For you, dear readers applying to college in the US, an essay gift. In this post, we take a deep dive into how to respond to common app Prompt #2 – The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
PS. Comment below if you want us to tackle more essay prompts!
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This is a series of letters to a new graduate student, where we share learnings from our experience, and things we wish someone shared with us. In this letter, we will provide specific tips on classes, life outside classes, and in-depth tips for advisor selection. Read the previous letter on surviving classes.
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This is a series of letters to a new graduate student, where we share learnings from our experience, and things we wish someone shared with us. In this letter, we will cover strategies for survival of classes in graduate school, and give you tips on advisor selection. Read the previous letter
Let me guess, you are pretty overwhelmed after having spent a month in classes. As a 4.0 college grad, you knew what it meant to work hard. You were the champion of working hard. But classes in grad school are very different. Working hard has a different meaning now. You’ve never sat in a class with so many smart people. To make matters worse, everyone else seems to understand everything that is being taught at a much faster rate than you.
Here’s a secret. Half the class is just as lost as you are. Everyone is having the same thought — “how did I end up here?“. Don’t panic though, we will provide 2 survival tips to help you navigate this period.
Your tribe are the people who will invite you into their study groups. You might be lucky to be in a class that has people who look like you, you might not be so lucky. Nonetheless, you need to insert yourself into group study. Doing homework in a team and studying together will reduce the load in half. You’ll thank us later. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be best friends with said people, you just need to do what you need to do, to get to the finish line.
You don’t need a 4.0 to get that internship or be considered for any scholarships/fellowships. Other skills beyond your academic merit matter more at this time in your career. Being in a graduate program is proof enough that you are academically qualified for any place you want. So don’t stress about it.
Do what you need to pass classes, but that’s all. Don’t go above and beyond for an A. Make the A but don’t lose sleep if you can’t make the A, aim for a B. If you make a B in your class, it means you’re pretty much average like the rest of the class. This is the one time you’ll hear us say it is okay to be average, because in Graduate school it really is. Other things like research, networking, and mentoring will be the keys you need for the finish line. Trust yourself and the process.
How has it been meeting with different professors and figuring out which lab you are going to join? Of course it is important to find someone working on a topic or project you are super interested in. More than that though, the most important thing about joining a research lab is ensuring that you and your potential advisor get along. Here’s the thing, the PhD journey is very similar to a marriage. If you pick a good and supportive advisor/partner, you will have an enjoyable experience. If you don’t, it’ll be a lot harder. So make sure you ask current graduate students about their advisor’s personal style. You can grow to love a research topic, but you cannot grow to love an advisor that is awful to work with.
To help you along the way, we’ve crafted templates, sample emails, and potential question lists to help you connect with potential research advisors and their current graduate students.
See you next month!
This is a series of letters to a new graduate student, where we share learnings from our experience, and things we wish someone shared with us.
Dear 1st year Graduate Student,
It’s your first week in graduate school. It feels like a dream. Who knew that there were so MANY other people interested in getting a PhD. You have attended numerous orientations. You hear someone say they are getting a PhD in music studies. Your science background cannot comprehend what one could do with a PhD in music, but oh well, the world does need musicians.
You are excited to be here. Thankful even. You think back to all those years where you dreamt of becoming a doctor. Not the medical kind… you hate blood, that would be a terrible combination. The scholarly kind of doctor! The kind that probably shouldn’t stand up in a plane when the flight attendant asks is their a doctor on the plane during an emergency.
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