8 flavors of one

Two years ago, I was in my final year of undergrad and like most other students, I was fairly confused about my future plans. Grad school was an enticing option but I still had some doubts. Most of all, I struggled to figure out what type of grad student I would be and by extension whether I was made of  the “right” stuff. Grad school eventually became a reality but the doubts lingered on. As time passed and as I met more of my fellow students, these doubts slowly gave way to a realization:  there was no single prototypical grad student, and therefore no single standard to aspire to. Our varied backgrounds and aspirations led to differences in our way of thinking. It is therefore not surprising that the path taken by each of us during the course of our grad studies is unique.

This got me thinking about the different types of grad students. Right away, I thought of “the dreamer” – someone who actually hopes to solve some of the great scientific mysteries of our time, and “the workaholic” – someone who always has a project on the go and feels anxious when looking at a blank calendar. But surely, there must be more! I began to search online, where I found this brief essay in which the writer takes a stab at 8 different types of grad students. I suspect that a lot of us might see a glimpse of ourselves in some of his choices.  I am curious to know what type of graduate student you think (or hope) you are? Do you find these 8 types as overly simplistic? If so, can you think of other types of graduate students? Please comment below with your opinion.