So I'll explain my self briefly, I've just finished my first semester in my undergrad program and my goal is to move on to masters in the US in Stanford or near that area.  So obviously grades are very important and here's the problem, I'm putting the hours in throughout all the semester (easily 10 hours a day, sometimes longer) and I don't have  issues with understanding nor with executing what was learned but come the day of the exam and I do TERRIBLY and I can't explain why, I don't know whether it's because of stress  or something else and I feel lost as everyone I score a B instead of an A I feel like my grad school goal is only getting further away from me.  I'd appreciate any tips or ideas with how to deal with this. I'm currently retaking all the tests to improve my grades but it's exhausting because the material is not the problem...  In case it matters, I'm talking about computer science.  if the title is inappropriate please let me know how to change it   Thank you  Edit: my topic is different from the one  mwhombat linked to because where I live you don't get to pick your courses I can't focus on project based courses some have then but most don't so I HAVE to get better at test taking
123847
So I am gradute student in theoretical computer science.   Throughout my education path up to highschool, I have all been praised a big lot by my teachers, some of them even went to such lengths as to say I was the most intelligent student they have ever taught. By dint of all that, I took it for granted that I must be cleverer than average and before I noticed, I might have gotten on a very high horse.  Then I got into college, and things started getting harder. The higher the horse, the bigger and harder the fall. So my grades stopped being close to full score, but not bad at all. Until I decided that I wanted to do a PhD later, and for that, I have to get very good marks and hope to get a scholarship.  Ever since, at the dawn of every test/exam, as opposed to the relaxed and cool mindset I'd be in before, I get very, very, VERY anxious and very flustered, either out of fear that I run out of time (because of a lived experience), or of not having the answer. That anxiousness would get lifted immeditely when time is up, and on my way back home, all answers or most of them, would start flowing in my head.  Only this morning, I had a test which I failed like never before. I quickly glossed over problems one by one in order, my mind would go blank for a few seconds, then I would deciddeto move on to the next problem and that it is no use wasting time on this one (because I wasn"'t going to find a solution), and that for every exercise. It is for a reason I say I failed today's like never before because I literally could do nothing; my mind was paralyzed and started weating and how I was going to not get to what I want to (PhD). But as soon as I got home and sat down for a few minutes, I solved prefectly 5 problems out 7  in 30 minutes (the test was to do within 90 minutes).  I was one of the most confident people in themselves before, but now I lost every bit of that confidence and wouldn't stop thinking I'm too dumb to make it. I have been struggling with this for two years now, and after today's huge blow, I decided to take to the internet and this board in order to try and find a solution. Chances are Academia is not the right board to ask this question in, but it must be the closest to that out of all other SE boards.  What can I do about my test taking so that my scores are more reflective of my natural ability?
82587
So here's a funny thing: I have 3 Fs and 1 D on my transcript, but my GPA is ~3.8, which is "high" because I double majored in math and computer science. The reason for those 4 bad grades is that I had 2 bad semesters where I suffered from depression; I didn't drop the classes before the deadline so I ended up failing the classes. However I retook the classes and got As in them (hence my GPA), and in fact got A/A-s in all subsequent classes (quite an improvement). I plan to apply to a master's for computer science, and eventually a phd. However I know the admission officers eyes will bleed when they see my transcript, despite my GPA, because my school keeps ALL grades on transcripts, even if the grades were replaced by retaking classes. Do I still have a chance at top-10 graduate school for computer science even with these grades (which were retaken and then aced)?
115496
I finished my undergraduate degree in mathematics about two years ago, and started a master's program last year. Now that I am about half way through the MS program, I am convinced that I want to get into a doctoral program. I was admitted to the master's program based upon very strong recommendations from respected scientists at the university where my undergraduate degree was obtained.    The MS program I am attending is at a small, noncompetitive institution. I am thinking that recommendation letters from this school would not be as meaningful. Also, based upon the limited scope of the research being conducted here, and my limited capacity to participate, I fear that letters from these professors might not be as strongly worded.  It is my intention to apply to several programs starting in December of this year. My question is this: Is it unreasonable to ask for my old references to "re-send" their letters of recommendation, almost 3 years after my association with them has concluded? Would it seem peculiar to the admissions board if all of my recommendation letters came from a school other than the one where I (will) have completed my MS?
99895
I  am a PhD student in Mathematics. I have found one advisor in my local University who does not know my research field at all, but  has allowed me to choose my own problems and solve them independently. Initially, I was quite happy as I didn't need to switch places (which I don't want at all). The problem started when my advisor could not assist me in solving the problems I chose. It even happened that I chose a problem to work on and when I told him about it, he said that's an excellent problem and I should solve it.Later on after meeting another professor  in this field he told me that it has been solved long before and hence I had no point working on that again. He does listen to me when I say something about the problems but fails to give me any critical feedback in my topic. I searched the web but there are so many directions of the topic I am working on, I am feeling puzzled which way to go. Moreover there is no research group existing in this field in my local University with whom I can discuss or get some inputs abut my problems. I am unable to answer the following questions of mine which is affecting my research considerably:  1.Has my decision to stay in my hometown and not go to reputed institutes and talking to experienced professors backfired on me? How can I come out of this situation? 2.Is  PhD done in this way only without any help from anyone ?At least my advisor says so.  Any comments/advice will be helpful.
