{"id":3162,"date":"2026-09-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/?p=3162"},"modified":"2026-08-31T11:28:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T15:28:34","slug":"jumpstart-your-graduate-journey-faculty-tips-for-success-and-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/2026\/09\/28\/jumpstart-your-graduate-journey-faculty-tips-for-success-and-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Tips for Success and Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you setting out on the next step of your academic career? Whether you\u2019re a prospective student or already admitted, the journey into graduate school can feel both thrilling and daunting. In the recent episode of \u201cVictors in Grad School,\u201d host Dr. Christopher Lewis<\/strong><\/a> gathers a powerhouse panel of UM-Flint faculty\u2014Dr. Amy Yorke<\/strong><\/a>, Shelby Newport<\/strong><\/a>, and Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer<\/strong><\/a>\u2014to share insight, encouragement, and practical advice for students about to embark on this transformative chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curiosity, Openness, and Risk-Taking: Keys to Thriving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the major themes in this candid conversation is the power of curiosity. Shelby Newport highlights how students who approach their studies with an open mind and a \u201cthirst for knowledge\u201d get the most from both their coursework and their relationships with faculty. Every panelist underscores the value of taking risks\u2014introducing yourself to professors, trying new things academically, and stepping outside your comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke expands on the idea of risk-taking, urging students to be proactive in making connections and embracing discomfort as part of growth. Rather than seeing new challenges as obstacles, the panel encourages reframing them as opportunities to become stronger, more resilient scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building Meaningful Faculty Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A standout point from the episode is the importance of genuine interaction between students and faculty. Whether you\u2019re studying in-person or online, building connections early makes it easier to ask for help, gain mentorship, and tap into career opportunities down the line. The panel advises introducing yourself, participating actively, and reaching out even when things are going well\u2014not just when you\u2019re struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embracing Support and University Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduate school is demanding, but you\u2019re never alone. The faculty share practical recommendations for time management, advocating for starting strong, using campus resources (like counseling and library services), and communicating openly when life hits a rough patch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bigger Picture: Growth, Balance, and Belonging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps most powerfully, the episode reminds listeners that while grad school brings new pressures, it\u2019s also about self-discovery, finding balance, and developing a community of learning. Both vulnerability and persistence are celebrated as essential ingredients for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready for more inspiration and concrete advice as you begin your graduate school adventure? Tune in to \u201cVictors in Grad School\u201d and let these expert voices guide you toward a fulfilling and successful graduate experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRANSCRIPT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Victors in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school. Hello, welcome. Thank you so much for being here today. I’m Dr. Christopher Lewis, Director of Graduate Programs at the University of Michigan Flint. Really excited that you’re here today for the first of a number of sessions that we lovingly call our Jumpstart Orientation. It is a way for us to be able to help you to make that jump start into graduate school. And I am so excited to be able to kick off with a few of our faculty members that are joining us today to be able to talk to you about jumping into graduate school, what it’s like, what to expect when you get to here for your classes, and to be able to help you in this journey that you’re on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:54]:
I’ve got 3 of my friends with me tonight, Dr. Amy Yorke from our physical therapy program, Shelby Newport from our Arts Administration program, and Dr. Mohamed Mekawer from our Artificial Intelligence\u2014 no, yes, Artificial Intelligence program. I’m like, wait a minute, I just lost it for a second. I am so excited to have all 3 of them here today and be able to moderate a conversation with them. But what we want to do is engage with you too. So this opportunity is going to be, I’m gonna ask them some questions that I’ve prepared, but then really, if you’ve got questions, throw ’em in the chat. And we’re, you know, no questions off bounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:41]:
We want to answer your questions tonight to be able to help to demystify what it’s gonna be like and to help you to better get yourself prepared. So, so my friends, thank you for being here. Really appreciate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:01:55]:
Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:55]:
And I’m going to kick this off by asking a question to all 3 of you. From your perspective, what separates graduate students who really thrive from those who struggle in graduate school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:02:09]:
Who wants to kick it off? Should I jump in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:02:12]:
Go ahead, Shelby, and then I’ll follow up after you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:02:14]:
Great. Um, hi all, welcome. Um, like Dr. Lewis said, I’m Shelby Newport. I’m a costume designer and in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts in the area of theater, which is where arts administration sits. And what separates our graduate students, I think, might be the same as all graduate students, which is this curiosity and a willingness. And so you come in the classroom and you know you’re not the smartest person in the room. You act like you’re not the smartest person in the room, and you’re there with this curiosity for Like, bring it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:02:51]:
