—Source: Daphne Larose is the writer and creator of Black Female Coders.
When I first started my Master’s, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I went in without a clue but came out just a wee bit wiser after sifting through lots of confusion and meandering along the way. I’m hoping to save you from at least some of the meandering and headache by sharing with you the 8 things I wish someone had told me before I went in. Some of the points are geared more so towards pursuing a Master’s in a Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field as that is the perspective I’m coming from but, honestly, I think all of these points are generally applicable to anyone considering going to grad school in any field.
When I first started my Master’s, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I went in without a clue but came out just a wee bit wiser after sifting through lots of confusion and meandering along the way. I’m hoping to save you from at least some of the meandering and headache by sharing with you the 8 things I wish someone had told me before I went in. Some of the points are geared more so towards pursuing a Master’s in a Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field as that is the perspective I’m coming from but, honestly, I think all of these points are generally applicable to anyone considering going to grad school in any field.
So let us begin:
#1 Know what you want to get out of grad school before you go in
I went into grad school straight from undergrad and it proved to be a tall order for me, mainly because I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted out of it. I ended up going to grad school just because I got into grad school and managed to get it all paid for (see #2 below). I came in with nothing but a hunch towards topics that seemed interesting. I learned quickly that, unlike undergrad, a 3 to 4 semester Master’s program does not give you a lot of time to “figure things out.” It’s certainly possible — I did it and ended up with good research experience, a name on a published paper, and some awesome classes under my belt — but you’ll save yourself a lot of anxiety, regret and (possibly) money if you have somewhat clear objectives for what you want out of your degree when you finish with it. To help put this in perspective, mainly think about how you plan on using the degree later: will you need it for further schooling down the line? Is doing a thesis worthwhile for your potential life path? Does your industry require this degree? What classes will you specifically need to take to help you carve out your niche in your field?
#2 Find funding
There are SO many fellowship opportunities out there for minorites and/or women in STEM (and in other fields as well!). I was a GEM Fellow while I attended grad school; that fellowship allowed me to not only get my Master’s fully paid for but also placed me at an internship with a Fortune 500 company for 2 summers AND gave me a semesterly stipend of over $3000 to help subsidize my rent, books, etc. Here are some other great ones out there for you to check out:
National Minority STEM Fellowship
HBCU STEM Fellowship
The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
The Google United Negro College Fund Scholarship
Alfred P. Sloane Foundation
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Society of Women Engineer Scholarships
National Society of Black Engineers Scholarships
Association for Women in Mathematics Travel Grants
Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program
Engineering Information Foundation
People often find the process of applying to scholarships daunting and end up discouraging themselves from doing it out of fear of rejection. At the very least give it a shot and apply. Who knows what can happen? I have had multiple friends nearly talk themselves out of applying for a scholarship by convincing themselves they would never get it but then they gave it a shot and ended up winning. Success stories do happen and you’ll never know if you’ll be one if you choose not to try.
#3 Network, network, network
I know, school gets busy, you get swarmed with work, you feel like you have no time, etc. but make time to network at every opportunity. Graduate school provides the perfect atmosphere for establishing connections. Sure, undergrad does too but the difference is that in grad school, you are amongst an entirely different crowd. Unlike in undergrad where everyone mostly starts off in the same place in life and grows together, the people you’ll meet coming into grad school come from a wider range of experiences and paths in life. You’ll meet people who worked at multiple companies in the field, people who have degrees in entirely different fields, people who come from other schools and other companies and have their own established networks that they can put you in touch with. Grad school also tends to attract people driven towards a particular professional goal as that is their reason for being there and spending all of that money in the first place (see #1). If you can find like-minded grad students with similar professional goals, you could potentially set up a great network that can come in handy in the future.
#4 Get involved in research that appeals to you and be assertive
This one kind of goes hand in hand with #3. Talk to your professors on day one. Get to know the projects they’re working on and determine what seems most interesting to you. It’s great experience to have whether you continue in academia or not. Plus, you’ll be able to make connections with professors and other academics that you might not have had the opportunity to make. When you find a few that you really like, pursue pursue pursue. Have a resume ready and go talk to that professor as soon as you can. If your grad school is anything like mine was, research assistant positions are highly coveted and quickly snatched up. The sooner you can get your foot in the door, the better. My first week of orientation, a group of professors presented their research to a new class of Master’s students. We were told that professors normally don’t take first semester Master’s students and that more often than not, they won’t even consider you unless you are in your second semester. During the presentation, I found myself drawn to a particular project presented by one of the professors. Taking my chances, I immediately left the auditorium after that professor finished her presentation and found her in the hallway, where I was able to convince her to let me have an interview to work in her lab. The next week I became her new research assistant. Don’t be afraid to be assertive and ask for what you want directly, even if it seems like there is a good chance you will get rejected.
#5 Grad school is not undergrad
This might sound obvious but it was a realization that didn’t fully dawn on me until I actually felt it. Grad school is a different experience altogether, especially if you go to a school that is different from your undergrad. Coming straight from undergrad where I felt like I had found my people, it was an incredibly difficult adjustment to switch to a different school and feel like I was starting all over again with even less time to develop the same kind of steadfast relationships I had developed in my undergrad. It’s totally possible, and I was lucky enough to make lifelong friends there, but it was definitely a shock to my system that I hadn’t expected.
#6 If your grad school is a different college/university from your undergrad, befriend an upperclassmen undergrad from your new school to help teach you the ins and outs of navigating the school’s red tape
Coming to a new school, I had no clue what the insider tips were for figuring out things like how to ensure a spot in that one class that magically gets full super quickly every semester or other random quirks that every school has that other students learn over time. Some schools are really good at teaching new students about how to navigate the campus on day one and some aren’t. Either way, it’s always nice to get the inside scoop on how to get things done so you can do as the Romans do.
#7 Study abroad in grad school
Especially if you didn’t have the opportunity to do so in undergrad. It’s a worthwhile experience and can be incredibly rewarding if you can make it happen. It’s always a good idea to try and broaden your perspective and it looks great on a resume. The tech companies I’ve interviewed with were always particularly interested in hearing about my study abroad experiences.
#8 Make time for self-careYes, grad school can be a lot of work and, yes, the projects and research responsibilities seem never-ending but if the consequences of burying myself with work in undergrad taught me anything, it would be that 3 things need to always come first: me, myself and I. If you’re not feeling good, how can any quality work get done? Obviously, take care of the basics: if you’re tired, sleep; if you’re hungry, eat, etc. But beyond the basics, make time to do the things that make you feel like a whole human being. Start working on work-life balance. It’ll be good practice for the future, whether you continue in academia or go into industry. Of course, committing to continual self-care when facing a wall of work is much easier said than done but you’ll end up thanking yourself for it in the long run.
Welp, there you have it: the 8 pearls of wisdom I wish someone had shared with me before I started grad school. While I am certainly no expert, I hope this helps at least make someone else’s grad school experience a little less painful.
And, of course, there’s more wisdom to be shareed from the grad school experience than just these 8 tips. If you have any advice to add (or questions!), hit me up via blackfemalecoders@gmail.com, twitter @blackfemcoders or on the FB page! Happy Thursday!
