Students explain grad school from 3 levels of experience

It is interesting how universities put out so much information about their graduate programs, yet they often fall short of capturing what is truly important to incoming and existing students. Will getting another degree help me with my career goals? What should I expect my life to be like during grad school? How will grad studies be different from my undergrad degree? What should I know about grad school before making this decision?

To answer these questions and to make progress towards demystifying grad studies, it is important that we give a voice not only to those who are asking the questions, but to those who have experienced it already. In this article, I interviewed students from three different levels of familiarity with grad school and compared their expectations and experiences to get a clearer picture of what grad school is all about.

Level 1 – Undergraduate Student

Clara Argentino is a third year undergraduate Student at McMaster University working towards a BSc. In Honours Chemical Biology Co-op.

Why are you thinking about doing grad school?

Clara: “I want to go into grad school so I can gain more qualifications and experience in a field I am passionate about. I think there is still a lot one can learn after their undergrad and grad school is a great way for me to do so. I am not 100% sure of the exact specific career I want to pursue and I genuinely just enjoy being a student. [I] don’t really see myself graduating and “entering the real world” just under 2 years from now.

What are your biggest questions about grad school? Are you worried about anything?

Clara: “I feel like there is a lot about grad school I don’t really understand, including how you apply/how the application process works, and how you find a supervisor? For example, it’s unclear to me if you apply to a school you’re interested in, and THEN find a supervisor, or is it the other way around?”

“My biggest concern about grad school is probably dealing with “imposter syndrome” which is something I struggle with even now. I hope I can gain confidence in grad school and get over this feeling.”

What do you think of the work-life balance of a grad student? How many hours a week do you think you will work?

Clara: “I think it is a challenge to have a