Alexandria Caple, CCN, cohort 2014
First and foremost, welcome to Michigan! All of your hard work has paid off tremendously. I’m sure many of you are probably thinking something along the lines of “okay, now what?”. This is perfectly normal and I can assure you, you’re not alone. But fret not, because I’m about to offer you some general tips to surviving the graduate school experience.
Here are my top five tips for getting through the first year with relatively little stress.
- Your elders are all knowing.
What I mean by this, is that upper level graduate students have all the ins and outs of the program as well as Ann Arbor. From food endorsements and summer festivals, to class recommendations and general research help, other graduate students make all the difference. Listen to their suggestions and heed their advice, they’ve been there before and are giving you valuable tricks of the trade.
- Make day to day lists.
Often times when people think “big picture” it can be easy to get overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done. Instead, focus on things that can be accomplished on a day to day basis. Make a to-do list and mark off everything you completed for the day. Not only will you be working towards that “big picture” goal, but you’ll also leave each day feeling some sense of accomplishment.
- Never be afraid to ask for help.
We are all still in the process of learning. Often times, you’ll encounter things that you’ve either a.) never heard of, or b.) are vaguely familiar with. It’s perfectly okay to not know, as long as you pick up this information along with way. There are many resources available to you at Michigan, all you have to do is inquire.
- Get to know the area.
Michigan will be your home for the next 5 years or so, be sure that you make it feel like such. It is incredibly easy to go through a graduate program without knowing anything outside of—in this case—the psychology building. Learn your surrounds, get to know Ann Arbor, and leave your mark on the town.
- Make time for yourself.
I’m sure this tip comes as no surprise. It sounds simple in theory but I can assure you, during your time in graduate school, this is the one thing that falls short for most people. Learn to make time to exercise, sleep in a little longer, explore your hobbies, and spend time with friends. In order to be successful in anything that you do, you must first take care of yourself.
Hopefully, you will find some of these tips to be useful, not only during your transition but during your time in graduate school as a whole. The journey ahead of you is going to require a lot of work, but you know what they say about all work and no play…
