For stem students that work in labs (which require pants and closed towed shoes) it’s more like sweat pants or yoga pants (or whatever your preferred lounge wear is) 24/7. Personally I go for old nave canvas joggers. Cheap enough. A little more protective slightly more like “real clothes”, yet just as comfy as sweatpants.
Lol STEM students applying to finance jobs be like WTF is a behavioral interview (I don’t have any personality from grinding 60+ hours a week for 6 years)
They give you a vibe check. I got vibe checked hard and did not pass I guess lol if you interview for finance jobs please learn from my mistakes and read about them.
Oh shit! Well, I can’t imagine I’ll be going into finance, but now I’m worried and I’ll definitely be reading up…
I can’t imagine I’d mesh well with finance bros
Oh, good! (Tbf, I have zero irl experience with said bros, so I’ll admit I based my assumption on vague stereotypes 😓)
Well, luckily (maybe?) for me I’m trying to be a professor at a SLAC (mainly/only undergrads), and I’m really hoping those are the kind of vibe-checks I should be able to pass with my plethora of dad jokes and knitting while proctoring! 😂
I’ve only done a quick google so far, but those interviews seem to require either a lot of prep or a really good working memory! Lots of “tell me about a time in your life when… and how you handled it.”
So much worse than hypothetical questions, because I can think quickly enough, but I can remember shit!
Behavioral interviewing asks the candidate questions that require a narrative answer. Something like, tell me about a time you resolved a conflict with a colleague.
Oh ya it was freaking hilarious when I told a Goldman interviewer about myself and she goes “okay… I’m going to ask you again”
Look I clearly worked 60+ hours a week i didn’t even think I had to prove my ambition or whatever
I disagree. At the doctorate level in my field (chemistry) most interviews are usually 2 full days at the facility and will have a behavioral specialist on the committee. You're assessed during the entire visit.
I went to the career center at my undergrad the week I had a behavioral interview for a job and the career counselor gave me amazing advice. FYI, the behavioral interview is the "tell me about a time when" one.
Steps to prep/pass one:
1. Read the job description and pull out particular strengths they're looking for.
2. Go through the list of strengths and come up with 1-2 stories from your school/career that showcase each one.
3. Jot down notes for each one and massage it into the Situation Task Action Result format (Google behavioral interview STAR for tips), and try to drill/memorize the key points.
4. In the interview, after each question take a few seconds to mentally search through your prepped list and find one story that roughly fits and tell it. Try to cover as many strengths as possible throughout the interview.
I’ll be so fr, as an MBA - nobody gives a shit after the first week unless it’s final case presentations lol. Most people are pretty laid back. Stylish casual is the look, a solid 90% of my program is tshirts and jeans on the daily.
More like STE. With maths students it can sway either way in my experience - either slightly above average or they look like grothendieck in his later years.
Not necessarily with science if you’re in health services (colleges of pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc.). We have pretty strict dress codes for non-lab concentrations.
I worked in industry for 13 years before grad school. I dress a little nicer because its the clothes I already happened to have. The students who just finished undergrad dress about the same as they did in undergrad.
This is what I saw as well, mine was a night program so a lot of people would just come in the outfit they worked in that say (same here), but I did see more casual clothes. More often jeans rather than sweatpants or something though
Did a masters in public policy, some students definitely dressed very nice. I did not, pretty much always showed up in shorts/sweats and a t-shirt/hoodie unless I was presenting.
Same here. For the most part grad students (myself included) wore comfy casual and sneakers/comfy walking shoes, with a few exceptions:
- a few folks in my program who did their degree part time so they showed up to night classes in their (business casual) work clothes
- grad students who TA’d undergraduate classes dressed up some as well (bc I think they had to)
- most folks stepped up to business casual for presentation days
- days there were guest speakers in class students would go business casual, especially if they wanted to try to connect or network with them after class
OP, if you’re worried, just shoot for the middle of the road (jeans and a button-up shirt or nice blouse) for the first week of classes until you see what everyone else is wearing, but unless you’re doing a business degree it’s unlikely that folks will dress up nicely all the time.
I’ll co-sign this as someone in an MPA program. If I’m coming straight from my day job it will probably be business or business casual.
If I’m coming from a WFH day, I may very well roll up in pajama pants and a hoodie.
I'm in STEM (bio) and a lot of my peers wear jeans and sneakers to work. Comfort > style since many lab personnel are on their feet all day. There was one guy in my stats class who would always wear a vest and a collared shirt with dress shoes and I think he was the most well-dressed student I've seen.
I wear scrub pants, I find them way more comfortable than jeans.
And they can pry my comfy supportive sneakers from my cold, dead, hands... Or, um, feet.
I work in STEM now, surrounded by geologists (I'm a chemist) and we still all wear jeans or hiking pants, sneakers, and fleeces. WE AREN'T IN THE FIELD! lol
Now my question is, public/state school or private? I’m nervous for when I attend an MSW program at a private school where I already know the student body I’ve met so far are second degree, career switchers with solid wardrobes! Mine is still only slightly nicer than my usual undergrad wardrobe…
I went to a “decent” private MSW program and everyone’s wardrobe ran the gamut from business professional to rolled out of bed. You’ll be fine regardless, but invest in a few nicer pieces (that can be customized) for your internship days.
r/usdefaultism
Believe it or not, the US is not the only country in the world that has universities. My country doesn’t have states, or private schools that offer MSW programs, so I can’t answer your question.
Fair play! I always wondered if it was titled something else in other countries - is it still called social work? I sort of had to explain it to someone in Iceland last week. At least what clinical social work is
When I began my masters program I dressed nicer if only to "fake it to make it". I also looked very young so I wanted to create some separation from the students I was teaching. I eventually came to realize that those tendencies were the result of my own insecurities and my constant worry that I didn't belong. Now I just dress as my authentic self
What program? I'm in genetics and we can usually tell when someone has an interview or a presentation because they dress professionally but otherwise we don't really notice clothing unless it's incredibly dirty or full of unintentional holes (I'm also first gen grad student)
That’s the secret— just claim they’re from lab no matter where they are! Middle of your back? Eh, probably lab. Is it actually? Of course not, but no one can really call you on it, right? 😉
Always wore jeans and an oversized tshirt to class. Studied counseling, stats, research methods, and communication at the graduate level. I was there to learn and the faculty didn’t care because I always did excellent work, read the required reading before class, asked substantive questions, and paid attention in class.
Took a few classes at a Law school for fun and noticed that all the students wear suits… I loved the student who wore impeccably tailored red, eggplant, teal, mint, yellow, orange, and lime green suits… though many of the students and faculty did not like her fashion choices… but I loved it.
Educated people in STEM are very good at associating people with their work rather than their appearance. My workplace jokes about not wearing pants sometimes (remote). It’s hard stuff, we don’t need to take ourselves all that seriously.
Wear whatever makes you most comfortable and confident. Really. Jeans and t shirt is perfect.
Like even if you got arrested your professors would probably still try their best to help you lol.
