As if he understands stuff.
He says he wants to go to grad school at a top 5 program. My school is a top 10.
How should I put it to him that he doesn't stand a chance?
There's an annoying undergrad in my school who's attending all the grad seminars
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As if he understands stuff.
He says he wants to go to grad school at a top 5 program. My school is a top 10.
How should I put it to him that he doesn't stand a chance?just don’t?!? he’s motivated to learn and apparently not even causing any disturbances that you found worth mentioning. why do you feel the urge to put an end to his drive? do you have any regrets over your own life path? don’t let them out on someone who has absolutely no fault in it.
let him have his own experiences. if you’re right, he will learn about life first-hand at next to zero cost, if not, it just shows how dumb your instincts were in the first place
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As if he understands stuff.
He says he wants to go to grad school at a top 5 program. My school is a top 10.
How should I put it to him that he doesn't stand a chance?just don’t?!? he’s motivated to learn and apparently not even causing any disturbances that you found worth mentioning. why do you feel the urge to put an end to his drive? do you have any regrets over your own life path? don’t let them out on someone who has absolutely no fault in it.
let him have his own experiences. if you’re right, he will learn about life first-hand at next to zero cost, if not, it just shows how dumb your instincts were in the first placeI doubt he's learning anything though. Don't you find it annoying that sometimes undergraduates are so eager to show that they are passionate about economic research that all becomes a great big facade for them to get letters because professors notice they show up at grad seminars?
I mean, the other day, my advisor mentioned to me about him. Told me he's never seen an undergrad so motivated. I mean, he might just be there to get this reaction out of professors.
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^ At least he's doing something OP. I agree with 73c1; insofar he doesn't hinder communication among grad students in the seminars, him being there comes at no extra cost. He'll be the first person to find out he's not really cut for it if your judgement is right.
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You know, OP, if he’d rather spend his free tracks in a grad seminar than mucking about doing unproductive things in his life, he might alrdy be a better potential researcher than you are.
I think that and that alone will get him into Harvard / MIT provided his credentials are adequate.
You’re just jealous at the possibility that he MIGHT place better than you.
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I doubt he's learning anything though. Don't you find it annoying that sometimes undergraduates are so eager to show that they are passionate about economic research that all becomes a great big facade for them to get letters because professors notice they show up at grad seminars?
I mean, the other day, my advisor mentioned to me about him. Told me he's never seen an undergrad so motivated. I mean, he might just be there to get this reaction out of professors.ok, I get your point. maybe try to see the young kids’ perspective: competition for grad programs has become insanely fierce even compared to just 15 years ago. it’s sad that the need/desire for signalling can then sometimes override the genuine intellectual curiosity that we’d all really like to see. give him the benefit of the doubt. and it really seems like there’s not much harm done. if everybody did it, you’d need to introduce rules to avoid the seminars becoming overcrowded, but just cross that bridge when you get there
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I did the same when I was an undergrad. It was purely out of interest, and I ended up learning a significant amount about research and the profession. I'd recommend it to any undergrad if they're serious about going down the PhD path.
Where did you do your PhD?
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I did the same when I was an undergrad. It was purely out of interest, and I ended up learning a significant amount about research and the profession. I'd recommend it to any undergrad if they're serious about going down the PhD path.
I did as well, learnt a hell of a lot. Don't regret it at all.