Diary of a First Year Grad Student

What I thought was an impossible dream a year and half ago, I am now through my first year of it. I was nervous starting grad school and sometimes to this day, the imposter feeling creeps up. Regardless I made it and without some essentials it would have been almost impossible.

-->Friends Are Chosen Family: Grad school can be difficult and a lot of people don’t know but you must create a support system for yourself. I think one of the ways I was successful was having a study group and friends around me that encouraged me through it all. It was also a nice reminder that I was not in it by myself, there were 75 other students in my class that were going through it with me and that I could do it. 

Getting A Mentor Is The Shortcut To Success: One of the best things that UTSW did at the beginning of the year was pair you up with an upper class(wo)men to help you navigate through your first year. I had a big sib and made some great relationships with other upper class(wo)men that were there to advise me and help me with anything I needed. At the same time, UTSW has done an incredible job at the selection of faculty members. I was fortunate to rotate through 4 amazing labs and I know that while I ended up picking Elizabeth Chen’s lab, the other three PIs have opened their doors to mentorship. I’ve realized that throughout grad school, mentorship is so important and there are different kinds of mentoring one can get. You can have a professional mentor or a more friendship/acquainted mentor. The relationships you have with these mentors you will have for the rest of your life. One thing I learned soon after my undergrad is sometimes knowing all you know may not get you what you want, but also knowing the right people helps. Mentors are that. It is all a great opportunity to network and build connections.

Make Your Passion Your Paycheck: There are several times during the year that I went through phases that I hated the course work and I hated studying for exams. However, when I think about it, I absolutely love science and there’s nothing else I can think of doing except science. Yes, it’s hard, yes, I won’t make a lot of money, yes, I am constantly having to work and yes, sometimes I get confused with the science and want to give up but somehow, I still love it. I love being at the bench and while I am quite certain my thumb will probably develop carpel tunnel in the future, I know I am doing something I love. I have also realized that while I love being at the bench, I am exploring more and more the aspect of science communication. I have developed another passion since starting grad school and I am excited to explore where it will take me.

Never, Ever Underestimate The Importance Of Having Fun: Grad school has been tough for me. Especially trying to juggle course work and rotations. But I’ve realized that there are days I have to take a break no matter how much I love it. At the end of the day, I have to last throughout the grad program and not burn out. Don't hesitate to take a road trip or a game night. Give your self a break. It is important to not only have physical health but also mental health while going through a graduate program. 

She Believed She Could, So She Did: Applying to grad school back in Nov 2016 was not the first time I applied. I had applied back in 2011, then again in 2012. Both times I was rejected from the schools I applied to. However, that did not stop me. Now that I’m in grad school, having gone through my rotations and finally picking a lab I have realized that I have to continuously make risky choices and be persistent. The thing with science is that it almost never works the first time around or even the second time around. But persistence and consciously taking the risk to believe in the science and data will lead to a great project. We may not know where a project will lead us, but be curious and explore a completely new field of science. It will be hard, but it could result in discovering something beautiful. I am glad I didn’t get discouraged from not getting into grad school before and now that I am here, my persistence and willingness to take risks continues to soar.

~Cell-ebraTez

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