Working toward a master鈥檚 degree or doctorate is a life decision that requires purpose, passion and commitment. For those considering a path to an advanced degree, advice from those who have been through it helps. We asked graduate and professional students in the Class of 2026 what advice they would give to someone considering working toward a graduate degree.
Peabody College of Education and Human Development
(Submitted photo)
Bhabika Joshi, doctor of philosophy candidate in special education
Peabody College of Education and Human Development
鈥淏e open to change. So many unexpected circumstances happen during your time as a graduate student, whether personal or professional. Part of your journey is allowing yourself to fail and learning how to redirect, 鈥滼oshi said. 鈥淭here is a lot of the world to experience beyond graduate school, so just remember that this isn鈥檛 your only identity. Spend time with friends. Continue your hobbies. These years will somehow be both the longest and shortest years of your life.鈥�
Vanderbilt Law School (Submitted photo)
Kyle Smith, juris doctor candidate
Law School
鈥淕raduate and professional education can be demanding, so having a strong sense of your 鈥檞hy鈥� is essential. I would encourage them to be intentional about their purpose and the impact they hope to make,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淢y own journey鈥攆rom studying public policy at Georgia Tech to working as a congressional aide and now pursuing a J.D.鈥攈as been guided by a clear commitment to advocacy and racial justice.鈥�
Niambi McLaurin, master of divinity candidate
Divinity School
鈥淏y the time we get to graduate school, we are often wiser and more grounded. So use that wisdom and be honest with yourself about what is calling you to this work or degree,鈥� McLaurin said. 鈥淎dditionally, prioritize being present and caring for yourself. It can be easy to focus on powering through academically until you reach graduation, but don鈥檛 forsake opportunities like student organizations, professional connections, study groups or spaces for self-care. Allow yourself to glean all the wisdom and experiences that your degree program offers.鈥�
Priscilla Agboada, master of business administration candidate
Owen Graduate School of Management
鈥淢y biggest advice would be to go for it, but go in with intention. A graduate degree is so much more than an academic credential. It is an opportunity to challenge the way you think, expose yourself to perspectives you would never encounter otherwise, and build relationships that will last well beyond the program,鈥� Agboada said.
鈥淎nd be ready to learn, but also to unlearn. Some of the assumptions and habits you arrive with will be challenged, and that is a good thing. The willingness to be wrong and grow from it is what separates people who get a degree from people who are transformed by one,鈥� she said.
Ritika Raghavan, doctor of philosophy candidate in neuroscience
School of Medicine Basic Sciences
鈥淢y advice to someone working toward a graduate degree is to enjoy the process, even though the process is hard. For example, during the qualifying exam prep, I loved bringing colored whiteboard markers out and being super organized drawing diagrams to learn the material I would be tested on. Or when I have periods of time where I must stay for long hours in the lab, I try to focus on the excitement of achieving the results from this time in lab鈥攄ata that can be graphed that serves a tangible proof of all the work I did. And ultimately, as more data comes in, things start getting clearer, and questions start getting answered, and the joy to look back on these years of hard work to get the answer to the questions I asked in year one is a very fruitful feeling,鈥� Raghavan said.
Amelia Cephas, doctor of philosophy candidate in cell and developmental biology
School of Medicine Basic Sciences
鈥淚 would encourage them to get involved on their campus in clubs and organizations that interest them and to connect with offices like Office of Biomedical Research Education and Training early on so they can learn about different career options and various resources in graduate school,鈥� Cephas said. 鈥淚鈥檇 also say it鈥檚 really important to find a good work-life balance and build a community of like-minded friends you can lean on when things get tough. Finally, they should get involved in their community and most importantly have fun!鈥�
Caroline Castleman, doctor of medicine candidate
School of Medicine
鈥淔or people going into medicine, I know this has become a cliche, but I really do advise trying to stay true to yourself throughout the process. There is understandable temptation to try to present yourself as an idealized version of what we think a med student 鈥榮hould鈥� look like, but in my experience, it鈥檚 the unique or nonmedical aspects of my experience that are brought up again and again in interviews and have helped me get where I am today. If something is important to you, celebrate it rather than putting it aside,鈥� Castleman said.
Jon Bergamo, master of business administration candidate
Owen Graduate School of Management
鈥淔irst and foremost, bet on yourself. Any graduate degree is challenging and involves tradeoffs. Especially if you鈥檝e been away from school for a while, it can feel intimidating (if not a little regressive) to be a student again. But if that desire for learning is pulling you toward something, or if the physical aspect of a program like this鈥攕uch as building community and gaining experience鈥攊s something you need for growth, then do it,鈥� Bergamo said.
Olivia Riedling, doctor of philosophy candidate in biological sciences
College of Arts and Science/Graduate School
鈥淭he biggest thing is finding the right environment and a research topic you enjoy,鈥� Riedling said. 鈥淵our adviser and lab can really shape your entire experience, so it鈥檚 important to find people who support you and make you feel excited about the work.鈥�
Connor Campbell, master of marketing candidate
Owen Graduate School of Management
鈥淚f you have the means to get a graduate or professional degree, do it! But also, do it for the right reasons. Know what you want to get out of your degree and how the degree will impact your life,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淎ll the connections and skills I鈥檝e learned are going to directly impact my employment and future career because I was direct in what I wanted to get from my experience. If you鈥檙e just going through the motions without purpose, it鈥檒l be much harder to feel fulfilled at the end of the journey.鈥�
- Read how Class of 2026 graduate and professional students want to better the world
- Graduate and professional students share how they’ve grown and become more of the person they want to be while at Vanderbilt
听
听
