The part about grad school that people do not like to talk about is how isolating it can be. I am talking specifically about the doctorate experience. You are expected to do independent research on a topic that very few people even understand, write about it, publish it, and somehow hold everything together while doing it. It is an enormous amount of pressure that you carry mostly on your own.

Most days you sit in your office or lab with your thoughts, your data, and whatever existential crisis comes free with your funding package. This has been my reality for the past year. Even though I genuinely love what I do, the isolation can get heavy. Grad school sits in a strange in between space where you are doing professional level work but still treated and paid like a college student. It is also hard for people outside academia to relate to what you are experiencing, which adds even more to the feeling of being alone.

If you are feeling this too, the isolation, the pressure, the feeling that it might be too much sometimes, you are not alone. I promise.

One of the things that has helped me is finding resources that make me feel understood and grounded. I want to share a few that have made a real difference in my life. These are the best YouTube channels for grad students to help them feel less isolated.

YouTube Channels for Grad Students

Buddhist Society of Western Australia
This has helped me more than I can express. Their talks focus on kindness, gratitude, and slowing down. It is easy in grad school to become irritated or overwhelmed by everything. Watching their content has helped me reset my mindset and approach both life and work with a little more peace.

https://www.youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA

R3ciprocity with Dr David Maslach
If you are in graduate school you will feel understood by this channel. Dr Maslach talks through almost every problem I have faced, including motivation, writing struggles, impostor syndrome, and difficult conversations with advisers. His explanations are clear and supportive and he even has an editing service for manuscripts.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5spxk7bNDMGPSHjW_8ndZA

Therapy in a Nutshell
This one became important to me after a surprise gap in my therapy sessions. I had been seeing a therapist weekly for about a year. Eventually she told me that I was doing well enough to switch to monthly sessions, which felt like such a major step forward. When the next month arrived she did not reply to any of my messages. She left the therapy platform entirely and I suddenly did not have a therapist at all. It was discouraging and honestly upsetting.

While I worked on finding a new therapist, I found the channel Therapy in a Nutshell. It is run by Emma McAdam who is an incredibly thoughtful and compassionate therapist. Her videos helped me stay grounded and gave me tools to manage stress and anxiety during a period when I felt very lost.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpuqYFKLkcEryEieomiAv3Q

Grad school can feel lonely but you do not have to go through it without support. These channels helped me feel connected, understood, and less alone. I hope they can do the same for you.