Despite the camaraderie and support often found in graduate programs, sometimes it can feel like no one truly comprehends your experience. When this happens, it's easy to become overwhelmed by feelings of rejection that may lead you to isolation from classmates and faculty. Has this ever happened to you? If so, how did you manage to have resilience during this struggle? If you did not use any strategies during this time, why not?
I really like how you identified this feeling, which shows that this isn't an isolated incident and it can happen anywhere at every level. In grad school specifically, as my program advanced there were obvious differences between certain people within my cohort which resulted in some feelings of isolation. I had to learn and grow from those individuals who did not help my growth in the program. However, this was not a simple process regarding feelings of isolation from faculty members. This situation required me to remove myself emotionally so as not to fall into a pit of negative emotions and associations with the program. Going forward, I want to try and advocate for individuals like myself more.