Small Cohort

I am coming into my graduate program with an extremely small cohort, and I am worried that I will not be able to make friends with such a small group to choose from. What do I do if I do not get along with my fellow cohorters? Thanks! —Anonymous

First of all, I’m so sorry that I can’t answer every question as soon as it’s submitted. My hope is that now, a month into the quarter, this issue is moot and you’re comfortable in your program and bff’s with everyone in your cohort. But to answer the question: Remember that you’ve all chosen the same program, you have similar academic/research interests, you’ll be going through the same classes/labs/grunt work. By keeping that in the forefront, you’ll see just how much you all have in common. Keep an open mind and don’t feel pressured to cement relationships immediately. Let the shared experience of grad school naturally develop your friendships. And if you find that you need more friendship or more support than you’re getting within that small cohort, consider reaching out to the many student organizations and networks here. An example of this is below. Even if you do get along famously with your cohort, it’s still a good idea to develop support and networks outside of your department and enlarge your perspective. Good luck!

Ask the Grad School Guru is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If the guru doesn’t know the answer, the guru will seek out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: The guru is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Submit a question for the column →

Living the Truth of Not Yet

Life in graduate school is challenging and stressful, not only because of program demands to excel and be productive, but also because there is life outside of the lab, classroom, and the university. The demands of health, relationships, and responsibilities don’t stop.

We seek to find a balance between our graduate studies, research and life responsibilities—and often feel unsuccessful. This can result in debilitating feelings of failure, perhaps negative thoughts that “something is wrong with me,” which only intensifies shame or guilt.

I find it important to move away from this binary and re-frame it as a work-in-progress. We need to give ourselves permission to live the truth of not yet!

When an infant is learning how to walk and takes her initial steps and falls, we don’t scowl and shout, “Get up, what’s wrong with you?” No, we smile, clap and cheer because we know her muscles are getting stronger and she will find her balance. We don’t expect a seven-year old to be doing calculus. Not yet! But we are good at imposing upon ourselves unrealistic expectations of perfection rather than give ourselves permission to grow, to live not yet.

What helps me is to view the areas of my life not as separate–or compartmentalized–and not to see balancing as an achievement. Rather, it is a process that I listen and pay attention to constantly because it is easy to lose perspective and balance. We must respond by being authentic—being human– and this includes being vulnerable and growing through our struggles and with our limitations.

What helps keep perspective and focus? For some it’s regular exercise—yoga, running, or cycling. For others it’s listening to music, creating art, or talking to a friend. For others it may be meditative or spiritual practices. Whatever helps you—practice it! Practice being present with yourself and others. Stay connected to your passion and to that which grounds and centers you. Rather than being a selfish act, this investment in yourself allows you to be a better student, colleague, partner, friend, and parent.

Live your gifts as a practice. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to hold and appreciate the not yet. Then, your work and personal life will be acts which flow from your center, your heart, and will be powerfully generative and transformative.

This post’s guest author is Dr. Gino Aisenberg, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity in the Graduate School and Associate Professor of Social Work.

Lone Wolf Doesn’t Want to Be Part of Dawg Pack

I am a married graduate student and I would like to attend a Husky football game with my spouse. I know I am eligible to purchase a single ticket in the student section, but I would like to know if I can purchase tickets (at student pricing) for myself and spouse to sit in a non-student section. While we like to have a good time, we aren’t quite as rowdy as the undergraduate students and would rather sit in a different section than the Dawg Pack. Thanks! —Ashley

I totally know what you’re talking about. Unfortunately, it is not possible to buy a student ticket and sit in a non-student section. So your options are either to buy full-price tickets or to grin and bear it. Think of it as the full Husky experience?

FYI, except for Football and Men’s Basketball, UW students receive free admission to any regular season Husky home game by presenting a valid Husky Card at the entrance. Baseball! Soccer! Volleyball! Fun! Full schedule and more details →

Surviving and Thriving in Grad School: Crowdsourced Advice from Your Peers

Just a few short weeks into Fall Quarter, the energy level is amped up and the pressures are piling on. We asked current and former UW grad students to give advice to incoming students. We think you’ll find a pearl in these words of peer wisdom.

Go fast, go slow. While it is important in this day and age of finite resources to be efficient in your graduate preparation, it’s also essential to make the most of your graduate experience. With grad school, it really is the process as much as the end result (i.e. the degree).

Get connected. Finding your people is critical to your success. Look in several places, including outside of your program. Set up regular check-ins with faculty advisors, build a mentoring team (you do not need to rely on just your primary advisor, nor should you), connect with peers, and start building a professional network–inside and outside the University.

Put your learning in context. Take ownership over your graduate experience, by finding ways to connect your learning with the real world. Volunteer or seek out an internship. Graduate School is just one step in your lifelong learning process.

Be open to surprises. It is difficult to predict where you will be as you work through your program – your program may change, your goals may change, opportunities may emerge or shut down, and your career may take an unexpected turn. Being flexible and responsive will serve you well.

Take care of yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Investing in you makes you more productive and efficient in your work, and just generally a better person with your family and friends. There will be crunch times throughout grad school, but it helps to know your go-to strategies for sustaining your energy and clearing your head. This could be exercise, napping, massages, or time with loved ones. Only you know the activity that resets you and helps you get back to work with fresh energy.

