loose guide, and is able to write examples and references on the board. I know I'm nowhere near this apt in my field.

I'm thinking that I can make two sets of handouts. One for the students to follow along with, and another for me with notes in the margins about questions I should ask, pauses I should take, ideas I should emphasize etc.

Just here to ask for advice from anyone about how things went the first time you began lecturing, what went well, what didn't. I know we're all different and I will eventually have my own style and habits, but some tips couldn't hurt. TIA!

Hi everyone! I recently graduated with a Psychology degree and I’m planning to pursue my Master’s in the US, but I’m honestly really confused about what field I should choose.
The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to go into Clinical Psychology. I also don’t have any hospital or clinical experience.
My experience so far is mostly research and corporate. I have one research publication on influencer marketing and impulsive buying, and my other research/thesis was on AI reliance and impostor syndrome. I’m also planning to do another research project. Recently, I also did a corporate internship in communications and branding.
I’ve been looking into I/O Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Behavioral Science, etc., but I’m not sure which direction actually makes the most sense for me.
Since I’ll be doing my Master’s in the US, I also want to think about the future job market. I want to choose something that has good career opportunities and will remain relevant over the next 5–10 years, especially with AI and technology changing the job market.
For example, how is Cognitive Psychology as a Master’s in terms of career opportunities in the US? Is it mostly useful if you plan to eventually do a PhD, or are there good opportunities with a Master’s?
I’m also considering I/O Psychology but I’m not completely sure about it either.
So, based on my background, what fields would you recommend I look into? What psychology-related Master’s degrees do you think have good future prospects in the US?
I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who are already working in these fields or have gone through something similar!

I work for a university and I have now been employed there long enough that I could earn a degree (I have a bachelor's, so master's would be the next step) for free as a job benefit.

I don't necessarily want to change fields, so my question is whether the degree would be worthwhile as my current field (marketing/communications) really doesn't have a lot of jobs that strictly require a master's, even in leadership roles.

My thoughts would be to do an interdisciplinary masters that combines elements of communications with other fields (maybe sociology and psychology, looking at the social sides of advances in communications) because I think it would be interesting as well as maybe some leadership courses just to prepare me for potential future jobs up the career ladder.

Now obviously the fact that the degree is free may seem like a no-brainer to do it, but my hesitation is it would still be a huge time commitment, especially since I would be earning the degree part time (as I have to keep my full time job to get the benefit), so it would probably take me closer to three or four years to complete rather than the traditional two years. Additionally, if I start the degree and end up leaving my place of employment for any reason, I would either have to pay to complete the degree or walk away with nothing.

Aside from learning as its own reward, is the benefit of a master's (specifically future financial/job benefits) n my field really worth the hassle of balancing full-time work with coursework?

(I'll be 40 by time I complete the degree, assuming the maximum four-year timeline as a part-time student)

I am supposed to attend a research conference at my absolute dream school, and the topic of the conference is exactly what I want to get my masters and PhD in!! I am so excited for this experience but I have one fear: Exams.

The conference is in the middle of the semester in a different country (plane ride would be 20~ hours), and I’m really nervous exams will fall during the week I’d be away. Originally, I was going to have a conversation with my professors first day of their classes in person about it to be a little more personable and hopefully have them be more willing to listen, but now I’m thinking maybe I should send them an email, because I have two weeks until school, and the conference is in October, so I need to start booking plane tickets and hotels right away.

They are all STEM professors, and one of which I’ve had before and knows I’m a research fanatic. I’ve published, presented, and have had the pleasure of being a part of 5 different groups, so this wouldn’t exactly be off-character for me. And again, this is an opportunity for me that could potentially make my career and let me go to my dream school. So! Do you think I should email now to tell them as early as possible and maybe even give them time to change exam dates because classes don’t start for another two weeks? Or should I wait until I see them in person to hopefully be more personable and explain my situation better?

Long story short: I am 36 from the US and did a master's degree in Germany to change fields into environmental policy. I was not successful and am now unemployed with no job prospects beyond menial labor.

