Susanna Cassisa It is okay to feel like there's so much you don't know- you're here to learn! Also, your mental health is important and should be a top priority. Read More Sharri Cyrus The experience that you have at UBC is pretty much in your hands. For your academic journey endeavor to build healthy working relationships with your supervisor and your lab mates, as this will set the stage for a great working environment.... Read More Pardis Kazemian My advice for upcoming graduate students is to stay creative in their work. Do not be afraid to pitch new ideas and take risks; however, be prepared and back it up with appropriate research. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to people within or... Read More Khair Mufti Finding the suitable environment for your graduate training is of great importance and has a huge impact on your overall performance and graduate life experience. Make sure to surround yourself with supporting mentors and to get connected with... Read More Ritwik Bhattacharjee Take it slow. This is a long ride. Take care of your mental and physical health first. The grades will follow. Read More Sepideh Soukhtehzari Connect with as many as possible organizations and societies and participate in social activities. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve your other skills than science. I understand that majority of your time might be spent on your thesis... Read More Megan Thomas Get involved! It can be easy to isolate ourselves when we start research, but being involved in different clubs and groups has allowed me to meet some amazing people and learn new skills. Read More Wenwen Zhang Being brave and try new things as there are always people willing to help you move forward. Read More Debbie Pierce Don't be too wary of uncertainty, and try to enjoy the process! Read More Tseday Zewdu Tegegn I recommend students to focus on developing many life skills and character that will sustain them through the exciting, yet challenging, road of being a graduate student. I would encourage new students to work on self-development alongside their... Read More Miguel Prieto Especially for international students, be mindful of your own background and what you bring to the table. Give yourself enough time to adapt to your new way of living, working environment and the different culture. Do not make any hasty... Read More Cynthia Lam Remember that this isn't just a time to learn about your field of interest; it's also such a crazy period of growth for yourself. Try new things, try the scary things, fail hard and fail fast so you can know yourself better. Read More Emilie Carpentier Take time to appreciate the soft skills you'll develop in graduate school. While you may go months without any major breakthrough or any significant data collection, you're always learning new things and improving yourself. Looking back, I'm... Read More Jessica Koski Follow your passion & chart your own path with each step you take. Read More Mohammad Zandsalimy Enjoy life to the fullest, make good friends, build a professional network, utilize every second of your time, and never get discouraged. Read More Mopelola Akinlaja Believe in yourself, you are here for a reason. I struggled so much with that. There are so many incredibly brilliant people here and sometimes I would get lost in it and doubt my own abilities. With the help of my family and friends, I had... Read More Emilie Théberge To know your “why”, and to put effort into relationships with your colleagues. Your network and intrinsic motivation are important to have around when times get tough. Also, make sure to schedule in regular protected time - like for exercise,... Read More Kathryn Anderson My advice is to give yourself plenty of time to learn and adapt to new challenges. Budget double the time you think you need. Writing manuscripts and thesis work takes a long time, but you'll get faster! Read More Sasha Tuttle My only advice would be to not forget to take breaks. Starting a graduate degree can be overwhelming as you realize how many new responsibilities you have and how much higher expectations are, relative to an undergraduate degree. If you pace... Read More Leah Rettenbacher I would tell new students to learn how to manage your own time and make your own deadlines. Read More Atlanta-Marinna Grant Be empowered by the unknown and it is ok to think 'differently.' Coming into my Master's I felt there should be a blueprint of sorts to walk me through the process. In reality, it was tons of twists and turns, and learning through mistakes. This... Read More Darryl Gray Attending a graduate program at UBC was the best choice I ever made in life. I look back at the challenges and learning experiences through my years in graduate programs at UBC. These learning experiences help to motivate my present and future... Read More Taylor Dunlop My advice to new graduate students is to ensure you take time to explore and enjoy this wonderful city. I know it is easy to get caught up in the responsibilities that come with research; however, I believe that with effective time management... Read More Aditi Pradeep It's important to try showing up to events, be it social or academic. You would learn a lot from just being there and also get to connect with people who are passionate about the same things as you. Read More Gabriel Currier Don't take it all too seriously and remember to take care of yourself. Also, hobbies are a good thing - if your academic career doesn't work out maybe you can make a living off of them! Read More Shaoxuan Ren My advice for new graduate students is to learn how to make plans for themselves. The first step of making a plan is making goals. These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. For long-term goals, remember to retrospect so you can... Read More Jin Wen The best advice I have is making sure you take time