Getting Started in Grad School: 2.6 Strategies for Managing Challenges

Challenges are a common part of graduate school, but remember that these challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. Keep in mind the power of yet, and develop strategies to manage these challenges as they come. Explore the following strategies and identify those that particularly resonate with you.

Practice Reflection

Reflection is a process that helps us to intentionally pause and think about our experiences. In doing so, we become aware of the emotional, mental and behavioral patterns that we follow and whether these patterns help or hinder us. In other words, as Lee and Branchaw note in their Inside Higher Ed article: "Pausing to reflect will help you to avoid reacting haphazardly and enable you to instead strategically plan your future" (2021).

Several reflective frameworks exist; however, reflection does not need to be complicated. Asking three simple questions can be enough to help you gain perspective and make decisions about the next choices you will make. These questions are

• what,

• so what, and

• now what?

Watch the short video (2:53) below to learn more.

Source: Reflection Process What So What Now What by SCHEVcommunications

Develop Skills

Much of what you learn in graduate school is skill-based, from locating research literature to analyzing data to communicating with different audiences. While some of these skills may be taught via explicit instruction as part of one's program, others will need to developed independently. Such development can come via

• self-education (e.g., using online resources),
• workshops (e.g., via the Library or the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning),
• 1-1 appointments/consultations (e.g., via the Writing Help Centre),
• non-credit courses (e.g., via the College of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies or the USask Language Centre), and
• for-credit courses.

To learn more, review the recommendations in Building a Graduate Skillset and Building a Research Toolkit.

Listen to and Connect with Others 

Sometimes, the best path forward is to listen to the experiences of others. This helps put our own experiences into context, allowing us to draw inspiration and learn practical tips from others who have come before us. Making connections during your program (e.g., with peers and senior students) can help you maintain perspective when facing a challenge, as well as make your experience more enjoyable. As busy as you will be with your studies, it is important to also create space for social activities on a regular basis.

A selection of videos are provided that provide advice for new graduate students. Explore videos that are of interest to you.

Ask for Help

While graduate students are expected to be independent learners, it is also expected that, in taking responsibility for their learning, they make appropriate use of available supports. 

Explore these supports on the next page.