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The professor withdrew the offer to the author to have a research internship with the lab (seemingly as a result of the conversation), then both researchers avo

The professor withdrew the offer to the author to have a research internship with the lab (seemingly as a result of the conversation), then both researchers avoided discussing project details with him. Near the conclusion: "From then on, both Alphonse and Beckham were very tight-lipped about the project. They consistently needed to leave for a meeting right when I came to talk to them after class, and would say that the project was "undergoing some changes." I managed to corner Professor Alphonse and one of his grad students towards the end of the semester to ask whether I would still have my research assistantship for the Summer. He, very politely, told me, "I would say that the position is...tentative. I'd recommend that you take any other opportunities instead of waiting on this one." As I was about to explain that I did not have any other opportunities, he had a meeting to get to and hurried off, interrupting me when I tried to speak."

ekpyrotic 4y ago
This is from the author's perspective, which just feels wrong. It doesn't feel natural. I cannot believe anyone would feel 'caught out' by the student-professor exchange. The scope of the project was a little vague, and the research team would just shape it as it went along. The 'gotcha' moment just doesn't exist here; the awkwardness sounds like something that was artificially perceived on the student's side. In any usual situation, the professor would say... "sure, but we're going to do it anyway" or "sure, but we'll expand scope" or, more likely yet, "sure, but we'll work it out as we go along". With respect to the retraction of the offer, it is more likely to be because either: 1) the research team failed to organise bits and pieces in time, shifting priorities, or just didn't fully commit to the project in the first place; or, and I hate to say this, 2) the exchange revealed that the student was a little socially awkward, which they took as a red flag.

ekpyrotic 4y ago

This is from the author's perspective, which just feels wrong. It doesn't feel natural. I cannot believe anyone would feel 'caught out' by the student-professor exchange. The scope of the project was a little vague, and the research team would just shape it as it went along. The 'gotcha' moment just doesn't exist here; the awkwardness sounds like something that was artificially perceived on the student's side. In any usual situation, the professor would say... "sure, but we're going to do it anyway" or "sure, but we'll expand scope" or, more likely yet, "sure, but we'll work it out as we go along". With respect to the retraction of the offer, it is more likely to be because either: 1) the research team failed to organise bits and pieces in time, shifting priorities, or just didn't fully commit to the project in the first place; or, and I hate to say this, 2) the exchange revealed that the student was a little socially awkward, which they took as a red flag.