My Professor's Favorite Student Is Me?
Anonymous Charming Wildcard #280 · General
Ever since the start of my grad program, I've felt a strange connection to Dr. Chen. At first, it was just that she seemed to have an uncanny knack for understanding my research interests and offering insightful critiques during our weekly meetings. But as time went on, it became clear that she had a special interest in me. She's always there at 5 PM sharp every Tuesday with fresh pastries from the local bakery for her afternoon tea break, which she invites me to join more often than not. Recently, I've noticed small gestures like her leaving notes of encouragement in my mailbox or sending extra academic papers that align closely with my work. It feels weird but wonderful. I know it's a bit much and might make others uncomfortable, but honestly, these little things make the mundane tasks feel worthwhile. I've started feeling more confident about my thesis because she believes in me. But every now and then, I catch myself worrying that maybe I'm overthinking everything. What if her kindness is just professional courtesy? Or worse, what if other students are starting to notice and think less of me? Am I being paranoid here or should I be more appreciative of this unique mentorship opportunity without letting my guard down too much? Should I talk to Dr. Chen about it? How do you balance between feeling valued and potentially overstepping boundaries in a grad student-professor relationship?