Graduate School - How Do You Find a Supervisor?

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So I graduated from an undergrad engineering program with a pretty decent GPA, probably in the top 10 or less of my class in terms of grades - but completely the opposite in terms of work experience. After I graduated, I took some time to realize I will most likely spend my life in the university. I really like fuel cells, particularly catalysis of the cathodic half rxn.

I've tried honestly, but it's hard to get any interest from professors to take me on their groups. I honestly don't know why I struggle so much with talking to people before their patience stops, and they start ignoring me. After a while I get very sad wondering why nobody wants to play with me.

I can feel my mental age progressively decreasing, and past memories of alienation overwhelming. I hope I never again fall into believe there being so much wrong with me.

Is there anyone out there facing or have faced similar situations? Shed some light on me?

I'm not sure what to suggest, but if face to face communication is difficult, have you thought about a written proposal to the faculty that can help you get what you want? Perhaps they should know you have difficulty with some forms of communication and that's why you are so quiet.

OK if you want to get a place on a PhD program then you need to find a supervisor.

My advice is to do the following

Get a journal and go through it looking for articles on topics which interest you, then write with a copy of a 2 page CV to the senior (* ed) author and ask in a polite way to be allowed to join their research group. To do this you need to be ready to relocate to another place.

You might have to change area of science away from the cathodic reactions in fuel cells, it can be hard to stay forever in one small field.

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Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

Has anyone too been diagnosed late, and his psychologist treats him as a social anxiety case, with little effect? And everyone around him assumes he's normal but just doesn't want to act according to norm. No one, including himself, knows exactly why he simply cannot do the seemingly trivial tasks performed so easily by everyone else.

I think where I live, no body cares to understand aspies, but falsely believes we simply just don't want to be included. I thought Canada was supposed to be an inclusive nation.

I just feel like a monkey trying to live amoungst beavers. And when I unintentionally start to whine (like now), people start flapping their tails and hissing at me. It would be funny if I could grab a stick and hit their stupid beaver heads.

I've had that experience, androol. It can be particularly problematic if you possess a highly developed intellect, because this is accompanied with certain expectations about your ability to relate to people on a social level. Much of the advice here is solid, but I want to add my own note for consideration.

Professors want to know you will not be a waste of their time. A professor can easily work 60-90 hours a week between teaching classes, advising students, and engaging in his or her own research. They cannot afford to spend a great deal of time with students who will be incapable of producing meaningful work, whatever that might mean for your field. A helpful graduate student can be a godsend for an overworked professor. A lazy or inept graduate student can harm that same professor's work agenda.

Because of this, I would suggest that you take the time to meet with a professor and ask what a graduate student must be able to do in order for him or her to act as that student's mentor. Don't assume that you know what they want. Ask. Once you have done so, decide how you match up with those traits. If you meet the professor's needs, then write a statement describing how mentoring you would benefit that professor. If you feel that you have deficits, then you should ask how you can address those so they are no longer a problem.

Finally, don't assume that the professors are judging you because you have asperger's syndrome. In all likelihood, they won't care one way or another. They will care whether you can perform at a graduate school level and learn to work with them as a colleague rather than as a student. Also understand that while you may love your topic and be eager to advance in its understanding, your professors will ultimately decide whether they believe you are capable of doing so. If you would train in academia, then that is a part of reality you must be willing to accept.

I've been seeking career advise from the school services centre, where I learnt a lot about my problems, mainly that I lack a positive and proactive attitude. I beg too desperately for a supervisor and I share too much information about my weaknesses. Primarily the style of my speach and word choices make me volnerable and weak. And professors only like to work with energetic people with a can-do attitude.

It's hard for me, but I have to learn to be confident. I suppose a lot of aspies with anxiety will too have to learn just like I will. Be confident, be happy & always dream about the things that could be.

Although it seems unlikely I will be able to continue my grad studies at my native school, I should still try and set up meetings with professors. It cannot get any worse than now. Nobody talks to me.

In the meanwhile, a phys chem prof. at a nearby university seems impressed by my grades. It's some distance to travel, but I'll do anything to pursuit research and happiness. I just hope I'll stop worrying because it's very precious opportunity.

It took a while for me to find the right one, but I finally found an undergraduate psychology supervisor this year for an individual study. She is very familiar and understanding of individuals with disabilities, including those on the spectrum. She gives me what I need to succeed: clear and high expectations.

I wonder if it's eaiser in psychology because people are more likely to be familiar with/have experience with ndiivduals with autism spectrum disorders.

I hope my experience in graduate school isn't similar. I'll say I poses a lot of the same traits you're describing.

In many social situations I feel like an outsider looking in. And I have a pervasive and kind of subtle social anxiety that makes me always feel and look out of place... but I don't draw extreme attention to myself so it seems like I'm always overlooked.

My social abilities seem to always be tied to the place I'm in, and I slowly get better and understand how to talk to people in that enviroment. Once I get comfortable and socially capable, it's time to transfer to a new social enviroment. It was like this througout grade school, then into high school... and now in college. And it's been the same thing with the jobs I have.

It's like I need an advocate to pull for me in social situations, because otherwise I just get looked over and ignored or misunderstood.

I just talked to the two profs at my school who do fuel cell research. The first told me he's looking for a PhD student and not a master student, but will consider (maybe the latter is just a standard thing to say, or maybe he will really consider). The second told me he doesn't have space and I can try next year.

I'm progrssively growing dissapointed with my school. But after 5 years at this place, it'll be hard to get used to another university.

I have only left this one prof from a somewhat nearby university. I hope I won't mess up with him. I know an insecure personality is not attractive, but it's the accumulation of unclear semi-rejections that made me this way.

Why can't these people just say what they are thinking and thus save me the time building any false hope.

I don't know if I can trust anyone with names beginning with Prof. ever again.

I had several interviews at various universities, but each one I wasn't outright denied. I spent a lot of money and time applying to their universities with a sense of false hope. I know how you feel on that one.

I got into a master's programme only through sheer pity, I think. My GPA wasn't that good due getting cancer and being really sick, and my GRE scores were average. The professors wanted me, but the schools wouldn't take me being prestigious and all.

Oh, and please keep in mind that this economy is killing academia. Many professors are losing money for research, so they can't take on anymore students without worrying if they (the student) can find money to live or not. Don't take it personally. It happens to them too. I almost got denied on the basis that the department that accepted me lost funding and couldn't afford to pay for more TAs.

I will tell you that the best way to find people to work with is to talk to them like a colleague. Ask questions, get involved, etc. If you are passionate about the area of study, it will come naturally. What I did was read a few of the professor's papers, their websites, and tried to gather some cross referenced data about their research. Then, I was able to email them, call them, and talk to them in person about the projects with a sense of curiosity. They got the impression that I really wanted in.

Good luck! Don't give up if this is something you really want. It took me three years to get in.

I found my conversations with the professor who had taught me don't usually last long, 5 minutes at the most. Maybe it's a compatibility thing. I really hoped to build better relationships. I've never been able to tell him what I imagine. It's unfortunate.

I just need a nice guy who smiles (I get anxious when people don't smile), and with a little (maybe a lot of) patience.

The guy at the somewhat nearby (~1 hour away) university whom I'm trying now has been very positive, and agreed to supervise me. We've had 30 minute talks twice. But I'm still a little scared of a different school. He looks good though, and he's a nice guy. I like that he opens the door for me and lets me walk in front of him. But he's a theoretical scientific researcher. That means I won't get any experiments to play.

I like to play, but those that play don't want to play with me. But I could learn a lot from this nice guy that doesn't play, and he looks good too. Every professor should be like this nice guy.