As those of us who have gone through such an experience are well aware, for a number of people graduate school can be a long, lonely experience at times. Hours upon hours of reading, writing, grading, researching, rereading, rewriting, further grading and more researching is largely the norm. At times, such a routine can be engaging and rewarding. At other moments, such a journey feels like an endless cycle of drudgery, and possible futility. A person can easily feel that he has run up against a brick wall, been driven down a dead end road, or are locked in a room without walls surrounded by a blinding level of whiteness.
The recent report released by graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley confirms that life for a notable segment of graduate students is one filled with stress and anxiety. In a sample of 790 graduate students polled, 47% of Ph.D. students fell into the depressed category as opposed to 37% of their masters students. Among doctoral students, depression was greatest among those in the humanities and social sciences at 64%. This percentage was notably higher than those students in biological and physical sciences, 43-46%; the social sciences, 34%; and business, 28%.
Researchers also found several factors that shed a light on how graduate students view their lives:
· Career prospects
· Academic engagement
· Social support
· Academic progress and preparation
