How to Do Well in Graduate School: 10 Practical Strategies
BY Office of Marketing and Communications | 6 MIN READ
You’ve made the decision to continue your education with a graduate degree—how do you make the most of your investment? Here are some practical graduate school success tips on how to prepare for grad school and how to be successful after you’re admitted. These graduate school success tips also address the most important habits for success in graduate school, how to manage time effectively while in graduate school, and what strategies help maintain motivation.
Getting Started
1. Determine Your Why
Think about why you want to go to grad school. Consider your goals—are you looking to advance in your field or change careers? If you want to move ahead in your current field, take a look at degrees that are held by people in leadership positions. If you want to switch to a new field, research what credentials are needed for the roles you aspire to have. Having a clear purpose and keeping it in focus is one of the most important habits for success in graduate school and can help you stay motivated.
2. Consult Your Stakeholders
Just like in the business world, you have people in your personal life who care about and feel the impact of your decisions, including your family, friends and employer. Make sure you talk to these “stakeholders” about your graduate school journey and get their buy-in before you start. As you are committing time, energy and resources to furthering your education, it will help to know those who matter are willing to support you. Their support can sustain you during demanding terms.
3. Find a Program That Fits
Search for schools with your program of study (GradSchools.com is a great starting point) and compare things like cost, course format (online, in person or hybrid), time it will take to earn your degree, prerequisites, and admission requirements and deadlines. Visit the school for an on-campus or virtual tour, and talk to current students, alumni and faculty to see whether the school and program feels like a good fit and start narrowing down your choices before applying. Choosing graduate programs that match your goals and lifestyle is central to how to prepare for grad school and to staying engaged over the long haul. Find more tips on the application process here.
4. Explore Financial Aid for Graduate Students
Graduate school can offer a great return on investment in terms of career earnings, but it can be expensive. While you might think financial aid is only for undergraduates, there is financial aid for graduate students, including scholarships, graduate assistantships, grants and loans. In some cases, your employer might even provide tuition assistance. Proactively researching financial aid for graduate students can reduce stress and support persistence, which protects your focus.
During the Program
5. Master Time Management
Life is busy—you’re already balancing work, family, friends and other interests—and graduate studies will add more to your to-do list. Prioritizing work-life balance enables you to stay energized and motivated, while improving your overall quality of life. The key to time management for graduate students is planning ahead. Make a habit of setting a schedule, blocking out time for tasks and activities on your paper or digital calendar, and breaking up larger projects or assignments into smaller parts. Effective time blocking, weekly planning, and batching tasks are essential habits for success in graduate school and keep you moving through your program without burning out.
6. Connect with Your Cohort
When you embark on a program of graduate studies, you are not alone—you will move through the program with a group of peers known as your cohort. Peer accountability groups and regular study sessions help maintain motivation by providing shared milestones and support. Your fellow students are a great resource not only for collaborating on coursework and studying but also for expanding your professional network.
7. Build Relationships With Professors
Your professors are invested in your success. Graduate programs typically feature smaller class sizes that offer a close-knit collaborative experience, and professors are able to get to know students. Professors are often active practitioners in their fields and can be a valuable source of information, research opportunities and industry contacts. Regular check-ins and feedback conversations not only sharpen your work but also reinforce motivation by showing progress and relevance.
8. Seek Out Support
Campus resources that are there to support all students, including graduate students. Such services might include academic support, counseling and career support. Most universities have dedicated career centers that are designed to help students with their job search and career goals. At Elmhurst, for example, the Russell G. Weigand Career Center for Professional Excellence (WCCPE) provides services to both students and alumni, including interview workshops, networking events, career counseling, résumé help, job/internship search assistance and LinkedIn enhancements. Using these services is one of the most overlooked graduate school success tips and can help bolster time management and maintain momentum.
After Graduation
9. Maintain Your Network
During graduate school, you will gain a large network of peers who will support you throughout your career and connect you to opportunities. The network you form will be one of your most valuable takeaways, so it’s important to maintain those connections, whether it’s through LinkedIn, professional organizations or alumni groups. Continued engagement with your cohort and mentors sustains momentum as you pursue roles aligned with your graduate programs.
10. Keep on Learning
Once you have finished your graduate degree, you can keep your skills fresh by taking advantage of continuing education. Some colleges will offer discounts on additional courses, programs and certificates. At Elmhurst University, for example, graduates of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program have the opportunity to audit one MBA class per year for free to continue to gain important leadership and management skills as their careers mature and advance. Lifelong learning habits keep you adaptable and motivated.
Next Steps
Now that you know more about how to prepare for grad school—and have a toolkit of graduate school success tips for habits, time management and motivation—Elmhurst University is committed to helping you succeed. We can help you explore financial aid for graduate students early, compare graduate programs carefully, and keep applying these graduate school success tips to thrive from admission through graduation. Learn more about our graduate programs and graduate admission process by filling out the form below.
