Setting yourself up for success in grad school - before you get there

Trigger Warning: While this blog post is intended to provide helpful insight for grad school success, it touches on psychological distress, mental health issues, and suicide.

 

A few weeks ago, I caught up with a friend who just successfully defended her master’s thesis. She knew I was committed to doing a master’s myself and she asked: “So, Ferf – what’re you gonna study? Spiders or cicadas?” And to her surprise, I responded: “Neither.” She figured that these critters were the obvious choices for my future graduate studies given how much interest I've expressed in studying them. But I don’t think applying to grad school should hinge solely on the topic you’re interested in or any single consideration, for that matter. You should consider multiple aspects of your future grad school scenario because feelings of satisfaction and eventual success for graduate students are pretty complex. Estimates of grad school dropout rates can be as high as 68% depending on the field of study and a lot of the determinants of withdrawal extend beyond the focus of a student’s research^1,2. 

Causes of these withdrawal rates are linked to evidence that grad students can experience high levels of psychological distress, may be six times more susceptible to anxiety and depression, and suffer higher likelihoods of intrusive suicidal thoughts^3–6. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives associated with grad school here, but I do think it’s important to realize the implications of going into this kind of thing unprepared. So, I highly recommend that you're proactive before you start your degree to combat high withdrawal rates and mental health stressors throughout it. While there might not be some magic function that applies universally to every prospective grad student, I’ll highlight some of the considerations that I believe to be crucial to grad school success and enjoyment (at least some of the time).

But first, full disclosure: I’m currently an undergraduate and am not enrolled in grad school. So, you might be questioning the value of my advice. Well, I’ve been dwelling on these considerations since 2019 and I’ve taken just about every opportunity to solicit advice from supervisors and graduate students alike. Over the years, I’ve been amassing something of a checklist to help with decision-making in this regard. But I also have my own unsuccessful experience with grad school, where I fell victim to a lack of consideration for just about every point I’m going to address here. You see, many moons ago I was accepted to a master’s program only to withdraw from it six weeks later. Suffice it to say I was naïve and directionless, and the expectations of my program didn’t fit my values at that time. While I still feel a bit of unjustified guilt surrounding the whole debacle, I recognize that not continuing down that path was ultimately the right decision for me. Plus, it’s provided me with way more foresight for applying to grad school this time around. So, if you’d like to avoid an awkward conversation with your future supervisor, I beg you to take note of the following considerations.

What should you consider?

One of my instructors at the University of Alberta, John Acorn, once explained to me that you should ask yourself three questions when considering grad school: Do you really love the project? Is your prospective supervisor competent? Does your prospective supervisor have funding for the project? You might notice that this list includes considerations that don’t just apply to you. If you’re serious about applying to grad school, you have to consider your own values AND those of your potential supervisor. A lot of these considerations will overlap and involve both of you – how you could see yourself in their field of research, how you’ll interact with them one-on-one, or how you fit with the lab group as a whole – and I think that this speaks to the complexity that underlies the determinants of grad school satisfaction and success. So, take the time to fully flesh out how the following considerations apply to you and your future studies.  

Why do you want to pursue grad school?

Research on the predictors of grad school success has identified this question as a factor implicated in persevering and successfully completing a graduate degree^7,8. Personally, I think this is the most fundamental thing to consider before you enter a grad program. There can be a kazillion different answers to the above question, but you should enroll only if your reason for doing so is valid. 

Do you love research? Okay, great! 

Does your dream job require a graduate degree? Also, valid! 

Do you simply want to make more money than Joe Schlemiel with their measly BSc? Fine. 

Seriously, that’s fine. So long as it’s a reason that is important to you and that will stick with you if /when you’re banging your head against a pane-glass window during the low points of your degree.

So, what might a valid reason not look like? Two, in particular, come to mind. The first is simply not having a reason. This might be a way of obscuring the fact that you’re afraid of what comes next, and that you don’t really have a plan after graduation – which is okay! You don’t have to have everything planned out to the Nth degree. But, please, do not pursue a master’s or Ph.D. simply for fear of not knowing what to do next. Because, and I speak from experience here, when you encounter challenges during your program, there won’t be much keeping you motivated to persevere through the tough times.

The second invalid reason I can think of is doing a master’s for any reason that someone else impresses upon you if you don’t truly believe in that reason. I also have experience with this one. The only real reason that I could come up with for pursuing grad school in my previous degree was that the people I looked up to encouraged me to do it. They told me that “I’d be good at it” (I’m not trying to be an egotistical dingus here – obviously, I wasn’t all that good). Perhaps what they meant was that I took my undergraduate studies seriously and my supervisor and other instructors in the department felt that this quality would make me a good grad student. It very well might make for a good grad student IF you have a valid reason for wanting to become a grad student in the first place. A pioneering study on program completion correlated early graduate student success with high standardized test scores and undergraduate grades⁹. However, they found that neither of those preadmission variables was a good predictor for who would successfully complete their studies⁹. Instead, success seemed to be tied to perceived levels of dedication and I believe that this correlation comes back to the reasons you give yourself for doing grad school in the first place.

