Graduate School Is "Really Freaking Hard": Women's Experiences With Socialization in a Biology PhD Program

• In Event: Socialization and Cultures of Community in Doctoral Education

Abstract

In this institutional ethnography, we examined how women PhD student’s experiences in biology are coordinated through institutional processes and practices. We explored the everyday work of women PhD students to understand what challenges they experienced during their PhD. Findings suggested participants experienced challenges with managing multiple responsibilities to meet the demands of graduate school, received inconsistent feedback and advice, and dealt with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study contribute to expanding research on doctoral student socialization by identifying where challenges emerge for graduate students and how those challenges are coordinated. This study also emphasizes the need to explore the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduate student well-being, support, and academic progress.

Authors

• Ariel Steele, University of Minnesota

• Laura Parson, North Dakota State University