Professional Development

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…

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…

Cariad Knight

I have a lot of advice, but I know it might not resonate with everyone, so my too long didn't read advice: get involved and find your community, whether it's within your program, at UBC or in Vancouver. Take advantage of UBC's many resources —…

Stef Atkinson

Create a realistic schedule for yourself. Grad school is unique in that you have so much more control over your time than you do as an undergraduate student. For some people, that can be difficult, though. Be honest about the hours of the day you…

Daniel Stewart

Spend some time looking at what UBC has to offer you. There are so many free or cheap programs available to students! These can be great places to meet people. The quantity of options can be overwhelming at times, so my suggestion would be to…

Pinhao Xiang

Don't say no to opportunities. Try as many new things as possible. You will never discover your passion if you don't try new things.

Raha AtashPa

For new graduate students embarking on this transformative journey, my advice is threefold:

1. Embrace Interdisciplinarity: Open yourself to the wealth of knowledge that exists beyond the boundaries of your chosen discipline. UBC offers a…

Rama El-khawaldeh

My advice to new grad students is to build strong relationships with mentors for guidance and networking and seize collaboration chances for real-world exposure. Every expert was once a beginner, and starting somewhere is essential. For me,…

Margot Gunning

Go slow and set boundaries. There is no timeline or rush to finish grad school before a certain age, and carving out dedicated and protected space for personal flourishing will increase your enjoyment for your program. My other piece of advice is…

Jordan Seider

Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself - you deserve to be here! Imposter syndrome affects us all, so spend some time early on talking with your peers to develop some tools to help when you are feeling most overwhelmed.

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…

Magnus Chan

Ah, the classic interview question for all grad students! While I’ve heard the whole gamut of advice for incoming trainees when I started years ago, now that I’m on the tail end of completing my PhD, I think one piece of advice reigns true above…