Grad School: The First Full Week

Cesar Chavez Statue at The University of Texas at Austin

Classes have been in session for the first full week and I’ve already learned so much as a first year grad student. So much in fact, I can’t even try to go through it all here. Here are four of the most important tips that have helped me so far.

Books:

Get your book lists (and syllabi) as soon as possible and start hunting down your reading materials. Know where you can borrow, buy, or rent them. As a graduate student you are – most likely – given special privileges by your library to check-out books on a semester basis. If you get to them first and they’re not placed on hold, you’ll be able to save yourself the money of buying them. Be advised, at any point in the semester the books can be recalled. Another great option is to check them out from the local library, but these will have to be renewed regularly and can also be recalled.

Aside from checking the books out from the library, you have the more traditional options of the campus book store and Amazon.com. Depending on the book and your need for it, either option can be the best choice.

Get to Know the Campus

A university campus the size of UT-Austin is bigger than some towns. If you don’t know your way around campus you will cost yourself time and energy at moments when you can afford them – like on the first day of class. Some key questions to ask:

• Is there a shuttle system, and when/where does it stop?
• Where does local public transit interact with the shuttle system?
• Where is the graduate department office?
• Where is my home department office?

Paperwork:

There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done in the first few weeks of class. This is especially true if you’ve been given a Teaching Assistant or Assistant Instructor position (TA/AI). These are jobs, and the money you earn from them is considered taxable income. Be sure to get all of your paperwork done and turned into the correct offices as soon as possible. Delaying this will delay your paycheck – no one wants that.

Networking:

Events and opportunities for networking with your fellow classmates (in your department and in other departments) are often front-loaded at the beginning of the semester. Take the time now to get to know your classmates. You will need them – I already have. Get phone numbers, email addresses and get to know their schedules so that you can get a hold of them.

There are definitely more things to know about grad school, but for the first week these are four of the key things to know.