From the playful mind of Joanna Renteria comes two tongue-in-cheek holiday gift ideas: “Delusional Master’s Barbie™” and “Ph.D. Masochist Barbie™.” A full-time grad student pursuing her own M.A. in Mass Communication, Renteria may have a future in writing ad copy, describing Graduate School Barbie thusly:

Every Graduate School Barbie comes with these fun-filled features guaranteed to delight and entertain for hours: Grad School Barbie comes out of the box with a big grin on her face that turns into a frown after 2 weeks or her first advisor meeting (whichever comes first). She also has adorable black circles under her delightfully bloodshot eyes.

Comes with two outfits: a grubby pair of blue jeans and 5-year-old gap T-shirt, and a floppy pair of gray sweatpants with a matching “I hate my life” T-shirt.

9 volt lithium batteries are sold separately. But what about Graduate School Ken™?  He’s waiting for someone to breathe comic life into him. Any takers?




An Illustrated Guide to a PH.D.

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little:

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more:

With a bachelor’s degree, you gain a specialty:

A master’s degree deepens that specialty:

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge:

Once you’re at the boundary, you focus:

You push at the boundary for a few years:

Until one day, the boundary gives way:

And, that dent you’ve made is called a Ph.D.:

Of course, the world looks different to you now:

So, don’t forget the bigger picture:

Keep pushing ;)