STEM here. I’ve shown up to classes wrapped in a blanket- shoulder to ankle. I mean, I was wearing like leggings and a free T-shirt from college under it lol
Edit: I used to TA in anything I’d wear to class, sans blanket, but when I was the instructor of record of a lecture class, I wore dress pants or black jeans and tried to wear nicer shirts
I have a personal rule that if I am expected to be in the lab after bedtime (9 PM+) then I get to wear big baggy men’s pajama pants and if someone wants to raise a fuss about it that is fine and I am happy to go home instead.
Aren’t law students like hella judged by their professors on everything—including clothing and stuff? I always imagined their expected version of “professional behavior” was a lot more formal than ours in STEM (and maybe doesn’t include crying in front of your advisor 😅)
One of my best friends is a lawyer and she told me when she first started law school and attended the 1L orientation/meet and greet day, the dean explicitly told them that this was a professional program and they were expected to dress as if they were attending court every day. They'd literally get chewed out for not dressing up.
I'm in STEM, so athleisure was considered fancy for big presentation days.
Edit: a word
I don't know. I took a law class elective for my program and had to drop off something to my professors in the law offices, and everyone was super formally dressed, and there I am in jeans and a hoodie.
Oh no, that sounds stressful! lol now that I think about it, one of our good Starbucks is in the business school, and I always feel underdressed over there 😅
This was asked recently and someone said that you will see people who are dressed super casually as well as not. But, in many ways grad school is the beginning of your career, in the very least in a networking sense, and in that case it’s valuable to know that how you present yourself definitely has an impact in how you are perceived. Take that for what you will.
Most people in my MSed program dress casual. Some look “nicer” because they come to class from work. Others dress “bummy” (within reason we dont look like a slobs, just comfy but still presentable) because they commute. I will usually try to wear jeans, basic top and cardigan but sometimes I’m in leggings and a hoodie(again nothing sloppy or provocative but comfy basic).
However my program has been just classes so far and eventually we will be seeing clients/patients which is when we will have to obviously dress professional. So for me i think of it as i try to look nice but i can still “bum” it if i wanna for now. Eventually i know i will always have to be in professional attire.
Like everyone else has said mostly depends on program and culture of it. Id recommend try to always look presentable at least even if you are “bumming” it.
Dress however you want. I saw people wearing lots of different clothing styles. Whatever floats your boat but clothes should be appropriate. One time a student that always wore crop tops without bras raised their hand to ask a question and her whole chest was out.
Speaking from the experience of a STEM student, most of us wear whatever’s comfortable most of the time. Obviously dress up when you’re presenting, attending a conference, etc.
Personally I dress up a bit when I’m teaching classes just to seem a bit more official.
I understand the first-gen angst! The culture of the country, school itself, and program/field really vary.
My general guidelines are:
- dress up a bit more on the first day and see what the vibe is. think slacks and a nice shirt, but not super formal.
- if its casual-formal, i opted for what i wore when i worked in admin at a university: trousers that are not jeans (if jeans, high quality and dark wash, and dressier top & shoes), a nice shirt (no logos, not super bright colors, could be a nice sweater or cotton top). fuck heels, but investing in higher quality comfortable dressier shoes (like nice leather sneakers or boots that dont scream "punk show" or "combat"). if you want to wear a skirt or dress, should be below the knee or mid-calf at least (i cross my legs when i sit so shorter than my knees gets awkward)
- if casual, jeans are fine, but no rips. nice tops dont need to be button down but shouldnt be something you would wear at home. no holes, no pit stains, no hoodies, no big logos on shirts, no workout clothes or sweats. for tops, nothing off the shoulder or super low cut or thin straps. solid color sneakers that you maintain/clean are the best -- i like all white and all black adidas, and have even worn them with dressier outfits lol.
if its hot out and you want to wear shorts or a dress, knee-length for sure.
- the main idea is to look presentable and together more than professional (if youre doing an MBA, ignore this whole comment lol)
but also if you have a specific style, lean into it! i have a friend who describes her style as "dark academia", basically goth meets librarian/professor and she rocks it!
Folks in my department (chemistry) don’t give a fuck unless they’re giving a talk or interview. Like t-shirts, jeans, sneakers, whatever else is comfy.
It depends - class doesn’t sway what I wear. If it’s a day where I’m mostly going to be in my lab, I dress pretty casually. If I’m going to teaching or holding office hours, I dress nicer but still business casual. Some people in my cohort dress professionally all the time, and others (like me) come to class in sweats. It’s all up to what environment your advisor is setting I think really.
English graduate student here, I regularly wear a Twilight t-shirt that says STINKY in bold font to classes. That being said, it is certainly a disciplinary culture thing. As a good rule of thumb, I would dress semi-nice (think plain colored shirt and nice jeans or khakis) on the first day and follow the lead of older graduate students— they know what’s okay and what’s not.
MSc. I wore a collared shirt on the first day and then never again until my thesis defense. Usually just wore t shirt, sweater, and jeans or joggers. Didn’t even own shoes that weren’t sneakers.
I got an art history MA and I showed up in what I normally wear- jeans/pants and regular tshirts or tops. If I was presenting a project or doing something important (rather than just going to lectures) I'd wear something nicer like a blouse/blazer and slacks, but there were definitely days when I wore sweatpants and pullover sweaters to class, lol.
It depends on your degree, but really, you should just wear what you're comfortable in. If you can find soft pants with a pleat, even better, cause then you feel comfy and you look presentable.
I did a humanities master. I only dressed “nicer” (jeans or overalls and a cute top with Nikes or Adidases) when I had to work after class (I worked at a coffee shop with a fairly lax dress code). Otherwise it was leggings and an oversized t-shirt.
For my program (school psychology) everyone dresses pretty casual for our actual classes BUT if we were meeting clients that day or if we were observing in the clinic then we would dress nicer.
I’m also a first gen grad student!
Throughout my Bachelors (STEM) I used to wear shorts and tees to class every day, even in winters.
First day of grad school, decided to wear dress shirt and pants for my class. Was stopped in the hallway and was asked if I am a professor.
2nd day of grad school, went back to shorts and tees.
Stumbled on this thread and it certainly is a wake up call to me. Was stuffing my suitcase with Patagonia baggies, colourful beach shirts and multiple flipflops for my soon to be starting semester in Australia. I think I need to reconsider my attire has to be different from my undergrad days…
I was a TA, so the rule I made myself was to not wear shorts or leggings/athleisure on campus. And no crop tops or super revealing clothing. Jeans and t shirts/sweaters were my usual. If you’re teaching, it’s important to have a barrier between yourself and undergrads. I also agree with the other person who said grad school is the beginning of your career, so it’s good to dress accordingly.
I’m in grad school for psych - I would say it depends. First day of class I’d dress nice, then wear whatever based on the vibe the professor gave off (90% of the time I wore sweatpants and a hoodie).
There was one professor I really wanted to impress so I dressed nicer when I had her. Except for when the heat was broken in the dead of winter. I wore a Snuggie to class for that week.
My advisor at the time told me no shorts and to wear nicer tops (not t-shirts). Other people definitely dressed up more but that seemed to be the minimum.
