Life is full of mysteries and surprises. One day you are feeling down and the next you visualize all kinds of opportunities knocking at your door. When I listen to other students with great confidence and fluent speech, I can only wish to be like them, and struggle thinking that it will take me years … [Read more…]
Graduate studies and academia throughout Canada, and around the world, have been emphasizing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) work more lately. This is indisputable progress, even if the progress is not as quick or comprehensive as some of us might like. More frank discussions of the additional challenges faced by racialized, disabled, or other marginalized … [Read more…]
“Wow, you’re really confident.” People tell me I act with confidence but that never feels true. I don’t feel confident, but somehow I look confident from the outside. Inside, I grapple with imposter syndrome and a lot of social anxiety. Once upon a time, I decided to take the meaning of a common phrase associated … [Read more…]
When I first came to Canada, there was a lot of excitement and curiosity. There was so much I wanted to do, so much to discover, and so many expectations to fulfill. Little did I know that I’d be graduating in the middle of a worldwide pandemic! Heck, even today as I write this piece, … [Read more…]
(My puppy is helping me with my R code. He definitely makes the process less arduous). Frenemy: “A person who is or pretends to be a friend but who is also in some ways an enemy or rival.” (Merriam-Webster.com) When I was in high school, many of my friends were talented computer programmers. They went … [Read more…]
This is a common phrase in those romantic movies, when the handsome guy, super interested in the beautiful woman, wants to buy her dinner after work. “So… What are you doing after?” Well, I think we can agree that real life is way more complex, and I have been hearing this expression in a totally … [Read more…]
The School of Graduate Studies wishes everyone a safe and Happy Holidays! The graduate students’ blog will resume in January 2021.
Hello all! Thanks for allowing me to share my experience with you. I will tell you my story, maybe you will feel somehow identified. I always wanted to pursue a graduate degree. As a kid I preferred to go looking for new evidence in nature instead of playing during school recess. I dreamed of joining … [Read more…]
Imposter syndrome affects everyone. We fear we know little about what we are passionate about, devalue our knowledge, and believe we are worth less than others. For myself, I became recluse and scared to participate in anything. My imposter voice told me to keep quiet, and I isolated myself. I want to share with new … [Read more…]
Hello fellow grad students! A couple months into the 2nd year of my PhD in Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology here, in many ways it feels like I’ve just started. The global pandemic may not have struck Newfoundland quite as intensely as it has elsewhere in the world, but it’s definitely disrupted productivity here as well. … [Read more…]