Source: The Atlantic
One half of graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. end up dropping out, and the likely reason for it is that the institutions themselves are driving students to the point of burning out, and offering very little support in the arduous process.
Ph.D. programs are ‘lonely’ and a site of pure critique from professors and peers, one expert maintains; for many students, this creates a sense of constant anxiety and mental distress. Faculty are not always available to help students and may even act in a dismissive manner, creating a sense of lacking communication between students and their professors.
In a 2011 survey conducted by the University of Texas at Austin across 26 major universities, 43 percent of students reported greater stress than they could handle; half of them reported feelings of stress as a ‘major concern’ and only six percent reported that they could turn to an advisor in a time of need.
Read full story at: The Atlantic