As a graduate student, I wish I had known …

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Take advantage of the free events on campus: musical performances at CCM, art exhibitions, professional development workshops, poetry readings, seminars and lectures, GSGA social events, and so on.” —Megan Tischner, English and Comparative Literature

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “You should already know that graduate school is going to be a lot of work. However, be prepared for the level of independence and the freedom/curse of being your own boss. I found the first few months very challenge, and the first year is extremely challenging.” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “My one word of advice if you haven't done it: connect with everybody in your program and do as much together as you can outside of the classroom. The best thing that you can get out of the program is great connections.” —John Blatchford, MBA '12

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Get in a group with others from your program! You will need them, as they are the only ones who truly understand what you are going through while attempting to have a life and attend school. Otherwise, enjoy the ride. It will have it's ups and downs, but you can do it. Take it all as it comes to you, and then keep moving forward!” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “The writing center is a good service and it is free! That information is given to us along with another million things, so it is easy to forget. It’s nice to have a reminder like two months after school begins.” —Carolina Leyva, Master of Design

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Be confident in yourself! At some point, we all feel like we tricked the department into letting us into our programs. But you were accepted into graduate school for a reason and you will accomplish great things as long as you remember that. Continue to do your best and don't give up even when you feel like the Titanic. You can do it!” —Chizara Ahuama-Jonas, Clinical Psychology

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “You are your own manager. That includes your time, information and resources. Don't wait for the advisors to tell you what you need to do, find out for yourself! ” —Angela King, Social Work

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “I suggest you talk with every professor that is working in your graduate program. Ask about upcoming research topics and fundings. It is important for a new graduate student to get involved in projects and meet the professors that are working on the research that interests you.” —Osmary, Environmental Engineering

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “I wish I had known the significance and value of journaling the graduate experience at the doctoral level. This activity can add much to the process of preparing for and completing your dissertation.” —Bernard Young, Urban Education Leadership

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “If you want to attend a conference, the Graduate Student Governance Association can award you $100. If you're speaking at a conference, the GSGA can give you $400 after the proper paperwork is filled out.” —Carolina Leyva, Master of Design

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “I wish I had utilized the support of the library more and taken advantage of their services early in my studies and coursework. Investing that time up front would have saved me endless hours researching and organizing later during the dissertation phase. ” —Amy Crouse, Urban Educational Leadership

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “When you have a deadline (say, for a research paper), set yourself an earlier deadline and stick to it. You will then have some extra time to revise your already-completed paper, or to focus on other projects and deadlines. I cannot emphasize this enough: The ability to manage time is the key to success in graduate school, and ultimately, in your future career.” —Matteo Magarotto, Musicology

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “My advice to anyone is to do your best but remember to enjoy the experience. I didn't spend as much time as I should have getting to know my classmates, and I wish I had. The work is challenging but it is doable. Don't spend so much time focusing on the hard work that you miss out on fun and connecting with new friends.” —Kimberly Williams, Criminal Justice

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “NEVER be too scared to ask for help from other students, faculty and/or staff. Ask for it! Your future is very important.” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Get involved with your program's Graduate Student Association. It's a great way to meet the rest of the students in your program, and you have access to the GSGA travel money, too!” —Kelly, Chemistry

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “It’s a good idea to cook at home and bring food to school. Not only will it save you a lot of money, but it also allow you to control the quality of what you eat. Facilities at the school allow you to heat your food almost everywhere.” —Carolina Leyva, Master of Design

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Always make time for a break! One of the most important recommendations that I received at the beginning of my graduate career was to choose a day during the week when I would relax and not do any work for school. It was one of the best advice that I received. It is important to your mental/emotional health.” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Be patientwith yourself and the graduate process. Do not get so overwhelmed that you completely shut yourself off from the world or your happiness. If it takes you an extra year, just enjoy the ride. It goes by quickly. ” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Maintain some sort of a social life; this is essential in preventing burnout throughout your graduate career. Be self-aware of how you best cope with any stress associated with graduate school; finding out how to balance responsibilities with self-care is best done sooner than later!” —Anonymous

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Participate in class discussions. Be the student who shares ideas and poses questions. This way, you will gain much more from the reading and discussions. Do not worry whether you are right or wrong; the resulting discussions will strengthen your understanding and, long term, influence your philosophical stance.” —Tom Highley, Literacy

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “TheFreesource is a comprehensive listing of everything I wish I had know upon entering graduate school: http://freesource.wikispaces .com/.” —Paulette Penzvalto, AD Opera, 2011-12 GSGA President

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Ask your advisor repeatedly to define expectations for your degree beyond class requirements (theses, dissertations, portfolios, etc.). Get your department’s student handbook so you have the advantage of knowing ALL requirements and rule. Also, make sure to do the progress evaluations at each end of the academic year.” —Steven Mathews, Music Theory

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Try to decide on a thesis topic as early as possible. Starting is the hardest part! Talk to professors with whom you work well and ask for advice. Also, read as much as possible about your topic to narrow it down to a provable thesis.” —Douglas Easterling, Music History

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Check the library for books before you buy them. A lot of times there will be an electronic copy you can get for free. Read the material you are going to cover before that class. You will have a much better understanding of the material and can ask better questions by reading before the lecture.” —Scott, Business Analytics

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Don't try to work full time!” —Courtney Fouche, Clinical Nurse Specialist

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Pursue opportunities! People won't simply hand you a research or volunteer position; you have to get them yourself.” —Jon-Paul, Geography

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Name recognition and the connections of your thesis advisor can have a huge impact on landing a job after graduation. It’s worth considering choosing an advisor that has greater name recognition in your field, or at least one who will be willing to work his/her connections for you when it comes time for job hunting!” —Hilary Wilson-Perez, Neuroscience

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Choose an apartment or house within walking distance from campus. It saves a ton on parking expenses and guarantees exposure, at least twice daily, to sunshine, outdoors, and exercise.” —Robyn Hale, Nutrition Sciences

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Invest in a good chair! It is as important as a good mattress and even more because you will probably spend more time on it than sleeping during your graduate program. ” —Carolina Leyva, Master of Design

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “When you pick a thesis advisor, make very certain that you understand what they see as their role. Will he or she take an interest in your research topic and discuss it with you? Does he or she already have so much work that there is little time left to be of help?” —Richard Horvitz, Computer Science and Engineering

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Be active, socialize, join UC groups to meet people and learn about the culture and different aspect of this country. It doesn't hurt to join one or two in your free time. Don't hesitate to send emails and ask people about anything you are curious about.” —Ahmad Rawashdeh, Computer Science

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Talk to other students who have graduated or are a semester ahead of you to see if you need all the books stated. There were a couple of the books I did not use during the course, and sometimes you can purchase books cheaper from other students.” —Lori Costa, Nursing

As a graduate student, I wish I had known … “Dropbox: Access you files anywhere and reduce the number of drafts you floating about. Maintain a complete annotated bibliography during coursework. It was invaluable during dissertation phase and allowed me to only return to the original sources that were ‘just right’ rather than skimming through all of them based on the title.” —Amy Crouse, Urban Educational Leadership

As a graduate student, I wish I had known …