Natasha Latouf

The process of Grad School applications was not as odious as I had expected it to be. I had written an NSF GRFP and spent a ton of time on writing that, which meant I was able to easily adapt it and apply to all the universities within a week of submitting my GRFP. On the downside, that was a really tedious and long week. On the plus side, that meant I was done applying to grad schools by the first week of November, and could relax and enjoy my holiday season!

The best advice I have is to apply for a GRFP, because that really does form the basis for what every other school will request. If you don't apply for a GRFP, follow the timeline I posted under the GRFP tab anyway - it takes time to craft a good, sound proposal. The most important thing is to always have a paragraph at the end of your statements detailing why you're applying to the school you have listed. That will be a crucial part to tell the admissions committee that you care about their school specifically (even if you don't :))

Applications are rough. They're mentally draining, and tedious, and every school asks you to submit the exact same thing but with different flavors. You'll be able to make it through. And, if you don't get in anywhere - that's okay. As you can see from my directly filled out grad school organizer, I was rejected from most places. So much of applications are a politics game that you can't always play, and it doesn't have to do with you as a student. It is grueling and disheartening to get those rejections, but know that you are not alone, and there are always other options. For instance, I highly recommend applying to post-baccalaureate (post-bacc) positions which would be posted on the AAS Job Register and being sent out by your department chair. Even if you haven't heard back from all of your schools - apply to post-baccs anyway, especially if you want to be in the research sphere! Otherwise, apply for private industry jobs. It does not mean you're a bad scientist or won't go to grad school if you do this! In fact, many industries will pay for you to go to grad school! Every option is a valid one.

The classes in grad school are a different beast to those in undergrad. At least for me, there was a huge knowledge leap between undergrad and grad level courses. Now, some part of that may have been due to COVID, but nonetheless, I found myself caught in the whirlwind for sure. I am also not the best test taker. Read: I am a TERRIBLE test taker. But, there are ways to mitigate the struggle and if not thrive, at least survive the classes in grad school. My best advice for handling classes are as follows:

1) Read your book. Yeah, I know, but it's seriously the best advice. More realistically, read more than one book. For instance, I personally HATED Jackson Electricity and Magnetism. But Griffiths, even though it's an undergraduate book, was still immensely helpful. Mark up your book, and I recommend using a pdf and buying a book when you have to, since they're so expensive.

2) Connect with your cohort. Regardless of how you feel about them, whether you're friends or not, if you're in the same class together, you can help each other. Working with your classmates is a surefire way to learn new things, and understand the material. It forces you to explain topics to others, which helps you know if you have it, and vice versa you can learn from your cohort. If one person talks to the professor, they can give you all the information equally. Maybe studying together isn't your thing - it wasn't mine. But, working together on homework was a way to make sure it would be completed, and if not correct, agreed upon by many. :)

3) Start studying for your finals EARLY. Studying for finals doesn't happen in the last week of the semester, it's happening throughout the whole semester. If you don't understand something, ask for help right then; otherwise, the stuff you don't understand will pile up and pile up and eventually seem unsurmountable when it's finals time. Go to your professor's office hours, even if it seems daunting. It helps to get the face time in and show that you are trying - again, psychology can help you out here!

4) Build in a week off after finals. A true week off - no research, no nothing, just vegetating. AND, plan something fun for the night of your last final. Whether that's a happy hour or a quiet night in with take out, do something to treat yourself and feel the weight of the semester lift off your shoulders. It really helps to take a second to reorient from pure studying mode.

5) Everything is reperable. One bad homework assignment or failed exam won't end your entire career. Research is not what's most important at this stage, it's getting through your classes, and any decent advisor will understand that (i.e. this is a great litmus for a potential advisor!). In my view, the classes and quals portion of grad school was the absolute most difficult - so lean on people, and ask for help openly. The worst thing that happens is that you need more help than expected - and that's not a bad thing.

I am going to use this section to share my personal experience. I struggled in graduate school, quite a bit. It held some of the happiest and lowest moments of my life. I got married while in grad school, and met one of my absolute best friends for life, along with creating a very close community of friends that I love. I had the opportunity to discover a new research field that I am in now, and work with some of the most passionate and positive mentors and advisors around. Hell, I got to work for NASA! But, I also had to go through an Equal Opportunity Process through Title IX, and stand up against a past abusive advisor, struggle with research setbacks, and step into adulthood with the very low grad student stipend. It was a roller coaster of events. I ended up having to ask for help, and take a very big step back to take care of my mental health, and I really struggled to ask for that help. I thought I should be able to do this like everyone else - but everyone needs help, they just aren't necessarily open about it. Thanks to my incredible support system, I worked through it and came out humbled, but if there is one piece of advice to take from my experience that I've repeated herein: ask for help. Ask for help as soon as you need it. The longer you wait, the harder the burden is to bear, and there are others that are willing to shoulder the weight if you turn to them.

You will be okay. You will succeed. Success looks differently to everyone, but the common thread: true success means being happy. Find the thing that brings you happiness, over all else. Your job will never love you - but the people in your life, your family or found family, will.