When I look back on my first undergraduate degree, I had valid reasons to want to be a good student. I really wanted to teach English in Japan and the job I was interested in required a bachelor’s degree. So, I was dedicated to my studies because I had a goal that motivated me to be dedicated. But when it came to my graduate program, none of those motivating factors came into play and I very quickly found myself floundering in a sea of doubt. There was nothing to guide me toward continuing down that path even though my grades and evaluations were perfectly fine. I never took the time to really think about why I was in grad school beforehand and what I planned to do with that degree afterwards. If you put in the thought ahead of time about your reasons for enrolling and what the experience will provide for you, you might be more resilient when a similar storm of self-doubt hits.

Are you clear on what you want to study?

This idea differs from knowing why you want to study something and ties back to John’s point about really loving your research. While it’s not the sole determinant, lack of interest in a student’s research is a major risk factor for dropping out of a graduate program¹⁰. This might be self-evident to a lot of you. “Of course, I’m going to study something I’m interested in!” you might say while rolling your eyes. But just stay with me for a minute. Ask yourself this: What does your prospective supervisor study? Like, specifically, is their area of expertise going to be a match for your interests? Sure, you can fill in knowledge gaps with committee members and I’m not suggesting that you approach a Grizzly bear researcher to supervise you in nanotechnology or quantum mechanics. But consider whether you’re only tangentially interested in what your future supervisor studies.

As I alluded to above, I love cicadas. I legitimately think they are the most incredible thing that has ever existed. Yet, I’m not terribly interested in molecular analysis, genomics, or taxonomy. Whenever I try to find a research lab that studies cicadas, I’m overwhelmed by those that are interested in their wing structures or gene composition. Few of them seem to approach cicadas from an ecological lens, which is where my research interests lie. So, although the focal species is the best thing since sliced bread, or whatever Tik Tok trend is popular right now, the specific type of cicada research would bore me to tears. If I committed to doing research in one of those labs, I would not only feel completely out of my element from a knowledge perspective, but I would probably come to resent my decision to enroll in that program in the first place. Simply put: If you’re not really interested in what you study, you’re going to have a bad time.

Who will supervise you?

I feel that it’s pretty important to find a supervisor who aligns with your values at some level. Keep in mind, though, that the kinds of values you hold and how you feel about them (e.g., how you view mental health or how you feel about making sensationalized claims in your publications) might be pretty different from those I’ll highlight here. Still, lack of fit and the implications this has for poor mental health are linked to higher grad program withdrawal rates^1,6. 

Do you have general anxiety, impostor’s syndrome, or frequent bouts of self-doubt? Pairing with a supervisor who isn’t compassionate toward those qualities will probably make for a lot of extra stress. I’m not saying that you should be treating your supervisor like a therapist, but I think you should find a supervisor that’s not going to exacerbate those tendencies. Again, graduate students are believed to be afflicted with anxiety, depression, and other threats to their mental health at a higher rate than the general population^3–5. Even if you feel that your mental health is rock solid right now, if your supervisor doesn’t value the mental health of their students, then this might not be the right program for you. This consideration ties into the concept of supervisor competency mentioned above, not simply in that they’re able to adequately advise on your research but that they can mentor you in a productive way. But how do you find out any of this about your supervisor before you’re in too deep? TALK TO PEOPLE!

Almost all of the supervisors and grad students that I’ve spoken to over the years have advocated reaching out to other students in a research lab to get the low down on working with that supervisor. And I would recommend doing so broadly so that you avoid getting a single, biased review. This doesn’t have to be limited to just grad students in your prospective supervisor’s lab. Chat with other undergrads, graduate students outside of the lab in question, or researchers who’ve collaborated with your supervisor. This will be harder if you’re considering a graduate program in a different city or country. Still, you might consider asking for the contact information of those connected with your potential supervisor if you’re at a different institution. Reach out to more people to increase the sample size which can predict how you’re going to fit in this culture. Talking to more people in a given lab gives you a better impression of what kind of environment you’ll be entering. These are just preliminary impressions, but they can help provide early information about whether you think you’ll fit into this new community. And proper fit in the group that you're doing research with is incredibly important for the successful completion of your studies¹. 

