You got in… now what!!??? I remember that feeling between December and February, when all the rejections and acceptances started pouring into my inbox. IT WAS A LOT TO PROCESS. I went to graduate school straight after undergrad, so on top of figuring where I wanted to go for graduate school I was also finishing my B.S. and writing my honors thesis. The first thing to do is TAKE A DEEP BREATHE! Enjoy and celebrate, you made it! You got in somewhere! Whether it be your top pick program, or a program you did not think you would get into, CELEBRATE THIS IS A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT. Getting an acceptance is a big deal because you put in a lot of work to apply to PhD programs. Please celebrate yourself! Once you have celebrated your acceptances, the next thing that will happen is you will start speaking with graduate students and advisers in prospective programs, visiting programs (this year I take these visits will be virtual), and you will pretty much be engaging in information overload. From the time between acceptances and you making a decision, you will feel like you have too much information to process! Acknowledge this feeling because it is REAL and VALID. Deciding whether or not to go to graduate school, and furthermore WHERE you plan to go to graduate school, is a big deal! Your decision will impact your long term career goals and the person you will mold into because you will spend the next 5-6 years in this program and location! In order to help you process all this information and help with the decision making process, with the help of my grad school buds we put together a critical list of things to consider in the information processing and decision making stage.
I know I did not cover everything, but I think I covered some of the biggest factors that will determine the experience you will have in graduate school. I would also like you to consider being open to programs or experiences that you would have never considered because it could be your best adventure. I recently finished my PhD at Penn State, and when I applied, this program was not my top choice. But WOW, going to Penn State was probably the BEST AND HARDEST decision I ever made. I learned so many things (beyond the research) that I do not think I could have ever learned anywhere else. Be willing to take risks and be vulnerable, not only in your decision making but also once you arrive at your program. And if you need a seasoned veteran’s perspective and guidance during the process feel free to reach out to me. YOU ARE AWESOME! YOU ARE WORTHY! YOU ARE DOING AMAZING. YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU ALL! Love, Lorena |
AuthorDr. Lorena Aceves unapologetically telling you the real deal about being brown in an academic world, but deciding she is going to be her authentic self and make her wildest dreams come true en esta vida! Archives
November 2022
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