Take Grad School to the Next Level with Success Coaching

Most grad students need help . . . of some kind

In an earlier blog, we looked at research identifying four classes of graduate students in STEM fields. One way to think about this research in a more general way is that while everyone needs help, not everyone needs the same kind of help. This post looks at some different ways that success coaching might benefit you in graduate school.

Academic Support

Students in the highest threat group probably need academic support. I recently spoke with a friend (now working on a Ph.D.), who went from a music-performance based undergrad degree to graduate studies in music history. She described the transition to her master’s degree as a huge step-change academically. Students in this group are smart, but perhaps haven’t experienced the level of work grad school requires.

If this is you, you may need support with things like library research, academic reading, academic writing, basic statistics, and other foundational skills required by your program. Your university may offer these resources. Some institutions have graduate student success coaches. Every institution has a library (tips from librarians on how to use your university library are coming soon in this blog). Almost every institution has a writing center that serves graduate students. Your advisor or program director may be a good resource as well.

Goal and Motivation Support

Students in the nonchalant group are well-prepared academically (though academic support can help everyone). Their lower level of engagement with their program, however, means that they could benefit from help with things like goal-setting, prioritization, and motivation.

If you see yourself in this group, you may have an advisor who will help you. If your school has a graduate success office, that’s a good place to go as well. Sometimes, grad programs may put on workshops for students, so that is another resource to look for.

Encouragement and Social Support

Students in the engaged/worried group are likely to experience stress and anxiety because they don’t think they can succeed. These students have the tools; what they need is encouragement to use what they know. They also need encouragement to connect with others in their program, including faculty and classmates.

If this is where you find yourself, seeking a mentor is a good idea. Look for a faculty member in your program, or even someone outside your institution, with whom you can connect regularly. Additionally, join campus groups where you can interact with other graduate students. You are likely to find that you fit in the program just as well as anyone else. Groups projects in classes are another good place to begin to build connection.

Occasional Support

What about our friends in the lowest threat class? We can predict that these academically proficient, prepared, motivated, and confident students probably won’t ever need any help in graduate school.

And that is probably not true. All of us, no matter how competent in a particular field, find ourselves needing support from time to time. It may be the thesis or capstone that throws a roadblock in your way. It might be a change in your family, such as a new job or a new baby, that requires a rethinking of priorities. It might be a setback with your dissertation proposal.

If you are sailing along in grad school, this is a good time to invest in making connections. Reach out to advisors, faculty, and classmates. Get involved in a graduate student organization on campus. Make friends with your librarian. There will likely come a time when you need their support.

Graduate Success Coaching

While many institutions have good support for graduate students, some don’t. And even if your institution has resources, you may need help connecting to them and using them effectively. And even if you are connected to available resources, sometimes you just need more one-on-one support. That is where success coaching enters the picture. If you think you might benefit from a little extra support, please reach out! You can start by click the button below to set up a free consultation.

The Well-Ordered Mind exists to support graduate school persistence. Success coaching can bring structure, peace, and progress to your grad school journey!