Financial considerations and associated stressors

The costs of grad school can be pretty off-putting to a lot of folks, both in terms of the direct financial costs you incur, and the opportunity costs of passing up full-time work in your field. Depending on the country you’re studying in though, funding your grad research might not be a concern. In Denmark, for example, not only is higher education free for Danish citizens, but exchange students may also be eligible to study for free^11,12. Still, let me be clear: I do not advocate studying in Denmark just because you might be able to do so for free. Make sure you still consider your values and have valid reasons for why, what, and with whom you’re studying! Also, recognize that uprooting your life halfway across the world might be accompanied by loneliness and culture shock, which could negatively impact your mental health and thus your studies. 

For those of you who aren’t able to study for free, financial concerns may have huge implications for progress in your program. Financial stress has been identified as a major reason for grad students to seek counselling and a lack of research funding has been linked to program dropout rates^13,14. In Canada, many research labs receive funding through grants and this may provide financial security for you through much of your degree. But if a fully funded scenario isn’t the case for you, it doesn’t mean that your grad school goals are a bust. It just means that you need to be prepared to explore options that WILL provide you with funding. This might mean that you have to teach throughout your studies to lessen the financial burden of your research, but make sure you can balance your research priorities if you end up exploring TAships. Additionally, you could apply for research grants and scholarships to help fund your studies. These may not fully cover your research and cost of living, but they can chip away at that stress. Consider applying for government scholarships, NGO grants, or your host institution’s entrance scholarships; however, be aware of the application cutoffs, since they’re typically well before program enrollment deadlines.  

Final Thoughts

I recognize that this is a lot to mull over before you even get to grad school. And the last thing any undergraduate wants is more homework. But putting in the time to think about this stuff before you get in over your head in the middle of your degree will ultimately save you time and spare you a lot of stress in the future. And that’s the last thing I want to leave you with. I get that there’s almost an ominous tone to a lot of this post, but that’s not my intent. All of the current grad students I’ve spoken with have mentioned how great of an experience it is. You have the opportunity to be part of a tight-knit community and can potentially work towards meaningful research findings. But keep in mind that nothing rules 100% of the time. 

Be aware of the challenges and hiccups that might occur during your degree and reach out for support if you feel overwhelmed. My musings don't guarantee that you're never going to encounter rough patches in your studies. They're meant to help you choose a grad program that's right for you and that will give you opportunities to get through those rough spots in a healthy way. And it's okay if you experience what some might deem catastrophic failures! I certainly felt like I failed epically when I dropped out of my master's nine years ago. But, with the above considerations in mind, I feel way more excited about starting my future graduate degree next year. 

References

1.         Lovitts, B. E. & Nelson, C. The Hidden Crisis in Graduate Education: Attrition from Ph.D. Programs. Academe 86, (2000).

2.         Young, S. N., Vanwye, W. R., Schafer, M. A., Robertson, T. A. & Poore, A. V. Factors Affecting PhD Student Success. Int J Exerc Sci 12, (2019).

3.         Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T. & Vanderford, N. L. Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nat Biotechnol 36, (2018).

4.         Levecque, K., Anseel, F., de Beuckelaer, A., van der Heyden, J. & Gisle, L. Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Res Policy 46, (2017).

5.         Ayres, Z. J. Setting the Scene: Understanding the PhD Mental Health Crisis. in Managing your Mental Health during your PhD: A Survival Guide (ed. Ayres, Z. J.) 25–37 (Springer International Publishing, 2022). doi:10.1007/978-3-031-14194-2_3.

6.         Almasri, N., Read, B. & Vandeweerdt, C. Mental Health and the PhD: Insights and Implications for Political Science. PS Polit Sci Polit 55, (2022).

7.         Nelson, C. & Lovitts, B. E. 10 ways to keep graduate students from quitting. Chron High Educ (2001).

8.         Haggerty, K. D. & Doyle, A. 57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School. 57 Ways to Screw Up in Grad School (2015). doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226281063.001.0001.

9.         Hirschberg, N. & Itkin, S. Graduate student success in psychology. American Psychologist 33, (1978).

10.       Larcombe, W., Ryan, T. & Baik, C. What makes PhD researchers think seriously about discontinuing? an exploration of risk factors and risk profiles. Higher Education Research and Development (2021) doi:10.1080/07294360.2021.2013169.

11.       van Rooij, E., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M. & Jansen, E. Factors that influence PhD candidates’ success: the importance of PhD project characteristics. Studies in Continuing Education 43, (2021).

12.       Tuition Fees. Study in Denmark https://studyindenmark.dk/study-options/tuition-fees-scholarships#:~:text=Do%20I%20need%20to%20pay,study%20in%20Denmark%20for%20free.

13.       Hyun, J. K., Quinn, B. C., Madon, T. & Lustig, S. Graduate student mental health: Needs assessment and utilization of counseling services. J Coll Stud Dev 47, (2006).

14.       van der Haert, M., Arias Ortiz, E., Emplit, P., Halloin, V. & Dehon, C. Are dropout and degree completion in doctoral study significantly dependent on type of financial support and field of research? Studies in Higher Education 39, (2014).