For a graduate student, meeting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is only the beginning. Success in graduate studies requires intelligence, passion, a plan, funding and a good kick in the rear every now and again. You will also require the skills of three special people who will focus on your matriculation.
Graduate school is quite different than your undergraduate experience. As a graduate student you become part of the teaching and research mission of the institution while remaining a student. You are both a provider and consumer of education. Few are truly prepared for this transition. It is an adventure, an undiscovered planet filled with strange aliens, a new language, mores and a treacherous path to follow to achieve your goals.
This foreign world is populated by strange aliens (post-docs, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors, instructors, Assistant Deans, Associate Deans, Deans, Department Chairs, Graduate Program Officers). The language is different, acronym and jargon filled (post-doc, ABD, tenure, candidacy exams, your committee, GAA, RAA, Fellow). The expected mode of conduct and behavior is also new. How can you possibly know how to behave?
To navigate and function effectively in graduate school you will need help. You will need an advisor, a mentor and a cultural informant. What is the difference you ask?
An advisor is your academic guide, providing you with a map, a timeline to reach your academic goal. Your faculty advisor will advise you on which courses to take, when and from who, as well as steer you toward the correct scholarly and research opportunities to advance your career. She/he is your professional guide, providing the facts, keeping you on track. She/he is about the business of your education.
A mentor provides guidance and support, based on his/her own experience. Mentoring can come in many forms: a meal, a timely conversation, a tissue and a shoulder or that kick in the rear as required. The support you get from a mentor is not financial. It is empathy of knowing what you are experiencing, the ups and the downs. She/he will always tell you the truth no matter how ugly. Your mentor encourages you to look deeper, find the answer, and ask you difficult challenging questions leading you to profound answer… “Yes, I do want a PhD more than life itself.”
A cultural informant provides you useful information about the strange, alien and wonderful culture you are entering; revealing secrets and providing access. She/he might be a peer, a student a bit further into the program, a post-doc, or a staff person. Through this person, you will learn that this strange world is filled with political intrigue, power dynamics and drama worthy of a stage, and you, a mere pawn. This person helps you to understand the flow to the academic life of the department. Which events and activities shape and are significant to the research and scholarly life of the department? Over the academic year, which formal and informal events are non-negotiable? For example, if the department, program or research center is having a tailgate, is it required you attend? Must you attend each and every seminar, talk, workshop being held in the department?
With your intelligence and academic preparation, careful consideration of the advice, guidance and insight you receive from your advisor, mentor and cultural informant, plus what you see and hear, you will learn the path to your success in graduate school. These three people will be your companions and advocates in your journey, who in turn will celebrate your success with you.
