Written by Kameko Washburn
Starting graduate school means big changes for most people. Some of the shifts that new graduate students experience include adjusting from a semester to a quarter system, transitioning from undergrad or a job, and relocating to a new area (or even a new country!). If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been searching Google or asking people you know who are in or who have completed graduate programs for advice on what to expect. In return, you’ve probably received some pretty mixed responses and maybe you aren’t sure how those will hold up for you once you’re here at UCI. So, I wanted to share with you some common things I heard before entering my graduate program and tell you why I’ve found some to be myths while others to be true.
Myth 1: You won’t have time to socialize.
It’s true that it may feel like you’re so busy with course work, research, and personal obligations that you won’t have time for a social life. For many graduate students, it is also common to feel guilt when not working. However, you absolutely should not only find time to socialize, but make time. Getting away from your desk and connecting with friends, cohort members, and family is essential. Not only is this an important aspect of self-care, but it can create a more sustainable, long-term, work-life balance.
Myth 2: Your supervisor/advisor will control what you work on.
Everyone’s relationship with their advisor is different, however, the idea that your supervisor will completely control what you work on is rarely (if ever) true. Sure, they may encourage you to work on certain ongoing projects of theirs, but a major part of your training as a graduate student is to become an independent scholar. Most likely your advisor will be looking for you to initiate and work on your own projects based on your own interests and ideas.
Myth 3: You’ll do better in a graduate program if you stay in the same major as your undergraduate degree.
Coming into a graduate program that is in a different area of study than your undergraduate degree can be daunting. You may feel like you’re starting over while others in your cohort seem more prepared since they already have training in a certain field. However, being interdisciplinary can be a great advantage. It means you may think about problems differently and bring a variety of experience and perspective to topics you’ll cover in your courses and your research.
Fact 1: School breaks don’t equal ‘time-off’.
During undergrad, school breaks are usually a great time for students to relax or even vacation. In graduate school, you’ll likely find yourself working through these breaks to advance your own research or catch up on things you put off during the busy quarter (like cleaning out your inbox or your google drive folders).
Fact 2: Your relationship with faculty will be quite different than it was in undergrad.
Depending on someone’s school and major, undergrad experiences can vary quite a bit. Yet, the reality is that it is now common for students in undergrad to attend classes that have 150 or even 300 or more students and rarely get the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with their professors. That’s not the case in graduate school. In fact, many faculty members will now view you as junior colleagues and will be looking for you to actively engage in conversations because they value your input.
Fact 3: Graduate school is challenging, but also rewarding.
Is graduate school hard? Yes. There’s no question that it’s a lot of work and will be mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing. However, there are also so many rewarding aspects of graduate school! Not only are you able to grow academically and professionally, but you’ll likely gain a deeper understanding of what really matters to you in your work. You’ll also have the opportunity to make new friends, try new things, and take advantage of new and exciting opportunities.
Perhaps the biggest truth of all is, like with anything in life, there is no one size fits all approach to graduate school. You have to find what works for you in order to get what you want out of your years in your program. Through it all, remember to allow yourself to have fun, to utilize resources available to you on and off-campus, and to take care of yourself – whatever that looks like to you.