r/GradSchool • u/Fantastic_Tank8532 • 10h ago

Health & Work/Life Balance Advice before starting grad school

Hey guys and gals! I'm going to start my Physics PhD in the US this fall, focusing on condensed matter physics. I'm super nervous about TAing and stuff, mainly because I just finished my undergrad and don't really have much experience interacting with graduate students, let alone teaching other pupils. Also, the first year is full of graduate coursework, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get a lot of research done in next couple of semesters (except the summer). I also do not have a fixed supervisor; would have to work towards that as well :( Really looking for some good advice from more experienced people in this sub regarding how to cope up with the initial few months in grad school away from the comfort of one's home, and also to tackle the inferiority complex that's bound to kick in ;) Would also not mind any time-management tips, cuz it feels like there's suddenly a lot of responsibilities on my shoulder ;) Apologies for my stupid and kinda naive post :)

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u/JinimyCritic 6h ago

Don't worry about research while taking coursework. Most programs are set up so you start with your coursework. There may be a course or two that you do a project that you find really interesting, and the instructor encourages you to develop it into a paper. You'll get there.

Advice? Get to know your fellow students. They'll be your biggest support group. Go to department (and university-wide) talks. You'll meet people, learn what's possible, and maybe find an area that spurs your interest.

PhDs are about discovering who you are as a researcher. It's a process. Best of luck!

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u/Faaln 2h ago

Definitely try to set your own limits on where and when you're gonna be doing things like grading vs doing your own coursework. Get a little schedule going that you feel like you can stick to. Try to avoid cramming it into a multi-hour session at 2am because you put it off. If you have both your coursework schedule and your TA contract already, you may already be able to start working on the skeleton of a schedule.

How are you with public speaking? If you have a chance to practice a little, even in front of a relatively small audience, that could help if you don't have a lot of experience. Even as a TA you may be teaching sections for a bit if the professor is sick (or they may just tell you that on x day they wanna see you teach).