8 Tips for Surviving Graduate School 

Thank you for this. I just got accepted into a PhD program in Ecology and just finished my Bachelors. I plan to study disease ecology and infectious disease modeling.

As someone who is swallowed up in the middle of the "tunnel," I really appreciate your tips. It's such a comfort to hear that feeling totally inadequate is not unusual - thank you!

I'm in a master degree. I identify with the part of the tunnel part and also feel more dumb that my others students.

start my PhD program tomorrow so as my anxiety suggests, I am here watching all RU-vid videos from people who have been there. Thank you for your honest advice.

Really liked your video. I’m in my masters now and made the choice to do the following: *go part time *cash flow classes These formats worked well for me as I work full time and want to balance being married and other parts of my life. I’d also second what you said - have your grad work be of interest and take you somewhere. I’d advise against grad school to just be in school career research is so important. For me I envision my masters to allow me to work for a college serving students plus the option to adjunct teach. Thanks again!

I'm currently in my third semester of my 2-year master's program. This video gave me joy while feeling stressed lol.

I just found this video and I really love it - your advice, your personality, and the happy familiarity of a vlogbrothers-esque style of presentation. I'm currently struggling through my 2nd year of grad school (very, very deeply in the tunnel. I literally just told someone I don't even know where to look for the light at the end of it anymore). I appreciate your advice and am also so happy to find someone else in the field of child development and learning! Happy to be a new subscriber!

This meant a lot. Seriously thank you, your advice gave me great relief, and have been internalizing how I was not as smart or felt not worthy. This made me realize I am good enough.

I love that you cited your sources of support like Dr. Who! Great blog! The relearning after grad school is so important! It took me at least a year to recover and to feel of worth.

I just accepted admission to a 2 year masters program. This made me both excited and less nervous (also thankful that my program is only 2 years) Thank you!

Love this video! I'm working on my MS currently, the parts about feeling like you won't measure up totally mesh with some of my experiences. Doing research is sometimes challenging, but always get excited when my advisor hands me something even more difficult because "I can handle it" ha! Grad school is full of ups and downs and you've defiantly captured that with this video. Great work!

Thanks a lot, this is really helpful.. from a poor physic PhD student struggling on the way... I hope one day I can look back the whole journey without regrets..

Needed this. Currently stumbled upon your channel while studying Bio Bases of Psychotherapy in my own graduate program. IT'S TOUGH!!! But this was an extra push to keep the faith.

I’m about to embark on a doctoral degree program in Psychology (yay!) and I’m trying to figure out what to expect and how to establish a routine. Your videos have been informative and morale boosting. Thank you for posting them!

Thank you for making this video! It helped quiet some of my anxieties for now. I just started my PhD in cognitive psychology. Some days I'm super motivated and excited and other days I'm negative and pessimistic. But, I know I made the right decision because I love what I'm studying/researching. I just need to focus on that :)

Thanks for your honest and inspiring videos!!! I'll start my grad school this fall in a totally new and challenging environment. I feel nervous even thinking about how I could cope with academic stress plus learning a new language since a few of my courses are not taught in English. However, watching your videos really alleviate my anxiety and nervousness. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for reminding me about why I wanted to go to grad school: to be able to learn new information, and analyse it, and synthesis it, and to communicate about it knowledgeably. I failed grad school three years ago, but I'm coming back next month!

Thank you for this. I was just feeling down because I have been having the same exact feelings this semester.

Thank you, Dr. Enthusiast, for making this video. I"m much older than most "college students", in my senior year and about to obtain my B.S. in Rehabilitation Services and accepted into the M.S. in Counseling with an Option in Rehabilitation Counseling. Low and behold, I truly enjoyed my last three years in college, compared to my jr. college years bouncing around from community college throughout the local district. In any case, no that I'm in my senior year, I realized that my B.S. was not going to allow me to move further ahead in my career path, which I came to consider and apply to graduate school (at my current campus) and recently came to find out that I was accepted!...Yes, this was very exciting when I received this email at 4:00 am about two weeks ago. As I get closer to graduation date and coming to realize that I'll begin graduate school this Fall 2018, this is making me think if I'm "really smart enough" to be in the program. Just being honest, I'm having second thoughts and getting worried about being in that mix of students who are smarter than I am. As I get closer to "Final Exams", I'm getting very anxious and nervous. Actually, beginning the program in the fall than graduating itself. I began to google a few key words about being "ready for graduate school" and found your video. And I simply want to say; Thank you. Thank you for being honest and humble about sharing your thoughts and experience. Two or three years from now, I'll look back and this moment to reflect on my thoughts as to how I felt during this moment. 04/21/2018!

