“Expect to bring a cot into the lab because research will become your life.” These were the words spoken to me last spring by a potential research advisor for a Neuroscience Ph.D. program to which I had applied. As a devout Christian, the first thought that entered my mind at that moment was how I could attend church and practice my faith under such conditions. But beyond the religiosity element, I wondered how in the world any student would be able to survive mentally or physically with a lack of respite from their work.
Recently, I published an article on Minding the Campus addressing the dangers of technology in facilitating overwork among undergraduate college students. Technology, however, is not the only contributing factor to the growing phenomenon of “hustle culture,” and undergraduate students are certainly not the only demographic to be victims of it.
Hustle culture is defined as the unspoken expectation to work oneself beyond physical and mental health limitations to achieve excellence. It is a culture where it becomes a flex to average a fraction of the required sleep a night, down multiple energy drinks or caffeinated beverages, and use every waking moment of evening and weekend free time to do something “productive.”
It has become apparent to me that this culture is now commonplace in the Ph.D. world, particularly in STEM fields where publication involves extensive, hands-on laboratory research. Multiple articles have been published that address this phenomenon, including a blog post on PhD Talk, which listed the common contributors to academia overwork as “the vague notion of academic excellence, being always available, rising competition, and systemic overload.”[1]
A science professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University with whom I work closely recently shared with me the inside story of the STEM Ph.D. student experience. This professor commented that a pervasive joke existed that likened Ph.D. students to indentured servants. With publication being inextricably tied to timely graduation, students were constantly pressured to work excruciatingly long hours collecting massive amounts of data in the laboratory.
As this professor explained, it was commonplace for students to spend multiple days on end working up to 21 hours a day on research. It is important to note that the sciences often offer no alternative because research is time-dependent. However, when such a sacrifice is being made, one would expect that some form of rest and respite would follow. Instead, Ph.D. students are rewarded with the expectation that they be present bright and early the next morning to continue their path of productivity.
Some articles have surfaced speaking against this overwork phenomenon, stating that these reports among Ph.D. students are merely “self-inflicted.” While this may be true in some cases, I believe it is more likely that these dissenters were either blessed with an excellent principal investigator (PI) or are simply oblivious to the physical and mental health breakdown occurring around them. As noted by the professor I mentioned above, even having the most amazing PI did not stop the top-down message that hustle culture equals productivity.
Ultimately, indifferent individuals contribute to this hustle culture problem by ignoring the root cause of overwork, whether self-inflicted or otherwise, and undermining efforts to preserve student mental health.
With such a culture of overwork in the Ph.D. realm, it is only natural that it begins to infiltrate the undergraduate world as well. Once upon a time, undergraduate STEM students could apply to Ph.D. programs with a GPA between 3.8 and 4.0 and some laboratory technician experience to be considered excellent candidates. Now, a competitive resume for undergraduate students consists of not only a high GPA, student involvement in leadership, and work experience but also extensive research experience, preferably with a publication.
At my own university, I have witnessed multiple cases of extreme jeopardization of health among STEM students, and I readily admit to participating in such behaviors as well. One student, a Zoology major and Honors student, averaged such little sleep multiple days in a row that she was sent to the hospital with serious concerns over her heart health. Another student, a Medicinal and Biological Chemistry major, admitted to averaging 2 hours of sleep and chugging Celsius while stating that she, too, had concerns about her heart.
During my most difficult semester as an undergraduate Behavioral Neuroscience major, I spent numerous consecutive days averaging 4 hours of sleep a night and drinking several cups of coffee, all to achieve the expected high grades while also performing my duties in laboratory and leadership positions. I did everything humanly possible to make myself competitive and even managed to graduate Outstanding Graduate of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at my university. But still, I was placed on a waitlist after my Ph.D. interview.
There is a very fine line that exists between hard work and overwork. In the STEM Ph.D. world, hustle culture has become the expectation, and due to its pervasiveness, the virus is spreading to the undergraduate level as well. With STEM students now trading their physical and mental wellbeing for scientific and academic excellence, serious questions are being brought to light. Will STEM students survive until graduation? And will they cause permanent physical and mental damage in the process?
[1] PhD Talk. “Understanding the Causes of Overwork in Academia.” https://www.evalantsoght.com/2024/02/understanding-the-causes-of-overwork-in-academia.html
Image by GG Kenji — Adobe Stock — Asset ID#: 82220755
This article was originally published at www.mindingthecampus.org
