My daughter just started as a grad research assistant. What sort of things should she be prepared for being tossed at her?
“What sort of things should she be prepared for being tossed at her?”
Nothing more than hard work. Anything personal and she should look for a new major professor who has morals and ethics.
Early in my career I was “blessed” with a bunch of female grad students who happened to be my daughters age when they worked with me. I say “blessed” because they all treated my like I was dad and made my life hell, some time I felt like Rodney Dangerfield, to the delight of all my techs who loved them. They all turned out great and are successful and happy.
“Was anyone ever a graduate student research assistant or know someone who was? If you do, this really shouldn’t surprise you at all.”
I was a grad assistant back in the early 1980’s and one business prof thought I was his personal slave. He had me grading papers that were semester research papers for seniors in marketing research. I had no marketing background at all. He had me grade student presentations when he was not in the classroom and then I would notice he would change the grade I gave the student if they were female & pretty!
He didn’t realize I was friends with the university president, had left working for one of the university board of directors members to return for my masters degree, and due to a medical emergency, I ended up leaving the gad. asst. position to take a full time job replacing his boss, the dept. chair. as a professor. Needless to say, that jerk is gone.
I have always managed my employees by treating them with respect and dignity. That’s why they go above and beyond for me. Not because I demand it or theaten them as I would never do that and they know it.