What is it gonna be? And I’m ready for it because I just have this like thirst for knowledge. And those are the students that get the opportunities to work alongside faculty more often, who get the opportunities for the faculty member to say, that paper was so great and had so much in it. I want you to submit it to this conference and come alongside and present with me. Like, those extra opportunities come to those with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:03:19]:
Gonna add to that with that curiosity is the risk-taking. So being willing to introduce yourself to the faculty member face-to-face is really powerful, but even an email has meaning as well. Being willing to kind of take that risk of stepping out of your comfort zone. So even if you have never like engaged in research, but you’re curious about it, of saying, you know, are there any projects that you’re working on? projects that you need help or assistance with. Any of those things of taking risk. Because if you’re not feeling uncomfortable, you’re not growing, and graduate school is going to push you to grow. And you’d rather have it\u2014 you’d rather have you kind of leading that a little bit with some pushing versus being pulled all the time, because that becomes really, really hard. So just adding on to Shelby’s curiosity, I would add taking risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:04:20]:
All right, so I guess it’s my turn. So hello everyone, good afternoon, and it’s my pleasure to talk about to you about my experience. So my name is again Mohamed Makour. I’m actually from the computer science background, so I direct software engineering and AI. And I will probably, to add to what Shelby and Amy were saying, I’ll talk about my experience, right? So when I did my bachelor degree, I was looking for a degree to get a job. When I went out for my master’s, I was looking for opportunity. I wasn’t looking for a degree. I already have one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:04:51]:
I already have a job. And I’ve already seen a lot of problems in industry where I was working. And I realized that I need to develop some skills that are needed for me to go to the next level, to upscale my career, right? So the master’s program was not a degree that I was seeking. It was an opportunity for me to develop better skills that can help me be better in what I do as a software engineer back then. And then I realized I enjoyed that kind of problem solving so much that I have to also continue with the PhD level, right? So, so to me, grad school is where you realize, okay, this is where I am right now in my career. Can I do a shift? Can I improve it? Can I go deeper into some topic that I think I enjoy the most, but I don’t have the appropriate skills for? And that’s how you kick off your master’s degree. To me, this is how you succeed on it because You are actually now driving your own decision on where you want to specialize versus you are, as in the bachelor’s, taking a bunch of courses just because you want to have a degree and you have no background, right? This is how\u2014 this is my perception of a successful, you know, graduate school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:55]:
How should students approach their first few weeks of graduate school to get off to a strong start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:06:03]:
What advice would you give to students who are struggling with time management?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:06:08]:
I would encourage students to review the course syllabus and start to put down dates in your calendar of when things are due, and knowing that you have a life outside of school. So depending on if you’re a full-time student or part-time student, right, we’re all very, very busy. And so establishing like, this is when things are due, so you can start to plan your other activities or make adjustments adjustments or changes, I think it’s really important. And I always encourage students to start strong, like study more at the beginning than perhaps what you think you need, because you don’t want to find yourself like in a hole. So in the physical therapy program, our majority of our students are full-time, and the hard thing is, is when they have study habits that they used in undergrad and they believe that those study habits will continue to serve them, such as waiting to study for an exam until the night before. And then And then they realize that does not serve them well, and they find themselves in a hole. You don’t want to find yourself in a hole. So knowing what your schedule is and perhaps studying and being engaged in the content more upfront builds success, because success begets success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:07:23]:
So that’s my word of advice for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:07:27]:
Mohamed, I liked your story about how you started your graduate experience, and I want to share just a little piece of mine, which is an MFA in costume design and theater. Purdue University, a big school and on-site, not online. But my advice as a now costume designer is when you look good, you feel good. And so look the part. Think about how you present yourself on campus or in an online setting. Because in my Arts Administration program, it’s fully online. And so yeah, we know you’re in and out and you’re doing stuff and you’re joining a 5:30 class, maybe running from dropping off the kids and getting dinner ready and sitting down. But when you’re in it and turn your camera on and you’re in it, like, what does it all kind of put together to show your faculty member that you are ready to learn? You’ve got that curiosity and that willingness, and you’re in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:08:23]:
Doesn’t mean you don’t have pajama pants on the bottom. You know, maybe that’s the case, but like, be ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:08:32]:
