Graduate Ambassador Blog Posts

Spend Your Summer Outside

June 3, 2024

A view of Taughannock Falls.

I joined the University of Rochester in the fall of 2022. As someone who lived in Rajasthan, India their whole life, I had never seen fall before. I loved the feeling of crunchy leaves beneath my feet and enjoyed looking at the autumn colors. When winter hit, I was excited to feel and experience snow for the first time. But soon, the 4 PM sunsets got to me. I started to feel the seasonal depression setting in. The months of hibernation are tough on both the mind and body. If you’re an adventurous kind of person, you might have spent your winter outside ice skating and skiing. But I stayed indoors playing board games and reading, waiting for the weather to turn. If you’re anything like me, you too want to make the most of the natural beauty of Upstate New York.

Continue Reading

The Rochester Second-Hand Shopping Scene

May 30, 2024

A view of an aisle in a thrift store.

As graduate students we live on a tight budget. Many of us are living on our own for the first time, moving to a new town, and having to furnish our new homes and update our wardrobe. Below is not a complete list of all second-hand stores in Rochester. The stores listed below are the stores I found had more affordable options and that I think more people should know about. Many of the stores listed sell second-hand housewares, furniture, clothing, and more. In all the stores listed, I found clothing sizes from XS to XXL. Accessibility is listed under “Features.”

Continue Reading

Day in the Life of a PhD Student + Time Management Tips

April 15, 2024

A view of people studying in a room.

Hi, I’m Isabelle! I’m a third-year PhD student in the biomedical engineering program co-advised by Dr. James McGrath and Dr. Hani Awad. My research is focused on developing a tissue-on-a-chip device to understand tendon fibrosis and screen potential therapeutics. If you’re a prospective grad student wondering what life is really like as a PhD student or you’re a current grad student curious about what other students’ schedules look like, you’ve come to the right place! I’ll give you a look into the types of things that usually fill up my day as well as some time management tips that I have found useful. It’s important to prioritize self-care and personal goals as well, and time management is key to balancing work and life commitments.

Continue Reading

Finding Connections in Grad School

March 12, 2024

Three people laughing together in a park setting.

Starting your graduate school can be both exhilarating and challenging. Graduate coursework is designed to challenge you to excel in your future academic and professional endeavors. With these extra challenges it becomes even more important to find a supportive community of professional colleagues and more casual friends to help enrich your graduate experience. However, for many of us moving to graduate school means moving someplace further away and uprooting yourself from previous social contacts. In this guide, we’ll go over some tips on how to build a social network that will help support you and enhance your graduate school career.

Continue Reading

Imposter Syndrome in Graduate School

February 19, 2024

An interior view of a study room in the library.

One of the most difficult transitions to grad school can be overcoming imposter syndrome. Do I deserve to be here? Everyone else is more interesting than I am, has better research experience, is a better writer than me. I remember looking around the room at orientation and feeling a pit in my stomach. They were going to find me out, escort me off campus grounds. Someone was going to ask: What are you doing here? During orientation, so many people bandied around the term “imposter syndrome.” But they didn’t realize that I truly was an imposter, an interloper, a pretender.

Continue Reading

Making Connections at Conferences

February 1, 2024

A student explaining their poster to an onlooker.

Traveling to conferences, summer schools, or other academic meetings can be quite daunting, especially if you’re still new to the field. If you’re feeling pressure to make the most out of your time at a conference, you’re not alone, and we have a few tips for making connections while you’re there. The first thing, though easier said than done, is to take a deep breath and not burn yourself out trying to do everything there is to offer, especially at a larger conference with a lot of parallel sessions. Conferences require a lot of stamina and it’s important to pace yourself and prioritize the sessions that you find most interesting in order to avoid burnout. Taking notes and asking questions at sub-sessions related to your research can be a great way to meet other students or senior members of the research community. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, conferences are intended to be a collaborative environment, and the speakers will also appreciate that the audience is engaging with their research. If they run out of time, don’t be afraid to speak to the presenters afterwards or during the social hours and coffee breaks, people are usually happy to talk about their research, that’s exactly why they’re at the conference.

Continue Reading

Tips for Applying to Grad School from a Grad Student

October 25, 2023

A student wearing a cap and gown is standing on the balcony at the top of Rush Rhees Library overlooking the city.

So you’ve decided to apply to graduate school; congratulations! Continuing education post undergrad is an extremely rewarding experience that allows you to follow your passions, focus on a single aspect of your field, and opens countless professional doors. However, as in all things, the hardest part is the beginning. In order to get into a graduate program, you’ll have to manage the complicated application process. This involves deciding what you want to study, which university is best for your goals, and finally working on the actual application.

Continue Reading

Expanding Your Interests Outside of Research: Inexpensive Activities in Rochester + Outreach Opportunities

October 22, 2023

An aerial view of downtown Rochester at sunset.

Although I am originally from the Rochester area, it wasn’t until I became a graduate student that I began to explore more of what Rochester has to offer. As graduate students, we spend so much of our time indoors, either in the lab, library, or at our desk at home. It’s easy to remain stuck in our own academic worlds, but we are more than just our research. As a 3rd year Ph.D. student, I have found that seeking opportunities to connect with the community both within the University of Rochester and in the surrounding area has made my graduate career more fulfilling. Scheduling fun and relaxing events has been extremely helpful in keeping me motivated in the lab and has allowed me to maintain a work-life balance. Some of my favorite things to do are explore the easily accessible nature trails or try a new food spot. I love visiting the Public Market on Saturday mornings, going for a hike at Abraham Lincoln Park, and walking around the High Falls area after a coffee at Fuego Coffee Roasters. If you’re looking to explore the activities and culture of Rochester check out the resources included in this post!

Continue Reading

Thriving in Grad School

October 19, 2023

Two people sitting on a sofa in the Language Center.

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.

Continue Reading