The Graduate School Success Blog Archive
Graduate school can feel like a lonely, isolating, and overwhelming place. Did you know that over half of all graduate students report feeling depressed and anxious? It’s pretty common to lose motivation, feel like you aren’t good enough, and worry about succeeding in graduate school. It doesn’t have to stay that way, though! While graduate school is never going to be easy, there are many things you can do to get through graduate school with less stress. If you are ready to learn tips and tricks to help you succeed in graduate school, then grab a beverage, settle in, and decompress with these time management, productivity, and motivational strategies and pieces of wisdom to help you succeed.
Name One Thing with Mr. John McHugh | Networking Tips for Introverts
Name One Thing | This month’s exclusive interview is with Mr. John McHugh sharing advice for preparing for an advanced degree, networking tips for introverts, and his personal experience as a policy consultant. Welcome to Name One Thing the interview series where I ask academics, researchers, postdocs, and other professionals what they wished they’d known in grad. school. Today’s guest is Mr. John McHugh, policy advocate and lobbyist, here to talk about what he wished that he had known when preparing to earn an advanced degree, his expert networking tips for introverts, and the things he’s learned working as a…
Name One Thing with Dr. Alana Rister | Advice on work habits and first-generation graduate students
Name One Thing: Advice for graduate students from those who’ve been there. Welcome to Name One Thing, the interview series where I ask academics, researchers, postdocs, and other professionals what they wished they’d known in graduate school. Today’s guest is Dr. Alana Rister, a chemist, data scientist, and academic coach, who has sage words for maintaining healthy work habits, being a first-generation graduate student, and the mindset shift it takes to succeed in graduate school. Name: Alana Rister (she/her)Degree: Ph.D. in ChemistryCurrent role: Senior Research Analyst (Data Scientist), Education TechnologyFind her at: Website: https://sciencegradschoolcoach.com/Website: https://www.scitoolhub.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scigradcoach 1) Name one thing…
4 min read
The Unvarnished Truth: My 3 Graduate School Regrets
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I loved earning my graduate degrees. I loved independent learning, I loved writing, I loved the puzzle-solving nature of my field (epidemiology), and I loved being a part of a community of people dedicated to improving the well-being of people everywhere. But, that doesn’t mean everything is and was wine and roses. Then again, maybe it does because every rose has thorns. I don’t have many, but I do have some graduate school regrets. I doubt that I’m alone, so let’s talk about the things I regret about my time as a…
Name One Thing with Dr. Jo Nyffeler. Advice for recent graduates: developing a CV and the etiquette of job applications.
Welcome to Name One Thing the interview series where I ask academics, researchers, postdocs, and other professionals what they wished they’d known in grad. school. This month’s guest is Dr. Jo Nyffeler, a toxicologist and research leader with an international perspective on completing graduate school and a post-doc. Plus, their top advice for recent graduates entering the workforce. COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGIST Name: Dr. Jo NyffelerDegree: Ph.D., In Vitro ToxicologyCurrent role: Research group leader using high-throughput ecotoxicology to develop alternatives to animal testing. Find them at: Linkedin 1) Name one thing you wish someone had told you when you were a graduate…
The Depths of Winter: The Winter Blues in Graduate Students
Here in the northern hemisphere, we are in the cold midwinter (if you’re in the southern hemisphere, bookmark this for later). The days have grown short, the darkness long, and the winter blues are upon us. In the best of times, there is a graduate student mental health crisis.¹ For most, the depths of midwinter are not the best of times. Sleepiness, reduced productivity, irritability, sadness, loneliness, and worry are all more prevalent in winter. A study at a Northeastern university found that OVER HALF! of the college students surveyed had worsening mood symptoms in winter!² While I can’t wave…
4 min read
Name One Thing with Instructional Designer, Ms. Kim McHugh. Advice on being in the wrong graduate program and how to be a better professor.
Welcome to Name One Thing the interview series where I ask academics, researchers, postdocs, and other professionals what they wished they’d known in grad. school. Today’s guest is Ms. Kim McHugh, an instructional designer who realized she was in the wrong graduate program and faced starting her master’s degree over for a better fit. Name: Kim McHughDegree: M.Ed., Training and Development. B.S., Biology, APTD certifiedCurrent role: Learning Experience Designer with Fidelity 1) Name one thing you wish someone had told you when you were a graduate student. Finding ways to apply the things you’re learning is the best way to…
Wishing You the Best in Your Academic Success,
Dr. Cristie Glasheen, Your Graduate Student Success Coach.
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Want Even More?
Have you read through all of the graduate school success tips here, but are still struggling to implement them in your day-to-day life? We offer one-on-one coaching for a limited number of graduate students. So if you are an aspiring graduate student in need of admissions advisement or a current Master’s or Doctoral student, schedule a free consultation with us today!