This is video is so cool! I'm starting my masters in a few months (in my country is a requisite before phd) and I'm extremely excited and scared at the same time. I've always been academically talented (whatever that means) but I'm horrible at being a responsible human being. Making a routine sounds impossible and I don't even know that much compared to my peers. I think I'm just lucky to comprehend things quickly without that much effort, but it sucks to be always procrastinating and suffering the mental consequences. I really really want to put in the work for my masters and this video was so nice to hear. Like, yeah! Working hard and feeling dumb sucks but it feels soooo good at the end of the tunnel!

Thank you for sharing. This help me a lottt. I am new at graduate student,right now. I feel so dumb and feel bad about myself. But now i feel relief. ❤️ 🙏

You’re awesome. Thank you!

Thank you for this! I'm starting grad school this fall and feel very apprehensive.

Excellent. Thank you for such good advice!

I'm in it. Im worried always that I won't finish. I haven't found much support from the school. I wish I had more time for obtaining counseling but I'm so overbooked. Just a semester and a half though. More is done than is left to complete. My mantra is it always seems impossible until it's finished.

Really great and useful video! Thanks for it! :-)

Hard to remember there are other routes than the traditional ones set in your field. I also want to do something different with my MA so thanks for reminding me of that. I have a great support system and I know I'm not alone. Just need to keep remembering that. Thanks! Much love!

Very nice video! Thank you ☺

Hi, am starting a PHD in project management at fall in Canada.Thanks for your tips,a little bit scary at first but more motivated now

I came for the SG1 novel and tardis mug.. also because I finished my first year of graduate school and I'm contemplating my life choices. I am working full time and by pure luck managed a 3.5 GPA this year. I'm unsure of my ability to repeat this miracle.

I am in year 5 of grad school but I have just transferred to a new school with my research group. In some ways it feels like I am starting over. I don't know when I'm going to finish so the tunnel feels really long. Also, I feel dumb all the time! BUT I know that I'll get through and it will be worth it. Great video - thanks for your inspiration!

Thank you so much for this. I am in my first year, first sem and I already feel exhausted.

Thank you for this Video. I'm currently in my Final year of M.S in Engineering and as the thesis deadline is approaching i'm getting nervous day by day.I too have the same feelings as mentioned in the video that i really fell i'm the most stupid person not just in my lab but in my entire department and everyone around me is really smart. So this constantly scares me and i feel like i may not be able to graduate. So thank you once again for making this video. Hopefully everything goes well and i'm able to graduate !!

Thank you so much for this video! I am currently applying to Social Psychology PhD Programs and there are a very limited number of youtubers who discuss graduate school!

You are too chill for a person with a PhD :D :D

Thank you. This was very helpful!

Great tips! I was recently accepted to UCI to pursue a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree, and I know this path is the most sensible and viable choice for me given my love for Environmental Planning and Sustainability. I'm sure a positive attitude and a dedicated focus go a long way in defining one's success at this level.

Thank you for bringing up the point about feeling dumb. I just got into a grad program and I already feel the beginnings of imposter syndrome.

thank you!

Thank you for making this video! I am currently working on my M.A. thesis and also contemplating to apply for a PhD programme abroad. It is really hard to make up my mind about all these stuff when I should be at least able to explain 'what anthropology is' ...

You saved my day! Thank you :)

Thank you so much. I feel better.

Hi Sara! I am starting Grad school for my masters in Social Work. I am about 2 weeks out from the start of the semester and sort of freaking out. The self doubt, question why I'm spending all this money and so many other negative feelings are spiraling through my head. Thanks for this video, although I am still Freaking out- I feel a little better and had a laugh, (I must get a funny mug.) Anyway on to more freaking out

3.5 years into it and I feel lost so this actually helped. I hope this understanding of myself as a normal phd student will actually last....

I'm definitely in the breaking down stage of grad school.. it's comforting knowing that it has a purpose and will build me back up eventually.. hopefully... lol I do feel incompetent at times but this too shall pass!

Awesome video :) I just started grad school and am already feeling dumb!

Hey, I just saw this video and your channel for the first time. First of all, I really love the video! Made me smile even when I'm worried about the future. I'm currently starting my second semester of Junior year as an undergraduate. This is the time I have to start taking the GRE, thinking about grad school, all that stuff. I work in a research lab right now and I know that while I enjoy research and enjoy my job, I don't want to be in academia for the rest of my life. My bachelors will be in microbiology, and my graduate probably immunology if I go that path. What other sorts of things can I do with my life with a masters besides academia? Thanks!

great video. Hope to start grad school in January.

I’m about to start grad school in a month (public health). Thank you!

