385: What I Wish I Knew Before Grad School: 3 Truths Every Student Should Know

In this episode of the Grad School Femtoring podcast, I share three truths I wish I understood before starting graduate school. For first-generation, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and other students navigating unfamiliar academic spaces, graduate school can feel like entering a cultural system with its own language, expectations, hierarchies, and unwritten rules. I reflect on my experience of feeling behind and explain why struggling to understand the hidden curriculum does not mean you do not belong.

I also explore how productivity culture can tie your sense of worth to your output and why mentorship, femtorship, and community care are essential parts of a sustainable graduate school experience. Through three reflection prompts, I invite you to name the expectations affecting your sense of belonging, identify where you may be overworking to prove yourself, and consider who you can reach out to for support.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why graduate school functions as a cultural system with unwritten rules beyond academic requirements.
• How unclear expectations, departmental politics, and unstructured time can affect your sense of belonging.
• How doing less, resting more, and setting boundaries can protect your wellbeing.
• Why mentorship, femtorship, and community care are essential to navigating graduate school.
• Three reflection questions to help you seek clarity, reduce overwork, and identify support.

Work with me

• Explore 1:1 coaching for culturally relevant support as you navigate graduate school, protect your capacity, and build sustainable systems: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/coaching/

Free resource

• Download your Grad School Femtoring Resource Kit: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/kit/

Explore more

• Listen to more episodes on Grad School Hidden Curriculum: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast_catergory/grad-school-hidden-curriculum/
• Support the podcast with a one-time or monthly donation: https://donate.stripe.com/bJedR8dGRcs6ewGdwq38401
• Access transcripts and additional resources: https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/
• Audio and transcript edited by Yessi Sanchez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yessisanchez/
• This podcast is a proud member of the Genuina Media network.
• The Grad School Femtoring Podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy or other professional services.

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