CONGRATULATIONS on deciding to pursue a graduate degree at (INSERT name of your dream graduate program here). We are so looking forward to having you here to (INSERT project/idea that you believe deep down will fundamentally change the world). There are a few things you should know to get started with the waterboarding–whoops! We meant “onboarding” process (NOTE: we totally meant “waterboarding”).
Look familiar? Not sure where to start? Below, you can find a short list of tips to help you start your graduate school journey strong so the above no longer looks familiar.
TIP #1: Email Professors/grad students ahead of time. Not sure what to ask or say? Well, think of it this way: grad school assumes the place of a full-time job, so you’re basically asking similar questions that you’d ask of an employer or potential colleagues. Still unsure where to start? Here are some questions to help get you going!
TIP #2: Find Funding. And then find more. If you need help with this, check out my earlier blog post. This part is important for several reasons, some that just recently became obvious to me…
TIP #3: Get a head start. Here’s the stuff they don’t tell you, especially when you’re first generation, or embarking on a path no one else in your family has done. No one really knows what’s going on.
TIP #4: Understand the difference between football and baseball. Well, don’t take the title literally. I mean DO understand the difference but think of this metaphorically. Corey Booker has an excellent quote, “Don’t act like you hit a home-run, when you were born on third base.” Meaning, some people in grad school think they’re uhhh-mazing, God’s gift to Earth, and some of them are, however, you cannot compare your progress to other’s that may not be starting from the same place you are. Not only was I not born on 3rd base, but I grew up thinking I was playing baseball when I was actually playing soccer. My parents couldn’t tell the difference, and I didn’t know any better. All the rules I followed, my game plan, my moves, were not prepare for the fact that my ability to kick and score goals was irrelevant to this new sport. I’m learning every day what it takes and using one day at a time to measure my progress. Understand grad school is a different ball game. A league for the movers and shakers that want to influence the future of science and engineers. It’s okay to not know what you’re supposed to be doing if you and your network of people have never done it before. Document your though process, think about where you see yourself in five years, believe in yourself, constantly talk to people you look up to, and you’ll be astonished by everything you’ve accomplished.
Is grad school still mysterious? Of course it is! But hopefully our roles as trailblazers leaves the path a little clearer and easier to navigate for everyone else following after us. Remember, creating a legacy is not the climbing of the ladder to success, it’s being hoisted up by all of the people you’ve helped along the way. Don’t wait until you’ve made it to help, or you may never make it!
Leave questions in the comments section!
Directions for wanderers: Remember the four main tips to demystify graduate school. The most important advice I can give is trust your gut and believe in yourself. Treat each day as a gift and give everything all that you’ve got!
BB Tip: Get up and do something to change the world today! Even if it means just making your bed.
Queen Bees, stay in formation and sip lilac lemonade. The black female body is subjected to incomprehensible amounts of pain and is advised to emerge every time even stronger and more prepared for the worst that has yet to come her way. Just because we don’t look like what we’ve been through, doesn’t mean we aren’t in need of support.
Squeeeeeeeeaky Wheel: Fellow women and POC, please go and ask for what you deserve! We are in school to learn—so go get better explanations at office hours. We are in a time when engineering programs are asking for diversity—so make these programs work to recruit you. We are in an age where you can search what ails you and find a community of support—so go reach out to someone who’s job it is to do something. There’s no need to suffer in silence, go find your ally.
Healthy Brain Food for Thought: Luckily, the brain isn’t static. Rather, our environments and deep emotions constantly rewire it. Entrepreneurship is a creative endeavor that delves into our most intimate selves—and I’m sure his art heavily influences his leadership.
Wise Owl’s Mantra (aka what I learned from Cory Booker coming to campus on February 20th): Live as though you cannot fail. Love as though your heart was never broken. Laugh as though it could make you fly.