but rather from a purely pragmatic viewpoint of asking yourself whether this is something that would benefit you and if you could use the credentials networking opportunities and experience you would gain in pursuing graduate education to serve others. And just weighing that against other ways you could gain knowledge experience and perspective outside of an academic institution. Just the opinion of an autodidact…
May 17, 2024
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i personally don’t think it’s unethical to go to grad school — ultimately it’s exploiting the student in many ways: financially, via TA labor, and in getting to boast student achievements.
this is a US perspective but as someone who went to school in one of the states banning a bunch of topics and defunding DEI programs etc i will say the laws banning academic topics are a huge issue right now and incredibly disruptive to experience, mentally and especially academically because profs can’t teach certain topics or start to just leave the state bc of it.
i’m considering grad school as well but as my academic work is centered around gender, queerness, social movements, a huge part of it for me would be working out in what states could i have a realistic chance of actually being able to do that work, given the increasing censorship of those subjects in many places?
and this is not even to mention student loans nor all of the repression of students’ right to protest even in states without academic censorship laws!
tl;dr? i feel for us prospective grad students, it’s more of an issue of what are we willing to put up with for an advanced degree rather than is it unethical to partake in higher ed again.
May 17, 2024
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Wondering if you think you'll use the masters in a field that requires a masters or if this is mostly for personal growth and discovery?
If the latter, are there ways to grow in your knowledge and skills without actually going back to school?
Oct 22, 2024
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I did a two year masters program to receive my masters in social work. It was definitely worth it for me, because I needed that in order to become a licensed clinical social worker. I will say that there were pros and cons. I felt that I learned a lot more in my internships than in my classes, which makes a lot of sense to me knowing how I learn. My second year internship is where I discovered my loved and gift for working with children, and I can’t be more grateful that I found this work. I also got to go to Guatemala for two weeks as part of a class, which was amazing. I never got a chance to study abroad in my undergrad for various reasons so that was the closest I could get. Overall, it was a really positive experience for me.
I would say do some research on if people that are working in your desired field have found it useful. I do think that the connections and internships you can get from grad school alone can really make it worth it.
Oct 17, 2024
Top Recs from @taterhole
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebody—be it a relative or one of my best friends—was to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too 💌
Feb 23, 2025
May 28, 2025
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I’ve been thinking about how much of social media is centered around curating our self-image. When selfies first became popular, they were dismissed as vain and vapid—a critique often rooted in misogyny—but now, the way we craft our online selves feels more like creating monuments.
We try to signal our individuality, hoping to be seen and understood, but ironically, I think this widens the gap between how others perceive us and who we really are. Instead of fostering connection, it can invite projection and misinterpretation—preconceived notions, prefab labels, and stereotypes. Worse, individuality has become branded and commodified, reducing our identities to products for others to consume.
On most platforms, validation often comes from how well you can curate and present your image—selfies, aesthetic branding, and lifestyle content tend to dominate. High engagement is tied to visibility, not necessarily depth or substance. But I think spaces like PI.FYI show that there’s another way: where connection is built on shared ideas, tastes, and interests rather than surface-level content. It’s refreshing to be part of a community that values thoughts over optics.
By sharing so few images of myself, I’ve found that it gives others room to focus on my ideas and voice. When I do share an image, it feels intentional—something that contributes to the story I want to tell rather than defining it. Sharing less allows me to express who I am beyond appearance.
For women, especially, sharing less can be a radical act in a world where the default is to objectify ourselves. It resists the pressure to center appearance, focusing instead on what truly matters: our thoughts, voices, and authenticity. I’ve posted a handful of pictures of myself in 2,500 posts because I care more about showing who I am than how I look.
In trying to be seen, are we making it harder for others to truly know us? It’s a question worth considering.
Dec 27, 2024