New kid on the block
This week, I’m focusing on first-year PhD students. I’m thrilled to know so many who are beginning their PhD journeys this fall (shoutout to my “Let’s Talk Grad School” weekend group!) and am excited for you all, too! Whether you’re moving 1,000 miles or just down the street, you are making a big move. And there’s quite a bit to think about (but you don’t have to think about it all at once)!
So, I’m sharing a list of 10 things to do to help you smoothly transition into the first year of your PhD program.
Connect with your advisor. Many of you already have a sense of who you’ll be working with—this person may be your advisor throughout the program or a designated contact for the first year. Check in with them to see whether there are opportunities for you to begin the transition process this summer so that your first few weeks in the program aren’t overrun with administrative stuff. You may even get a jumpstart on some research (if you both want)! At minimum, check in with someone to make sure you have all the materials and deadlines you need to know about to successfully start your program. And double check orientations dates (I wrote mine down incorrectly and missed it!).
Put yourself out there. If possible, reach out to your lab and/or cohort mates (I hope you have some!). Introduce yourself, see whether anyone has recommendations for restaurants, grocery shopping, or entertainment in your new city. Invite (if you’re comfortable) people to join you for coffee (in-person or via Zoom) or a walk. Take time to build out your online network as well. Consider connecting with folks over Twitter (I’ve made so many wonderful connections!) or joining an online affinity group. As one example, in 2019, I founded an online writing group for folks in academia across all career stages. We’re over 300 members strong with folks on 6 continents! Feel free to check us out.
Explore your (new) city. Get to know your surroundings. Even if completing your PhD in a familiar city, take time to visit campus, check out local shops, and practice getting to and from campus via public transportation (if that is how you will get to school). I’m in Chicago, so if I were new to this area, I would take time to check out Lake Michigan, the lakefront path (with a bike!), the local parks and farmer’s markets, area museums (although this can get expensive, so consider waiting until you have a student ID to secure discounts), neighborhood festivals (pre-pandemic), coffeeshops, and enjoy free entertainment like the Grant Park Music Festival. I would also take time to learn about the history of my new city and understand the relationship between my university and the surrounding communities.
Set sleep schedule. Good sleep is so important, yet it’s easy to develop bad sleeping habits (I’m looking at myself here). Push yourself to set a regular schedule (e.g., in bed by 10pm, up by 6am) to help structure your days. Doing so will help you identify how much sleep you need, the conditions under which you get good, restful sleep, and strengthen sleep boundaries that you set ahead of embarking on rigorous course and lab work. Yes, you may need to work late into the night occasionally, but you shouldn’t need to do this regularly (I hope!).
Exercise. Take care of your physical health and aim to get your heart rate up several times a week. If not sure where to start, there are small, simple things you can do: 1) Walk or bike to work vs. drive (of course, this depends on how far you have to travel), 2) Even if working from home, take a walk around the block between meetings or after lunch, 3) Set reminders to step away from electronic devices and use these breaks to stretch or meditate, 4) Practice temptation bundling and limit your consumption of something enjoyable (e.g., audiobook) to times when you’re engaging in more “should” behaviors (e.g., exercising).
Build a writing habit. Writing is paramount, yet we don’t get much practice doing it before starting PhD programs. Build in opportunities to write throughout the week and protect this time (10-15 minutes to start). You can use this time to reflect on ideas, outline arguments, even jot down the activities of your day. The point is, get writing and get writing regularly. Then, when it’s time to write final papers, manuscripts, and proposals, you will have strengthened your writing “muscle” and know how to protect the time needed to get your writing done. Two books I highly recommend include The Writing Workshop by Dr. Barbara Sarnecka (which she has made freely available here) and How to Write A Lot by Dr. Paul Silvia. Also, see my point above about the #100DaysOfWriting community—we always welcome new members.
Identify boundaries. It will likely be hard to say no to any opportunity that comes your way during the PhD process (I still struggle with this), but you will need to learn how to say no. You will also have to work with your advisor(s) and/or mentor(s) to determine how you’re going to work together best. For now, set a weekly reminder to check in with yourself and assess what is working and what isn’t and revise your boundaries as needed. For example, I make sure to take one day off each week—this may be one full day or two half days. I need this day to rest and do things outside my work that excite me like hang out with my Little (I am a Big in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program) or take my dog to the beach.
Tie up loose ends. Many first-year students are starting their PhD journeys after having worked as a research assistant or lab manager for a year or two (or after completing an MA or MS degree). I recommend making sure that you complete your responsibilities by the time you leave the position itself (especially the administrative stuff!). At the same time, this may not be possible—you may be co-authoring a manuscript or still needing to complete some data collection for your own project. Just be careful to avoid assuming a remote research assistant or lab manager position. This is your time to focus on opportunities that make the most sense for you and your career progression. I know it’s hard to say no, but doing so will help you set boundaries and advocate for yourself.
Stay curious. I see myself as a “developmental consumer behavior” researcher. Yes, I made up this term but this is how terms get their start! I’m interested in understanding consumer behavior across the lifespan, among children and adults alike. But, I don’t limit my reading or even my research to strictly “developmental consumer behavior” things. Aim to read widely across disciplines. For me, this means looking beyond the psychology and marketing literatures to read the work of scholars in sociology, anthropology, economics, and even philosophy. We can be so quick to silo1 ourselves and, although there is great comfort in the familiar, it’s important to push the boundaries of our understanding and connect with folks and their ideas in adjacent and not-so-adjacent fields.
