Thriving in Grad School

Hi, my name is Tristan (he/they) and I’m a 2nd year PhD student in the Physics & Astronomy department! I wanted to write a bit about how to navigate the shift from undergraduate to graduate school, as it’s something I wish I had a bit more guidance about coming into grad school. The social scene is definitely organized a bit differently than undergrad, where the university has a million events happening for orientation week, and there aren’t quite so many well-structured spaces to meet people outside of your department. Because of this it can be easy to feel a bit isolated when starting grad school, so I wanted to write a little about how to prevent that sort of thing and give some examples of where you might find community in and around campus.

The first thing I’d like to mention has probably already been said too many times but it’s worth reiterating—make an effort and take some time to go to your department events and get to know your cohort, they’re all in the same boat as you in a new place, and the beginning of the year is where those bonds start to form. The physics department for instance has a first year BBQ where we meet the older grad students, and several events, both on and off campus, to become acquainted with the department and the city of Rochester as a whole.

Beyond these events as you get settled in, there are a bunch of graduate student organizations and clubs, for various sports, cultural or heritage groups, and everything from philosophy to billiards and movie or book clubs. These are a great way to meet people outside your department, and to balance out all the studying you’ll be doing in your first year. Even though your main purpose here is to get your degree, it’s not worth it if you throw the rest of your life away in the process, so make sure to take time to continue doing the things you enjoy, and to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. I’ve really enjoyed playing volleyball weekly with ALAS (the Association of Latin American Students) and have made a lot of great friends in the group. The gym has also been really great for my mental health, several upperclassmen in my department invited me to join them working out when I first came to UR and everyone I’ve met there has been very kind, including friends of friends, who’ve been happy to show me how to lift safely and with proper form. Outside of physical activity, there are also language discussion hours hosted in Douglass Hall for a wide range of languages throughout the week, which can be a great place to both practice your second or third language and meet people with similar interests.

I’d also recommend taking the time to explore Rochester as a whole, don’t let yourself be confined to campus. There are lots of great places outdoors to take walks or bike rides, like Mt Hope Cemetery and Highland Park, or the Erie Canal trail, and tons of spaces for the arts. You can go to the Little Theater or the George Eastman Theater and Museum, the Memorial Art Gallery, or the Strong Museum of Play, and there are a lot of great bars and breweries (I would recommend Lux, or the Daily Refresher), some of which do trivia circuits or live music throughout the week. There’s also an open mic night at the Lovin Cup over near RIT which is a lot of fun.

During the winter there are also a lot of great options like ice skating at the rink across the river from campus, sledding in Highland Park where there are some pretty good hills, and skiing out at Bristol Mountain, which is a fun day trip (about half an hour away). There are also a variety of festivals that happen throughout the year in Rochester that I’d recommend, especially the Lilac Festival in the Spring, and the music festivals including the Fringe Festival and International Jazz Festival, which are really big events every year. The Strong Museum also often has themed events which you can get on a mailing list for via their website.

Best,

Tristan