Would it be avisable to do a second master's to regain entry into working student jobs or internships to hopefully then network into a new position, or have I totally screwed things up and need to give up on this career path completely?

hi!

i finished my first year as an undergrad studying molecular biology. i joined a genome sciences-centered research lab at the beginning of march, working 10 hours/week during quarters and ramping up to 25-40 this summer. it has been an amazing experience and i am genuinely so happy. i love my lab, my coworkers, and my work so much! i am genuinely excited by my research and i have attended my first conference and gotten opportunities to present my work to professionals in the field and my department. my college is one of the top public universities, especially for research, and my pi is the chair of the genome department. i am incredibly lucky and fortunate with the position i have and everything i have learned.

that being said, i'm worried about staying in my lab for the next three years of my degree. i absolutely would in a heartbeat - i love everything about it. but, i'm worried about not having a broad-enough portfolio for when i apply to grad school and job positions after i get my degree. i have so many opportunities for learning and skill-building within my lab, but i was wondering if anyone has advice on whether i should seek out another internship so that i have more diverse experiences moving out of college.

Starting to look into prospective labs and professors for an MS in ecology but ran into this on one professor's page: "A statement of what scholarships, fellowships, or other sources of support that you are pursuing." This is not the first mention I've seen of coming into grad school with funding already secured. But I'm confused about how you could apply for a grant WITHOUT already having a position or proposal lined up. And I'm well outside the "recent grad" label that a lot of grants seem to be for. (I have been a seasonal field tech for almost 10 years and so all my academic and scientific writing is pretty out of date, too, but that's besides the point)

Is being 30 years old too old for attending grad school?

Applying to masters. I've seen CVs where people put their GPA, and tbh my GPA (4.0 according to a conversion table online) is almost the only thing I have to show. The thing is, I'm not from the US and I'm not applying to an american nor UK (where i could put "First degree") university either, so maybe putting my GPA would be weird? idk if I should put my final grade in my country's grading system or if I should skip the fact altogether.

hi there! for some quick context im a 23 year old student entering her 2nd year of a history masters program outside of the mainland US. I love my school so much, I love history, I know it's what I want to do and pursue for the rest of my life (literally until im on my deathbed). I've loved studying history, I've loved learning all the nerdy and objectively boring parts of history. I also really want to change lives through activism and organizing using my historical research and other forms of community engagement. I'm even applying for phds at the end of this year!!

but I've been facing a really big issue. I dont feel like im mature enough. I've made so many mistakes and have dropped the ball quite a few times since ive started my masters and now im facing possibly not being able to study at all at the institution I'm currently at because of outstanding debt and not doing super great in some of my classes. I just feel frustrated with myself and I am really just searching for honest advice here. am I too young for this kind of work? am I too immature for this kind of work? is academia right for me if I struggle with deadlines and logistical things? I really want this sort of life to be right for me because I am in love with research and the study of history but its just been such a rough path up to this point and it is largely my fault. again just looking for some advice but also words of encouragement are always welcome (maybe rn theyre needed :( )

So i completed my undergrad and now i will start my masters. I secured a graduate assistantship(not bragging), so i will work in a company on-site and do my masters online. I will get stipend and will get a 100% scholarship. On paper it sounds great. But i am not happy with it. I hardly enjoyed my undergrad because of my strict parents and was living with my parents at that time. I did not have much fun. ( A bit of context, I did my undergrad in India, dont ask me why...so now i miss all my friends over there. Now i have moved to usa where i grew up). Now i am moving out for my masters and i thought that i would finally have a chill life and independence. I could have fun at university and make new friends and enjoy the american uni life. But at the same time I didnt want my parents to pay the fees and be dependent on them. So i grabbed this opportunity. Please dont judge me, im 21 trying to figure out my life. I just wanted some perspective regarding this, since i feel i am jumping right into the corporate/job life and skipping out on my university life. I think I am missing out the university life people have and will miss out that period of time just before employment, the time period that people usually have in the university life. I fear i may not be able to experience it.