Believe in yourself. At some point, you will likely question whether you belong in your program (perhaps they made a mistake!) or field. You do belong! But, whether you ultimately decide to stay in your program (or field) is up to you. If you find your confidence waning, check in with a trusted friend, colleague, or mentor. And, if you find yourself without someone to talk to, just send me an email!
STIPENDS
I could have included this note about stipends above, but I really wanted it to stand out. If you are unsure when your first stipend (or fellowship) check will arrive, find this out ASAP. Imagine my surprise my first year when I was not paid until October (remember how I missed my orientation?)! Fortunately, I had enough saved to cover my expenses for August and September (a very privileged position to be in)—but this isn’t a reality for everyone. So, make sure you know when your first check will hit your bank account (and what you need to make sure that it does).
Some homework: With the above in mind, answer the following questions and make a plan (and share it with someone!): 1) How and when are you going to connect with your advisor(s)? 2) How and when are you going to connect with your lab and/or cohort mates? 3) How can you get to know your (new) city better? 4) What do you do to take care of yourself now and where can you make small changes to improve your care practices? 5) Who can you lean on for support both within your program and outside of it? 6) When do you receive your first stipend check and how are you going to manage your expenses if not paid right away?
SCHOLAR PROFILE #1: DR. TISSYANA CAMACHO
The purpose of these profiles is to highlight and connect you to scholars at different career stages doing interesting and important research and service work.
This week, we get to learn about Dr. Tissyana Camacho, who is an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge.
Before hearing from Dr. Camacho, let’s first learn a bit more about Sniffy! From Dr. Camacho: Sniffy is a Plott Hound that I rescued while living in Baltimore. She is from West Virginia (fun fact: Plott Hounds originate from North Carolina). She is the sweetest dog ever, despite her stubbornness. Her name is funny take on her being a scent hound and, interestingly enough, she's typically the first "Sniffy" people meet and I am the first "Tissyana" people meet!
Now, let’s learn about Dr. Camacho’s academic journey.
What are your research interests?
I see my work at the intersection of college student development and higher education policy. My work asks what are the policies that institutions of higher education can put into place to ensure the academic success of minoritized students through the lens of college student development. I particularly investigate how identity (with an emphasis on ethnic-racial identity) can serve as a tool for academic success.
Where did you earn your PhD and with whom did you work?
University of Michigan, Developmental Psychology, Dr. Deborah Rivas-Drake and Dr. Stephanie Rowley
Why did you choose your PhD institution and advisor(s)?
The Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan is world-renowned and I knew I would receive excellent training if I had the opportunity to attend. Several things cemented my decision to attend UM: 5 years of guaranteed funding (including summers), medical insurance, other financial resources (e.g., annual conference travel, research grants, emergency grants) and its focus on interdisciplinary training and research. The developmental psychology area recommends having two advisors, so I felt that I would be able to become a more holistic scholar. I walk the line between two areas (psychology & higher education) and felt that my advisors would provide the academic support needed in both areas to become an independent scholar.
Please share more about your academic journey.
After graduating from high school, I attended a local community college. I wasn’t sure how to pay for a 4-year institution and was navigating college alone as a first-gen student, so I felt that a community college was the best fit for me. After 5 semesters (2.5 years), I transferred to my local state college (CSU Northridge) and graduated after another 5 semesters; thus, completing my bachelor’s degree took me 5 years. Like many community college transfer students, once I finally got to the 4-year institution, everyone was talking about graduating! I felt like I was being “rushed out” and wasn’t sure what to do after graduating. I knew I wanted to go to grad school, but I wasn’t sure for what (at one point I thought of getting an LMFT2 or MPH3), so I went to see an academic counselor. They stated that regardless of what I wanted to do for grad school, it would be wise to get some research experience and work closely with a faculty member. It was during my time at CSUN that I really came to see research as enjoyable and as a future career option. I was awarded an undergraduate research fellowship the semester prior to my final year, which gave me advanced training and opportunities as an undergraduate researcher. During the final year of undergraduate studies, I applied to 8 graduate programs in total: developmental psychology (n = 3), educational psychology (n = 2), social psychology (n = 1), and higher education (n = 2). Ultimately, I decided to attend the University of Michigan (Ph.D. program in developmental psychology).
How did you navigate the PhD application process?
I sought a lot of help. I applied to and attended recruitment weekends, where institutions provide insight into their program(s) and also provide application tips. I was quite organized going into application season. For example, I didn’t want my letter writers to do any “extra work,” so I provided them with a spreadsheet containing the institution, program, advisor, why I felt like I was a good fit, and due dates. I also shared my statements with my letter writers and asked for their feedback. Prior to sharing those statement, I shared with my friends who were also applying to grad school. LOTS of people saw my statements!
What is one bit of advice you'd like to give new (first-year) PhD students?
It’s okay to feel a bit lost intellectually. You are going to learn so much semester by semester, and year by year. That time is needed to help you develop into an independent scholar. Be patient and kind with yourself!
Many thanks to Dr. Camacho for sharing more about her academic journey!
How to reach me: You are always welcome to email me (letstalkgradschool@gmail.com) or find me on Twitter @tweetsbymidge.
1-on-1 and 1-on-few sessions: In a few weeks, I will start offering 1-on-1 and 1-on-few sessions for prospective and current PhD students. Sign-ups will be done via Calendly. I will try to offer both weekday and weekend sessions.
Until next time!
Margaret
To isolate ourselves and work independently from others—others often doing related work but in different areas or disciplines.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Master of Public Health