Professional Development

Vasilii Triandafilidi

I understand that it is tough to think about your future. I was scared of this thought as well. What should I work on, should I be theoretician or experimentalist? Engineering or arts?

What I would suggest is to do your due diligence when...

Weitao "Nick" Rong

Listen to your supervisor's guidance but don't be afraid to challenge your supervisor. Your supervisor is right most of the time but some challenges will only stimulate more thinking and better research work.

Jungsoo Park

My best advice is to enjoy your work. It is very true that graduate students are stressed out during their degree all over the world. But I am sure that UBC in Vancouver is the right place for us to enjoy our research and interacting people from...

Allie Slemon

My advice for new graduates is to find something - many things - in your work that you care about. There will probably be something about graduate school that isn't as easy or fun, but the thing you care about will carry you through the program...

Laina Southgate

I learned that graduate school is difficult and the expectations of your work are significantly higher than undergrad. That being said, however, don't be afraid to push yourself. Take an extra class, do a directed reading, explore a thesis option...

David Champagne

In my opinion, the pace, intensity and range of possibilities of scholarly research can be overwhelming. Often, we may feel like we are not up to the task, notably in terms of writing. In the face of this dilemma, I found that writing daily,...

Maggie Woo Kinshella

Be passionate.

Hazel Hollingdale

To recognize that pursuing a graduate degree is difficult, but often in ways that aren't fully understood until you're going through it. I have found the research itself to be the most enjoyable and least stressful part of my time at graduate...

Lucas Zhang

Graduate school is quite different from undergraduate life. You have experienced and learned a lot up to this point in your life. Hence, having a positive outlook, strong mental capacity, resilience, and accountability are the necessities in...

Amber Moore

In my first year, I wasted a lot of time worrying about whether I had made the right decision to return to school. I missed my students, and imposter syndrome really set in. My advice would be to make a point of enjoying this unique time in your...

Joseph Zsombor-Pindera

Make friends, ask a lot of questions, and always remember that experiments usually fail. You have to try things a heck of a lot of times before you can draw your conclusions, so if something doesn't work, try it again, and if it still doesn't...

Lee Rippon

Start drafting your thesis early and stay organized throughout your studies.