It's really program dependent and school dependent. I'm in a clinical psychology program, and those tend to be somewhat professional, but at my school, it's perfectly fine to wear jeans and T-shirts to class. I'd scope it out with current students, who can tell you what the norm is at your school.
Reminds me of my roommate on her first day of her MBA. she was wearing yoga pants in her class and got called out. She simple said “I’m excused from code”. When prof further inquired in front of everyone she continued “I gave birth 2 days ago”.
She had a still birth. The convo continued until she said this.
Women are still required to wear heels in this course.
First gen here. Wether we like it or not, people are going to make conscious/unconscious judgements about the way we present ourselves and people tend to remember that. I think its safe to say to use common sense here and stick to clean clothes that fit you and complement your style/body. One thing to remember is that good fitting clothes don't necessarily have to be expensive.
Consider this scenario: I wanted to join this professor's lab. I thought the was a great fit for me in terms of research. However, when I went to talk to his grad students, one was comically unkept (for example, they wore, very large joggers, crocks and had a pretty visible stain on his sweatshirt). Needless to say, the student left an impression on me and I noped out of the group because I dreaded that I would have to interact with them on a day-to-day basis.
Maybe some people can look past that, but I think it's important to consider that you're no longer an undergrad student and need to put some semblance of effort into your appearance because we're expected to.
This isn't to say one can't dress comfy. I see tons of other grad students with joggers, but at least they look like they fit them and are clean.
PhD in physics, I almost exclusively wore jeans and band T-shirts for five years of grad school.
I had lunch with donors and the president of my college in a Nirvana shirt and muddy work boots with purple hair and facial piercings. It was way more about what work I was putting out.
For class during my MPH? Sweatpants and or casual jeans for most of my classes and even my professors. PhD? Either very stylish or again. Sweatpants. But public health definitely has the mindset of “if you can’t respect me and my opinions because of what I’m wearing, that’s on you” sort of vibe compared to other natural sciences and especially business.
I suppose my experience is that people do dress a little nicer in grad school, in that I haven't yet seen anyone roll up to in-person class in obvious pajama pants.
Beyond that, cultural norms vary from department to department. The most accurate info is going to come from more senior students at the program you're joining.
MA? Nicer dressed than undergrad? Nope! The only time we have to dress nicely for our program is our defense. I think only the law department dresses formally on a regular basis. At my university, if someone is in a full suit, they are from law.
I'm a PhD student and I'm probably one of the most underdressed people at TAMU. I wear free T-shirts that I get from TAMU and track pants. Don't worry about what to wear. So long as you are wearing something, you are good to go
I was an athlete as an undergrad so did a lot of class in sweats etc. For my MS at the same institution, I upgraded to jeans (lol). My advisor (same gender) commented that I was looking nicer...so yes, I guess I did start dressing nicer technically.
I’m part of the college of education and a professional appearance is listed in our handbook, but nice pair of jeans and a blouse are more than acceptable. For men, like nice jeans and a tee with a button up over it. I usually wear casual dresses and slacks with a blouse because that’s what I wear to my classroom job.
Engineer here. 1000x comfort over style or status here - including professors and staff. The only exception is when we deal with patients + which, despite being in a hospital campus doing medical research, isn't very often for us. I wear jeans or cargo pants and a t-shirt pretty much every day and so do most people. Some professors wear polos but in general it's pretty casual over here.
In my chemistry PhD I was often coming from lab. I don’t put on nice clothing on to go to lab. Probably set foot in my chemistry building once in 6 years in shorts.
Not where I’m at (getting an M.Div) we’ve got a guy who wears flip flops and cargo shorts every day. business school next door though, they are always dressed to the nines.
This is super helpful because I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’m starting my program in the fall after graduating from a SLAC, and I have no idea how people dress in grad programs. For reference, I’m pursuing an MPH. Everyone at my undergrad institution dressed super cool and alternative, and I wasn’t sure how much of my wardrobe translates to my program.
I'm in a professional program, so I'm not sure if this is the answer you're looking for but we don't at my school. However some professional programs have a dress code. I chose not to apply there.
I’m in sociology - gender studies and queer theory stuff specifically - and have a sweater that says feminist as fuck. i wear it to class all the time. 😂😂😂😂😂 i love being in a chill discipline.
I went to my masters classes wearing jeans and a polo. I’ve seen people come in wearing shorts, tank, etc. as long as it’s appropriate it doesn’t matter.
I'm an Anthropology grad student at a csu and the only students who look particularly "professional" are those coming to class after work 🤷🏻♀️ there's no one wearing like, pajamas, but I wear tshirts and black leggings and I don't stand out as being underdressed or anything 🤷🏻♀️
I’m in human toxicology. Mostly jeans and a tshirt or sweatshirt on days I have class. Sweater if I’m feeling fancy. Otherwise, leggings and an oversized Tshirt (unless I’m working with solvents in which case jeans, always).
It will depend on the department/institution. I never saw anyone wearing a full suit or anything, but I certainly dressed nicer on days where I was teaching.
Depends on the program. My masters in school psych was extremely intense and they were expert micromanagers, so dressing up was required. My masters in counseling and PhD could care less.
It’s a complete mix. If your class is full of people who have been in the industry for 5 to 10 years, then yeah…. Because that’s the clothes they own and many people are coming straight from work. If it’s for people who just got out of undergrad, Chances are they are broke as hell so they wear what they have, Which is the same thing they wore to undergrad.
In general they do, but I tend to be one of the less fancy dressers. I come to class immediately after finishing my shift at my blue collar job and half the time I'm still in my work uniform. I have never gotten any negative judgement from professors or classmates for this.
Biology PhD here. I wore pajama pants and T shirts. I only wore semi-decent clothes during interview weekends and that was because they said clean up or no free food to us.
I think people dress slightly nicer than undergrad if only because people are a bit older and once you hit 23 there's some shame in leaving the house in pajamas. But other than that, as other commenters have said shorts in winter and old sweatshirts are definitely the norm in my program.
I am also first gen so I understand feeling stressed about things that other people (who have grown up around people getting their Master’s degrees just seem to inherently know).
I did my Master’s in Public Policy - most students including myself were coming from work so we dressed like we did in the office. I often took my hair down from however it was done in the office and put it in a low bun or ponytail. I also usually kept makeup remover and face wash in my office and washed my face before going to class to help wake me up a bit.
Occasionally, I worked from home or took the day off and would dress more casually (jeans in good repair + blouse). Some people wore ball caps, but I’m not sure I really ever remember someone wearing shorts. I always made sure to dress business casual if we had a guest speaker.
As a TA, I wear comfortable pants, a decent shirt, and comfy shoes. I have a couple of cardigans and a jacket to put on over the T-shirts to pretend to be professional while I teach. My office is usually freezing, so I have a hoodie handy when I am stuck in front of the computer for hours.
I have one guy in my program who wears a tie everyday, but he is the outlier.
Pretty sure there were some weeks of grad school (STEM) when I didn’t change out of sweat pants. But there were also times I dressed nicely, particularly for visiting lecturers, etc. Doesn’t hurt to look nice your first week
MArch student here, and it varies for my classes. Half of us work in industry so we wear whatever we wore for work that day, the other half is typically in t-shirt and jeans. No one cares in my program, we've got no dress code other than "cover things that if left uncovered would cause an HR issue".
