“I Made This One With My Tears”: 30 Memes That Perfectly Summarize What It’s Like To Be In Grad School

Enrolling in grad school sounds like a good idea in theory—with eyes full of ambition, individuals hope to expand their horizons, learn something new, and work on the competencies they already have, all of which is great. But it’s when one starts reaching those goals that reality kicks in in all its glory, often making them re-evaluate their decision.When said reality brings grad students to the ground, few things might seem funny—or everything does, depending on the stress levels—butmemeshave the power to cheer up a student, even one on the brink of quitting.Suchschool memes, dedicated to keeping people going and providing solace in the fact that they’re not facing grad school-evoked hardships alone, are often shared on the ‘Grad School Memes With Relatable Themes’ Facebook group.We have put some of their best posts on this list for you today, so scroll down to find them, and see what challenges grad students face on their day-to-day (or take a moment to unwind if you are one of them yourself).This post may includeaffiliate links.

When said reality brings grad students to the ground, few things might seem funny—or everything does, depending on the stress levels—butmemeshave the power to cheer up a student, even one on the brink of quitting.

Suchschool memes, dedicated to keeping people going and providing solace in the fact that they’re not facing grad school-evoked hardships alone, are often shared on the ‘Grad School Memes With Relatable Themes’ Facebook group.

We have put some of their best posts on this list for you today, so scroll down to find them, and see what challenges grad students face on their day-to-day (or take a moment to unwind if you are one of them yourself).

This post may includeaffiliate links.

I Wish I Had Thought Of This Years Ago

It Took Me 4 Years To Finish My Master’s Thesis Bc Of This

Naughtayy

The thing with grad school is that it’s fun before and after, rarely during. The joy of getting accepted and the anticipation of starting a new chapter can surely make one feel optimistic; so can successfully ending said chapter. However, in order to reach the finish line, the student typically has to spend countless hours and sleepless nights working towards their goal.But if grad school is nothing but torture, why would individuals choose to endure it, you might wonder? Well, needless to say, their reasons differ with each person, but experts believe that some are more valid than others.“A poor reason for someone to choose graduate education is because they loved undergrad and they want to continue being a consumer, rather than a generator, of knowledge,” the dean of the University of Washington Graduate School, Joy Williamson-Lott,told the U.S. News, pointing out that college students typically focus primarily on absorbing the existing information rather than conducting research and contributing to creating it, which is what grad students do.

But if grad school is nothing but torture, why would individuals choose to endure it, you might wonder? Well, needless to say, their reasons differ with each person, but experts believe that some are more valid than others.

“A poor reason for someone to choose graduate education is because they loved undergrad and they want to continue being a consumer, rather than a generator, of knowledge,” the dean of the University of Washington Graduate School, Joy Williamson-Lott,told the U.S. News, pointing out that college students typically focus primarily on absorbing the existing information rather than conducting research and contributing to creating it, which is what grad students do.

Relatable

Currently

Other poor reasons to start grad school, according to experts, include staying on the path of education just because a mentor said that one should or doing it for the sole purpose of seeking career exploration opportunities.However, as president emeritus at Missouri State University, Mike Nietzel, pointed out to the U.S. News, there are professions and occupations that not only favor candidates with a graduate degree, but require them to have one. “For individuals who are convinced and determined that this is what they want to do, not only is graduate school a good choice, it’s a necessary choice for them to pursue,” he said.

However, as president emeritus at Missouri State University, Mike Nietzel, pointed out to the U.S. News, there are professions and occupations that not only favor candidates with a graduate degree, but require them to have one. “For individuals who are convinced and determined that this is what they want to do, not only is graduate school a good choice, it’s a necessary choice for them to pursue,” he said.

Got Me

Go To Grad School They Said It’ll Be Fun They Said

Pure Gold

Roughly 86% of respondents chose their grad school based on quality and convenience, pointing out that the school’s prestige, its academic program, and flexible coursework all play important roles, too.

I Support This Wholeheartedly

Facts

I Was Definitely Not Doomscrolling When I Was Attacked This Way

When it comes to the list of schools to choose from, the top options really depend on the field of one’s interests. According to theU.S. News rankings, the top business schools, for instance, include the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania respectively.For those seeking a medical education, the top choices reportedly are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, or University of Pennsylvania, while for people interested in law-focused studies, it’s Stanford University, Yale University, and University of Chicago that comprise the top three.

For those seeking a medical education, the top choices reportedly are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, or University of Pennsylvania, while for people interested in law-focused studies, it’s Stanford University, Yale University, and University of Chicago that comprise the top three.

Hoping My Light Starts To Return After I Defend In 3 Weeks

Why It’s So Difficult To Write With Your Advisor

Remember: You Can Edit A Bad Paper, Not A Blank Page

For those willing to relocate and move cities or even countries, the global statistics of top universities propose two main destinations—the US and the UK. Based on theTimes Higher EducationWorld University Rankings 2024, seven out of ten of the world’s best universities are located in the former, while the remaining three are all in the latter country.The top five, according to the list, are University of Oxford (UK), Stanford University (US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), Harvard University (US), and University of Cambridge (UK).

The top five, according to the list, are University of Oxford (UK), Stanford University (US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), Harvard University (US), and University of Cambridge (UK).

Mine Is Definitely Finishing Me

I Am The Maker Of My Own Problems

Whenever I Have A Paper Due, I’m Suddenly Very Interested In Random And Completely Unrelated Things

Areport—though, a roughly 15-year-old one, which is important to note—found that when it comes to graduate degrees, women and men tend to opt for different directions.

For women, the number one was also Business Administration (11.4%), but it preceded Education (5.1%), Social Work (4.2%), Elementary Education (3.8%), and left Curriculum and Instruction (3.6%) fifth on the list.

I Can’t Wait For That Glorious Day

Why Does This Make So Much Sense

100 Percent Me

Since then, over the decade between 2010 and 2020, thetop five subjectsfor a master’s degree remained the same with business, education, health, computer and information sciences, and public administration together with social services lining up respectively. (The list remained the same for the following—2020/21 school year—too; that year, more than 200,000 students got their master’s degree in business.)Individuals taking it one step further and seeking a doctor’s degree reportedly chose health, law, education, engineering, and biological or biomedical sciences as their go-to options.

Individuals taking it one step further and seeking a doctor’s degree reportedly chose health, law, education, engineering, and biological or biomedical sciences as their go-to options.

Who Else

Still Cringing From A Year Ago

Me Looking At My Thesis Edits

For one reason or another, more and more people seem to be interested in graduate studies. As a matter of fact, the number of grad students has been somewhat steadily growing for the lastfour decades, with roughly 81,500 people enrolled back in 1985, and more than 138,500 in 2020.It’s safe to assume that with that, the number of humans in need of a pick-me-up or some relatable memes has likely been on the rise, too. That’s where online groups like ‘Grad School Memes With Relatable Themes’ can come in handy, which is likely why this one has already amassed nearly 180,000 members.

It’s safe to assume that with that, the number of humans in need of a pick-me-up or some relatable memes has likely been on the rise, too. That’s where online groups like ‘Grad School Memes With Relatable Themes’ can come in handy, which is likely why this one has already amassed nearly 180,000 members.

This Is Too Real

So Glad To Be Doing It In My Dissertation

It’s “Break It Down Yo” Not “Watch As I Break Down, Bro”

If you’ve enjoyed browsing the lifeboat-like memes for grad students, you might also enjoy what Bored Panda has in store for others in school. There’s also a collection ofmemes teacherscan relate to if you feel like taking a glimpse at what people on the other side of the barricades go through on a daily basis.

Everyone’s Dissertation, Apparently