Here are some things I wish I considered before starting graduate school:
1. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
You are going to experience a myriad of new and difficult situations, and you will encounter and meet incredibly diverse individuals; as such, you will inevitably feel awkward or anxious at times. Accept the fact that you may feel out of place or unconfident as you approach these novel experiences, as you are going to learn and gain infinitely more when you take risks and take yourself out of your comfort zone! Exercise this when it comes to making friends, asking for help, applying for a leadership position, or joining a club or organization. Take risks and say ‘Yes’ more often! You will feel so proud of yourself and what you accomplished looking back, and it will all outweigh the fleeting moments of discomfort or uncertainty.
2. Focus on learning rather than being correct.
This advice rings true with regards to studying and your personal growth. With regards to academics, do not solely focus on acing a test or assignment. Instead, take the time to truly absorb and learn the material, as everything you learn is necessary and comes back in following courses and your future career. It is not necessary for you to have all the correct answers every time; embrace not-yet-knowing and be open to learning. When applying this to yourself, take your time in graduate school to learn about your personal strengths and weaknesses, cultivate your passions, and collect experiences rather than preoccupying yourself with making the “right” decisions or doing what everyone else is doing.
3. Become friends with failure.
Failure is not your enemy! Making mistakes and doing bad on one exam or proficiency will not end your career and it is certainly not the defining factor of your capabilities or a predictor of your future success! It is perfectly normal to feel disappointment or frustration; however, you must also consider that failure is helping you learn what not to do in the future. This is especially true when it comes to practicing clinical skills and preparing for proficiencies; every mistake or failure is simply teaching you how to troubleshoot. I found that every time I made a mistake, it ended up being pivotal and invaluable for me to learn new ways to approach a skill or issue! Learn from your mistakes and never be afraid to ask for help–forgive yourself but learn from it. Resilience will carry you to great distances and you will thrive once you do not let yourself succumb or become wearily discouraged by failure.
4. The importance of doing the things you love.
Being able to maintain your interests and hobbies outside of school, and even starting new activities, is incredibly important to preserve and develop your identity outside of your career! At the same time, doing the things you love will allow for you to decompress and destress which is decisive when it comes to your productivity and success as a student and clinician, as you must maintain stable mental health and work-life balance. Studying and practicing are indubitably important, but there is always enough time to enjoy what you love or discover what you love–you will be immeasurably more happy and ready to conquer your studies after you spend time nourishing your interests.
5. Build your community.
Every person you are going to meet is so unique and impressive in their own way, so I urge you to take the time to meet, greet, and get to know all of your peers and faculty! You are going to have to interact and work with these individuals for the next few years, and everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses— all in which you can learn from. It would be incredibly difficult to make it through school without the support and help of friends and classmates, so put effort into developing friendships and relationships! This can be as simple as asking someone to grab lunch in between class or partnering up on an assignment. Slow down and learn beyond the curriculum from your professors as well. They are all exceptional and brilliant, so take advantage of having them as your mentors, and become inspired by their personal journeys. Collect connections and friendships as these are going to be vital for your mental and social well-being while in graduate school!