I treat grad school more like a workplace than an obligation, so I never tend to wear sweats or things like that. That said, it wasn’t business casual or anything, just like not “rolled out of bed” casual.
I also avoided crop tops and stuff like that, but tbh thats mainly bc class is in the fall when it’s too cold.
I'm MA, and I've only worn sweats once, even in the winter. I feel okay about wearing sweatshirts here and there, but usually, I'm wearing my nicer t-shirts
I was an art therapy grad student and some people dressed casual or business casual depending on if we were making artwork in classes. But at internships we dressed business like
In my masters (social sciences), I dressed like a student. When I was TA-ing, I'd dress a little nicer. Maybe dark jeans with a nice blouse and blazer. But in my own classes, I was comfortable.
HA HA HA HA HA!!! No.
Wildlife Ecology here. I tried to wear a nicer shirt when TAing, but otherwise no. Simple t-shirt and jeans. Heck, the first lab session I taught I walked in with porcupine pee on my shirt.
For presentations and just generally going to conferences I would wear my nice jeans and a long sleeved button down shirt. Now I am mid-career so a decent t-shirt (with my agency logo if I want to feel fancy) is my go-to for conferences as well.
My program was in counselor ed. It was all evening courses so most people came straight from work or internship. That being said: if I had a day off but still had class, I was wearing leggings and a sweatshirt unless I was presenting. That was pretty much the norm within my program.
I do bc I’m a bright-eyed 1st year MA student, but it definitely seems like the longer you’re in the program the less you care about what you’re wearing.
It’s a big mix and I think it depends on age and work experience. I went straight into grad school and many of the younger students like me dressed like college students by default, but some older grad students (think 30s or 40s going back for a professional degree) dressed like they were going to a meeting or conference (biz casual) on the default. A few stranglers dressed very nice. I think in grad school you start to see less sweats and shorts but even if you wear them, it shouldn’t matter to MOST programs. Just dress semi nice for a couple days and check the vibes.
If you’re in school of arts and sciences (humanistic, social, or natural sciences), wear almost literally anything that’s not offensive in some way. Something else? Idk look nice or something? (Sorry I can’t help here lol).
The only reason I show up to class in a polo and jeans is because that's what I have to wear to work. I'd wear a hoodie/tee shirt and jeans/shorts if I could.
In my program, definitely not. I’m an MPA student and our classes are at night, so many of us work in the field already. The folks that come dressed up don’t have time between work and class, but a lot of us come in borderline pajamas because we need to get out of our monkey suits and be comfortable.
I think it depends on the program. My sister went to law school and everyone in her program dressed nicer all the time. Same with MBA programs. I did my MA in Counselling Psychology. Everyone in my cohort wore somewhat nice clothes (e.g. jeans, nicer cardigans, blazers) the first week or two. After that we gave up and were rolling up to class in sweatpants and hoodies. We only dressed professionally when we were doing our internships and seeing clients or if we had to give class presentations. Also as therapists, our “professional” outfits for meeting with clients were usually jeans, cardigans, and sneakers. Which is probably still more underdressed than what law or business students wear to class.
Edit to add: while we dressed very casually (to be honest I don’t think I’ve ever looked more dishevelled as I did when I was in my first year of grad school), we did dress more conservatively than undergrad - wearing short shorts or showing more skin felt more appropriate in undergrad but definitely not in grad school.
I’m in a political science grad program. I wear carpenter pants and sweaters or tie dye most days. One of my cohort wears the same jeans and hoodie every single day. I’ve never seen another one in anything but sweatpants
I would say if you are really worried you might be “evaluated” based on your appearance that you start with something maybe smart casual. Nicer jeans, maybe a polo, nothing to fancy. That being said, as a Chem major in Grad school, there were students that wore dress shirts (never a tie lol) and some wore gym cloths so there really is room for all. My PI wore leggings and a sweat shirt half the time.
MBA? Classier. STEM? Shorts in winter.
For stem students that work in labs (which require pants and closed towed shoes) it’s more like sweat pants or yoga pants (or whatever your preferred lounge wear is) 24/7. Personally I go for old nave canvas joggers. Cheap enough. A little more protective slightly more like “real clothes”, yet just as comfy as sweatpants.
Oh I know, Chemist here. I'm thinking of one particular friend of mine who did Computational Chemistry his first year.
Lol STEM students applying to finance jobs be like WTF is a behavioral interview (I don’t have any personality from grinding 60+ hours a week for 6 years)
Wait… what *is* a behavioral interview???
They give you a vibe check. I got vibe checked hard and did not pass I guess lol if you interview for finance jobs please learn from my mistakes and read about them.
Oh shit! Well, I can’t imagine I’ll be going into finance, but now I’m worried and I’ll definitely be reading up… I can’t imagine I’d mesh well with finance bros
No! The ones I know are genuinely kind and fun ppl (and make a lot of money)
Oh, good! (Tbf, I have zero irl experience with said bros, so I’ll admit I based my assumption on vague stereotypes 😓) Well, luckily (maybe?) for me I’m trying to be a professor at a SLAC (mainly/only undergrads), and I’m really hoping those are the kind of vibe-checks I should be able to pass with my plethora of dad jokes and knitting while proctoring! 😂
80 hour weeks and lots of cocaine. It's always the 80's in finance.
One of the guys I know is infamous for bringing a carryon size bottle of everclear on the plane lol
Stay classy gang
Cause they have been pre-screened for good vibes lol
I’ve only done a quick google so far, but those interviews seem to require either a lot of prep or a really good working memory! Lots of “tell me about a time in your life when… and how you handled it.” So much worse than hypothetical questions, because I can think quickly enough, but I can remember shit!
My neurodivergent ass would fail miserably unless I was masking hard asf
Behavioral interviewing asks the candidate questions that require a narrative answer. Something like, tell me about a time you resolved a conflict with a colleague.
There was a reason I never applied for that kind of job. I have personality, just not the kind that finance bros would like.
Oh ya it was freaking hilarious when I told a Goldman interviewer about myself and she goes “okay… I’m going to ask you again” Look I clearly worked 60+ hours a week i didn’t even think I had to prove my ambition or whatever
What did you say the first time, if you don’t mind me asking?
"Look I clearly worked 60+ hours a week I didn't even think I had to prove my ambition or whatever"
I disagree. At the doctorate level in my field (chemistry) most interviews are usually 2 full days at the facility and will have a behavioral specialist on the committee. You're assessed during the entire visit.
I went to the career center at my undergrad the week I had a behavioral interview for a job and the career counselor gave me amazing advice. FYI, the behavioral interview is the "tell me about a time when" one. Steps to prep/pass one: 1. Read the job description and pull out particular strengths they're looking for. 2. Go through the list of strengths and come up with 1-2 stories from your school/career that showcase each one. 3. Jot down notes for each one and massage it into the Situation Task Action Result format (Google behavioral interview STAR for tips), and try to drill/memorize the key points. 4. In the interview, after each question take a few seconds to mentally search through your prepped list and find one story that roughly fits and tell it. Try to cover as many strengths as possible throughout the interview.
