6 People You Need In Your Graduate School Support System

By Julia Dunn on December 19, 2016

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

Graduate school is intense for many students — it’s a chance for students to really work on projects and research they care about, and build off of skills they’ve gained through their undergraduate schooling. But grad students know they couldn’t survive the demands of grad school without some core people in their support system. Some of these folks may have even helped you get into graduate school in the first place!

Here are six people you need to get you through grad school.

1. A professor who cares for you/knows you well

It’s so important for graduate students to have a strong relationship with at least one of their professors. Maybe you’ve done research with this professor or taken several of their classes, and they’ve begun to know your strengths and interests particularly well. This relationship is crucial to have especially when you experience moments of self doubt or a lack of confidence in your abilities. A professor who knows and cares for you will be there to remind you of your capabilities and be able to push you towards opportunities from which you could benefit profoundly.

2. A close friend

Many people say that nobody has time for much of a social life during graduate school years, but every grad student needs a friend to help them through times of stress and anxiety (or with whom to share good news). Who are you going to call when you have made great progress on a research discovery? Who will you call when you’re sick at home but don’t have time to run to a drugstore for cold medicine because of a fast-approaching project deadline?

A close friend (or a few) is an absolutely necessary component of your graduate school support system. If your friend is also pursuing graduate studies at the same university, you’ll be able to connect and chat about school-related experiences and commiserate about the pressures involved in being a student.

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3. A graduate adviser

Although students pursuing advanced degrees should ideally be able to plan out their coursework and research largely on their own, it’s extremely important to consult with a graduate adviser at your university who is familiar with your program. This way, you will always have someone to answer your logistical questions about completing your graduate degree.

Some students never go and visit an academic adviser in undergraduate school any more than they have to, but graduate students often need to complete more complicated requirements to graduate (a master’s thesis, complex examinations, a teaching assistantship, etc). For this reason, graduate students should seek out a graduate adviser who can provide program-specific support when needed.

4. A counselor/therapist

Not everyone necessarily needs a therapist, but if you’re a student who regularly visited a therapist or counselor during undergraduate school, you might want to find one close to where you live or attend grad school. The jump to advanced coursework and rigorous demands in master’s or PhD programs can bring great anxiety to students who may already experience mental health challenges. Furthermore, students who haven’t previously sought out counseling may find it helpful to speak with someone about their emotions and experiences adjusting to graduate school.

Unfortunately, seeing a counselor remains stigmatized in our culture. Nonetheless, students can find immensely valuable support by going to a therapist during grad school. There’s no reason to reject the prospect before trying it — fight the stigma and seek support for your own well-being!

5. A contact in your program (or fellow colleague)

If you’re in a master’s program for biochemistry, you’ll want to have the phone number or email from at least one person in your same program. Depending on the size of the program, this may be easier or harder to do, but you’ll likely be put into a specific cohort of folks in the same field as you. You may share classes or work in a lab with the same people from your cohort, so it will be helpful to exchange contact information with one or two (or more) fellow students who you can talk to about program-specific matters.

6. A partner (if you have one/want one)

This suggestion is more aimed at students already in long-term/serious relationships. Having a supportive partner can make a huge difference in your graduate school experience in that they know you really well (well enough to tell what you need when you’re stressed out or overwhelmed). If you’re not in a healthy relationship, consider letting that relationship go before you begin graduate school so that you don’t have to deal with toxic stress on top of grad school alone. If you are in a healthy, wonderful relationship, remember to appreciate your partner’s love for you (and take care of each other — especially if your partner is also a student!)

As a graduate student, support systems are truly essential to maintaining your sanity in the midst of high intellectual demand. You may experience low points throughout your course of study that challenge your thoughts and plans, and you might even find yourself questioning the path that you’re taking towards a career or other goal (hopefully by graduate school you’ve found a field you love). This is why it’s critical to have a network of different individuals who can listen to your thoughts at any time and provide different perspectives and information.

As much as you need professional or work-related individuals with whom to consult along the way to your degree, you’ll need some social support too (even if “being social” simply means grabbing a weekly mocha with someone in your apartment building or getting a snack with someone from your cohort from time to time). Nobody can thrive in graduate school alone.

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

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