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 Bri Watson Try to find the things that make you angry, sad, happy, or amused. That is, try to find the things you care about emotionally, whether or not that necessarily aligns with the goals of your program or what you said in your statement of purpose.... 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 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... 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 Andy An Another student told me this, which really resonated with me: Treat your degree like a startup, and you're the CEO. That means you have to take ownership of your thesis project, because nobody else will. Taking ownership means having a vision or... Read More Carrie Peters I recommend that new graduate students work to create networks within and outside of the university setting. Graduate school is a marathon not a sprint, and having good social support goes a long way! Read More Kate Peterson Academically, I think one of the most important parts about graduate school is keeping an open mind about constructive feedback. We have the privilege of getting advice from experts in our fields, and listening to and incorporating their feedback... Read More Alberto Campos I’d advise new grad students to fully enjoy what UBC and Vancouver have to offer. UBC offers innumerous and valuable resources for incoming students, from financial and health counselling to tax workshops and bike-sharing opportunities. Make sure... Read More Cameron Herberts I expect many would answer this question with, “choose a research discipline you are passionate about”. However, I would argue that the relationships you anticipate developing during your graduate training are at least as important (if not more... Read More Evelyn Arriagada These are uncertain times. It is difficult to be engaged in academic activities when outside, in the 'real world', everything seems to be changing. However, I am convinced that academic work can serve as a platform to develop and enrich both,... Read More Natasha Damiano The best advice I can give to graduate students is to stay connected – to others in your circles, the outdoors as much as possible, and also to yourself. It’s important to find ways to ground yourself without guilt if you have to skip it once in... Read More Kim McCullough Be kind to yourself! You belong here, and you are more than enough. I've seen "imposter syndrome" run rampant among new graduate students (and am no stranger to it myself!) so I think it's most important to focus on one's mental health, remember... Read More Sahar Ghadirianniari UBC provides you with a lot of opportunities to learn new things related to your field and beyond your field. Don't be afraid to explore them, and try to benefit from them as much as you can before you graduate! Read More Trevor Bolduc Graduate school is not easy and can be hard on one's mental health. The impostor syndrome has been a major hurdle for me, and I often have to remind myself that I have not just "stumbled" my way into my PhD studies. For anyone that it may benefit... Read More Fiana Kawane Every process of gaining an education is personal, especially a research degree, so take any advice with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, there are some elements that are transpersonal to be able to moderately thrive in university. Ask questions,... Read More Calem Kenward New graduate students should know that studies and research are important, but it is your time outside the lab or classes that will make your experience memorable and unlike any other period in your life. Vancouver and BC have tons to offer, so... Read More Rivkah Gardner-Frolick Take care of your relationships and health. Graduate school can be hard! However, it can be easier if you don't take it too seriously and make sure you enjoy other parts of life. Read More Andrew Kukor While work is important, developing a healthy work-life balance is even more vital. It's easy to lose track of the important things during graduate studies (especially the first year), but focusing on what you enjoy and remembering to take time... Read More Sarah Skinner Get involved in your department! Apply to work as a research or teaching assistant, attend and present at conferences, and volunteer for committees. Not only is it a great way to build your CV, but it gives you the chance to become part of the... 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 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 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 Anne-Cécile Delaisse Graduate school allows you to take time to learn and do research about the things you are passionate about. You are given a lot of freedom and support. Take advantage of this unique and privileged opportunity to its fullest! Read More Emily Bliven My advice for new grad students: set boundaries with your work, try not to compare your progress others, and don't be afraid to ask for help (whether it be academically or emotionally). Working sustainably at a high level simply isn't effective... Read More Kennedy Borle Remember to make time for the things in your life that you enjoy doing, like hobbies and downtime. You are more than just your academic pursuits! Read More Chantelle Cocquyt My biggest piece of advice would be to prioritize work-life balance. Set a work schedule and do your best to stick to it! It's so easy to catch yourself working into the night, especially when you love what you do, but it's important to take time... Read More Tonje Molyneux I think a key to surviving and thriving in a graduate program is forming strong bonds with peers. When you're connected with others, you can share the experience and be a support to each other. There's no reason to be alone or feel alone in this... Read More Abhinav Kumar Checkervarty 1) Setbacks are a part of life, but for hard times, I have a guiding quote which I would like to share “The obstacles in life are not some walls that you can’t penetrate, but just some extra distance that you have to cover.” So just keep on... Read More Virginia (Ginny) Pichler All new graduate students should know that the experience is not always linear, not always optimal, and not always illustrious. There may be longer-than-desirable stretches of hurdles and pitfalls, but that is something we all face. It's the... Read More Pages« first ‹ previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next › last »
