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The First Big Leap, College to Graduate School.
Author(s) -
Kennelly Peter James
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.205.1
Subject(s) - schedule , curriculum , graduate students , psychology , mathematics education , medical education , pedagogy , computer science , medicine , operating system
From kindergarten through college, the educational journey of a typical entering graduate student has been highly structured and largely predictable. Like a restaurant menu, the curriculum has been predetermined and advancement occurs on a well‐defined schedule. By simply following along with the pack, i.e. your classmates, you can expect to graduate on schedule. On the other hand, upon entering graduate school a student leaves behind the comfortable predictability of rigid structure and the safety of the pack. Each graduate student embarks on an individual journey of discovery, training, and growth under their own individual mentors. Moreover, discovery does not adhere to a schedule. The excitement and challenge of an original thesis research project thus carries with it inherent elements of risk and unpredictability. While many problems have more than one solution, they can be of disparate length and difficulty. Maximizing the benefits and rewards of graduate study therefore requires a willingness to grow beyond the safe passivity of former educational experiences; to initiate, engage, and ultimately take ownership of your education and training.