We started classes last week, and it is hard to believe that this is the third year. I have vivid memories of sitting in my core classes during my first year, and I feel like I should be smarter than I feel and know more than I do. Yet, I've learned a lot since then, and with so much more to learn.
I started going to this Level 2 yoga class recently, and I have found so many parallels between yoga and grad school. For starters, despite being in a class, both yoga and grad school are very individualistic experiences. My yoga practice is my own, I move at my own pace, and I'm focused only on myself. Grad school is very similar. Someone once told me that grad school is like a video game: we master one level, and then move on to the next, more challenging level. Yoga is similar. I started in a Level 1 class, and now I've moved on to the Level 1-2 and Level 2 classes. So, back to this Level 2 class with Kelly. She always reminds us that our yoga practice is for us, to move at our own pace, to listen to our own bodies, and to do what we need to do for ourselves. This is a mantra that could very well be bottled up and repeated in grad school.
So many times, we get narrow minded and focus only on the hoops we must jump through to get a Ph.D. This is unfortunate, because by focusing only on qualifying paper 1, 2, and 3, advancement, dissertation, etc., we lose sight of all the important skills necessary to build the foundation to sustain a 40 year career. There is a playing field beyond UCI, and I want to be ready to play in that game.
Success and progress come in many forms, and these are not always a check mark that can be checked off upon completion. When I met with KB and DM last week, we debriefed and discussed the lessons learned from my first qualifying paper. Yes, now I get to check the box, but I've learned that it's more important to think of all the things I learned in the process. If I focused only on the hurdle, I would be losing sight of the skills that I developed- the skills that are the foundation to a successful career. This past year, I learned how to do research, I learned statistics, I learned how to structure an argument, I built professional relationships, and I collected my own data. Yes, I have a lot more to learn, but I'm ready for the challenge of the next level.
By focusing on the big picture, I actually find it comforting to know that the "tough love" critiques from my professors and this "on the job" training are preparing me for an arena larger than UCI. And I always remember: grad school is for me, move at my own pace, listen to myself, and do what I need to do for me.
I started going to this Level 2 yoga class recently, and I have found so many parallels between yoga and grad school. For starters, despite being in a class, both yoga and grad school are very individualistic experiences. My yoga practice is my own, I move at my own pace, and I'm focused only on myself. Grad school is very similar. Someone once told me that grad school is like a video game: we master one level, and then move on to the next, more challenging level. Yoga is similar. I started in a Level 1 class, and now I've moved on to the Level 1-2 and Level 2 classes. So, back to this Level 2 class with Kelly. She always reminds us that our yoga practice is for us, to move at our own pace, to listen to our own bodies, and to do what we need to do for ourselves. This is a mantra that could very well be bottled up and repeated in grad school.
So many times, we get narrow minded and focus only on the hoops we must jump through to get a Ph.D. This is unfortunate, because by focusing only on qualifying paper 1, 2, and 3, advancement, dissertation, etc., we lose sight of all the important skills necessary to build the foundation to sustain a 40 year career. There is a playing field beyond UCI, and I want to be ready to play in that game.
Success and progress come in many forms, and these are not always a check mark that can be checked off upon completion. When I met with KB and DM last week, we debriefed and discussed the lessons learned from my first qualifying paper. Yes, now I get to check the box, but I've learned that it's more important to think of all the things I learned in the process. If I focused only on the hurdle, I would be losing sight of the skills that I developed- the skills that are the foundation to a successful career. This past year, I learned how to do research, I learned statistics, I learned how to structure an argument, I built professional relationships, and I collected my own data. Yes, I have a lot more to learn, but I'm ready for the challenge of the next level.
By focusing on the big picture, I actually find it comforting to know that the "tough love" critiques from my professors and this "on the job" training are preparing me for an arena larger than UCI. And I always remember: grad school is for me, move at my own pace, listen to myself, and do what I need to do for me.
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