by Brendan Chan
No matter who’s asking about my experience as an HGSE student, I end up always including the sentence: “I’m deeply grateful for the gift of space and time.”
Specifically, I’ve been trying to use my three-year gift to learn, grow, connect (with myself, with my partner, and with friends, new and old), process, heal, and explore as much as possible.
Although it’s a deeply personal journey, I think there’s also a pretty universal question that all students face: how do you make the most out of your time?
I’m currently in my second year of the Doctor of Education Leadership program (also known as the Ed.L.D.). I had never been to grad school before and certainly had never attended a school like Harvard. As a cohort-based program, the first year in Ed.L.D. is spent in classes mostly with just your cohort. In the second year, we have access to classes across the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and more. Our third year is spent working a full-time Residency, which can take place anywhere in the country. So, as you can imagine, each year of the program is remarkably different.
My cohort (Cohort 12) has 25 people in it, which means there are a lot of things we experience together as a group, and there are 25 people having their own unique experiences.
I talked to some of my cohortmates and friends – as well as some of the first-year cohort, Cohort 13 – about how they think about making the most out of their time in the program. I pulled them into themes as I saw them, and although this post is geared towards prospective Ed.L.D. students, my hope is that some of this can resonate with everyone applying to a HGSE program.
Finding your way and defining your balance is a personal journey
First-year Ed.L.D. student Bing Howell reminds us:
“This is a choose your own adventure…which means you get to drive it….and it is an adventure. Make sure it is going where you want it to. Ensuring that what you are doing aligns with getting to where you want to go (if at least directionally) is very personal, and it is easy to get caught doing lots of things that don’t align if there isn’t an awareness of this.”
My joyous classmate Anyeli Matos urges:
“Focus on what matters to you – and figure out what you have the capacity to do. After you have an idea of that balance, then get out there and meet people and explore the many resources that the university has to offer. It’s also important to mention how overwhelming it can feel to have so many resources. Focusing in and developing some idea of what is important to you/what you value and being intentional about how you spend your time, will be critical. BUT don’t take yourself so seriously and remember to have fun!”
Take advantage of what’s on campus
My wonderful classmate Ryan Burton shares:
“I attend events across Harvard to learn from the incredible leaders who visit campus and other students. These lectures and discussions have been a significant part of my education here.”
I’ll add that each school has its own website, its own programs and centers and institutes, and there is so much going on in the greater geographic area. Ask yourself how you want to balance depth vs. breadth, try things out, and see how you feel. Most of all, don’t be afraid to change your mind. You will never be able to do everything you want, but you can certainly feel good about where you spend your time.
Invest in relationships
My brilliant classmate Barbara Best shares:
“The courage community and powerful network of the EdLD ecosystem is a huge strength of the program. Lean into the community and build strong root systems for yourselves, young people, and communities to flourish! Lean into the relationships! You can save the readings but the magic is in the relationships and connections that we all need to flourish.”
For me, this is the most important theme. I like to think about my time and my relationships in ways that span across multiple levels:
- my program and classmates in Ed.L.D.
- the broader HGSE community (especially outside of Ed.L.D.)
- the entire Harvard community
- the general Cambridge community
- my people who don’t live in the area
and it is deeply important to me to both feel a sense of balance within and across those levels. And what I seek and where I invest time has evolved over time. The most critical part for me has been having the space and time to myself and for myself to reflect and check-in regularly.
It’s so easy to get caught up in everything that’s happening, and I seek support from my partner and my friends to reflect back on different parts of who I am when I’m not at HGSE.
If you’re thinking about how you might want to make the most out of your time at HGSE, there are many resources for you to explore! It starts by identifying which program is right for you and making plans to apply.
This is part of a small series of blog posts that I’m writing this fall sharing my experience in the Ed.L.D. program. If you’re thinking about applying to the Ed.L.D. program, check out my blog post on application tips!
Brendan Chan is a member of Cohort 12 of HGSE’s Ed.L.D. program.
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