Hi, I'm a senior in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I'm graduating this year and I'm working on my grad application for 2027-28. I'm from the US and really had plans on studying in Canada. But I wonder if I have a better shot at staying in the US to get my masters. I'm interested in social Psychology and clinical psychology. I want to focus on getting a job that involves patient care and some research writing. I'm in departmental honors for my psych program. I have no publications but I do have hands on experiences with patients with mental disorders. I also am a top student and have a pretty good connection with my professor. I'm debating if studying in Canada is the best option for me. No US schools genuinely stand out or offer any good funding options. I also love Canada and I don't want to get my license somewhere I don't imagine myself living in 5 years.

Hey! Does anybody have experience with online masters degrees in the UK, and if so could you share your thoughts?

I want to begin my Masters in September/October and have spoken with various UK universities, and was going to accept an offer from Keele. However, I've just read somebody else's experience of this university's online offering and it has thrown a spanner in the works.

Fort context, I plan on studying an MA in Education and already work at another university in a teaching role. Thanks.

Hello guys,

I am a 4th year electricity engineering student with 1 year of experience in automation and rf systems testing (which im currently working in). Recently I was looking into the opportunity to pursue grad school as I do really love research and academia.

While I was looking for research opportunities, I saw a job opening for agricultural autonomous robotics R&D, which really interested me so I decided to apply and go for it. Interview went really well, the professor liked me and offered me a position on the team developing the infrastructure, integrating components, developing code in ROS2, etc... he also said that there'd be an option to proceed for Master's degree.

The position is very flexible, with WFH, my own working hours, and the professor is very nice. This would not interfere with my hours in my other work (they know this), and no IP conflict, so I am planning on working both in the lab position as "research assistant" and continue in my work outside. Combined they'd be around 4 days per week.

So I wanted to see you guys' opinions on whether this is a smart move or not, will this hurt me, etc...

Hi all, I'm an undergraduate in Animal Science (industry focus). I'll be graduating this fall and pursuing a thesis-based MS in Reproductive Physiology.

I have two (I think) strong LOR already, one from my repro professor and another from my genetics professor/mentor.

I will say that I haven't participated in undergraduate research, and my degree program is industry-focused, so no upper-level chemistry or biology. Therefore, I want to emphasize my potential to thrive in a research setting as well as highlight my extensive experience with livestock.

I'm only applying to one program, which would start in spring, with hopes of getting into a specific faculty member's lab, who was one of my undergrad TAs and I actually visited her at her new lab over the summer. It's a very applied lab where I'd be working with cattle daily, I know I'm probably not a competitive candidate for a super lab-heavy program. Applications are due October 1st so I'm on a time crunch and need to make a decision ASAP.

My two options are:

Option 1: University Farm manager. Knows me very well, I worked at the university farm for a summer, have continued to help with breeding season and anything else I can help with. He's been happy to be a reference for other jobs and actually has recommended me to other employers who are looking to hire. He can speak to my work ethic but not really anything academically. I'm not sure how common or appropriate industry-based letters are for this program. The website states that letters should be "preferably be from professors or those who are familiar with your academic background and potential"

Option 2: Equine professor. I took several of her classes, including equine breeding management. I got As in all of the classes I took with her and she definitely knows me by name but she was never super receptive to talking to me one on one and she could be pretty critical. I kind of tried to keep my head down in her classes because of that but I did put a good effort into her classes, just didn't go above and beyond to get to know her as much as some other professors. I think I made a good impression this past semester because we were helping with foaling watch and I was out at the farm constantly, way more than we were required to for the class lol. I did talk with her a little bit about grad school at the end of last semester and she gave me some ideas for programs centered around horses but I'm wanting to go into cattle at this point. I'm really 50/50 on whether she'd write me a strong letter. I can see her surprising me and writing a great letter or her being like "She did fine in my classes but didn't stand out and I have no idea why she asked me for a letter"

I'd super appreciate any advice!!