Depressing Moments of Graduate Studies in Ghana

In addition to the many graduate students studying in Ghana who are unlucky to enjoy scholarships and other financial support from the country, which in itself comes with a serious financial burden on them, there are other damming depressing moments they mostly experience. Such experiences are elaborated on in the ensuing paragraphs.

The majority of graduate students have ethical dilemmas, ranging from mild depression to crippling depressive disorders. Ethical clearance is a crucial document for gathering data and carrying out the research. However, that ethical clearance has come to torment the majority of students. In most cases, students have to wait for a long period, usually, six months to a year before they can be cleared for data gathering, meanwhile, the students have only one year left to complete if they are pursuing an MPhil and two or three years for a PhD. The waiting alone has caused significant harm to students. Some, if not for encouragement from others, would abandon their programs. But why should this happen? If research is as important as claimed, why do ethical clearances for students whose studies are time-bound face such delays? If your university does not delay issuing ethical clearance, then you’re safe. Thank your ethical body. But for those bodies that are asleep at the wheel, I don’t think ethical clearance should take that longer period, considering that graduate studies are time-bound. If you don’t realize that your delays in issuing ethical clearance are causing depression and despair among graduate students, then you’ve been informed.

Another depressing period is the supervision section. I must state that some supervisors are doing wonderfully well, and students appreciate them, but there are a good number of them tormenting the lives of students. Many students are frustrated, depressed, and lost hope in the program they joyfully applied to. We want to inform headships of various offices in various universities that this situation has found its place and has roots now. Students are grateful to the few supervisors who give their all to shape them and their work. But those who let students go through hell must know the depression students are suffering from because of their attitudes toward their work. Universities should know that in the name of supervision, some students have got depressed, and lost hope as there is nobody to lean against in such moments.

Although graduate students go through a lot of hell throughout their graduate journey, delay in thesis examination is the most common moment of suffering depression. Various universities have timelines for the return of theses that go for examination; two months, three months, or less than that depending on the program. While few students register that some theses take a short time (one month or two) and they are back from examination, the majority of students express worry that theses have taken longer (six months to 18 months) before they return from examination. This waiting period besides opportunities that pass most students by for not having their certificate is depression. While financial issues have been some of the reasons that account for the delay, there is no news of swift intervention to curb this menace.

One sad thing about the incident is when students are told, what is the rush for, it will come, don't worry everything will be fine, and on top of it all, you will hear some officeholders tell students that they are not praying hard. While the delay in returning the thesis is human action and has nothing to do with prayer, the African who is supposedly notoriously religious will say students are not praying hard which is why they experience delays. Students will want to make it known that their studies are time-bound and if the research is going to resolve a social problem, is also time-bound. Hence, various universities should at least do something about the issue not for the sake of the university scoring credibility, but for the mental health of many graduate students who have submitted their theses and are taking years to return from examination.

To the various universities in Ghana, many graduate students are experiencing depression. While some are depressed, others have lost hope and do not wish to return to that same university again, others have abandoned their programs, and some others regret the decision to embark graduate journey. While this issue can be prevented, it will take a total overhaul of the various bodies, departments, and centers of the various universities. All hope is not lost; graduate students believe that through quality education, the universities will be helping to solve the problems of Ghana and Africa at large. This came from the desk of Emmanuel Graham Nyameke.