The title of the show may sound abrasive, but the content is anything but somber.The Graduate Researchers in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution organization will host a performance and reading from Adam Ruben’s book, “Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School” Friday in the UC Ballroom.
Sara Kuebbing, organization president and graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology, said the organization decided to bring Washington, D.C. based comic to speak to UT students to address common concerns every graduate student has.
“He writes and speaks about something that most UT graduate students have thought about at one time or another, and what any UT undergraduate student should be thinking about if they are considering applying to graduate school,” Kuebbing said. “Personally, I am really happy with my decision to attend graduate school because I am really interested in what I study, and I think my degree will be critical in helping me in my future career.”
Ruben, who balances his schedule as a molecular biologist, writer and comedian, will address some of the downsides of graduate school by reading from his book, a satirical survival guide to post-baccalaureate education.
One concern he addresses are the pangs surrounding a student’s graduation date, which Ruben said can be shrouded in mystery.
“You’re not really sure when you’re graduating, and you can’t plan your life at all,” Rubin said. “It’s an inability to plan your life.”
That hard lesson came when he began applying for jobs during his fifth year of graduate school. Though the prospect seemed positive, Ruben was unable to seal the deal because of issues with his graduation plans.
Despite some of the dififuclties he experienced, Rubin said he has used his writing as a means to ease the pains he experienced in his schooling.
“It’s kind of the way you suffer through something and find a way to look at it through humor.”
Kuebbing said the benefits of attending a graduate degree outweigh the low points, but said she notices some students who enter programs only to realize they no longer want to pursue the degree.
“There are lots of good reasons to pursue graduate education and an equal number of bad reasons to want to attend graduate school,” Kuebbing said. “Adam’s frank communication on graduate school allows folks to consider why they really want to go to graduate school.”
Kuebbing hopes students will break from a night of studying and attend the show for laughs, but also for a chance for some introspection.
“I hope that students will walk away from the event tired from laughing so hard,” Kuebbing said. “Laughing about the annoying and exhausting (but very true) parts of graduate school is a great way for folks to feel better about what they’re doing and realize that lots of other people share their feelings.”
“Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School” begins Friday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. in the UC Ballroom. Admission is free and open to all students.
