Graduate school is difficult. All students can tell you this. Mental illnesses are high among graduate students and many feel like imposters in their field. It may be hard to reach out to other people because you feel as if you’re the only one struggling and that everyone is doing well. It becomes hard to speak up and so, students suffer in silence, which may eventually cause them to quit.

There are many ways people are trying to combat this, particularly by addressing the mental health issues students face. But one thing I’ve noticed that helps students connect with one another is through humor. Particularly, online comics or posts that students can relate to. There are many different forms of this online, from Piled Higher and Deeper, which illustrates the ups and downs of life in academia, to Lego Grad Student, which illustrates the daily life and thoughts and fears many graduate students face. With these available, students are able to see that their experiences are universal and that other people have had the same struggles. With social media, we can share these comics or posts and others can become exposed to them too. This is particularly helpful because students can see that their own friends and peers are struggling and have the same thoughts that they have as well, which could be comforting. This can also help open a dialogue between students.

It is also just nice to have something humorous in our lives. Again, graduate school is hard and it’s nice to take a break and read something that makes us laugh when things are tough.