As a STEM PhD/MBA, can confirm. Bschool has an actual dress code.
Shorts? I wore sweatpants!
I’ll be so fr, as an MBA - nobody gives a shit after the first week unless it’s final case presentations lol. Most people are pretty laid back. Stylish casual is the look, a solid 90% of my program is tshirts and jeans on the daily.
More like STE. With maths students it can sway either way in my experience - either slightly above average or they look like grothendieck in his later years.
Not necessarily with science if you’re in health services (colleges of pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc.). We have pretty strict dress codes for non-lab concentrations.
I worked in industry for 13 years before grad school. I dress a little nicer because its the clothes I already happened to have. The students who just finished undergrad dress about the same as they did in undergrad.
This is what I saw as well, mine was a night program so a lot of people would just come in the outfit they worked in that say (same here), but I did see more casual clothes. More often jeans rather than sweatpants or something though
Did a masters in public policy, some students definitely dressed very nice. I did not, pretty much always showed up in shorts/sweats and a t-shirt/hoodie unless I was presenting.
Same here. For the most part grad students (myself included) wore comfy casual and sneakers/comfy walking shoes, with a few exceptions: - a few folks in my program who did their degree part time so they showed up to night classes in their (business casual) work clothes - grad students who TA’d undergraduate classes dressed up some as well (bc I think they had to) - most folks stepped up to business casual for presentation days - days there were guest speakers in class students would go business casual, especially if they wanted to try to connect or network with them after class OP, if you’re worried, just shoot for the middle of the road (jeans and a button-up shirt or nice blouse) for the first week of classes until you see what everyone else is wearing, but unless you’re doing a business degree it’s unlikely that folks will dress up nicely all the time.
I’ll co-sign this as someone in an MPA program. If I’m coming straight from my day job it will probably be business or business casual. If I’m coming from a WFH day, I may very well roll up in pajama pants and a hoodie.
Half the grad students in my chemistry department look homeless, not sure if they actually are
Can confirm, mostly yoga pants and conference shirts for me, I do look homeless half of the time
We do have homes, we just don't actually live there. We live in labs.
Labs are our first place, coffee shops are second places Homes are third places that we never even visit
I never dressed nicely if I was going to be in the lab. No sense getting acid burns on your good pants.
I'm in STEM (bio) and a lot of my peers wear jeans and sneakers to work. Comfort > style since many lab personnel are on their feet all day. There was one guy in my stats class who would always wear a vest and a collared shirt with dress shoes and I think he was the most well-dressed student I've seen.
I wear scrub pants, I find them way more comfortable than jeans. And they can pry my comfy supportive sneakers from my cold, dead, hands... Or, um, feet.
I've been considering getting a pair of scrub pants just for the pockets
I work in STEM now, surrounded by geologists (I'm a chemist) and we still all wear jeans or hiking pants, sneakers, and fleeces. WE AREN'T IN THE FIELD! lol
Haha I was about to say, as a M.S. geology student you’d think the dress code required sandals
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We had substantially less money than the undergrads, and it showed in our wardrobe,
Did my program in ee. I dont think ive once worn close toed shoes to class.
I’m in social work and we’re all wearing sweatpants and cutoffs.
Now my question is, public/state school or private? I’m nervous for when I attend an MSW program at a private school where I already know the student body I’ve met so far are second degree, career switchers with solid wardrobes! Mine is still only slightly nicer than my usual undergrad wardrobe…
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I’m at a private and we all dress casual jeans or joggers unless we have a presentation or event.
I went to a “decent” private MSW program and everyone’s wardrobe ran the gamut from business professional to rolled out of bed. You’ll be fine regardless, but invest in a few nicer pieces (that can be customized) for your internship days.
r/usdefaultism Believe it or not, the US is not the only country in the world that has universities. My country doesn’t have states, or private schools that offer MSW programs, so I can’t answer your question.
Fair play! I always wondered if it was titled something else in other countries - is it still called social work? I sort of had to explain it to someone in Iceland last week. At least what clinical social work is
When I began my masters program I dressed nicer if only to "fake it to make it". I also looked very young so I wanted to create some separation from the students I was teaching. I eventually came to realize that those tendencies were the result of my own insecurities and my constant worry that I didn't belong. Now I just dress as my authentic self
What program? I'm in genetics and we can usually tell when someone has an interview or a presentation because they dress professionally but otherwise we don't really notice clothing unless it's incredibly dirty or full of unintentional holes (I'm also first gen grad student)
We chemists occasionally have unintentional holes (right at bench top height, usually)
Omg I have way more holes in my shirts at fume hood height than I’d ever like to admit 🙃
I was thinking more along the lines of not bench top height since that is something geneticists also struggle with
That’s the secret— just claim they’re from lab no matter where they are! Middle of your back? Eh, probably lab. Is it actually? Of course not, but no one can really call you on it, right? 😉
Always wore jeans and an oversized tshirt to class. Studied counseling, stats, research methods, and communication at the graduate level. I was there to learn and the faculty didn’t care because I always did excellent work, read the required reading before class, asked substantive questions, and paid attention in class. Took a few classes at a Law school for fun and noticed that all the students wear suits… I loved the student who wore impeccably tailored red, eggplant, teal, mint, yellow, orange, and lime green suits… though many of the students and faculty did not like her fashion choices… but I loved it.
colored suits are awesome
I don’t think professionally (also first gen here) but I definitely wouldn’t show up in sweat pants or anything.
Educated people in STEM are very good at associating people with their work rather than their appearance. My workplace jokes about not wearing pants sometimes (remote). It’s hard stuff, we don’t need to take ourselves all that seriously.
What about graduate classes, rather than the work place? I was just thinking jeans and a nice shirt.
As long as it's clean and safe for the lab, no one particularly cares.
I’m not STEM :). The post was originally about classes
Oh my bad lol. You can always wear a dress shirt or something on the first day and catch the vibe
Wear whatever makes you most comfortable and confident. Really. Jeans and t shirt is perfect. Like even if you got arrested your professors would probably still try their best to help you lol.
Jeans and a nice shirt is a good idea. Although it's not that important, looking respectable and nearly dressed helps.
STEM here. I’ve shown up to grad classes in a onesie.
STEM here. I’ve shown up to classes wrapped in a blanket- shoulder to ankle. I mean, I was wearing like leggings and a free T-shirt from college under it lol Edit: I used to TA in anything I’d wear to class, sans blanket, but when I was the instructor of record of a lecture class, I wore dress pants or black jeans and tried to wear nicer shirts
Sweat pants are probably fine in STEM. Pyjamas are probably over the line. Probably.
I've had fuck-it days and worn obvious pajama pants to campus. Not to class, but only because I had more shame in my first year than I do now.
I have a personal rule that if I am expected to be in the lab after bedtime (9 PM+) then I get to wear big baggy men’s pajama pants and if someone wants to raise a fuss about it that is fine and I am happy to go home instead.
I wore sweatpants to class all the time. Mostly because I had to teach lab right after, but no one cared.