38939
I am planning to take a break from industry (software) and want to work under a professor/lab on a research project for 3-6 months, computer science/computing related. I was wondering if people could give me some advice on how to go about achieving this arrangement - success tips, what not to do and the feasibility of this whole endeavour.  I'm in my late 20s. Went to a good UK school and got a decent GPA. I got what is known as an undergraduate masters (MEng), which for all intents and purposes is a BSc + MSc. I regret never undertaking a summer UROP placement while doing my undergrad. I've often wondered about doing a PhD (I kinda always thought I would) and this would be one way to get some kind of feel of what it might be like. Who knows maybe I will change my career and move into research.  I have some potential projects (though still a little vague) that I would like to work on, but I am also looking for existing projects that sound interesting to contribute to. My current plan is to reach out to professors that seem like a good fit with my research interests (by scouring their academic pages and published work). I'm yet to reach out to anyone. Actually that's a good question - would I have more luck joining an existing research project or proposing my own?  This potential opportunity is unlikely to happen again - I currently do not have too many responsibilities e.g. kids, a mortgage, etc. That and the window for me doing something like this is shrinking all the time. I want to make the most of it by going to go to what is considered a competitive school (not that I'm applying for a programme per se).   I also want to sample US university life (I have a degree from the UK), go to a new city and meet some new people.   What I hope works in my favour is I have the money to entirely fund myself - I've been working in the tech indusry for the last half decade. Hopefully this means I don't have to work within the confines of the academic calendar nor compete for funding. I am concerned about the legality of working for free - I have seen .  I understand what I am trying to do may be a little unorthodox, but if I was a professor, and there was an enthusiastic individual who has a decent academics and willing to give up 6 figures for a chance to work on something interesting to us both, then I'd like to meet them. Of course I'm nothing special and I could be a hindrance, but hopefully my work experience, previous academics and genuine interest abate these concerns. To academics reading this, imagine if it was you I contacted asking for this opportunity, what would make you consider me?  Anyway, if people could give me some kind of assurance if what I want to do is not out of the question (or let me know it is), along with some pointers on how to be successful in finding a position.  Really appreciate it, Thomas
110779
I was fortunate enough to get a position as a researcher for the Mayo Clinic's SURF Program this year. My PI's lab focus is on the the immune system's role in CNS axonal and neuronal injury, specifically through the lens of how innate and adaptive immune effectors interact w/ infected neurons.  Although I do research under a professor at my college and I volunteered for a state university lab during the previous summer, this is my first REU/SURF opportunity, and I REALLY want to make a good impression. Here are my questions:  What are the do's and don't's in terms of being a skilled and efficient researcher?  Since I am still an undergrad, I know that I will be a less useful asset to the lab than a grad student or post-doc, but what can I do as an undergrad to not burden my colleagues and PI?  Thank you all for your help! Wishing you all the very best!
2959
I am 33. I live in the US. I am a neither a US citizen, nor a green card holder. I have worked in various jobs as a research assistant (physics, biology, economics) usually involving programming, mathematics or statistics.  As a newly minted undergraduate, I didn't really have much confidence in myself and I completely ruled out graduate school as pointless.  I didn't think of myself as smart enough.  I drifted into working in labs, because those are some of the easiest ones for which one can get a work permit in the US as a non-American.  Having worked in academia for a while now, I've had a chance to leap into various fields and help build solutions to complex problems.  I think I have literally gone as far as I can go researching in academia with no higher degree.  I work at one of the top universities in the world.  (If you looked at US News rankings or the Academic Ranking of World Universities, it's in the top 5.)  Lately, I've been thinking about applying for graduate school.  I do have a few papers in various fields.  I'm thinking of a PhD in either pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics or computer science.   I see two big minuses to applying to graduate school:   Most people applying are more than a decade younger than I am.  (Alas, more than a few gray hairs have made an appearance in recent years.) Perhaps my achievements would look good for someone younger, but partially my achievements are the result of a long career rather than any special brilliance. So, I wonder how my record will be perceived.  I did take GRE and I scored 800 quantitative, 800 verbal and a 5 on the essay.  (I would most likely have to do a GRE subject test depending on what field I ultimately decided.)   Please advise on how accomplished, but older candidates, are viewed in the graduate school application process.
96589
Hi I am a perfectionist electrical and electronics student who struggles with studying because I cannot focus on the subject or context as I cannot let go of the questions or details that trouble me. I always feel like I must be an expert regarding the subject and be able to answer all the questions that one might raise no matter how stupid or unrelated those questions are. That is why I am not academically successful and satisfied. What mindset should I adopt to overcome this situation? I feel totally frustrated and hopeless. I tried out psychological help but it keeps coming over and over.
