Picking up where we left off in the previous post about going to graduate school:
3. The Graduate School Experience
In general, most graduate school classes are small in size (ranging from 6-25 students). They typically meet in the evenings once per week and last about three hours. On occasion, institutions may offer Saturday classes and some offer online courses and hybrids (classes that last half the semester and are a blend of in-class instruction and online assignments). Yizhi shared that to her surprise, classes were much smaller than she was used to as an undergraduate. She joked that there is nowhere to hide. In a class of only 6 students, you can’t fake it. But more seriously, she enjoys the individual attention the professor can provide to the students. You also get to know your classmates better.
Yizhi also shared her observation that graduate school provides a greater diversity of students. In her classes, there are students of varying ages and stages in their careers. At times she admits, it can be intimidating because you could be in class with someone who’s already worked in the field for 15 or 20 years. Another panelist identified with this same scenario and mentioned the importance of supplemental instruction to feel better prepared for their advanced level of study. Yizhi had to take some pre-requisite undergraduate courses to catch up and be able to switch disciplines when going from undergraduate to graduate. However, Jing shared that she was unable to take pre-requisites and instead does a lot of self-instruction through outside resources such as conferences and research.
4. The Challenges
Most of the panelists shared that time management is one of the greatest challenge of graduate school. Procrastination isn’t your friend. Chaitra, who is married, joked that there were plenty of nights in which she couldn’t make dinner for her husband and herself. Flexibility and understanding are required of a spouse or significant other when you are in graduate school. You won’t have as much time for the everyday things since you’ll have much longer reading assignments, papers, and other work.
Additionally, the panelists said that open communication with your professors is key and advised taking advantage of open office hours to maintain a strong rapport with faculty. For those struggling to maintain a balance between work and study, Ruta advised good planning. She works on campus as a Graduate Assistant and always strives to keep a clear, organized scheduled, while working farther in advance on assignments. Lastly, some of the panelists shared that is can be harder to get involved than when you were an undergraduate student. As an undergraduate student, there are so many clubs and events marketed to you. However, as a graduate student, you really need to put yourself out there and take more of an initiative to get involved.
Krishna recommended attending campus-wide and cultural events and simply starting a conversation. He commented that there’s such a diversity on campus and so much we can learn from one another. One of his best experiences has stemmed from attending events that draw individuals from other disciplines. He really enjoys learning about other areas and gaining perspectives on topics important to his industry from those who reside outside of it.
5. Final Thoughts
Alixandra ended the panel discussion with a personal story about her graduate school journey. For her, she said, graduate school was a second chance. She said she tried so hard as an undergraduate to figure out who she was and what she was going to be. She said she felt as though she was going through a quarter-life crisis, but this journey to where she is now gives her a much stronger idea. Alixandra loves her program and is so excited for what tomorrow brings.
Remember, if you have any questions or need help in choosing or applying to a graduate school program, come see us in Career Services. We are happy to answer questions and assist you. ask4careeradvice@psu.edu