It’s no secret that graduate school can be a stressful time for many people, especially with mounting pressure on the appearance of perfection, productivity, and having it all together. These seven tips can help you to not only survive grad school, but thrive in an environment where you are learning about and researching the topic you are most passionate about. By focusing on things like mental health, understanding your work style, and self-care, you can make the most out of your grad school experience.
- Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
If this is your first time in grad school, it can be a scary transition. Even though being a grad student can feel isolating at times, you should never feel like you’re alone—there are thousands of students across the world and in your own institution who are feeling lonely and maybe even lost. It’s important to reach out and ask for help when you need it, and this should not be seen as a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. Whether it’s sitting down with current students, faculty, or a mental health professional, there are plenty of people and resources around you that can help you navigate your graduate studies and all the related pressures that come with them.
- Keep Your Goals Visible
Grad school can get hectic really quickly. From homework, to research and even teaching responsibilities, grad school suddenly becomes about much more than the thing you’re passionate about. It can be easy to lose sight of your original goals and reasons for wanting to come to grad school in the first place. By taking the time to write out your goals and post them somewhere where you can see them everyday, you can remind yourself of what makes all of this worth it when you’re having a bad day.
- Have a Life Outside of School
When you’re in grad school, it can be hard to think about or do anything other than school-related tasks. But it’s equally important to have a life outside of school as it is to be chipping away at your dissertation. This could mean finding a way to connect with friends outside of your program, or even taking up hobbies that interest you. Look towards your local community for things like classes, workshops, and groups that you can join to give your mind a break from school every once in a while.
- Focus Less on Grades
Grad school is less about GPA and more about focusing on a topic that interests you and working towards your thesis or dissertation. Yet it can be hard to break out of that mindset of grade-focused schooling. If you get less-than-perfect feedback on a paper, don’t let it throw you off track. Instead, think about your overall grad school experience in terms of the knowledge you’re gaining, as opposed to the grades on your transcript. This way of thinking will help you put less stress on yourself to perform and remind you of the joys of learning.
- Practice Self-Care
Self-care is an important part of anyone’s health, but especially those pursuing a postgraduate degree. It can be hard to justify carving out time to take care of yourself when you’ve got so many deadlines looming, but even something as small as one hour a day can really make a different for your physical and mental health. Self-care looks different for everyone, and can include anything from watching a movie on your couch, to hanging out with your friends, doing yoga, cooking your favorite meal, or getting some extra sleep. Whatever self-care means to you, dedicating time to it can help reduce stress levels and keep you sane.
- Maintain a Strong Support System
Grad school can be tough to get through alone, but creating or maintaining a strong support system of friends and family who care about your wellbeing is a great way to help you thrive in tough times. Find time to strengthen your relationships with your friends and family, whether that means calling them or hopping in the car for an in-person visit, and don’t be afraid to lean on them in challenging times—after all, they care about you and want you to complete your degree! We often don’t realize how important our support systems are until we need them the most.
- Learn How to Manage Your Time
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but time management really is one of the keys to success in grad school. There are countless methods and strategies for time management (check out our recent blog post on the Pomodoro method for an example) that can help you think about the best ways to use your time. But sometimes time management just means cutting out the less valuable commitments in your life and not overscheduling yourself. It can be hard to say no to things, but often that’s the best way to help yourself focus on what’s important to you.
Even though grad school can be stressful and hectic at times, that doesn’t mean that you can’t thrive your time in higher ed. We hope these tips get you one step closer to making your grad school experience more enjoyable!