Professional Development

Madison Chapel

One of the first pieces of advice I received was "If you're going to fail, fail early". You shouldn't let concerns about an experiment or project potentially failing delay you from starting it. It's better to have a project crash and burn in the…

Elise Legarth

For all the international students, as challenging as it is at times to leave your home country and family and move to a place where they drive on the opposite side of the road, the food tastes different, and no one can understand your accent or…

Bita Zareian

Try to balance your studies with self-care and fun activities! Graduate school provides you with great training in your respective fields of research but can take up a lot of time, and at times, can be stressful! It's important that you allow…

Andrea Kampen

I would encourage new graduate students to embrace their own non-linear narratives. There’s such beauty in not smoothing out the rough edges and corners of your inquiry. Some people may have a burning question they’ve wanted to explore and engage…

Brandi Bird

I’m a new graduate student but I think I would tell my peers to make sure they talk to graduates of their program or people further along in their degree than themselves. I had spoken with graduates of the MFA before choosing to apply and that…

Grady Thompson

Consistent steady effort towards research is the most effective way I have found for working through difficult problems. Setting small manageable goals for each day and week helped me work towards the result for research problems. The problem can…

Raha AtashPa

For new graduate students embarking on this transformative journey, my advice is threefold:

1. Embrace Interdisciplinarity: Open yourself to the wealth of knowledge that exists beyond the boundaries of your chosen discipline. UBC offers a…

Valerie Zimmermann

My advice for new graduate students is to develop confidence in themselves to share their ideas, opinions and goals throughout their graduate studies journey.

Debbie Pierce

Don't be too wary of uncertainty, and try to enjoy the process!

Serena Formenti

Chose the game you are playing and stick to it. You will have different goals than your peers and professors. Catering your education and associated CV to your goals (e.g., research versus industry) is paramount to success in your next steps.…

Makayla Freeman

You are more than your program. As much as school will pull for all your time and mental energy, remember what brought you here and who you want to be on the other side. Building relationships, staying connected to your local community, having…

Gabrielle Berry

Take breaks. Go for walks. Know that everyone has imposter syndrome.