Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting and i'm excited to begin learning more about myself and others.

A little about me:

I am currently enrolled in a masters program in psychology. I have big career goals and a concrete plan of action for achieving these goals. I come from a middle class family but am not dependent on them for financial support. I am interested in learning more about ways to achieve my goals as a student as well as learning what to expect from new experiences in the class room.

My first issue of concern is rapport with professors and other students. As someone who is relatively new to grad school discussions I am a little unsure of how transparent to be during class. I have experienced first hand the rants of fellow students who share just a tad to much during discussion sessions and, although I am not opposed to open and honest discussion, my feeling is that fellow students and professors consider this outpour of experiences to be unprofessional and unbecoming of an aspiring professional. Am I wrong? Recently in a class exercise I was overwhelmed with emotion, and when asked to discuss the activity I began to get flustered and teary eyed. I knew that this topic had struck a cord but I wasn't sure why. I was extremely uncomfortable in this situation and felt vulnerable and out of control. I have been working extremely hard to build relationships with professors so that I may be able to utilize their connections and expertise in my future career. Will this "sign of weakness" damage my rapport with my professor?

Needless to say, the entire class witnessed my reaction to the assignment. I felt as if my emotions were disproportionate to other students in the class.

Maybe I'm over thinking it but, considering my field of study, I just want to know if it is normal to become emotional during certain discussions. I feel stable, secure, and have several social supports. I typically use coping skills such as reframing and open discussion with my paramour when I feel overwhelmed. my paramour recommended I search forums for some advice as he has had no experience in my field. What do you guys think?

It may be difficult for you to come to a conclusion based on the details given. The activity was a free association exercise and I felt singled out because my interpretation of the questions was atypical in comparison to the other students.

I look forward to your interpretations.