Surviving Graduate School

The process of applying for graduate school is stressful, but it's what happens once you get in that makes a difference. Choosing the right school and program are important but the choices you make once you get in have the biggest impact on your future career. Obviously you are intelligent or you would not have gotten in, but surviving graduate school is more than just brains. These are the top five things I wish I had known when I started graduate school.

1. Let your work speak for you. This is probably the best piece of advice that I received in graduate school. While the face to face impressions you make on the faculty are important, its the work that matters. Whether you are writing a paper for an elective course, or in your major area, keep in mind that you are working towards becoming a professional. Write as though your ultimate goal is publication. Whether or not what you write is ever published is irrelevant, practicing quality habits early on is what matters.

2. Explore your interest. This seems like a no brainer but part of graduate school is to learn what you love. However, what you do in graduate school does not have to be your life's work. A useful approach is to pick a topic in your field each semester and focus all your course work on different aspects of that topic. That way at the end of the semester you have several pieces of work with a central theme that can eventually be turned into an actual research project, if not you have at least learned a lot about a key component of your field.

3.Talk to people. Graduate school is as much about the connections you make as it is the work you do. Consider graduate school like an apprenticeship, you are learning a trade. While your professors are your teachers they are also your future colleagues. Go and visit them during office hours, but be prepared with an insightful question. Make sure they know you are interested and passionate about what you are doing.

4. Take advantage of opportunity. This is a big one. During graduate school you are preparing for your future career, you are basically building a resume. When an opportunity to do research or to receive extra training presents itself, take it. Never turn down an opportunity to expand your professional socialization. That being said, don't over commit yourself either.

5. Treat graduate school like a job. Being a graduate student is a unique, and sometimes confusing identity. You are still a student, not quite a professional, but somewhere in between. It's useful to conceptualize this period of your life like you would an entry level position. It's a job and if you want to advance you have to work hard and show up for work. That means not only showing up for class, but making an effort to involve yourself in the department you are in. It's a little like the saying, dress for the job you want not the job you have. Act like the professional you want to be and not the student you are.

Overall graduate school can be a great experience, remember you are lucky enough to be doing what you love and getting paid for it. Don't get bogged down with the little things and remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel.