Advice from UBC Students

Shayda Swann

Take all the time you have to find a great supervisor. I spoke to several potential supervisors before choosing to work with Dr. Murray and Dr. Cote, and I couldn't be more grateful for my pickiness. Taking the time to find a supervisor who not...

Sydney Moore

Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life! Follow your passions and stay true to yourself. Avoid taking a certain path just because it seems more convenient, do what’s best for you and what will benefit you the most in the...

Ashley Battaglini

My advice would be to try and incorporate balance in your life, including your work schedule, as much as you can. Once creating that balance it's important to maintain it. I think that increases how much you enjoy your work and your life!

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...

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.

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...

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...

Titilope Salami

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

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.

Caitlyn Yates

My first piece of advice is to not be afraid to ask. Throughout my policy career and now, and particularly as I started to study and learn about potential PhD programs, I emailed everyone. Students, potential advisors, folks who had decided not...

Negar Khodarahmi

It's easier said than done, but I would say trying to find a balance where you can. Meet new people and get out of your comfort zone to see both the communities within and outside UBC that you can be a part of. Try and step out of the academic...

Mirta Roncagalli

Grad school can be challenging and, from time to time, overwhelming. Try to make time for your own way to decompress and talk to your peers! You will realize you are not alone and that all grad students are in the same boat!

Sasha McDowell

I would say be patient when learning new skills and to remember that there’s always an adjustment period when starting a new program. When I first arrived at UBC, I was very excited to meet people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, learn...

Bev Larssen

Don’t forget to take time for yourself to re-energize and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Whether that is playing outside or getting involved in an extra-curricular activity that you enjoy, Vancouver has a lot to offer.

Xing Zhang

There are ups and downs during grad school. Never lose confidence in yourself and try to keep motivated by your enthusiasm for your research. Also, it’s always beneficial to talk with people from different areas.

Pan Deng

Being confident and seize any opportunity to stretch yourself. If you are afraid of failure and let opportunities slide through your fingers, you might lose the chance of developing valuable skills and experiences by staying in your comfort zone...

Adeerya Johnson

Grad school is not a race. Take your time and be kind to yourself as you matriculate through your program.

Verena Rossa-Roccor

Widen your horizon and do not focus all your time and energy on your studies. Branch out and take/audit courses in other faculties; make use of the ample opportunities to get involved both on campus and beyond; and strive to become a well-rounded...

Jens Johnson

I think that keeping a planner/agenda (physical or virtual) is a big help, both for remembering the gallery of moving target obligations and for scheduling relaxing or hobby time.

Jasper Heaton

Have a hobby or activity or *something* that you enjoy that is not in any way related to you studies, and make sure you find some space for it every week. Writing a dissertation can be lonely but it doesn't have to be. Find a working group, share...

Danielle Hanke

Don't be afraid to ask questions! Starting grad school, especially if you are starting grad school at a new school or in a new country, can be confusing and a little overwhelming at the start, but asking questions can help alleviate a lot of the...

Kaili Vesik

Expect to get completely overwhelmed at some point in your first year; then at least it won't be a surprise when it inevitably happens! Also, living close to - or on - campus if you can is a wonderful way to improve your mental health by reducing...

Megan Zeni

There is a lot of life to live outside of being a graduate student in Vancouver. Be sure to make time for play and joy. Get up in the mountains, get out on the water, and into a garden! This is just one season of your life, not your whole life....

Steve Commichau

Visit the events hosted by the SASC. They are important, interesting, and usually there is free pizza. Also, don’t forget to rest and hydrate.

Hiroshan Gunawardane

Find what you truly love and do it, it doesn’t have to be what someone else expects you to do.

Sandeep Gill

Getting involved is key. I found that attending workshops, seminars, talks etc really helped me gain additional support and allowed me to explore other possiblities with my research. Forming study/support groups with my cohort was helpful in us...

Bita Zareian

Try to balance your studies with self-care and fun activities! Graduate school provides you with great training in your respective fields of research but can take up a lot of time, and at times, can be stressful! It's important that you allow...