As you identify and use strategies that sustain you, meet with Faculty, Graduate Program Advisors and Coordinators, Peers, and Core Programs in The Graduate School—to encourage, remind, and hold you accountable to your surviving and thriving strategies. We are here for you.

Core Programs thanks all the seasoned UW grad students who helped with crowdsourcing these pearls of wisdom!

How Do I Get My Husky Pass?

How do I receive my Husky ID card? —Anonymous

So last time, I told you how to get a bus pass, and I oh so nonchalantly mentioned that it gets activated on your Husky ID card. Turns out I need to back up and tell you how to get a Husky card. If you haven’t received your card yet (usually part of an on-campus orientation), you’ll have to go to the Husky Card Account & ID Center on the ground floor of Odegaard Library. You’ll need your student number and a state or federally issued photo ID (drivers license or passport). The office is open M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Per the website, the best time to drop by to avoid a long wait is in the morning; avoid lunch time if possible.

Free Software

Can I upgrade my Word/Excel software on my Mac as a grad student and if so, how? I uploaded it a few years ago and thought I should upgrade.

—Ronda

Yes! The UW offers a ton of software absolutely free or at a heavily-reduced cost for students. You should know, though, that Office for Mac has not been updated since the 2011 version, so it could very well be that you don’t need to upgrade. There is a new version coming out later this year, however, and you can even download the preview now. Happy computing!

Ask the Grad School Guru is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If the guru doesn’t know the answer, the guru will seek out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: The guru is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Submit a question for the column →

Peer Mentoring: Connect With Your Community

Core Programs staff enjoyed meeting many of you at the recent Husky Sunrise event on Rainier Vista lawn (700 new and returning graduate students attended!). A highlight of the event was witnessing graduate students foster community—through formal and informal conversations—with peers from across the disciplines. And it doesn’t have to stop there.

We encourage you to continue seeking out these important connections in order to grow your peer support network. This network can come from within your program and from across campus and should comprise of peers whom you look up to, gain insight from, and build trust with.

Peer mentors can become a cornerstone to your graduate experience and take many forms:

A peer mentor is familiar with departmental culture, faculty, and expectations and provides suggestions that help you acclimate to your program.
A peer mentor is someone who shares similar life experiences based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability and citizenship.
A peer mentor offers insight into balancing academic, professional, and interpersonal responsibilities.
A peer mentor points you to on and off campus resources. They can also give you the lowdown on local eateries, hangouts, and events in your area and encourage you to avoid isolation.
A peer mentor is a graduate student outside of your department who acts as a neutral sounding board.

Just like your faculty mentoring team, you can always have more than one peer mentor. Getting and staying connected to others, and seeking guidance and input when you need it, is key to your success in graduate school. To enhance your informal networks, Core Programs is partnering with the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) on a new service called Grads Guiding Grads (G3)–a peer mentoring system available to you on a one-time or longer-term basis.

G3 can be a place to bring questions you do not feel safe talking about within your own department, or can be a gateway to finding other students or organizations across campus where like-minded students are building support and community with one another.

Stay tuned for the next recruitment of new peer mentors coming this fall!

How Do I Get a Bus Pass?

I’m an incoming graduate student, and I’m worried about getting a bus pass set up before the fall quarter. Where do I go to do this? How do I pay for my pass? —Anonymous

Welcome to UW! The bus pass, called a U-PASS, is super simple! First of all, almost all grad students are automatically qualified for it, as the pass is paid for through your Service & Activities Fee, which appears on your tuition statement. (There are some exceptions, though, and even if you don’t pay the SAF, you can buy a U-PASS separately.) Once you have your Husky ID card, and are registered for classes, simply activate your pass by tapping your card on a card reader on any bus. You must activate by Nov. 13. Here is a much fuller description of the U-PASS. If you have any questions, contact Transportation Services. And even if you don’t ride the bus, there are a myriad other benefits that come with the U-PASS, including discounts at local merchants and membership discounts with Zipcar and car2go.

Ask the Grad School Guru is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If the guru doesn’t know the answer, the guru will seek out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: The guru is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Submit a question for the column →

Welcome back! Let’s get started…

Whether you’re a new or returning graduate or professional student at the University of Washington, Core Programs extends a very warm welcome to you all!

As you embark on a new year of study and research, you’ll be reminded that one of the most exciting challenges of graduate school is cultivating resilience in order to thrive. This involves not only greater individual initiative, but also purposeful connection with peers, faculty and staff to support your overall success.

What we do at Core Programs:

Connect you to student wellness, career, and professional development resources on campus
Nurture graduate peer mentoring and networking
Design programming to support your graduate studies and beyond
Partner with the Career Center, Research Commons, the Center for Teaching and Learning, GSEE, GPSS, among other campus units and programs
And lots more…

Core Programs recognizes the diversity and complexity of your needs as graduate and professional students. We also know there is a wealth of information to discover and learn, no matter where you are in your graduate and postgraduate career. Thus, we cordially invite you to connect with us throughout the academic year to help you navigate your trajectory and clarify your goals.

Our work in student support and professional development is all the more relevant and robust because of your ideas, suggestions, and meaningful collaboration.

In the coming weeks, we will post our student and postdoc advisory boards so you can also connect with representatives and let us know what’s working and what more we can do to meet your needs.