The Transition from Undergraduate to Graduate Student

Abstract

Graduate school is a new and different endeavor when compared to undergraduate studies. The differences primarily lie in the fact that the graduate student will have an independent research project that he or she is responsible for. Beginning graduate school can be a challenge since there is a lot to learn about research, there are courses to take, and the social aspect of graduate school can be very different. Two major things that tend to make graduate school difficult for some is the often unstructured environment and the absence of direction on how you should allocate your time. There is really no formula for graduate school success, and the advice given in this chapter is from my own and other current graduate students’ experiences, so choosing what you think will work for you is most important.