When you're facing a problem, you may feel like you're completely alone, like no one could have ever had a concern like yours before.
Here, we provide examples of real issues (disguised to protect privacy) that real graduate students have raised over the past several years. These issues would not necessarily be problems for all students, and they don't necessarily violate standard policies, but show the types of issues that resource people on campus are experienced in dealing with.
Concern
I worked really hard in one of my core courses, but only a received a B. What should I do to get my grade raised?
Concern
I'm very stressed out about working with my advisor, who gives me inconsistent and overly detailed instructions, doesn't appreciate my contributions and doesn't give me enough time.
Concern
My advisor left Carnegie Mellon to make big bucks in Silicon Valley/on Wall Street/at another university.
Concern
I just found out I'm pregnant, and don't know how or when to tell my advisor.
Concern
I've been working very hard on a project with my advisor, and we're about to put in a patent application. I've done most of the work, so I want to ensure that my intellectual property is protected and that I get my fair share of the patent. How can I diplomatically negotiate this with my advisor? And, on a broader scale, is there someone I can talk to -- confidentially -- about these kinds of politically charged issues?
Concern
I'm at the end of my first year and just learned that I won't get my first choice of lab assignment next year. The department has offered me my second and third choices, but I am really not interested in the work they are doing. The explanation is that the PI is out of funding. But I know they are using department funds to support other (fourth and fifth) year students. If I don't get in now and the PI gets funding later and I want to switch, I could lose a whole year.
Concern
When I started my Ph.D. program, I planned to go into academia. But as I get closer to the completion of my degree, I realize that I want to work in industry. My advisor is very supportive of my change in career direction, but she doesn't have the connections in industry that she has in academia. In short, I have to build a whole new network to prepare myself for an industry job search. Where do I begin?
Concern
A faculty member who works in my lab finds frequent opportunity to touch me in subtle but unmistakably sexual ways. It makes me extremely uncomfortable and I find myself avoiding the lab because of it. I need to get my work done -- how do I handle this situation?
Sample concerns were taken from many sources, including graduate coordinators, faculty, administrators and the Graduate Times.