All right, so let me, let me start where I ended earlier. So in the, in your bachelor’s degree, we are most likely told what to take as courses. In the master’s program, this is your opportunity to decide about your own path, right? A lot of programs, at least the one that we administer at the CIT, at the computer science, we allow students to have their own custom-made paths, right? At least as director, I would say that the majority of my students, they don’t follow the same path in their courses. It means that each one of them will have like a pile of courses that they choose based on their preferences, based on the challenges they are facing. Facing in their careers. And therefore, it’s your opportunity for you to choose carefully what courses will contribute to your career and do so. Something that you may not do necessarily at the bachelor’s level. So this is how you start strong is by selecting carefully the courses that will benefit you the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:09:23]:
And I like also taking risk. Take risk at the master’s level by taking courses that can really challenge you in different ways. That being said, in the master’s program or in the graduate level, you have a career. You have a life. You have a family. Also pace it carefully when you do so, right? So you don’t have to go full-time if you can’t. That’s totally fine, right? It’s the graduate programs are designed to help you with your own pace. We can actually work to make that happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:54]:
How can students build meaningful relationships with faculty rather than only interacting with them when they need something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:10:04]:
Well, in those online spaces, it’s showing that engagement. And I think it’s really easy to be a camera-off person, and it’s\u2014 it’s in some situations call for that. But as much as you can, show the faculty member in those synchronous online classes that you’re engaged and you want to be there. And that’s interjecting with a hand up or comments in the chat, whatever that class kind of rhythm is, but it’s, it’s an engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:10:35]:
There’s nothing sweeter than being called by one’s name. And so I think, again, like doing that introduction. So whether it’s online or face-to-face, hi, my name is Amy Yorke. I’m one of the members in your class. Here’s just a little bit about me. I’m excited to be here. Like that touch, that, that point means a lot. Don’t ever think that you’re bothering faculty to share to introduce yourself because you’re not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:11:01]:
We’re here to help you. Some\u2014 there’s been numerous people along my path that have helped me, and it’s, it’s those reaching out points. And if you don’t do it in the first couple weeks, don’t think that you’ve lost your chance. Don’t, don’t, don’t think you’ve lost it. And I also encourage it to happen early because you don’t want your first contact with the faculty to be like, I’m struggling. And I don’t know what to do. That can absolutely be the first contact, and don’t be afraid to contact the faculty member if you’re struggling. But if you start to develop that relationship sooner, it just makes it\u2014 it makes it a lot easier relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:11:39]:
And the more that I know about you and what drives you and why you’re here and what your goals are, the better able I’m gonna be able to help you reach all of those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:11:53]:
Let me give a different perspective, which also based on my own experience. So I did my master’s in University of Michigan-Dearborn, and during that master’s\/PhD, I had interactions with a lot of faculty that were not even my teachers, and I was able to benefit from them without being in their classroom. It’s you being in a university means you are being with a lot of people that have a lot of added value that can really contribute to your career in so many ways, right? So do not just stick to the classroom. Be open to faculty who have projects, who have initiatives, who have clubs, who have events. Be there, participate, and, and build that network, build that connection with them, because it could be beneficial in so many ways. So therefore, you are here in university taking a class, whether it’s online or in person, not doing anything like other type of, you know, learning, like, you know, tutorials or YouTube or or Udemy or whatever. You are here because you are looking for human touch. So benefit from it and make sure you connect with your faculty in so many ways because it will stay beyond your degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:03]:
Mohamed, let me, let me go a little deeper on that. How would you say that students should take advantage of faculty expertise beyond what happens in the class?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:13:13]:
Absolutely. Let me start with this one, and I will give you examples, right? So one example was that students come to the classroom with problems, right? Challenges they either experience in their classroom or they experience in their careers, right? Find the right people who have not just the experience or the skill set, but also they have the excitement about this topic. Because us faculty, we are all excited about some topics, right? We all are engaged in some ways in some specific topics, right? Recently one student came to me and say, I have an experience in how we can refactor code, right? And to me, this is my favorite thing in the world, right? So automatically we connected, we started working together, we published papers together, despite that they are not in my classroom. It’s as simple as that, right? They were able to benefit from the tool I developed during that time, and I was able to develop some research. So it happens in so many ways, right? For instance, I will give my own example when I was a student. There was one faculty in Dearborn that they have a book. They had a book about software engineering and I spent countless hours discussing chapters of that book, you know, and how we can improve that book and how we can benefit from it. Because I was reading it, I was excited about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:14:24]:
I brought a lot of things that I think they should improve. And guess what? I’m using that book right now in my classroom after it was improved, right? So yes, you can benefit from that connection in so many ways if you are already engaged. If you bring your own problems to the table, you can actually find people who can share that excitement about those problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:14:44]:
Shelby or Amy, any thoughts on that one either?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:14:49]:
