Advice from UBC Students

Kevin Jeffers

My first recommendation for anyone considering grad school is advice I was given soon after I started. Decide on a project before deciding on a program. Picking a topic you are truly passionate about is worth more than the title on your degree....

Ryoga Hojo

Working hard and being self-motivated to pursue what interests you is critical. 4 to 5 years may seem like a long time, but it flies by fast when you have fun and keep yourself busy.

Elise Legarth

For all the international students, as challenging as it is at times to leave your home country and family and move to a place where they drive on the opposite side of the road, the food tastes different, and no one can understand your accent or...

Julia Nakamura

I would advise establishing routines as early as possible (ideally at the start of grad school) to maintain a good balance of productivity and self-care! It is easy to get caught up in work and deadlines, but keeping an emphasis on physical/...

Davi de Ferreyro Monticelli

Graduate life is like the tide, and you have to recognize and accept the lows as well as nurture and prosper during the highs. Seek support from your supervisor and colleagues, you may be surprised at how much they are willing to help you. On the...

Christina Howard

Take advantage of the amazing community that you are a part of, both professionally and personally. Network with the students around you to develop your research, but also sign yourself up for sports teams or classes. Prioritize your wellbeing,...

Katrina Bergmann

Take care of your mental (and physical) health! The pressures and expectations of graduate studies as well as the constant barriers in your research can definitely take a toll on your mental state. Although it can feel like taking a step back is...

Omar Bashth

My everyday advice to graduate students is to activate their curiosity and have no limit to their imagination. Have fun, enjoy science, be rationale with your assessment and be aware of your biases. We, as graduate students, should be humble and...

Elise Ng-Cordell

It is good to develop an idea of your graduate school and longer-term career goals so that you can choose among, and make the most of, the many opportunities that come your way. I also think it is important not to put life on hold, and to make...

Debbie Pierce

Don't be too wary of uncertainty, and try to enjoy the process!

Jessica Koski

Follow your passion & chart your own path with each step you take.

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...

Leah Rettenbacher

I would tell new students to learn how to manage your own time and make your own deadlines.

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!

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....

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...

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...
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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...

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...

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.

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!

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,...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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!

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

Brandon Hillier

Engage fully in departmental life and share ideas openly with your colleagues. Many of the individuals you encounter in the department will be your peers and friends for a long time.

Saattvic Saattvic

Make lots of new friends, especially with people from other departments. Make sure to look outside your department and enjoy the variety of intellectual stimulation the University has to offer.

Jem Arnold

Take your time to find a topic of study that you love. Motivating yourself to do the hard work won’t be as difficult when you are genuinely curious about and invested in the topic. Reach out to colleagues, peers, and mentors. Take advantage of...

Cissy Suen

Take breaks! Don’t be afraid to take risks in your Masters or your Ph.D. This is the time to try things out and see what aspects of the research you like and are most interested in. I also highly encourage getting involved in at least one...

Gunwant Matharu

Talk, ask too many questions, connect with graduate students in the groups you are interested in, and be wary. If you're not sure what to look out for, ask anyone that is a graduate student currently. We are happy to help you find what's right...

Sarah Panofsky

Having a supportive, communicative, and engaged supervisor has allowed me to excel in my graduate studies. If possible, choose a mentor who you are aligned with.

Titilope Salami

Be open-minded to embrace the new academic culture regardless of your background.

Lindsey Paskulin

My advice is to follow your interests. Graduate programs are neither short nor easy. But if you truly enjoy what you are doing, if you have passion for your subject, then it won’t be half as bad. If you don’t know what you’re interested in right...

Mauricio Carvallo Aceves

Dream big. Don’t be afraid to pitch ideas you might feel are too ambitious. Chances are that you will find much more support to achieve them than you originally thought possible.