The Grad School Diaries: Episode 6 - The [Working] Grad Student Wishlist

Welcome to the Graduate School Student's 

TIME

Grad Students always complains about not having much time. Actually we do have time, we just “accidentally” spent it on something else. Grad students usually wish if we can extend the 24 hours of one day, for that extra hour before hitting the snooze button, for that extra hour before an exam, extra 30 minutes for a coffee break or extra 30 minutes to one hour before becoming officially late for class. 

FUNDS

For working students like me, and those who are not on scholarship, we need to keep our jobs in order to pay for our education and other basic needs. We need funds for other expenses from buying to photocopying books, for printing manuscript and having it hard bound, for paying for class trips, cups of coffee during off-campus discussions and for buying little pieces of heaven (read: chocolate) to reward ourselves when we feel we deserve it. (C’mon!)

 THE ENERGY & ABILITY TO MULTITASK WELL

I cannot stress this enough. I am amazed at how some of my classmates can work/study/run business/be a parent/partner/raise a kid/engage in hobbies while maintaining good grades in graduate school. I admire how they manage their time when by 5pm onwards, after work, all I’ve been thinking about lately is putting on my pajamas and watch Friends on DVD.

HAVING A [REALISTIC] INSPIRATION

When everything seems to be stressing us out, we must have at least an inspiration. It is hard not to have someone to look up, unless you really are self-motivated. In my case, I have friends that I look up to as “pegs’ to help me stay on my track and focus because sometimes I tend to have the attention span of an 8 year old kid. If you're on your thesis season like me, you will be needing something that inspires you to write. I've always been a writer and writing has always been my passion but I am having such a hard time finding my mood to write.

TO GRADUATE

Of course, the Ultimate Grad School Student Dream: To Graduate and earn the Degree.

Because if not, what are we still doing here?

(All photos were googled)