Some Things We Wish We Would Have Known Before Going to Graduate School
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One of the largest obstacles that graduate students and young professionals come across is imposter syndrome. Trust us; it’s real. There will come a time when you question whether you belong in your program or if you are cut out of graduate school because you don’t understand a concept, or you feel overwhelmed. You are not alone. Imposter syndrome affects every graduate student. Remember, you belong in your program, and you were admitted to a place you belong.
Know your worth, and do not be afraid to negotiate. Learning the art of negotiating is something people do not talk about when discussing graduate school. If you have been accepted into multiple programs look at what the program is offering. If you’re accepted into multiple programs, you can leverage what one program offers you with another one. It never hurts to ask. Ask questions like, does the program offer any graduate assistantships or research assistantships? Does it include any tuition waivers? Are there any research or travel funds that you are eligible for? These are all questions that you should think about asking when researching graduate programs.
While graduate school can be more difficult compared to undergraduate programs, all the courses you take will be geared toward your interests. Unlike your undergraduate program, you won’t have to take general education courses that are not tied to your program. In most cases, graduate students come to find they are more invested and interested in their classes because their coursework is related to their passion and career.
