How to Succeed in Grad School: From A Philosophy PhD Student

How to Avoid the Fast track to Burn Out

Many graduate students need a reality check. It is supremely easy to get sucked into the black hole of academia- you can always read one more book, or write one more article, or go to one more conference. It sometimes shocks grad students to learn that sometimes, less is more.

Read less and trust your voice.

In my first year of graduate school I actually over-prepared for classes. I would read everything at least twice, I would take notes, I would come to seminars with a list of both general and highly specific questions. The truth is, you don’t need to do all that. First of all, no other graduate students are doing that. Second of all, if you over-prepare, none of the other students will be able to follow your super specific questions anyways. Third of all, reading too closely can cause you to miss the forest for the trees. Finally, if you come into class being super familiar with the text, that can actually make it harder for you to follow the flow of the conversation.

So read the most important texts once or twice and take notes, read the less important stuff less closely, and don’t be afraid to ask some fast and loose questions and shoot from the hip.

Write a little every day.

Even if it is not time to write your dissertation yet, I think it is critical to start writing early. You do not necessarily need to publish anything before you get an MA, none of the stuff you write needs to be good, not yet. But getting into the practice early will save you a lot of trouble down the road.

The easiest way for me to write a little every day is to write down my reading notes and to make sure to add a few paragraphs of analysis to the end of them. Another thing I like to do is add content to my class presentations as I read more.

The secret here is that course papers do not need to be publishable, but they can be turned into publishable papers. I consider course papers early drafts, which eliminates a lot of inhibiting perfectionism. I also sign up for conferences to give me extra motivation to improve these papers. Conferences can be great ways to workshop ideas and get feedback to make the paper publishable down the line.

Get to Know People in Your Program.

The single most important factor determining your success in a graduate program is not the stipend. It is not the prestige of the program. It is whether or not you feel a sense of fellowship with your academic community. Grad school is one of the most alienating experiences you will likely have in life. You read, think, and write about highly eclectic things all day, every day. There’s no way that it won’t be lonely.

But. All of the things you are feeling right now are things every one of the members of your cohort and academic community more broadly has felt before. The isolation, the imposter syndrome, the existential dread, the doubt. All of it. So commiserating can be cathartic.

Have hobbies outside of school.

You are going to experience many successes and many failures in grad school. Life often hits you in waves, so you might experience a period of your life where you feel constantly rejected. It is horrible to experience rejection in a field you have likely worked your ass off for years to get good at. So having a sense of self-worth that is not solely dependent on your academic success is crucial, especially given how fickle the job market, the department environment, and the publication process can be.

If I have other goals I am pursuing that have nothing to do with my academic career, I feel so much more grounded. Maybe my niche academic interests are not all there is to life. Maybe that 5k I’m running next month, or the great dinner I prepared for my loved ones, or the great sunset outside my window adds just as much (if not more) value to my life moment-to-moment.

Have normal friends.

While you do need to commiserate with fellow grad students who understand the nuances of your anguish, you also really, really need friends outside of your program and outside of academia in general. Again, it helps to gain a sense of perspective. Having friends in the workforce can also remind you just how amazing your job is. Lots of jobs are soul-crushing. So it’s nice to be reminded that reading, writing, researching, and teaching is actually the coolest job in the world.

Exercise.

Seriously. A Ph.D. program lasts 5–10 years. You are going to get older. Your back is going to hurt. Your diet is going to be questionable at times. You need this for your health. Again, you can spend 60 hours or 80 hours or 100 hours a week in the library and still have more you can do. But just 1 hour of exercise can boost your mood all day and keep you healthy.

Give yourself (at least) one day off per week.

People often try to justify overworking themselves by saying that it is only temporary, but it isn’t. After grad school, there is tenure track, after tenure track, you still have reviews. There will always be an excuse to work more. If you don’t start working on living a balanced life now, you are on the fast track to burnout.

What other pieces of advice do you have for graduate students?