Jonathan Doucette

Read papers from other fields, and try to connect them to your own research. If you are struggling with figuring out how to solve something, there is a good chance somebody else has struggled with the same problem! Similarly, dedicate lots of...

Ariel Ko

Take advantage of the travel grants to fund your research conferences and choose destinations you haven’t been to before! One thing I didn’t expect going into graduate studies is the opportunities and support to travel to different countries. Not...

Sophie Ma Zhu

Compared to undergraduate students, graduate students are more likely to live off-campus or have other commitments in their lives, at least based on my own experience and my observation in the Faculty of Education. But I strongly recommend...

Mikayla Pachkowski

Figure out what is important to you, in terms of your work and career goals, but also your personal life. Then, put your time and energy there. In graduate school it's possible to get pulled in a hundred different directions, and there are...

Christine Yu

While extremely rewarding, graduate school undoubtedly brings with it stresses and, at times, a sense of immense pressure. My advice for new graduate students is to foster relationships with their cohort. Take opportunities to bond with each...

Shoshana Schwebel

Keep in mind that Vancouver is an outrageously expensive city (UBC’s fee calculator as of 2019 listed $29,000 as the minimum annual amount needed to live in Vancouver and attend UBC), and ask to be funded accordingly.

Katie McCloskey

Avail yourself of opportunities to meet other researchers and faculty and let them know you're keen. You never know what opportunities might open up to you.

Gordon Tao

There is plenty of excellent advice to receive on being a graduate student, from your supervisor to your peers to UBC resources. As you consider this advice, keep in mind your strengths and limitations, and be aware of what aligns with your...

Ben Nadeau

Take care of yourself first and foremost, and celebrate your achievements. Grad school is a marathon, not a sprint and some parts will be harder than others. Work hard and make the most of your free time.

Ran Xiang

Be adventurous—don’t be afraid to take risks. Trust yourself unconditionally. Exercise self-care at all times.

Mike Wilkinson

Grow in skills that will more likely bring about success! In particular: -push yourself through articulated goals -learn how to be self-disciplined -stay open to and cultivate relationships in your academic community (and beyond) -know what...

Robyn Peers

My biggest advice is to always follow your passions. The people you meet in graduate school are incredibly smart, and luckily also incredibly different. Comparing yourself and your work to others ignores that you have a unique and important...

Joseph Liang

Make friends with other people in your program (and outside of your program), and not just those in your graduating class! Friends who are your seniors can be great mentors, and it is only natural to pay it forward and mentor the incoming class...

Dora Alejandra Gaviria Serna

Doctoral studies is a demanding process, that is why I consider it important to try to maintain a balance in life. Take time for yourself to share with others and to relax.

Sara Hosseinirad

Be flexible and accept the fact that you may not know everything and learning and gaining some skills take time
Be patient and persistent to be able to reach your goals and meanwhile
Find a right community to get involved...
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Lara Aysal

I try to see this process of my life as an adventure and enjoy it as much as I can.

Dwayne Tucker

To new graduate students, I would say read a lot! If you will be doing a thesis-based project, the goal is to become as much of an authority on your topic as possible; this requires a lot of background reading and keeping abreast of what’s new in...

Sherry Kiafar

My greatest advice to new graduate students is to try to be persistent in your research, make the most out of your time in graduate school, don't hesitate to use the support available to you, don't lose the balance between work and life, and have...

Jeffrey Morgan

Make sure to pursue projects and academic interests outside your direct graduate research project. This will give you the opportunity to meet and get inspired by others outside your network, and you never know where it will lead you!

Jennifer Lavalley

Don't be scared to unsettle the traditional/conventional ways of doing research. Be creative. Take risks.

Katrina Besler

Find a community that isn’t focused on academia, in addition to your academic community. For me, this was my faith community, and I found it to be a huge source of support and a space to remember who I am as a person outside of being a student....

Uuganbadrakh Oyunkhishig

I would advise new graduate students to start building their personal network right away after enrolling in their program. It will help them find a job, increase their exposure to new research, and obtain experiences from others. They should also...