for self-care. Graduate school is a marathon not a sprint, and there is always going to be "something more" you can do, so its important to schedule regular time to decompress. It would also... Read More Gerrit Krueper Do not get intimidated by the amount of work ahead of you. Move one step after another, go day by day and try to leave enough time to explore the world around you - it is highly important to maintain a balanced social life while being in grad... Read More Phoebe Wong Be friendly to everyone so you can talk to diverse people and learn how your research can produce positive results beyond academia. Also, be better at saving money than me! Read More Ewan Wright Try to stay organised and work out what you need to prioritise in both your work and personal life. Make the most out of the freedom of university by taking time to do things outside of work, be it learning a language, meeting new people or... Read More Justin Wyss Explore UBC and Vancouver. You are at a prestigious university in an amazing city, which has a lot to offer. Take advantage of it! Connect with people in your field and beyond. There are many interesting people whom you can learn... Read More Ameen Amanian I would advise new students to be open, collaborative, and immerse yourself in groups of people with different skills and interests. Focus on personal growth as it will ultimately help your career growth. Read More Thea Brain I have two main bits of advice. The first is that it is important to have a big-picture idea of what you are wanting to achieve by pursuing your graduate degree. These big picture goals should guide your decisions around course selection, saying... Read More Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas Graduate school may seem daunting initially but give yourself some time and ask for support when you need it. Most of us are usually facing the same challenges; and peers, faculty and staff are more willing to help than we think. These... Read More Salima Kerai-Sayani Try to capitalize on social support and resources that one’s peer’s/friends/family/community has to offer. At times life and things seem blurry, life seems tough and daunting and small tasks/work/assignments appear to be overwhelming. Take one... Read More Oliver Jacobs Try to have fun and relax! I tend to focus on the bigger picture which helps with overcoming many of the little challenges along the way. Read More Natasha Klasios Don't be afraid to speak up in front of senior colleagues, take everything as an opportunity to learn, and practice work-life balance! Read More Elizabeth Castle Ask all the questions! Imposter syndrome is definitely something I have felt very acutely, especially towards the end of my MSc and the starting in a new field/lab for my PhD. However, coming into my PhD, I set a simple, but valuable personal... Read More Hadis Mozaffari I suggest trying to take every chance you have to expand your networking circle because the connections you establish help you to realize what drives, inspires and fulfills you in academic and even in personal life. Try to find a balance between... Read More Imranul Laskar Depending on your research, the work can be either very engaging or isolating or something within these extremes. Regardless, as exciting as it can be, embarking on a PhD journey can be daunting in many ways. Therefore it is very crucial to take... Read More Hamidreza Galavi Long story short, the challenges that we graduate students are facing are not easy, in particular in the current situation due to Covid-19. So for answering this question, I would like to get help from two elites. Marie Curie, the two times... Read More Antoine Belley Don't be afraid to ask questions and go talk to other professors/researchers in your field, and use conferences to network! You never know when a simple discussion with someone can turn into a collaboration for a publication. Read More Ihoghosa Iyamu I would say get engaged in the community and explore the plethora of opportunities to learn and contribute as soon as you can. UBC’s School of Population and Public Health engages in very applied scholarship, so these opportunities are not... Read More Tasha Wainstein The graduate experience can be isolating; it is important to find a community of peers with whom you can connect about your experiences. It's also important to find that ever-elusive work/life balance and not be sucked into the idea that graduate... Read More Erika Dort Establish interests and pursuits outside of your thesis and research group. While your research is obviously the most important task at hand, it is really important to bring balance into your life – it will actually make you more productive.... Read More Maryam Vaseghi-Shanjani My advice for new graduate students is to challenge themselves to move outside of their comfort zone and learn new techniques in the lab. With the scientific field expanding faster than ever, we need to be well-versed in a variety of research... Read More Alexandra Tully Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions (scientific or otherwise) of the more senior graduate students when you first arrive. Read More Baraa Orabi The greatest gift to yourself will be to make good friends; they will keep you anchored and sane when the inevitable lows of grad life hit you. The hardest skill to learn for me is knowing myself and my habits. I still often fail to... Read More Enav Zusman Enjoy your experience in grad school! It is your time to learn, ask questions and figure out what you are passionate about. Be positive, patient, and open to new ideas and concepts. Make friends, network, collaborate and support your peers and... Read More Sofie McComb Graduate degrees are incredibly rewarding but also incredibly challenging. It is important to have compassion and kindness for yourself. Make sure to relax, pace yourself, and enjoy the experience. Get involved in the community however you can... Read More Pages1 2 3 4 5 6 7 next › last »
