Name One Thing: Advice for graduate students from those who’ve been there. This Month: Mental Illness and ADHD in College and Grad School
Welcome to Name One Thing the interview series where I ask academics, researchers, postdocs, and other professionals what they wish they’d known when they were in graduate school. Today’s interview is a can’t-miss opportunity to learn more about managing ADHD and mental illness in college and graduate school. I’d like to introduce you to Ms. Alecia Kipping, a Regional Health Coordinator and Mental Health Advocate, who graciously shares her experiences getting into and completing graduate school despite numerous setbacks and challenges. Including tips on working with ADHD in college, how getting a diagnosis (even if late), was essential to her graduate school success, and how she leaned into her mental health diagnoses to not just survive, but thrive.
About Today’s Name One Thing Guest
Name: Alecia Kipping (she/they)
Degree: Master of Social Work
Current role: Government Operations Consultant – Regional Minority Health Coordinator for the Florida Department of Health, Office of Minority Health
Find Her At: https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/minority-health/index.html
1) Name one thing you wish someone had told you when you were a graduate student.
Advocating for your wants and needs as a graduate student is not only okay, it is critical. Graduate school is a costly investment of time, money, and professional development. Regardless of what graduate program you choose to attend, you will be required to expend valuable mental, emotional, and physical resources that will diminish your potential to pursue alternative opportunities elsewhere. In exchange for your investment, graduate programs provide the knowledge, experience, and skills you will need to achieve your future professional goals. One thing I noticed amongst my colleagues in graduate school was the frequency with which students were placed in internships that did not align with their learning or professional needs. The program I attended to obtain my Master of Social Work degree boasts one of the most highly regarded clinical social work programs in the country. As such, they were rarely challenged by graduate students who were dissatisfied with their placements for completing the mandatory field hours needed for their degree. I have heard many stories from fellow students who were placed in hospitals or clinics that forced them to misuse their time (for the benefit of the organization over the student’s learning), or that didn’t provide the opportunities needed to gain experience in their field or population of interest. In the majority of these cases, students resigned to accepting their positions at the expense of their education. Often told there was “nothing the school could do,” students would feel forced to meet their field hour requirements by providing unpaid labor to an internship that wasn’t fulfilling their educational needs, all while paying the hefty costs of each internship’s accompanying academic credit hours.
If I can communicate anything to future and current graduate students, it’s that the university or program you attend is meant to be in service to you — not the other way around. You are giving them valuable time and money to educate and prepare you for achieving your professional aspirations and career goals. Don’t be afraid to speak up when something isn’t working for you or to advocate for your needs as a learner. THEY work for YOU, and you are entitled to receive satisfactory services.
2) You faced significant challenges getting into graduate school, including a learning disorder and a late diagnosis of ADHD in college that affected your GPA. Name one thing you want prospective graduate students with similar challenges to know about applying to graduate school.
If you’re like me, I would want you to know that you are almost certainly underestimating your potential. This is true for most people, but especially for those of us who think and learn differently. I believe that with the proper time, dedication, and access to resources, anyone reading this has the ability to achieve even their wildest academic ambitions. For those who struggle with unique or excessive challenges, do not be dissuaded by misconceptions that undermine your capabilities. Even if your progress looks different, or requires extra steps, your skills and perspectives are an invaluable asset to whichever fields you decide to enter. Having to overcome obstacles that others do not is not an indication of weakness. It is a proof of strength.
For context, I never thought I would be interested in or eligible for a postgraduate education. I vividly remember telling an undergraduate professor, “I would rather chew off my own hand than go to grad school.” For most of my life, I have vehemently disliked school, having felt excluded and incompetent in virtually every academic setting. I only agreed to attend an undergraduate program as a means of becoming a military pilot but was dealt a devastating blow after being informed in my senior year that I had been medically disqualified from military service. After 3 years of dedicating my life to becoming a military officer, and haphazardly earning an unwanted degree, my entire life was flipped upside down, and all of my future hopes and plans had been decimated. With 1 year left in my undergraduate program, my only 2 options were to drop out and receive nothing to show for my years of work or to finish what I started and earn an arbitrary degree in a field I had no intention of joining. With no better options, I went forward with earning my bachelor’s degree.
As a quiet kid in a low-income, single-parent household, it was easy for me to slip through the cracks of the education system. I spent most of my academic career struggling with things that seemed easy for other kids, and as such was largely dismissed as incapable, unmotivated, or unintelligent by most educators and peers. These were misconceptions I heard consistently throughout my childhood, and that I believed all the way up to my senior year in college. Being disqualified from military service meant I could finally ask for the psychological evaluations I was scared would have disqualified me in the past. In doing so, I received diagnoses for the psychiatric conditions I had struggled with for years – decades even, in some cases. Once I started receiving treatment and support for my learning disorders and ADHD, it was like my true potential as a student was unlocked. I went from barely scraping by in classes to acing even the most difficult degree requirements. I realized then that I had always been a smart and capable learner. I was just not given the tools I needed to learn.