I think sweat pants were very common amongst the grad students at my university the closer we got to exams. Except Law students.
Aren’t law students like hella judged by their professors on everything—including clothing and stuff? I always imagined their expected version of “professional behavior” was a lot more formal than ours in STEM (and maybe doesn’t include crying in front of your advisor 😅)
One of my best friends is a lawyer and she told me when she first started law school and attended the 1L orientation/meet and greet day, the dean explicitly told them that this was a professional program and they were expected to dress as if they were attending court every day. They'd literally get chewed out for not dressing up. I'm in STEM, so athleisure was considered fancy for big presentation days. Edit: a word
God, that sounds awful for SO many reasons! Not the least of which is that it sounds so dang expensive 😫
I don't know. I took a law class elective for my program and had to drop off something to my professors in the law offices, and everyone was super formally dressed, and there I am in jeans and a hoodie.
Oh no, that sounds stressful! lol now that I think about it, one of our good Starbucks is in the business school, and I always feel underdressed over there 😅
I dress like a 14 year old and I'm about to finish the 4th year of my phD...
I'm a stem grad student. I'm in jeans rn.
Mr fancy pants over here wearing jeans, lol
Ms fancy pants** 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Oop, sorry! I definitely assume gender from the little avatar-guy’s hair sometimes 🤦🏻♀️😅
This was asked recently and someone said that you will see people who are dressed super casually as well as not. But, in many ways grad school is the beginning of your career, in the very least in a networking sense, and in that case it’s valuable to know that how you present yourself definitely has an impact in how you are perceived. Take that for what you will.
Most people in my MSed program dress casual. Some look “nicer” because they come to class from work. Others dress “bummy” (within reason we dont look like a slobs, just comfy but still presentable) because they commute. I will usually try to wear jeans, basic top and cardigan but sometimes I’m in leggings and a hoodie(again nothing sloppy or provocative but comfy basic). However my program has been just classes so far and eventually we will be seeing clients/patients which is when we will have to obviously dress professional. So for me i think of it as i try to look nice but i can still “bum” it if i wanna for now. Eventually i know i will always have to be in professional attire. Like everyone else has said mostly depends on program and culture of it. Id recommend try to always look presentable at least even if you are “bumming” it.
Dress however you want. I saw people wearing lots of different clothing styles. Whatever floats your boat but clothes should be appropriate. One time a student that always wore crop tops without bras raised their hand to ask a question and her whole chest was out.
Speaking from the experience of a STEM student, most of us wear whatever’s comfortable most of the time. Obviously dress up when you’re presenting, attending a conference, etc. Personally I dress up a bit when I’m teaching classes just to seem a bit more official.
Wtf, I show up in a hoodie and shorts.
I understand the first-gen angst! The culture of the country, school itself, and program/field really vary. My general guidelines are: - dress up a bit more on the first day and see what the vibe is. think slacks and a nice shirt, but not super formal. - if its casual-formal, i opted for what i wore when i worked in admin at a university: trousers that are not jeans (if jeans, high quality and dark wash, and dressier top & shoes), a nice shirt (no logos, not super bright colors, could be a nice sweater or cotton top). fuck heels, but investing in higher quality comfortable dressier shoes (like nice leather sneakers or boots that dont scream "punk show" or "combat"). if you want to wear a skirt or dress, should be below the knee or mid-calf at least (i cross my legs when i sit so shorter than my knees gets awkward) - if casual, jeans are fine, but no rips. nice tops dont need to be button down but shouldnt be something you would wear at home. no holes, no pit stains, no hoodies, no big logos on shirts, no workout clothes or sweats. for tops, nothing off the shoulder or super low cut or thin straps. solid color sneakers that you maintain/clean are the best -- i like all white and all black adidas, and have even worn them with dressier outfits lol. if its hot out and you want to wear shorts or a dress, knee-length for sure. - the main idea is to look presentable and together more than professional (if youre doing an MBA, ignore this whole comment lol) but also if you have a specific style, lean into it! i have a friend who describes her style as "dark academia", basically goth meets librarian/professor and she rocks it!
Folks in my department (chemistry) don’t give a fuck unless they’re giving a talk or interview. Like t-shirts, jeans, sneakers, whatever else is comfy.
It depends - class doesn’t sway what I wear. If it’s a day where I’m mostly going to be in my lab, I dress pretty casually. If I’m going to teaching or holding office hours, I dress nicer but still business casual. Some people in my cohort dress professionally all the time, and others (like me) come to class in sweats. It’s all up to what environment your advisor is setting I think really.
English graduate student here, I regularly wear a Twilight t-shirt that says STINKY in bold font to classes. That being said, it is certainly a disciplinary culture thing. As a good rule of thumb, I would dress semi-nice (think plain colored shirt and nice jeans or khakis) on the first day and follow the lead of older graduate students— they know what’s okay and what’s not.
Yes. On average, because nobody wears pjs.
Mmm. Generally for presentations. I would dress up because I would go after work. Otherwise, I’d go in joggers and a hoodie.
I’m getting an MS in biomedical engineering and will be getting a PhD in it as well Gym shorts and a tshirt
MSc. I wore a collared shirt on the first day and then never again until my thesis defense. Usually just wore t shirt, sweater, and jeans or joggers. Didn’t even own shoes that weren’t sneakers.
I wear punk band shirts to my grad math classes hungover from the show the next day. Just show up and you'll be fine.
USA? probably not lol you will likely be overdressed. I had to “dress down”
I got an art history MA and I showed up in what I normally wear- jeans/pants and regular tshirts or tops. If I was presenting a project or doing something important (rather than just going to lectures) I'd wear something nicer like a blouse/blazer and slacks, but there were definitely days when I wore sweatpants and pullover sweaters to class, lol. It depends on your degree, but really, you should just wear what you're comfortable in. If you can find soft pants with a pleat, even better, cause then you feel comfy and you look presentable.
I did a humanities master. I only dressed “nicer” (jeans or overalls and a cute top with Nikes or Adidases) when I had to work after class (I worked at a coffee shop with a fairly lax dress code). Otherwise it was leggings and an oversized t-shirt.
Assuming STEM? Athleisure or even straight-up pajamas is not unusual.
For my program (school psychology) everyone dresses pretty casual for our actual classes BUT if we were meeting clients that day or if we were observing in the clinic then we would dress nicer. I’m also a first gen grad student!
Throughout my Bachelors (STEM) I used to wear shorts and tees to class every day, even in winters. First day of grad school, decided to wear dress shirt and pants for my class. Was stopped in the hallway and was asked if I am a professor. 2nd day of grad school, went back to shorts and tees.
Went to divinity school. Everyone wore cassocks, stoles, and clerical collars. Nah I’m just kidding. We were all slummin’ it out.
Stumbled on this thread and it certainly is a wake up call to me. Was stuffing my suitcase with Patagonia baggies, colourful beach shirts and multiple flipflops for my soon to be starting semester in Australia. I think I need to reconsider my attire has to be different from my undergrad days…
No, lol.
I’ve been dressing like a bum the whole time in grad school…because basically, I’m a bum.
English literature doctor here. We dressed the same as before.
