Written by Sakshi Bajpai
Embarking on the journey to graduate school can be a bit frightening, specifically the fact that you have to manage your coursework and research simultaneously. For me, my first year went mainly on focussing on my coursework because that’s when you have to take the maximum number of courses and adjust to the new academic environment as well. From my experience, I would like to share the following tips which I think can help ease the pressure of your graduate coursework:
Know the course requirements of your degree programs Every program, in general, has a particular set of requirements for a few mandatory core courses and a minimum number of elective courses that need to be fulfilled to obtain the degree. You can easily look for such requirements in your graduate handbook which should be available on the department’s website. Master’s students may also find a ‘Plan of Study’ on their department’s website which gives a clear idea of the requirements based on whether you choose a thesis or a non-thesis route.
Look for the electives being offered during the quarter You can use the UCI WebReg to know the schedule of classes. By customizing your search, you can see what electives are offered by various departments in a particular quarter. It is important to check with your department if they approve of the electives you are willing to take. If they don’t approve of it but you think it can be helpful for your research, there is also a process to get that elective to approve if your research advisor and graduate advisor agree to do so.
Chalk out a coursework plan as per your interests and aim In my opinion, it is always good to have a tentative coursework plan in such a way that it aligns with your research interests. This will help you have a clear approach towards your goals. You can always contact the senior students in your department to know more about the courses and the professors who teach them. Having a coursework plan is something which might not seem important, but turns out to be helpful as you progress towards your degree.
Know the outline of your courses well It is very important to know what courses you are diving into. Don’t plan on taking a course by just their names. You can always browse more information about the course through the UCI General Catalogue. It can give you a brief idea of what to expect from a particular course. Moreover, you can also contact the instructor of the course through emails if you need to know anything about the course.
Know if there are any prerequisites for the course Certain courses need you to have prerequisite knowledge related to it. Make sure you are aware of such requirements and also fulfill them. In case, you are not very sure of the prerequisites, know that you can always contact the department or the instructor to have a clearer idea. Sometimes, you may have to take a course, which will be a prerequisite for another course, to fulfill the requirements and be fully prepared for the particular course.
Brushing up basic knowledge for the courses When you are fully aware of the courses you want to take, you may start early on your own by doing some background work. In general, every graduate course needs you to have a basic understanding of the subject. You may or may not belong to the same field of study as your graduate program. Hence, it is always beneficial to learn the basics with the help of some online courses or the recommended textbooks. You may find such textbooks in the graduate handbook of the department or you can always contact the senior graduate students to know what all can be helpful. I believe it is always better to have a basic knowledge of the courses you are about to take. It will always be worth the effort.
Be prepared for assignments and projects/reports While it is important to brush up or learn all the basics of the courses, it is equally important to know that some courses may ask a lot of time from you. I took courses that had a homework assignment every week. At the same time, I had courses where there were only 1 or 2 homework assignments throughout the quarter. So, the workload will vary from course to course. Many courses require you to present or prepare a report on some relevant topic, as a part of your grades. Hence, I would suggest you work on your writing and presentation skills in advance. Practice is the key!
No matter how overwhelming graduate school seems to be, know that you have the capability to do everything that comes through. It may take time and patience, but you will be used to the handling of the coursework efficiently. Make sure you maximize your learning through all the classes you take and align them with your research work, if possible. Make friends, study in a group if you want to. And know that your peer mentors are always there to help you. I wish you good luck with your new graduate journey!