Professional Development

Adrienne Kinman

Choose the environment and advisor over a specific project. Lots of things change (life and science-wise) over the course of graduate school, but having a supportive community around you makes all the difference.

Kate Wahl

Bring a growth mindset to your graduate experience! Now is a great time to explore challenges, take intellectual risks, and learn to capitalize on setbacks. Knowing that not everything will go according to plan, remember that your colleagues will...

Elijah Foran

For new graduate students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, I would say: don’t be afraid to take up space. Academia can be an intimidating place to navigate at times, but your experiences and perspectives are valuable. Find your...

Shubham Arora

Come. Explore. Rejuvenate. Make serious efforts. Expand yourself. Live a life.

Leah Shipton

I would recommend that new graduate students think early about academic and non-academic opportunities you would be interested in pursuing and how to prepare for them during your degree. And really take time to invest in building good...

Ariana Shivji

Try to get involved in your community! UBC has a lot of great extracurricular options and Vancouver has so many clubs and groups that you can join. Whether you get involved by joining a club on campus, becoming a member of your graduate student...

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...

Sara Hosseinirad

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

You cannot do it alone! It is critical to build a community that can support you throughout your journey. Also, one of the best things I have done (since my undergraduate studies) is to take one day off every week where I do not do any work. It...

Andrea Kampen

I would encourage new graduate students to embrace their own non-linear narratives. There’s such beauty in not smoothing out the rough edges and corners of your inquiry. Some people may have a burning question they’ve wanted to explore and engage...

Stephanie Xie

Finding balance! Make time for self-care and relaxation, and surround yourself with a support group of peers, friends and mentors who can provide encouragement and guidance.

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...