Inspiring.

I'm still in CC thinking about grad school. Don't know if I'll make it that far but I'm keeping my ambitions high.

what a good video, very motivational and realistic

You are awesome!!!!

hi, thank you for great tips! i am finishing grad school but they still work for me :)

This was really helpful and comforting, thank you. I'm in the last 6 months of my PhD. I really like the tunnel metaphor. I feel like I can see the light, but that the task of my thesis is just too big so the light also feels unreachable. But, it's got to be done!

I'm a second year masters student in what is supposed to be a two and a half year program....without any class flexibility, electives, or ability to graduate on time without taking a full course load every semester. You could say I'm in that tunnel, and I'm claustrophobic. Watching your video however helps some to remind me there is a light somewhere, and once I get through this year I'm sure I'll see it again.

Omg, get 'er done. That's the best!

I have been feeling SO STUPID lately. I feel like I do such stupid things like formulated a hypothesis incorrectly, forgot to pick up samples which disappointed a committee member and have answered “I don’t know” a few times when asked why I selected a certain methods. So hopefully I can hear other stories of the stupid things done during grad school so I don’t feel the need the drop out 😅

Wow this video is amazing and soooo helpful

just started my second semester of grad school and am currently a full time student along with mandatory lab hours for my graduate research assistance position to work on my thesis, 20 hrs a week. This will be a long semester :' ))

As a person who just got accepted to a PhD program and who has no effing idea what to expect...thank you!

I sooo feel like I'm not smart enough lately. I'm just not great at reading an article, and then coming up with things to say in a discussion about what the researcher did right and wrong, especially in an area that's not my focus. I have a professor who constantly calls me out asking things like "so what do you notice different about these two measures?" and I just freak out and freeze. :( I'm in my third year with two more to go. Calling them "tunnel" years really resonated with me. LOL anyways thanks for this video and letting me vent in the comments section lol... back to my allnighter now :/

Thank u thank u thank uuuu 💜💜💜💜

God I really needed to hear number 3

I am starting my MLIS in January. This is me trying as much as possible to be prepared. I haven't been in school for 20 years, so I am struggling to remember how to school. That part about internalizing your own incompetency is me already. I can't even believe I got in to this top-ranked program. How will I ever finish it? Thanks for your video.

I'm having anxiety about how behind from the proffessors I am, now on my graduation. It's not about the grades, to become an intellectual looks like a bad joke , "who do you think you are to..." . This was a awesome video for me, there is not only me freaking out over this kind of thing.

I just started an M.Ed. Program in Nutrition Education this month. Do you have any tips on applying to a Ph.D. Program after the Master's Degree? I want to put my best foot forward starting now.

Quick question! So you mentioned that you went directly from a senior in college to phd. How was that transition for you? Compared to, lets say, somebody who went to get their masters degree before phd? Did you feel as if you missed something or did you felt "smarter" in a way because you didn't have to go trough masters?

Thank you for your video! BTW do u think that I should get a decent grade (above 3.5) to go to grad school? Since I want to have a lot of extracurricular experience, I was kind of concerned about my GPA and it bothers me to do something that enjoys me to feel college life. I want to hear your opinion. (my current gpa is 3.6 in Iowa state)

how do you deal with not being perfect. ie not cleaning your apartment or not registering for insurance etc. I feel like I have no time for anything even though I procrastinate.

I'm contemplating graduate school. I'm thinking of earning a masters of library science. what scares me the most is the difference in teaching compared to undergraduate. my senior year of college I was told by a grad student that in grad school, a professor will assign a paper and provide no instruction leaving it up to the student. If you could provide some insight into this I would apciate it.

Great video..Thanks :-) I have a doubt.....that I am getting a scholarship for studying in a masters program with 67%,whereas below 68% in masters program is considered fail :-0 ..I am really confused.Can anyone help.BTW i am talking about canadian universities.

I never went to college because I was afraid to ask anyone at the time because I was afraid to ask because I was afraid that they were going to say you're not smart enough because of the education that I got in school because I got put in a special ed class do to my disability and my stepdad the one who repeatedly physically and emotionally abused me for years also ones told me that I didn't have any brains for it but he is a mean person and a terrible human being who failed in college himself his specialty was physical stuff like heavy lifting and auto machines I know that I could have probably been successful in college if I really had a passion for it despite my disability

Whovian!!!

Great content and subscribed! Would love hear what you think of our grad school channel. Thank you.

LMFAO, you're funny.

So you're talking about PhD programs? I thought that is "post grad." I thought grad school = master's degree .

damn so many PhD students here o_o I feel little and pathetic with my stupid BA degree that won't even get me any decent job...