Throughout the year, we ask our students to share their experiences, including their challenges! Izzy Rubin is a master’s student in HGSE’s International Education Policy (IEP) program. Above, she’s pictured with the IEP cohort at a monthly birthday celebration.
In coming to HGSE, I was most nervous about building my support network from scratch. I recognized that this had to be my top priority in order to succeed in an intensive program like HGSE. However, this was challenging for me because I didn’t know anyone in the area, had never lived far from my family (my primary support network), and am rather introverted.
Building my network actually began well before the semester started. I attended alumni and admitted student events, enrolled in an optional online HGSE summer course, and took an on-campus prep course before orientation. Getting involved with HGSE early helped me to learn names and faces so that when classes did start, I would recognize at least a few people, giving me some semblance of community in my new surroundings.
As the semester started, I did three things to bolster my network. First, I suppressed my inclination to bury my head in books and made a deliberate effort to talk to my peers often. I also joined the soccer club and started the Finance Education for Educators club. Lastly, I scheduled an appointment with the counseling and mental health office. I didn’t “need” an appointment, but for me it was important to establish a space where I could share anything on my mind.
The semester was off to a strong start, but the thing about grad school is it’s hard.
When midterms hit and the novelty faded, I found myself overwhelmed and discouraged. It was time to call upon my new network. I reached out to some of the supports that HGSE provides like my program administrator, mental health services, and a professor I felt comfortable talking to. Each person offered a different perspective on how to manage stress and tackle various issues. I also reached out to alumni and my Student-Alumni Mentoring Initiative (SAMI) mentor for informational interviews which gave me more tangible goals to aspire to and motivated me to get through the rest of the semester.
During a particularly difficult week, I shared with some friends how deflated I felt, and they shared that they had felt the exact same way at one point or another during the semester. We talked about what to do to manage the stress, and they encouraged me to make sure I was reaching out to the various resources on campus. For the rest of the semester, we took turns sharing difficulties and supporting each other through them, whether that meant giving a hug, proofreading a paper, or simply listening to each other vent. Having these personal connections meant more than anything to finish the semester strong.
Moral of my story? Talk to people, reach out to resources, and give back to your peers. I have found that the more I cultivate my relationships at HGSE, the easier it is to manage stress and focus on what’s important. It certainly takes a lot of deliberate effort, but to finally feel rooted in HGSE’s remarkable community is well worth it.
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