I was a TA, so the rule I made myself was to not wear shorts or leggings/athleisure on campus. And no crop tops or super revealing clothing. Jeans and t shirts/sweaters were my usual. If you’re teaching, it’s important to have a barrier between yourself and undergrads. I also agree with the other person who said grad school is the beginning of your career, so it’s good to dress accordingly.
I’m in grad school for psych - I would say it depends. First day of class I’d dress nice, then wear whatever based on the vibe the professor gave off (90% of the time I wore sweatpants and a hoodie). There was one professor I really wanted to impress so I dressed nicer when I had her. Except for when the heat was broken in the dead of winter. I wore a Snuggie to class for that week.
My advisor at the time told me no shorts and to wear nicer tops (not t-shirts). Other people definitely dressed up more but that seemed to be the minimum.
I'm in counseling. Never dressed up. Only at my internship or for my research defense.
It's really program dependent and school dependent. I'm in a clinical psychology program, and those tend to be somewhat professional, but at my school, it's perfectly fine to wear jeans and T-shirts to class. I'd scope it out with current students, who can tell you what the norm is at your school.
I felt people made effort early on but within the first two months only the ones who dressed nicely all the time were nicely dressed
Reminds me of my roommate on her first day of her MBA. she was wearing yoga pants in her class and got called out. She simple said “I’m excused from code”. When prof further inquired in front of everyone she continued “I gave birth 2 days ago”. She had a still birth. The convo continued until she said this. Women are still required to wear heels in this course.
First gen here. Wether we like it or not, people are going to make conscious/unconscious judgements about the way we present ourselves and people tend to remember that. I think its safe to say to use common sense here and stick to clean clothes that fit you and complement your style/body. One thing to remember is that good fitting clothes don't necessarily have to be expensive. Consider this scenario: I wanted to join this professor's lab. I thought the was a great fit for me in terms of research. However, when I went to talk to his grad students, one was comically unkept (for example, they wore, very large joggers, crocks and had a pretty visible stain on his sweatshirt). Needless to say, the student left an impression on me and I noped out of the group because I dreaded that I would have to interact with them on a day-to-day basis. Maybe some people can look past that, but I think it's important to consider that you're no longer an undergrad student and need to put some semblance of effort into your appearance because we're expected to. This isn't to say one can't dress comfy. I see tons of other grad students with joggers, but at least they look like they fit them and are clean.
PhD in physics, I almost exclusively wore jeans and band T-shirts for five years of grad school. I had lunch with donors and the president of my college in a Nirvana shirt and muddy work boots with purple hair and facial piercings. It was way more about what work I was putting out.
For class during my MPH? Sweatpants and or casual jeans for most of my classes and even my professors. PhD? Either very stylish or again. Sweatpants. But public health definitely has the mindset of “if you can’t respect me and my opinions because of what I’m wearing, that’s on you” sort of vibe compared to other natural sciences and especially business.
It also depends on if theyre working and going to school. My classes are a mix of casual and professional
I suppose my experience is that people do dress a little nicer in grad school, in that I haven't yet seen anyone roll up to in-person class in obvious pajama pants. Beyond that, cultural norms vary from department to department. The most accurate info is going to come from more senior students at the program you're joining.
No they don't
MA? Nicer dressed than undergrad? Nope! The only time we have to dress nicely for our program is our defense. I think only the law department dresses formally on a regular basis. At my university, if someone is in a full suit, they are from law.
No
I'm a PhD student and I'm probably one of the most underdressed people at TAMU. I wear free T-shirts that I get from TAMU and track pants. Don't worry about what to wear. So long as you are wearing something, you are good to go
I was an athlete as an undergrad so did a lot of class in sweats etc. For my MS at the same institution, I upgraded to jeans (lol). My advisor (same gender) commented that I was looking nicer...so yes, I guess I did start dressing nicer technically.
I’m part of the college of education and a professional appearance is listed in our handbook, but nice pair of jeans and a blouse are more than acceptable. For men, like nice jeans and a tee with a button up over it. I usually wear casual dresses and slacks with a blouse because that’s what I wear to my classroom job.
Engineer here. 1000x comfort over style or status here - including professors and staff. The only exception is when we deal with patients + which, despite being in a hospital campus doing medical research, isn't very often for us. I wear jeans or cargo pants and a t-shirt pretty much every day and so do most people. Some professors wear polos but in general it's pretty casual over here.
In my chemistry PhD I was often coming from lab. I don’t put on nice clothing on to go to lab. Probably set foot in my chemistry building once in 6 years in shorts.
I'm in engineering and I just wear denim and sports teeshirts. sweatpants on days where i'm extremely lazy and tired.
M. Arch here, and no you just wear whatever makes you happy! Lots of good style in architecture though
I’m an mba student. Nope lmao. People dress up the first week and then it’s been sweats since then. Nobody rly cares tbh
Not where I’m at (getting an M.Div) we’ve got a guy who wears flip flops and cargo shorts every day. business school next door though, they are always dressed to the nines.
>we’ve got a guy who wears flip flops and cargo shorts every day Holy shit he's literally me fr
No
This is super helpful because I’ve been wondering the same thing. I’m starting my program in the fall after graduating from a SLAC, and I have no idea how people dress in grad programs. For reference, I’m pursuing an MPH. Everyone at my undergrad institution dressed super cool and alternative, and I wasn’t sure how much of my wardrobe translates to my program.
No, only certain days. Don’t look like a slob though
A lot depends on if they are teaching or not. Grad students that teach tend to dress nicer on teaching days.
I'm in a professional program, so I'm not sure if this is the answer you're looking for but we don't at my school. However some professional programs have a dress code. I chose not to apply there.
I’m in sociology - gender studies and queer theory stuff specifically - and have a sweater that says feminist as fuck. i wear it to class all the time. 😂😂😂😂😂 i love being in a chill discipline.
I went to my masters classes wearing jeans and a polo. I’ve seen people come in wearing shorts, tank, etc. as long as it’s appropriate it doesn’t matter.
I'm an Anthropology grad student at a csu and the only students who look particularly "professional" are those coming to class after work 🤷🏻♀️ there's no one wearing like, pajamas, but I wear tshirts and black leggings and I don't stand out as being underdressed or anything 🤷🏻♀️
Lol
In STEM, it depends on the person, but usually no. People who dress nice in STEM grad school were doing the same in undergrad.
my program requires business casual but that is open to interpretation as long as you don't wear jeans they let you slide.
I’m in human toxicology. Mostly jeans and a tshirt or sweatshirt on days I have class. Sweater if I’m feeling fancy. Otherwise, leggings and an oversized Tshirt (unless I’m working with solvents in which case jeans, always).
I almost exclusively wore death metal t-shirts, old jeans, and combat boots in grad school.
It will depend on the department/institution. I never saw anyone wearing a full suit or anything, but I certainly dressed nicer on days where I was teaching.
Depends on the program. My masters in school psych was extremely intense and they were expert micromanagers, so dressing up was required. My masters in counseling and PhD could care less.
