[Author's note: The online tutor demonize groups of graduate school also has many misconceptions. In fact, graduate school tuition is not to exchange with you a diploma. Throughout mentor, have a great responsibility and pressure. (The author is himself - Ma Zhen) This article reflects the tutor voice (anxiety), and called for graduate students - seriously graduate, graduate; or does not do, to do well; happiness is out of the struggle. This article was published in 2018 by the first six "students" magazine. ]
In the eyes of the research group of graduate students, I was insecure men - always urge students to do experiments, write papers, do not let the students go out to practice, review English abroad. Sometimes I will be convened in the evening graduate on "collective reflection will." I often say to students, standing in front of you understand this "higher animals" anxiety will help you and the teacher in unison, the successful completion of their studies!
Graduate half-hearted anxiety
I encountered this kind of fear students: as used in class came to the school as undergraduates, participate in community activities; often leave after scientific research, laboratory evenings and weekends do not come; do not test, do not write papers, handed pool to end it passed to the tutor; once published journal articles "enough graduation," the proposed outside of campus, not in time writing his thesis ......
You know, now stark reality is: September into graduate school, the first school year to school, third year looking for work, early April must pay thesis. In two and a half time both in class and do experiments, but also to meet the graduation requirements issued by SCI papers, write thesis, and find a good job, time is very tight. In recent years, our department every year many students will not graduate or get a degree certificate.
Faced with this reality, I can not anxiety it?
Some people might say: "Students will not graduate students things they do not need to have to suffer the advisor, president of natural memory.." But in fact, not as research students with undergraduate teaching laboratory, students come and do experiments, teacher to earn a "work points", no matter what the student has done, teachers are not responsible. At least I, as a mentor, a huge sense of responsibility, hope to have a normal graduate student academic progress. I do not want them usually do not work hard, the eve of graduation Liangshouyitan or threaten to jump, they do not want to graduate because there is no issue of SCI papers and no degree certificate, find work also led to "yellow" was.
On the other hand, due to the enrollment of tension, limited manpower research group, and I hope useful to recruit graduate students, and the research group as a whole rather than doing tasks (research) has nothing to do. Recruited a student came, he made outside of campus for a while, a moment that you want to review the IELTS, research progress is not satisfactory, I happy? You like to work in a bank, you said to the manager wanted to study abroad, wanted to use work time to review the TOEFL, GRE, managers will agree?
Anxiety can not get research projects
I do not like doing graduate studies and nothing to do, but also because instructors have tremendous pressure to survive.
Will not graduate with research funding into research group, with their own money to do research. The school does not give instructors provide matching funds. Instead, instructors need to provide graduate students to do the required research space, equipment, reagents, consumables, test fees, but also to send graduate research grants (even Kenichi students still in school, Kenzo students are busy looking for work), pay to the school doctor - training costs, and even to send graduate thesis award.
So, the money come from? Teachers came to the school are start-up funds, but with limited start-up funds, often spent over soon. In order to continue the normal operation of the research group, the teacher must constantly apply for research projects. Even the old teachers have to apply for, otherwise, they can teach, do administrative work, no money to do the experiment.
Very hard to apply scientific research projects, competition is fierce - the National Natural Science Foundation project application hitting only 20% to 25%. To do this, I need to read a lot of literature, seventy-eight hours sitting in front of a computer brains conceived project proposals in the winter every day, write "It was fast spit."
But the problem is, people not only to look at the project evaluation project application is well written, but also the research group has no good qualifications and record the results. Therefore, in order to apply for research projects (in order to allow students to graduate), I need to continue to lead the students to do experiments, results, send papers. Even if an application to the research, we can not stop, because the project needs to successfully concluding, teachers also need new research to apply for the next project.
A few years ago, the National Zirankexue fund only 15% of project funds can be used to send students to research grants, that is a project funded amount of $ 800,000, only 120,000 yuan can be distributed to students, which only last six graduate research group year and a half "livelihood." When stretched, I even without telling his wife, spend part of wages and year-end awards to the students. Sometimes, I have fear of travel fatigue, go out to participate in the assessment, lecture, the earned money to the students.
