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You need a mentor
You need a mentor. You need a mentor. You need a mentor. I have played that role for many people and I am happy to continue to do so, but I also had one. A mentor does not have to be a professor they just need to be someone who has been to graduate school before. Social capital is important and I did not know anyone in my family or any family friends who had gone to graduate school so I relied heavily on the guidance of the director of my program. He gave me questions to answer for myself before applying and he would keep his ear to the ground for schools I might like based on what I was saying to him. It’s also nice to have someone in your corner when things get to be too much for you, see point 2. Many of us are about to become the first in our families to embark on this journey and as much as we love our family and friends this is not the thing they can advise is on. They can help us figure out what is too expensive and where is too cold to live, yes, but they might not know what a cohort is or statement of purpose.
You need to be organized
This is not self-explanatory, as intuitive as it may seem you are about to add the equivalent of a part time job onto your plate. If you reach your senior year and quit all clubs then you have a lot more time on your hands. If you are type A like me then you are probably involved in clubs, community service, your family,
keeping those senior grades high, and of course KDChi. You are going to need to find time to write essays, search for schools, study for the GRE, search for scholarships and apply, as well as filling out applications and FAFSA. I got a second planner for all of this and that helped me keep track of what schools required which documents and by when. Deadlines are different for all schools and you have to be prepared to coordinate GRE exams, transcripts, and applications.
Below are just a few general tips to deal with the things that I wish I had known.
-Have GRE study sessions with other seniors (Great sisterhood activity)
-Borrow GRE books from others
-Get two planners (Just make sure to separate Graduate school stuff because it is a lot)
-Save up money if you can to take the test twice and if you don’t keep the money (Start a GoFundMe)
-Make a list of all of your identities and start EARLY looking for fellowships at your school and privately
-Study early for the GRE and save up in case you do not like your scores
-Call the school and really ask questions about student life because flying and visiting schools is expensive
-DO NOT forget to do the things that you enjoy during this process
-Designate certain days to doing things for graduate school and if it isn’t that day don’t worry about it
-Thank your parents, you are their wildest of dreams come true!
Reach out to me on Facebook if you have questions or concerns I am here for you all
In so much love and sisterhood,
Ucha