Susanna Cassisa It is okay to feel like there's so much you don't know- you're here to learn! Also, your mental health is important and should be a top priority. Read More
Sharri Cyrus The experience that you have at UBC is pretty much in your hands. For your academic journey endeavor to build healthy working relationships with your supervisor and your lab mates, as this will set the stage for a great working environment.... Read More
Pardis Kazemian My advice for upcoming graduate students is to stay creative in their work. Do not be afraid to pitch new ideas and take risks; however, be prepared and back it up with appropriate research. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to people within or... Read More
Khair Mufti Finding the suitable environment for your graduate training is of great importance and has a huge impact on your overall performance and graduate life experience. Make sure to surround yourself with supporting mentors and to get connected with... Read More
Ritwik Bhattacharjee Take it slow. This is a long ride. Take care of your mental and physical health first. The grades will follow. Read More
Sepideh Soukhtehzari Connect with as many as possible organizations and societies and participate in social activities. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve your other skills than science. I understand that majority of your time might be spent on your thesis... Read More
Megan Thomas Get involved! It can be easy to isolate ourselves when we start research, but being involved in different clubs and groups has allowed me to meet some amazing people and learn new skills. Read More
Wenwen Zhang Being brave and try new things as there are always people willing to help you move forward. Read More
Tseday Zewdu Tegegn I recommend students to focus on developing many life skills and character that will sustain them through the exciting, yet challenging, road of being a graduate student. I would encourage new students to work on self-development alongside their... Read More
Miguel Prieto Especially for international students, be mindful of your own background and what you bring to the table. Give yourself enough time to adapt to your new way of living, working environment and the different culture. Do not make any hasty... Read More
Cynthia Lam Remember that this isn't just a time to learn about your field of interest; it's also such a crazy period of growth for yourself. Try new things, try the scary things, fail hard and fail fast so you can know yourself better. Read More
Emilie Carpentier Take time to appreciate the soft skills you'll develop in graduate school. While you may go months without any major breakthrough or any significant data collection, you're always learning new things and improving yourself. Looking back, I'm... Read More
Mohammad Zandsalimy Enjoy life to the fullest, make good friends, build a professional network, utilize every second of your time, and never get discouraged. Read More
Mopelola Akinlaja Believe in yourself, you are here for a reason. I struggled so much with that. There are so many incredibly brilliant people here and sometimes I would get lost in it and doubt my own abilities. With the help of my family and friends, I had... Read More
Emilie Théberge To know your “why”, and to put effort into relationships with your colleagues. Your network and intrinsic motivation are important to have around when times get tough. Also, make sure to schedule in regular protected time - like for exercise,... Read More
Kathryn Anderson My advice is to give yourself plenty of time to learn and adapt to new challenges. Budget double the time you think you need. Writing manuscripts and thesis work takes a long time, but you'll get faster! Read More
Sasha Tuttle My only advice would be to not forget to take breaks. Starting a graduate degree can be overwhelming as you realize how many new responsibilities you have and how much higher expectations are, relative to an undergraduate degree. If you pace... Read More
Leah Rettenbacher I would tell new students to learn how to manage your own time and make your own deadlines. Read More
Atlanta-Marinna Grant Be empowered by the unknown and it is ok to think 'differently.' Coming into my Master's I felt there should be a blueprint of sorts to walk me through the process. In reality, it was tons of twists and turns, and learning through mistakes. This... Read More
Darryl Gray Attending a graduate program at UBC was the best choice I ever made in life. I look back at the challenges and learning experiences through my years in graduate programs at UBC. These learning experiences help to motivate my present and future... Read More
Taylor Dunlop My advice to new graduate students is to ensure you take time to explore and enjoy this wonderful city. I know it is easy to get caught up in the responsibilities that come with research; however, I believe that with effective time management... Read More
Aditi Pradeep It's important to try showing up to events, be it social or academic. You would learn a lot from just being there and also get to connect with people who are passionate about the same things as you. Read More
Gabriel Currier Don't take it all too seriously and remember to take care of yourself. Also, hobbies are a good thing - if your academic career doesn't work out maybe you can make a living off of them! Read More
Shaoxuan Ren My advice for new graduate students is to learn how to make plans for themselves. The first step of making a plan is making goals. These goals can be daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. For long-term goals, remember to retrospect so you can... Read More
