Getting Started with Graduate School
Getting Started: Checklist
We are thrilled you are at East Tennessee State University, where you will have a new year of opportunities to strengthen and grow your intellectual and professional skills. We encourage you to tap into resources that can help you thrive as you navigate graduate student life.
Here are just a few ways to get you started:
- Find your ground. Graduate school is about navigating a complex set of academic, professional and social experiences. Remember to pace yourself in a realistic manner, and remind yourself that you don’t have to know and do everything right now.
- Get to know department staff. From organizing orientations, providing a supportive ear to students, or ensuring that you fulfill your degree requirements, Graduate Coordinator is often your first point of contact into graduate school.
- Attend department events. Whether they are faculty or peer presentations, departmental meetings, working committees, or peer pub nights, there are numerous opportunities to connect with peers, staff, and faculty throughout the year.
- Prepare for graduate seminars. It is totally natural to feel excited and anxious about attending your first graduate seminar – especially if you don’t know what to expect or are the first person in your family to attend graduate school. Dr. Ralina Joseph, associate professor of communication at the University of Washington Seattle, provides good advice on how to succeed in a graduate seminar that will be of use to you as a new graduate student at ETSU.
- Find your community. We know that a feeling of belonging on campus is critical to your success. It makes a difference to find and connect with people who can support your whole self and not just your role as a graduate or professional student. ETSU’s Graduate and Professional Student Organization (GPSA) is one way to get involved with campus and meet graduate students from across programs. Connect with your Graduate Coordinator for referrals to graduate student groups and professional organizations within.
Ways to Get Involved
Student Activities and Organizations
ETSU Sports (Students receive free or discounted tickets to many sporting events.)
Embracing Challenges
Note: This video is used with permission from the University of Washington. The content is relevant to all graduate students.
Show Yourself Compassion
Note: This video is used with permission from the University of Washington. The content is relevant to all graduate students.