81478
Here is my case, before I studied my master´s degree I managed to write a research paper jointly with a Professor (not from my university) on databases. After that I pursue my master´s degree in CS, but on neural networks rather than databases. The thing is that I would like to do my PhD in databases with the professor I wrote the research paper with. Do you think that I can have problems with the admission committee? I would not like to go to study a PhD without any financial support at all.
56413
I am applying for a master's program in the US and am not sure how I should present my GPA ethically when discussing it. I have an undergrad total GPA of 3.394 and when asked to put in my undergrad GPA it only gives room for 2 digits and nothing more. EX: 3.0. Can I round up my GPA since it's so close to 3.4, or would this be unethical and I should round down to 3.3?  To make this as general as possible: How should one round their GPA when only 2 digits are accepted, and they're less than .05 away from the next digit?
26098
Are students allowed to complete a large portion of their research independently, then enroll in a PhD program, apply for a defense panel within the first semester, and quickly finish the thesis? Has this been done before?  Update: Question trimmed. I'm looking for an answer whether students can be admitted with much prior work on the thesis already complete, to finish in a short time (perhaps one year fix and improve the work), and whether there are real examples of people who did this. I not asking whether I myself am personally capable of completing this prior work to sufficient quality.
10808
I'm currently an M. Phil student in Math and I failed a course last semester because I was not able to hand in a home work assignment (which was worth 40% of my grade) on time (I was 30 minutes late).   Apart from that I'd say I'm a fairly decent student, I got an upper second class honours bachelors degree, I have a B+ and A's for all my other courses in my current programme and I'm almost finished with my first paper to be published.   I've however been deeply worried about this failure as it would reflect poorly on my transcript if I were to apply to a Ph.D or another Master's programme.   Will my failing grade affect my chances of getting into a competitive programme or greatly lower my chances of getting a scholarship?
74567
I recently read on stack overflow that getting two PhDs just shows that you're unfocused and you don't know what you want to do. However, I'm at a small school with a 5 year Computer Engineering bachelors/masters program I feel like I should take advantage of, but I'd also like to go on to do another part time grad degree in the same field or Computer Science at a larger, better established school, while I work.   If I went to a larger school like University of Illnois or MIT or similar, will having a masters and going back for another be frowned upon, or is this a non-issue?
22950
I've been told by numerous people that (1) my undergraduate university will be disinclined to bring me on as a graduate student, and that (2) it's a bad idea to attend grad school where you completed your undergraduate degree, anyway.  Is that true? If so, why?
66452
I can't help but notice that even in CS, professors' websites are almost always difficult to navigate, poorly-organized, and just generally hard to look at (poorly-tiled backgrounds, inconsistent fonts, etc.).  Why is this? Is it expected of academics? I'll be applying to graduate programs in the Fall and took a few hours to update my personal website, and was outright told by a professor that it was "too much". If I have a "fancy-looking" website, will this reflect negatively on me as an applicant?
113291
I'm applying for research-based Masters in Oceanography. So far, I've lined up advisors at University of Massachusetts (an intercampus program), South Florida, Georgia, and New Hampshire.  According to ,they are in top 150 globally for oceanography. Moreover, my current work supervisor says 3/4 are well-known.  I've also been talking to a UCSD prof. He told me he is unsure if he will be taking on students but is more inclined to accept a PhD student (since they'd be with him longer). I would really like to go to UCSD for my PhD.  Will going to a lower ranked MS have a big effect on PhD applications?  What can I do to distinguish myself in PhD application 1.5 or 2 years from now should the MS be low rank?
14866
I'm considering a PhD or Master's in engineering in the US, and I haven't really decided which makes the most sense for me. There are many questions and answers here that mention leaving a PhD program with a Master's and how it's not a "failure" or "dropping out", but it occurs to me: what effect does this have on a person's adviser/professors?   What about references, future relationships, etc? Is it taken negatively or as an insult, or cutting ties, to bow out with the lower degree?  What prompted this question is that a few programs that most interest me state explicitly that there is very little funding available for Masters students (so you are mostly expected to pay your own way), but full funding and additional opportunities are available for those admitted to a PhD program. The way they are worded, they seem extremely interested in good PhD candidates, and not at all interested in Masters students.  I'm not considering seeking a PhD solely to get a Masters/funding, because that's just outright dishonest and I wouldn't stomach such deceit. But, what might the ethics be of not being certain whether you want a PhD or a Masters, but applying for a PhD program?   If one's adviser and/or program and/or professors are explicitly harmed by having someone complete their Masters requirements, then I'd be much more hesitant to even consider a PhD application unless I was certain that's what I wanted. If being unsure is considered normal and the "harm" caused by bowing out of the program with a Masters not so great, then that would certainly ease things the other direction.  To be clear, these departments also specifically suggest you pick Masters OR PhD, and generally discourage you from applying to both. Thus my quandary!