The Master’s Student Guide to Success in Graduate School

Grad school isn’t just learning. It’s also about sharing what you know, and this requires top-notch communication skills. Further, knowing how to ask questions that get you the answer you need is an underrated communication skill that curious grad students need to cultivate. Communication is both written and verbal, and both skills are important for your studies.

You’ll be balancing a wide variety of assignments, deadlines, class structures, and more in grad school, so it’s important to stay organized. That might mean using a calendar on your phone to remind you of important appointments and events or investing in a physical planner and storage space for pens, pencils, and lab materials to help you take notes and work on assignments. Whatever keeps you on top of things is worth considering as an investment.

Conducting original research is a unique type of study skill that all grad students must learn. A good graduate program will help you sharpen your research skills and polish your writing skills. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help ensure you present your assignments in as clear, polished, and accurate of a way as possible.

During your program, you’ll speak to peers and professors via video chat for online classes or in front of the class for in-person ones. Public speaking commonly causes anxiety, but mastering it through practice and performance techniques will prove invaluable during your grad classes. This is also a skill that will help you later on in job interviews, professional presentations, and more.

Most likely, you’ll work with others in group projects, review sessions, and study groups at some point during grad school. You’ll need to be a team player during these activities which means knowing how and when to compromise. It also means appreciating and making the most of the skills and talents those you’re working with will bring to the table.

Grad school is a busy time, especially for online students who are often balancing a full-time or part-time job and family life in addition to their studies. Managing your time is an important way to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Time management also involves scheduling breaks and making sure you use your leisure time to rest, refresh, and ready yourself for your next challenge.

Grad school is a long journey, and it’s much easier and more manageable when you break it into smaller parts. Setting small, achievable goals can help you stay focused without getting overwhelmed by the bigger picture. Setting goals might include aiming for a certain grade on a test or drafting an essay by a certain deadline.

If you have to read three chapters of a textbook, write up a lab report, feed your dog, work a shift at your job, and study, knowing where to start can be tricky. Prioritize by deciding which tasks are most important and/or urgent, and get those done first. Work your way down on the list, and the most important things get done even if you fall short on time.

This may not sound like a skill, but it’s actually a crucial one to cultivate. In grad school, you may be asked for favors, invited to social events, or receive other requests and simply not have the time for them and managing your schoolwork. Learning to say “no” and not putting more on your already full plate is a critical skill that will be useful well after grad school is completed.

Your online program most likely wants you to complete digital research as well as prepare and share projects online and use relevant tech in your research. A good base knowledge of computer skills, including both making the most of online platforms and using software like Word and Excel and more complex programs like databases, can be crucial skills to develop during your master’s program.

Like many master’s students, maybe you’re taking a full course load, working a full-time job, and caring for your friends and family. Juggling a full plate like this can make you feel like you’re going to drop everything at any minute. Maybe it’s time to consider scaling back. While it can be heart-wrenching to drop an interesting elective or press pause on a beloved hobby, don’t feel like it’s the end for those interests. You can always pick them back up once your workload eases.

Ever feel like you don’t belong in your master’s program or like you’re not as smart as people around you seem to believe? Impostor syndrome is a common problem in high-stakes situations where someone feels like they don’t deserve their position. If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, reach out to classmates or even instructors. Since it’s a common issue, you’ll likely find others who feel the same way or who have felt that way before. This helps you realize you’re not an impostor at all, just someone experiencing a lot of change and learning a lot of new information.

Grad school can be very expensive even with scholarships. Financial stress can lead to anxiety, poor sleep, and lack of motivation. Even students who think they’re in a good position financially often face unexpected expenses that impact their financial situation. Your financial aid department knows what a struggle grad school can be financially, and it can likely recommend loans and scholarships or offer a grant to help ease the financial burden as you finish your degree.

Grad school can be one of the most stressful things you’ve ever done, so there’s no shame in admitting to struggling mentally with the pressure. If you’re struggling with your mental health, ask for help. Just like you wouldn’t ignore a broken leg, mental health issues are best addressed by a trained expert. Professionals like school counselors, therapists, or those working through one of the many online mental health services available to students and professionals alike can help you develop the strategies you need to be mentally healthy while in grad school.

Some grad students find themselves in positions where their family and friends aren’t available, either physically or emotionally, to support them. This can be lonely, but it’s also a common issue. Reaching out to your classmates, either online through various platforms or in person, for friendship, study support, and connection can make grad school feel a lot less lonely. Most likely, one or more of your classmates is also struggling with a lack of support, and you could be the connection they need.

It’s hard not to worry about the future when you’re in grad school, whether that means worrying about your job prospects after graduation or experiencing test anxiety about an upcoming exam. Worrying about the future too often leaks into the present and makes you lose focus. While there’s no magic cure for worrying, mindfulness, meditation, and making sure you get enough food, sleep, and exercise can help. So can having a loose plan for the future, so it feels less open-ended.