Getting hands-on experience in grad school is important and one way to do so is by securing a graduate assistantship. A graduate assistantship might consist of teaching, lab work, research, providing technical support for courses taught by faculty, working on grant funded projects for program development, organizing and analyzing data for professors, or working in a non-academic area, such as Student Affairs. Assistantships almost always include a stipend and tuition waver, making grad school just a little bit more affordable for the standard student.
Many students find great value in the assistantships they participate in — it teaches them more practical experience than their classes do and they can forge professional bonds with those they work with. But other students are disillusioned with their GA because it’s boring or stressful or maybe just not what they expected.
Whatever cards you get dealt in your graduate assistantship, here are some tips to make the best of your situation.
1. Learn as much as possible.
Your graduate assistantship is much more than just a way for you to easier afford grad school; it’s a significant opportunity for you to learn. Whether you are doing compelling research with your favorite, most respected professor or grading hundreds of mundane writing assignments, you should adopt an attitude of learning.
Learn more about yourself. Set goals at the beginning of each week. If you do research, did your findings enrich your academic life? Did you help any of the undergraduate students you teach understand a difficult concept? Did you have any productive conversations with someone else in the department?
At the end of each week, try to do a personal evaluation. Even if your assistantship is more administrative than related to your area of study, you can still learn transferable skills for later in life: working until things get done, communicating with difficult people, problem solving, and collaboration will come up many times in your life. And you’ll only master these skills if you’re open to learning.
2. Maintain a positive attitude.
Graduate school is an enriching season of life, but yes, it can be exhausting: juggling a set number of hours a week with your graduate assistantship, classes, department meetings, and that extra lecture your advisor “highly encouraged” you to attend. A busy schedule like this can tire you, and tired people tend to drift into complaining. But don’t let that happen to you.
Talk to your friends and certainly your fellow grad students about something more than what you’re stressed about. Did you learn something fascinating today during research? If you grade undergraduate assignments, did any of their answers make you smile or laugh today?
Being a positive presence in your department will rub off on your professors and all the students around you, and they will in turn improve your day-to-day experience.
So be kind, smile, and maintain a positive outlook on your experiences.
3. Take pride in your work.
Again, no matter the level of excitement of your assistantship, throw yourself into your work. You’ll present yourself as a diligent, persevering person and impress your advisor, which is definitely a positive thing when you need letters of recommendation during the job-seeking process.
It’s the little things that build your character and slowly show others your admirable character — showing up on time, finishing on schedule, being polite to the professors and other grad students you work with, and maintaining attention to detail. If you’re asked to perform a task you dislike, don’t show reluctance. Rather, be proud to help out where you can. You’re a necessary cog in the machinery of academia, so perform your duties with purpose.
And since your duties have purpose, talk about them. Share your work with others, whether it’s people in the department or outside friends or your spouse. Talk about what excited you, what challenged you, and what you’re most proud of.
The years you spend in grad school have the potential to be the most rewarding years of your life but they also have the potential to be quite difficult. And while your graduate assistantship will take up a good chunk of your time, don’t let that time be wasted. Make each day an opportunity to flourish, learn, and grow.
If you are considering pursuing an advanced degree in the field of business, start by learning more about the master’s programs offered at WVU in the College of Business and Economics.