Despite a near-perfect performance during my final three semesters, the years of academic turmoil had caused irreparable damage to my undergraduate transcripts. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology, and a final GPA of 2.79. Although I was thankful I completed the program, I knew that pursuing a career in any social science would probably require an advanced degree and my checkered academic past would be an issue. After a year of careful deliberation, I decided to structure my new future plans around helping kids like me receive the support they needed. After researching potential pathways for reaching this goal and carefully considering my options, I decided that I wanted to become a mental health clinician and that my best option for becoming a capable and well-rounded provider was by becoming a Licenced Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). The first step was to acquire a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, so I began submitting applications to any local programs I thought might even remotely consider me. My hopes were dashed after being rejected by every MSW program I applied to, and I felt hopeless and lost on what I should do to progress this newfound journey forward. I came to the realization that my only option was to prove myself worthy of a graduate program and earn my MSW to become a licensed clinician. I decided that if I was going to do it, I would go all the way. I would prove myself worthy, not just of any no-name graduate school that would accept me, but of attending whatever MSW program I decided was best. I began the arduous process of identifying my target and becoming the most eligible candidate possible for the program of my dreams.
To any potential graduate school applicants, don’t be discouraged if you don’t meet the rigid standards traditionally used to measure academic success. If a program’s website “strongly recommends” that applicants have a minimum GPA of 3.5, having a lower GPA doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of the running to be admitted. There are many options for strengthening the weak areas of a graduate school application. These can not only make up for any disqualifying or undesirable elements of your application but can also make you stand out in ways that 1000 other applicants might not. My undergraduate GPA was 2.79. I had to supplement this by earning high marks in graduate-level courses as a non-degree-seeking student and cultivating a graduate-level GPA that was competitive. To make up for my lack of extra-curricular activities or work experience, I spent a year volunteering as a child advocate with the Florida Guardian ad Litem program, gaining valuable experience and skills in social service provision, systems, and my population of interest. I used my personal statement to explain the irregularities in my transcripts and worked diligently to find, edit, proofread, re-edit, and submit a writing sample that showcased my academic skills and writing abilities. After a year of committed effort, I was admitted into my top pick for graduate school and, shortly after, began working on my MSW at New York University (NYU).
3) Throughout graduate school, you had to contend with the symptoms of bipolar
disorder in addition to ADHD. Despite that, you successfully completed graduate school with strong references from the faculty and professionals you worked with. Name one thing you did as a graduate student that helped you succeed in balancing mental health with being a grad. student.
The number one reason I had so much success in graduate school was because I was in a program that always offered me opportunities to engage in work that I was interested in, passionate about, and fulfilled by. This is crucial for me because my ADHD and executive dysfunction can make it almost impossible to complete a task if it’s not something I’m interested in or care about. Know what your learning styles and needs are, and pick a graduate program that aligns with them. I was also offered the novel experience of piloting several global social work programs for NYU, so I was afforded much more flexibility in operating however I needed to operate to accomplish my goals. In dealing with bipolar episodes, I could lean into the phases of my highs and lows without suffering the consequences I might have in a traditional academic setting. During episodes of mania, I would complete massive amounts of work and devise unique strategies and plans for completing projects I was tasked to work on. The magnitude and quality of the work I produced during episodes of mania were typically enough to cover whatever work I might miss while I was struggling with a depressive episode.
It was during this time I discovered that: 1) My unique and creative ways of thinking made me a valuable asset to almost any team or project I was assigned to, and 2) I struggled deeply to operate within the confines of traditional professionalism and expectations. It took me time to figure out a good balance between honoring my limits as a disabled person and upholding my academic and professional expectations as a graduate student and intern. Maintaining this balance has been a journey I have and continue to struggle with in my professional endeavors, even almost a decade later. It was during my time in grad school that I learned, however, that being different did not mean I was worth less. On the contrary, I have learned to appreciate the fact that my energy and input are extremely valuable, and I feel more empowered in advocating for alternative work practices that are more accessible for me and my fellow colleagues who struggle with unique or excessive challenges.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, Ms. Kipping, and thank you for being so open and willing to share your experiences in getting through college with ADHD and other mental health challenges! Many students do not feel comfortable discussing these topics or asking for help, especially grad. school. Sadly, it’s too often with good reason. These tips for managing bipolar and ADHD symptoms in college, graduate school, and professionally are invaluable for students who cannot talk about this openly themselves.
As someone who has coached many college students with ADHD, I want to stress the importance of getting a diagnosis and working with a mental health professional. Please seek help if you are a college student (at any level) and are struggling with symptoms of ADHD or a mental illness. You don’t have to give your health information to anyone at the college and getting this information can help you identify the conditions you need to succeed. This will allow you to better advocate for yourself without ever having to disclose to anyone you don’t want to.
Wishing You All the Best in Your Academic Success.
–Dr. Cristie Glasheen, Your Graduate Student Success Coach.
Interview Disclaimer
We aim to share diverse perspectives and experiences. The views, opinions, and experiences shared by our guests in this interview series are solely their own. Their participation is not an endorsement of our services, products, or views, nor does it imply an endorsement of their services, products, or views by us.