For some, the decision to apply to graduate school is a meticulously planned one. It is a process that involves a great deal of research, from perusing the graduate course catalogues to stalking faculty members in hopes of finding potential candidates to serve as mentors for your thesis. However, not all graduate students take this route. Some of us sort of stumbled into graduate school; my application to the UPRM was submitted on the very last day of the deadline, and I only applied because my mom wouldn’t stop nagging me about it. As a fifth-semester graduate student, it seems like it’s been ages since I applied to graduate school. I’ve learned so much these past two years, but I can never forget how completely clueless I felt when I started the program. With any luck, my experiences will help both those who are just recently considering applying to graduate school and those who’ve had graduate school on their list of future goals for years.
1. Graduate school will make you feel stupid…very stupid.
As a student in my bachelor’s, I constantly felt like I was on top of the world. I had an easy time completing my assignments and was usually one of the first people in my classes to hand in their exam. I’ll admit that I brought some of that cockiness with me in my pocket to graduate school. But, boy, did the feeling dissipate fast! Being in graduate school means that professors automatically assume that you are a well-read, knowledgeable person who’s able to complete any task they assign with minimal guidance. Not only will you feel like you are failing to impress your professors, but you will also encounter model graduate students: smarter people with more experience and talent than you. I won’t lie: it doesn’t feel good. However, you’d do well to remember that most graduate students are just as intimidated and scared as you are—maybe more so.
2. You must master the art of managing your time… or perish in the process.
Graduate school holds seemingly unrealistic expectations on its students. You’ll likely be asked to read two books, write three papers, and create a group presentation over the course of one week. Graduate students usually receive either a research or teaching assistantship in order to fund their studies, which means you will have even more time-consuming responsibilities to take care of while also trying to manage your life as a full-time student. Being in graduate school means having to juggle school, work, and a social life—not always with good results. There are times where the prospect of a 12-hour Netflix binge session will seem very enticing to you. However, relying on your procrastinating ways will hurt you badly in the long run. Learning how to implement a schedule and provide structure to your life are absolutely essential skills to ensure your success.
3. Some professors will turn out to be the most valuable mentors of your life.
If you’re lucky, you’ll encounter amazing, dedicated professors that work hard every day to positively influence their students. As a graduate student, some of the most valuable relationships I’ve forged have been with faculty members. Professors should strive to push us to be better while simultaneously showing us how to use certain tools in order to guarantee our success. Keep in mind, however, that relationships with faculty should be conducted in the utmost professional manner. Professors and administrative staff are constantly talking amongst one another about their students. So if you’re ever rude or disrespectful, you might find that word spreads quickly and you can suddenly be blacklisted by other professors who might not want to work with you in the future.
4. Stay true to yourself, but know that some changes are inevitable.
Joining the world of higher education can be tough on your self-esteem. It is a common practice for students to compare themselves to their peers, although professors are certainly not exempt from this, either. When I joined the UPRM, I didn’t know anyone on campus. As a result, I felt lost—like a solitary raft floating in the middle of a wide ocean with no land in sight. Feeling like an outcast usually drives people to want to change their personalities in order to fit in better with others. Graduate school certainly taught me that cliques are not just a high school thing. I succumbed to the pressure of pretending to be someone I wasn’t in order to be liked by others. However, these types of “friendships” usually don’t last long. I’ve found my best friends simply by being my most authentic self. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you never have to change. On the contrary, graduate school guarantees change—you will likely become a more mature version of yourself, and the experiences you encounter will shape your goals and outlook on life.
5. Only you have the power to determine your worth.
Your performance as a graduate student does not determine your worth as a person. No one, not your professors or your classmates or your grade on a paper, get to decide who you are as a human being. Always remember that the only person who gets to decide what you do and how you feel is about it… is you. I won’t pretend that there’s no chance of having to deal with malicious gossip or negativity as a graduate student. Haters have pretty much existed since the dawn of mankind and will probably be around long after all of humanity has perished. It is up to you to rise above it. Learn to grow a thick skin, avoid having their negative energy around you, and don’t be afraid to hit that unfriend button on Facebook. Trust me, you’ll be better off.