I had a small group of doc students over to my house last night...

[Writer]

seriously, what's wrong with some people? Constantly talking about others behind their backs, judging everyone else's behavior, breaking down everyone psychologically... ick. Hearing constant discussion of "Who doesn't like whom" and "Who associates with whom". And that a particular professor can be "a bitch."

I've been dealing with my own insecurities lately, but after my party, I'm feeling that I'm doing relatively okay compared to the neuroses of my fellow students.

BTW... We're NOT in psychology. :P

((Shrugs her shoulders))

~Writer~

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. they are human beings. all human beings gossip. doctoral students are no exception

[Writer]

2. I don't know if that's something that's an expected occurrence, though.

I've certainly been to parties where people were polite to one another... and polite about one another. To me it sounded more Payton Place than collegial.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. i have found thats what people do more in small parties when there is nothing else to do

than in larger settings with more entertainment etc

[old mark]

4. Many years ago, I used to drink a lot of beer with some doc students.

I found many to be quite humorous, sometimes on purpose! (They were math and science types, though - nothing like a half drunk mathmatician....)

Wait till you all become professors - the fun never ends.

mark

[Writer]

5. There have been moments like that since I've started the program...

but there is a dearth of collegial behavior in our department. Between professors and doc students, and doc students between each other. It's quite poisonous, actually.

I just want to drink and laugh, too. :)

[old mark]

9. My late mother in law was a PhD/professor and she really did not like the

politics of it. Of course she was no day at the beach, either....
Good luck and I hope you find a good mix of interesting people.

mark

[Ikonoklast]

6. Get any three people together, of any kind, anywhere.

Minimum of three, you can up the number from there.

When one of them leaves the room for a minute, the other two will talk about them.

You describe human behavior.

[rug]

7. Well, the Lounge is the perfect place to ask these questions.

[Writer]

8. I know! Their perspectives are on par with Dr. Phil.

:P

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

10. That is common in graduate and PH.D. programs

There is only so much brown nosing you can do and everybody is trying to outshine each other for the grants, kudos, recognition. It's like a snake pit. Been there done that. Don't take it personally but get ready to sharpen your teeth/tongue. If you shrug your shoulders, do it at your own peril.

It's a cut throat world in academics.

[Writer]

11. Then I need to think of new career paths post-PhD.

I am not designed to deal with cutthroat behavior, or with a poisonous atmosphere.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

12. This kind of shit behavior

was confined to graduate school. Once you get out of that boiler room and the kill or be killed atmosphere, it's only a valley ball game with your peers.

[Writer]

14. Oh... well in that case, I am old enough to know that my prof's are my best support network.

There's enough nasty talk that I can't help but identify the deep insecurities in my fellow students (including my own, of course). One third year is so bad about backtalk that I wonder if she has taken a moment to consider that it has damaged her reputation in the process. After this year, I have only one semester left of coursework, then I will enter my comps/dissertation process. I am very directed in my area of specialization. So isn't that all that matters?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

16. That is all that matters

and the less attention you pay to the drama queens/kings along the way, the better off you'll be. Pick a mentor in your department and steer clear of all the drama and bullshit your fellow students are entertaining themselves with.

[Call Me Wesley]

13. There's a Ph. D. in Facebooking?

Who knew! :rofl: Must be really new ...

[Writer]

15. LOL... actually, you know what?

"Facebooking" is a topic in many students' and professors' papers in my department.

[Taitertots]

17. Great Minds Discuss Ideas;

Average Minds Discuss Events; Small Minds Discuss People.