Setting Out on Your Academic Journey

This chapter is primarily targeted at graduate students. Starting a graduate program can be daunting for new students. You have to learn many new skills, work in a new environment with unfamiliar people, and are expected to produce an original body of research by the end of your studies. However, it is also an exciting time when you can grow as a person and a scientist, meet new people, learn interesting new things, and create new knowledge that may make the world a better place. This chapter provides advice on choosing a professor, getting to know your lab mates, finding a mentor, understanding the graduate program, developing the soft skills needed (such as time management, creativity, critical thinking, communication, independence, teamwork, and laboratory practice), work-life balance, and career goals. It is designed to demystify the graduate studies process.