Perfectionism
December 19, 2019
How do you find your passion?
As we transition into the holiday season in 2019 and spending more time with beloved ones, you’re likely to be asked some variation of the following question: “what are you going to do after you finish your postdoc?” As we reflect upon what comes next, we are often encouraged to “follow our passion.” This mantra…
October 26, 2018
Moving Past Perfectionism Into Wholeness
In this newsletter, we want to continue building on ways to cope with perfectionism by adding a few more ideas and strategies in support of your health and wellness as graduate students. Consider trying these out, and see what might work for you: Feeling anxious. Often, perfectionism goes hand in hand with feeling anxious. For…
October 18, 2018
Learning to Let Go of Perfectionism in Grad School
I am a perfectionist by nature, but the professors have told us not to be that way in grad school. How do I shut it off? – Anonymous Some of the content from this article was first published by Core Programs. It has been revised and updated. Dear Anonymous, Thanks for writing in! I applaud your self-awareness…
September 15, 2016
Welcome All! Tips for Preparing for the Fall Quarter!
Core Programs in the Graduate School extends a warm welcome to all new and returning graduate and professional students to the UW—Bothell, Tacoma, and Seattle. Whether you are enrolled for a year, a few years, or several, we acknowledge that it takes time to settle into a new city, work rhythm, and culture. Even for…
May 26, 2016
Ground Yourself These Last Few Weeks of the Quarter
We see how hard you’re working. You’re running here and there, juggling multiple responsibilities related to all aspects of who you are as a graduate or professional student. In the midst of this spring quarter chaos, we want to offer you some tips to help ground you in these last few weeks of the quarter….
April 15, 2016
Getting Unstuck, Moving Forward
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill We know what you’re thinking: why are you already giving me tips on how to move forward from feeling stuck so early in the quarter? Well, we thought we’d offer you some preventative tips to help…
March 16, 2016
Break?! Making Time For Yourself
We know that depending on your graduate or professional degree program, “spring break” looks very different from your days as an undergraduate–at least in terms of the work. You may be doing fieldwork locally or globally, applying for funding, preparing for job searches or qualifying exams, writing your thesis or dissertation, or working at a…
March 5, 2015
I Am Not Perfect, I Am a Whole Person
Do any of these sound familiar to you? “My paper has to be perfect, before I submit it to my advisors. They’ll think I’m stupid otherwise.” “I can’t lose my train of thought during my presentation.” “I have to run the numbers many more times, before I start my report. If I don’t, my labmates…
October 23, 2014
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…