Jin Wen The best advice I have is making sure you take time for self-care. Graduate school is a marathon not a sprint, and there is always going to be "something more" you can do, so its important to schedule regular time to decompress. It would also... Read More
Gerrit Krueper Do not get intimidated by the amount of work ahead of you. Move one step after another, go day by day and try to leave enough time to explore the world around you - it is highly important to maintain a balanced social life while being in grad... Read More
Phoebe Wong Be friendly to everyone so you can talk to diverse people and learn how your research can produce positive results beyond academia. Also, be better at saving money than me! Read More
Ewan Wright Try to stay organised and work out what you need to prioritise in both your work and personal life. Make the most out of the freedom of university by taking time to do things outside of work, be it learning a language, meeting new people or... Read More
Justin Wyss Explore UBC and Vancouver. You are at a prestigious university in an amazing city, which has a lot to offer. Take advantage of it! Connect with people in your field and beyond. There are many interesting people whom you can learn... Read More
Ameen Amanian I would advise new students to be open, collaborative, and immerse yourself in groups of people with different skills and interests. Focus on personal growth as it will ultimately help your career growth. Read More
Thea Brain I have two main bits of advice. The first is that it is important to have a big-picture idea of what you are wanting to achieve by pursuing your graduate degree. These big picture goals should guide your decisions around course selection, saying... Read More
Neha Sharma-Mascarenhas Graduate school may seem daunting initially but give yourself some time and ask for support when you need it. Most of us are usually facing the same challenges; and peers, faculty and staff are more willing to help than we think. These... Read More
Salima Kerai-Sayani Try to capitalize on social support and resources that one’s peer’s/friends/family/community has to offer. At times life and things seem blurry, life seems tough and daunting and small tasks/work/assignments appear to be overwhelming. Take one... Read More
Oliver Jacobs Try to have fun and relax! I tend to focus on the bigger picture which helps with overcoming many of the little challenges along the way. Read More
Natasha Klasios Don't be afraid to speak up in front of senior colleagues, take everything as an opportunity to learn, and practice work-life balance! Read More
Elizabeth Castle Ask all the questions! Imposter syndrome is definitely something I have felt very acutely, especially towards the end of my MSc and the starting in a new field/lab for my PhD. However, coming into my PhD, I set a simple, but valuable personal... Read More
Hadis Mozaffari I suggest trying to take every chance you have to expand your networking circle because the connections you establish help you to realize what drives, inspires and fulfills you in academic and even in personal life. Try to find a balance between... Read More
Imranul Laskar Depending on your research, the work can be either very engaging or isolating or something within these extremes. Regardless, as exciting as it can be, embarking on a PhD journey can be daunting in many ways. Therefore it is very crucial to take... Read More
Hamidreza Galavi Long story short, the challenges that we graduate students are facing are not easy, in particular in the current situation due to Covid-19. So for answering this question, I would like to get help from two elites. Marie Curie, the two times... Read More
Antoine Belley Don't be afraid to ask questions and go talk to other professors/researchers in your field, and use conferences to network! You never know when a simple discussion with someone can turn into a collaboration for a publication. Read More
Ihoghosa Iyamu I would say get engaged in the community and explore the plethora of opportunities to learn and contribute as soon as you can. UBC’s School of Population and Public Health engages in very applied scholarship, so these opportunities are not... Read More
Tasha Wainstein The graduate experience can be isolating; it is important to find a community of peers with whom you can connect about your experiences. It's also important to find that ever-elusive work/life balance and not be sucked into the idea that graduate... Read More
Erika Dort Establish interests and pursuits outside of your thesis and research group. While your research is obviously the most important task at hand, it is really important to bring balance into your life – it will actually make you more productive.... Read More
Maryam Vaseghi-Shanjani My advice for new graduate students is to challenge themselves to move outside of their comfort zone and learn new techniques in the lab. With the scientific field expanding faster than ever, we need to be well-versed in a variety of research... Read More
Alexandra Tully Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions (scientific or otherwise) of the more senior graduate students when you first arrive. Read More
Baraa Orabi The greatest gift to yourself will be to make good friends; they will keep you anchored and sane when the inevitable lows of grad life hit you. The hardest skill to learn for me is knowing myself and my habits. I still often fail to... Read More
Enav Zusman Enjoy your experience in grad school! It is your time to learn, ask questions and figure out what you are passionate about. Be positive, patient, and open to new ideas and concepts. Make friends, network, collaborate and support your peers and... Read More
Sofie McComb Graduate degrees are incredibly rewarding but also incredibly challenging. It is important to have compassion and kindness for yourself. Make sure to relax, pace yourself, and enjoy the experience. Get involved in the community however you can... Read More
