#it’s purposeful. and i don’t think it’s something i would’ve picked up on during 1.0

[unmgrc]

Grad School Guidance: What You Don’t Learn in Orientation

MJ Alharbi, Andrew Breidenbach, Fazal e Haq, Carla Passos-Morgan, & Carlyn Pinkins, Graduate Resource Center Consultants

Photo courtesy of Stocksnap.io, used under CCO 1.0

For many of us who are new to grad school or who are first-gen grad students, the hidden curriculum of graduate life is mystifying and contributes to feeling overwhelmed or a sense that you don’t belong. As we begin a new semester, the GRC consultants compiled advice for graduate students. Whether new to your graduate program or figuring out how to do graduate school, we hope our experiences can help.

What is one thing you wish you had known about grad school before you began?

Those feelings of insecurity

Don't be too hard on yourself as a first-year or a first-generation graduate student. You are not expected to know everything, although sometimes people will (mistakenly) expect you to. I remember coming into one of my classes during my first semester and quickly realizing that I had very little knowledge about what the other students and the professor were discussing. It became the class I dreaded going to, since every time I was reminded that there was still so much about comparative political development I didn't know. I somehow managed a B in the class, but looking back, I really, really wish I had gotten up the courage to go talk to the professor directly and explain my insecurities and anxieties, if only so that he would be more aware of disparities between students in class.

Another lesson I wish someone had told me was that faculty and professors are just (flawed) people at the end of the day, like you and me. They have a sense of humor, they have good intentions mostly, but sometimes it is easy to paint them as being all-knowing or all-powerful. Trust your gut instinct when it comes to selecting advisors and committee members, and pick people who resonate with you socially and emotionally, as well as in academic interests. It can be tempting to choose advisors based on their CV or their prestige, but many people end up developing wonderful theses and dissertations under lesser-known faculty.

Seeking out resources

I wish I had known that UNM offered many resources for student to grow academically and professionally.  For instance, after a year, I got to know that there are many resources that help students with funding. I also got to realize that most likely Zimmerman library would purchase any book if it’s not already available in the library. Moreover, I wish I knew earlier than my confusion and loss in my first year would ease as sharing thoughts and ideas in informal conversation with classmates, professors, or any other friends will, over time, help narrow down my research interest.   

Professor-student relationships

Professors (for the most part) are really approachable and willing to help. I think that especially for international students it can be a steep learning curve understanding a new culture of professor-student relationship. I was always very cautious when speaking or emailing a professor. It was almost like I wasn’t expecting them to respond as though I were not important enough for them to bother with. I know this was my own misguided perceptions; professors are amazing resources and it’s their job to help make your grad journey meaningful and purposeful.

Funding opportunities and on-campus activities

Students who work full time off-campus jobs can have a very isolating graduate school experience. For my first year and a half I was coming to campus for class only. I was not involved in grad activities and taking advantage of on-campus resources, such as the GRC, GPSA grants, El Centro de la Raza and others.  I did not even know I was eligible to apply for assistantships, until one of my colleagues reached out to me. Even if you are in a full-time position and do not plan on leaving your job for a graduate assistantship, seek the information about these wonderful organizations that can provide support with research and travel funding for conferences. Also, getting involved with activities throughout campus can make your grad experience less isolating and help you connect with people and knowledge that you would not otherwise.

The Graduate Student Mindset – From Regurgitation to Absorption and Processing

I wish I had a different mindset. I went from several years of school where my success was dictated by how well I could regurgitate information, remember dates. It rarely mattered what I thought about the things I was reading, but rather it mattered more that I understood how my professors thought about it and what they wanted me to get out of it. Graduate students are not only expected to learn new concepts, but they’re expected to apply those concepts to the things they’re going to be experts in.  

Years after I started working at the GRC, something a coworker said stuck with me and remains with me to this day: graduate students are the future producers of knowledge rather than retainers of knowledge. It’s important that we know and understand the things we read because we’ll have to apply them to arguments we make and the research that we’ll ultimately do. Had I seriously thought about how much remembering and understanding the concepts I learned in class would apply to future classes or the ways that I approach research topics, I’d have approached readings and my participation in seminars differently. I would’ve tried to articulate my ideas more and asked more questions, weighing them against my own experience and knowledge. I may have considered the experiences and backgrounds of my colleagues and thought more about how they may perceive the topics that were discussed. It would’ve totally changed my approach to readings, studying, and class participation, and possibly my relationships to a lot of my professors and peers.

Photo courtesy Stocksnap.io, used under CCO 1.0

Grad school is difficult. We all come to it with different motivations and goals, and with unique backgrounds that influence our experience in class and on campus. Regardless of how much you know or don’t know, there is some advice that holds true for us all--develop perseverance and resilience. They are skills that are necessary to make it through grad school (and in life). 

For a great TED Talk on grit, check out: Angela Duckworth--Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

If you have questions about grad school or you’re looking for academic support, contact the UNM Graduate Resource Center.