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
Bri Watson Try to find the things that make you angry, sad, happy, or amused. That is, try to find the things you care about emotionally, whether or not that necessarily aligns with the goals of your program or what you said in your statement of purpose.... 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
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... 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
Andy An Another student told me this, which really resonated with me: Treat your degree like a startup, and you're the CEO. That means you have to take ownership of your thesis project, because nobody else will. Taking ownership means having a vision or... Read More
Carrie Peters I recommend that new graduate students work to create networks within and outside of the university setting. Graduate school is a marathon not a sprint, and having good social support goes a long way! Read More
Kate Peterson Academically, I think one of the most important parts about graduate school is keeping an open mind about constructive feedback. We have the privilege of getting advice from experts in our fields, and listening to and incorporating their feedback... Read More
Alberto Campos I’d advise new grad students to fully enjoy what UBC and Vancouver have to offer. UBC offers innumerous and valuable resources for incoming students, from financial and health counselling to tax workshops and bike-sharing opportunities. Make sure... Read More
Cameron Herberts I expect many would answer this question with, “choose a research discipline you are passionate about”. However, I would argue that the relationships you anticipate developing during your graduate training are at least as important (if not more... Read More
Evelyn Arriagada These are uncertain times. It is difficult to be engaged in academic activities when outside, in the 'real world', everything seems to be changing. However, I am convinced that academic work can serve as a platform to develop and enrich both,... Read More
Natasha Damiano The best advice I can give to graduate students is to stay connected – to others in your circles, the outdoors as much as possible, and also to yourself. It’s important to find ways to ground yourself without guilt if you have to skip it once in... Read More
Kim McCullough Be kind to yourself! You belong here, and you are more than enough. I've seen "imposter syndrome" run rampant among new graduate students (and am no stranger to it myself!) so I think it's most important to focus on one's mental health, remember... Read More
Sahar Ghadirianniari UBC provides you with a lot of opportunities to learn new things related to your field and beyond your field. Don't be afraid to explore them, and try to benefit from them as much as you can before you graduate! Read More
Trevor Bolduc Graduate school is not easy and can be hard on one's mental health. The impostor syndrome has been a major hurdle for me, and I often have to remind myself that I have not just "stumbled" my way into my PhD studies. For anyone that it may benefit... Read More
Fiana Kawane Every process of gaining an education is personal, especially a research degree, so take any advice with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, there are some elements that are transpersonal to be able to moderately thrive in university. Ask questions,... Read More
Calem Kenward New graduate students should know that studies and research are important, but it is your time outside the lab or classes that will make your experience memorable and unlike any other period in your life. Vancouver and BC have tons to offer, so... Read More
Rivkah Gardner-Frolick Take care of your relationships and health. Graduate school can be hard! However, it can be easier if you don't take it too seriously and make sure you enjoy other parts of life. Read More
Andrew Kukor While work is important, developing a healthy work-life balance is even more vital. It's easy to lose track of the important things during graduate studies (especially the first year), but focusing on what you enjoy and remembering to take time... Read More
Sarah Skinner Get involved in your department! Apply to work as a research or teaching assistant, attend and present at conferences, and volunteer for committees. Not only is it a great way to build your CV, but it gives you the chance to become part of the... 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
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
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
Anne-Cécile Delaisse Graduate school allows you to take time to learn and do research about the things you are passionate about. You are given a lot of freedom and support. Take advantage of this unique and privileged opportunity to its fullest! Read More
Emily Bliven My advice for new grad students: set boundaries with your work, try not to compare your progress others, and don't be afraid to ask for help (whether it be academically or emotionally). Working sustainably at a high level simply isn't effective... Read More
Kennedy Borle Remember to make time for the things in your life that you enjoy doing, like hobbies and downtime. You are more than just your academic pursuits! Read More
Chantelle Cocquyt My biggest piece of advice would be to prioritize work-life balance. Set a work schedule and do your best to stick to it! It's so easy to catch yourself working into the night, especially when you love what you do, but it's important to take time... Read More
Tonje Molyneux I think a key to surviving and thriving in a graduate program is forming strong bonds with peers. When you're connected with others, you can share the experience and be a support to each other. There's no reason to be alone or feel alone in this... Read More
Abhinav Kumar Checkervarty 1) Setbacks are a part of life, but for hard times, I have a guiding quote which I would like to share “The obstacles in life are not some walls that you can’t penetrate, but just some extra distance that you have to cover.” So just keep on... Read More
Virginia (Ginny) Pichler All new graduate students should know that the experience is not always linear, not always optimal, and not always illustrious. There may be longer-than-desirable stretches of hurdles and pitfalls, but that is something we all face. It's the... Read More