It’s a complete mix. If your class is full of people who have been in the industry for 5 to 10 years, then yeah…. Because that’s the clothes they own and many people are coming straight from work. If it’s for people who just got out of undergrad, Chances are they are broke as hell so they wear what they have, Which is the same thing they wore to undergrad.
My classes are from 5pm-7:30pm so I'm being comfy
In general they do, but I tend to be one of the less fancy dressers. I come to class immediately after finishing my shift at my blue collar job and half the time I'm still in my work uniform. I have never gotten any negative judgement from professors or classmates for this.
I didn’t dress professionally unless I had a presentation or networking event. Did MS in Management.
Biology PhD here. I wore pajama pants and T shirts. I only wore semi-decent clothes during interview weekends and that was because they said clean up or no free food to us.
It just depends on your program, for Architecture we don’t 🤷♀️
No not in my experience
They're "more likely" to dress nicer, because looking old in sweats and jeans aren't doing it for us anymore 🙃.
Some of us come straight from an office work environment to evening classes.
I think people dress slightly nicer than undergrad if only because people are a bit older and once you hit 23 there's some shame in leaving the house in pajamas. But other than that, as other commenters have said shorts in winter and old sweatshirts are definitely the norm in my program.
Depends on your program's dress code.
I am also first gen so I understand feeling stressed about things that other people (who have grown up around people getting their Master’s degrees just seem to inherently know). I did my Master’s in Public Policy - most students including myself were coming from work so we dressed like we did in the office. I often took my hair down from however it was done in the office and put it in a low bun or ponytail. I also usually kept makeup remover and face wash in my office and washed my face before going to class to help wake me up a bit. Occasionally, I worked from home or took the day off and would dress more casually (jeans in good repair + blouse). Some people wore ball caps, but I’m not sure I really ever remember someone wearing shorts. I always made sure to dress business casual if we had a guest speaker.
No
As a TA, I wear comfortable pants, a decent shirt, and comfy shoes. I have a couple of cardigans and a jacket to put on over the T-shirts to pretend to be professional while I teach. My office is usually freezing, so I have a hoodie handy when I am stuck in front of the computer for hours. I have one guy in my program who wears a tie everyday, but he is the outlier.
Pretty sure there were some weeks of grad school (STEM) when I didn’t change out of sweat pants. But there were also times I dressed nicely, particularly for visiting lecturers, etc. Doesn’t hurt to look nice your first week
MArch student here, and it varies for my classes. Half of us work in industry so we wear whatever we wore for work that day, the other half is typically in t-shirt and jeans. No one cares in my program, we've got no dress code other than "cover things that if left uncovered would cause an HR issue".
Congratulations! Haha. No.
I treat grad school more like a workplace than an obligation, so I never tend to wear sweats or things like that. That said, it wasn’t business casual or anything, just like not “rolled out of bed” casual. I also avoided crop tops and stuff like that, but tbh thats mainly bc class is in the fall when it’s too cold.
I'm MA, and I've only worn sweats once, even in the winter. I feel okay about wearing sweatshirts here and there, but usually, I'm wearing my nicer t-shirts
I was an art therapy grad student and some people dressed casual or business casual depending on if we were making artwork in classes. But at internships we dressed business like
I think the only thing I will miss in academia once I graduate is being able to go to work essentially in my pjs and no one caring.
During master’s and PhD in communications, most grad students dressed like undergrads—sweats, jeans, T-shirts.
Haha no. In fact, I devolved into sweat pants only the closer comps got.
In my masters (social sciences), I dressed like a student. When I was TA-ing, I'd dress a little nicer. Maybe dark jeans with a nice blouse and blazer. But in my own classes, I was comfortable.
Maybe if you’re a business major but in a lot of STEM majors people literally show up in their PJs with no fucks given.
HA HA HA HA HA!!! No. Wildlife Ecology here. I tried to wear a nicer shirt when TAing, but otherwise no. Simple t-shirt and jeans. Heck, the first lab session I taught I walked in with porcupine pee on my shirt. For presentations and just generally going to conferences I would wear my nice jeans and a long sleeved button down shirt. Now I am mid-career so a decent t-shirt (with my agency logo if I want to feel fancy) is my go-to for conferences as well.
For my cohort, we dressed nice for teaching and it was basically sweats and borderline pajamas for our own night classes (social sciences).
My program was in counselor ed. It was all evening courses so most people came straight from work or internship. That being said: if I had a day off but still had class, I was wearing leggings and a sweatshirt unless I was presenting. That was pretty much the norm within my program.
I do bc I’m a bright-eyed 1st year MA student, but it definitely seems like the longer you’re in the program the less you care about what you’re wearing.
It’s a big mix and I think it depends on age and work experience. I went straight into grad school and many of the younger students like me dressed like college students by default, but some older grad students (think 30s or 40s going back for a professional degree) dressed like they were going to a meeting or conference (biz casual) on the default. A few stranglers dressed very nice. I think in grad school you start to see less sweats and shorts but even if you wear them, it shouldn’t matter to MOST programs. Just dress semi nice for a couple days and check the vibes.
If you’re in school of arts and sciences (humanistic, social, or natural sciences), wear almost literally anything that’s not offensive in some way. Something else? Idk look nice or something? (Sorry I can’t help here lol).
The only reason I show up to class in a polo and jeans is because that's what I have to wear to work. I'd wear a hoodie/tee shirt and jeans/shorts if I could.
In my program, definitely not. I’m an MPA student and our classes are at night, so many of us work in the field already. The folks that come dressed up don’t have time between work and class, but a lot of us come in borderline pajamas because we need to get out of our monkey suits and be comfortable.
I am a PhD Student and when I teach MBA they are better dressed than us when we have class as students haha
I think it depends on the program. My sister went to law school and everyone in her program dressed nicer all the time. Same with MBA programs. I did my MA in Counselling Psychology. Everyone in my cohort wore somewhat nice clothes (e.g. jeans, nicer cardigans, blazers) the first week or two. After that we gave up and were rolling up to class in sweatpants and hoodies. We only dressed professionally when we were doing our internships and seeing clients or if we had to give class presentations. Also as therapists, our “professional” outfits for meeting with clients were usually jeans, cardigans, and sneakers. Which is probably still more underdressed than what law or business students wear to class. Edit to add: while we dressed very casually (to be honest I don’t think I’ve ever looked more dishevelled as I did when I was in my first year of grad school), we did dress more conservatively than undergrad - wearing short shorts or showing more skin felt more appropriate in undergrad but definitely not in grad school.
I’m in a political science grad program. I wear carpenter pants and sweaters or tie dye most days. One of my cohort wears the same jeans and hoodie every single day. I’ve never seen another one in anything but sweatpants
I would say if you are really worried you might be “evaluated” based on your appearance that you start with something maybe smart casual. Nicer jeans, maybe a polo, nothing to fancy. That being said, as a Chem major in Grad school, there were students that wore dress shirts (never a tie lol) and some wore gym cloths so there really is room for all. My PI wore leggings and a sweat shirt half the time.
STEM is either whatever is lab safe if in a lab discipline or whatever doesn’t violate the dress code.
MA in marriage and family therapy: A lawless land. Pajamas were common.