Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate School

Alumni on Success

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Ajanthia Gunaratnam

My best advice for current graduate students is to focus on "working hard" in a way that’s efficient and meaningful, ensuring real benefits come from your efforts. It’s not just about the time you put in but about working smartly—prioritizing tasks, finding effective…

Yuchang Xiao

Yuchang Xiao

My best advice for current graduate students is to focus on developing a balance between technical skills and practical experience while honing your time management and problem-solving abilities. Take every opportunity to work on real-world projects and collaborate with…

Sheida Nikkhah

Sheida Nikkhah

Stay curious, build a strong network and embrace challenges — they’re all stepping stones to growth and opportunity.

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Toni Tang

If you never try, you'll never know what you are capable of.

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Ali Khajezade

Don't be shy. Try to communicate with others and expand your network. As graduate student you are in the learning process, so do not be afraid to ask for help. Also, it is ok to fail, but it is not ok to give up on your dreams.

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Asmita Chakraborty

My best piece of advice for prospective and current graduate students is to actively build your professional network by reaching out to industry professionals and researchers. Establishing connections can provide valuable insights and open doors to opportunities.…

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Amin Imani

My best advice for current graduate students is to actively expand their professional network through collaborations with other universities and industry partners. Building strong connections early on can open doors to future opportunities and provide valuable insights…

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Daman Saini

You can be anything you want to be, as long as you are passionate about it. The world is your oyster. But is important that you stayed focused and believe in yourself.

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Craig Bateman

"Write early, and write often; and welcome invitations to write." The other thing I would advise is to "keep going." What I mean by that is that life might throw you curve balls occasionally, or you may be forced to deal with a personal challenge or crisis of some kind, but…

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Erin Ryan

Find something that interests you and keep following it. Whether you're following it through research or in non-academic professional settings, let your passion drive you. And be kind to yourself. You are enough. You are smart enough, you are skilled enough.

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Melina Albanese

Choose something you are passionate about and get your foot in the door. If possible, volunteer or find a paid position in your area of interest as early as possible to gain experience and determine if you like the job.

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Kwaku Darko-Mensah Jnr.

I advise graduate students to balance personal career goals and serve their communities and the world. I also encourage students to pay attention to the world around them. Be an active listener and be willing to adapt.

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Oluwaseun Ajaja

To prepare for their future careers, graduate students need to keep an open mind, actively seek growth opportunities, engage in lifelong learning, build relationships, access mentorship, foster collaboration, and gain insights into the job market. To remain adaptable and…

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Mariam Omotosho

Maximize the wealth of resources available at the UBC graduate school, explore, and take a chance on yourself!

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Anaisa Visser

As an artist, I am constantly inspired by other art - we're not creating in a vacuum, everything we make is in conversation with other artists and their work. Work hard, but also find your people and your community, be supportive instead of competitive. The joy in art…

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Samantha Pineda Sierra

I once read a quote that said: "How much LIFE is your salary costing you?" My advice will be to try as many things as you can before graduating and find your passion. After graduating, try to find a job where not only you can thrive, but where you also feel valued and…

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Zak Witkower

First, it’s important to acquire discipline-specific skills, but equally important to acquire skills that make you desirable to a wide variety of possible careers. For me, this was statistics and data science. I attained a quantitative methods minor alongside my PhD. For…

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Arman Hejazi

First and foremost, take care of your mental health. I was reading an article once that mentioned almost 50% of graduate students (in their study) were suffering from anxiety and/or depression. This is quite common and could impede your creativity. Next, try to go above…

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Sean Xia

There will be times that someone shuts the door right on your face. There will be many cold faces and rejects. But remember, it's not personal. They are just doing their job and mind their business. Eventually, you will earn their respect by being persistent and "…

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Kingsley Eze

I advise current graduate students to take advantage of the many learning opportunities such as speaker series, events, and networking opportunities. Keep an open mind and ask questions because you will be exposed to things you might not even know existed. Finally,…

Anam Elahi

I think all graduate students should remain persistent and keep a strong focus towards the direction that they want to take, while taking small steps towards it. The path of hard work does eventually wind up to success. Other than that, students should make best use of…

Jenna Buhrmann

It’s important as a new professional and recent graduate to stay open to new experience. Entering into the field post graduate is difficult and you may not get the position you want right from the start but any experience can be a good experience if you put the work in.…

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Jaqueline Brower

Get clear on your dreams, gifts and needs for support. Surround yourself with people who can support you. Practice self compassion, recognize your limitations and know that everyone in every job is human. You will be new and have a giant learning curve, and that is part…

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Callie Camp

Have an open mind and immerse yourself in the experiences you are presented with! If you are returning to school after a long break or are leaving one career path for another, don’t worry that the experience you gained in your “past life” won’t be relevant. I’m…

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