Pressure to survive teacher is also that the department will assess each year for teachers, and the calculated "work points" and ranked inform each and every teacher. Virtually, a teacher in the department of "status" and how to get research funding, the number of published papers are closely related. In our department, some teachers to instill obedience tube student, graduate student trying to do the experiment, a steady stream of papers out of project funds at all to worry about.
The comparison between the face of such pressure to survive and colleagues, I would like to see their students to do research as a trifling matter, you say that I am not anxious anxious?
Anxiety own many things, time is tight
People know the truth always thought that the teacher per week twenty-three course very easy. But in fact, the teacher's working pressure is very great. Often in the morning turn on the computer, I received several e-mail - academic journal editors invite reviewers, department leader hurried finishing instruments, the students sent me the manuscript, Department office staff let fill in forms ...... but also class, lesson planning, guiding graduate students to apply for research projects, writing papers and participating in conferences, doing all kinds of chores ......
Take a typical day, for example, February 26, 2016, from morning to night I did a few things in order: 1) review article entitled "Chinese Journal of Catalysis" draft; Thesis 2) change Kobayashi; 3) discussions with Wang; 4) modify an article entitled "Science and Technology" manuscript; 5) change Trevor's master's thesis; 6) the trial another article, "Journal of catalysis" draft; 7) lesson planning. Dry everything, must be operating at full capacity, it will not delay the next item. Many times, I sit in the office for several hours, the work was done, people have been exhausted.
To a Good course, it is not so simple. Especially in the beginning on a course, you need to look at more than a dozen of these General textbooks and reference books, full set of courseware design (PPT), a compilation assisted learning materials, have to learn advanced teaching methods, lesson preparation time is often several times the class time . The busiest time, my three courses a semester, noon and after class, eating bread in the office to continue to prepare lessons.
Work has been busy enough, family, life makes things even more anxious. Monday to Friday, I have to spend two hours a day in their kids up and down the class. In order to "recover lost time," I always put the child back home in the afternoon, drove to school rush. Weekend, I sent the children English classes, after dancing classes, sitting in front of the training institutions read books and newspapers. Many weekend, I went to Yuemu Jia drove his wife and daughter, then drove back to the office to work overtime until they pick up their dinner and then go home.
I'm just a mortal, life has a leg to stand. If students usually do not work hard, pay the test report is not timely to me, do not write the write papers, the deadline to submit the thesis of a few days ago suddenly plug over a bear to read what's thesis, I can not catch you mad?
I only hope that students can seriously graduate, graduate
"I'm not 'Zhou Papi'. I am not beg you to stay with my PhD, nor count on you to be Chinese Academy of Sciences, but the way we should, as a graduate student graduate school!" In a new graduate students and mentors will meet , I uttered a cry.
These words only vaguely revealing my anxiety, but also declared the idea - I just want to graduate in accordance with the training program, step by step, concentrate on completion of the course learning, literature research, do research, write research papers, thesis writing, reply. In short, "serious graduate school, graduate."
To this end, I did a "wicked." Students have proposed pumping every 3 to 4 days a week outside of campus, I flatly refused. There is a two-year professional degree students think the first year after a review into the school TOEFL, GRE, I do not agree, I let her first lesson Shanghao, to do the experiment. I also asked students to plan ahead, half a year before graduation began writing his thesis. In this regard, once they did not understand, that I was too strict. But in fact, so I ask students, is made in the context of the situation in both internal and external pressure Alexander "best solution."
Ensure that they can graduate after me before allowing them to participate in research internships at two liters Kenzo summer, while three o'clock graduate school to complete their studies, while looking for work, trainee. And some of their students to pay thesis on the eve of burning the midnight oil, but also because some people unable to pay thesis, dissertation blind trial did not pass and will not graduate.
Since 2011, I am an independent guide doctoral six, seven graduate students, doctoral students and other teachers of the Joint Steering 2. I directed a total of 13 people received the national graduate scholarships for outstanding students of Fudan University, Fudan University, the title of outstanding graduates. Want to go to college after graduation, Dr. directly into the Shanghai university lecturer. Want to go abroad, I strongly recommend going in a dozen universities in the world. Companies want to go, into the world's "Top 500" companies, large listed company and well-known foreign companies.
They looked away in the back, I had a kind of sense of relief. But soon, a new round of anxiety and struggle began ......