I’m not sure if it directly goes back to your original question, but just to say that I have in the past worked with graduate research assistants that were studying something else but were interested in exploring like my costume and theater history research. And those have been really productive relationships, to Mohamed’s point. So there are opportunities not only in that social aspect and kind of where adjacent, but also maybe something that feels really different, but that the university offers. And maybe it scratches an itch in creativity or something else that helps your brain work through the stress and complications of your actual degree program, but gives you money as a graduate research assistant somewhere else. And those, I think at UM-Flint, we do those interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary relationships really well because we’re small enough to be able to know each and interact as faculty and as students across the campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:15:52]:
And I would add to that, some of the best conversations I have with students are not necessarily related to the content that I’m teaching, but it’s related to things like, I really like the way that you teach, like, or I really noticed this about something very specific, you know, like I’d like to teach someday. And so that type of interaction of expertise I think that’s a really good piece, not only like specifically for me, like as a physical therapist who specializes in neurologic rehab, but like outside of that, that as a student, as a human, you recognize characteristics of people. And in general, we like to talk about ourselves. And so just like we want to hear you talk about ourselves or yourself, if you ask us a question about ourselves, we’re always very willing to share. And perhaps indirectly provide you some ideas for your own professional growth and development and some maybe indirect mentoring as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:16:54]:
What are some common mistakes that you see graduate students make that can hurt their success or their relationships with faculty?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:17:04]:
Not asking for help, I think, is one of the hardest\u2014 is one of the key areas that Yeah, and I would\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:17:41]:
similar to that, I have seen students that just totally ghost, and that disappearing when you’re feeling like you’re not being as successful as you want to be, or you’re overwhelmed, or whatever that might be, is not useful. Because of the intensity of these programs and the expectations on you as a graduate student, it’s really important to communicate when you’re struggling. And so that’s to Amy’s point, it’s asking for help, but it’s also just telling me what’s going on. It’s letting me know that someone in your family is really ill, and you’re in the caregiving responsibility role, and it’s tough, and you’re trying to keep up. With that information, because we know you’re adults, you’re different than undergraduate students. I mean, I want my undergraduate students to say that as well. But I think with graduate students, you have so many things layered into your life right now. And to know just a portion of that lets me be a better teacher for you and supporter and mentor and sets you up with resources that you might not even know you have on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:18:48]:
So if I had a student say, I just lost my babysitter and now I can’t come to the 5:30 Tuesday night class and like stuff’s going on, I would tell you that there is backup childcare resources available for students. That’s a co\u2014 it’s called\u2014 you can all Google it\u2014 UM Emergency Backup Care. It’s a benefit that you get as a student, I get as a faculty member, and it provides vetted care for children in emergency situations in your home or in a center. And like, maybe you didn’t know you had that. A lot of my colleagues didn’t know they had that. So in conversation and saying that you’re struggling helps those resources come out as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:19:32]:
So maybe my number one advice to students or to avoid the mistake that I see happen a lot is is the mistake of starting your work late. You know, graduate school is designed for you to challenge you in so many ways, and working on your assignments late means you are starting to work on a problem that requires a reflection while you’re very stressed because you are catching a deadline, right? And that stress of catching a deadline will actually make you miss the whole point of the assignment. So a lot of my\u2014 at least this is speaking maybe out of my own area of specializations. If you’re working on an assignment the day of the deadline, you may actually get it done, but you will miss the whole point of the assignment. You will not have enough time to reflect, to think of it, to think of how you can improve that problem and what makes it really interesting. You will just get it done and you will miss the whole point. So therefore, starting early is key to be able to understand, reflect, think of it, and give an answer, right? So students coming to me and say, if I start my assignment this much, would I be able to finish it? You can finish your assignment anytime, right? So that’s not the point. The point is whether you understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:20:50]:
We all have a life, we all have issues, and we all have things to balance. So giving yourself time to go through the assignment, you know, while you in a period of time will help you benefit from it more than you do it in one shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:21:06]:
Chris, I want to add one more thing. Being resistant to feedback or not accepting feedback when it’s provided. The spirit of feedback is intended to help you grow and develop. And I’ve realized something that I’m working on as a faculty member is I realize when students are resistant to feedback, sometimes I’m less likely to give it, which doesn’t help them. And so it’s something that I’m working on as a teacher of, for, for when I’m giving feedback and there’s resistance, of trying to explore that resistance a little bit more with that student to try to help them understand that it’s intended to help them. So I would say being resistant to feedback is also just a real\u2014 if feedback doesn’t tell you that you’re bad or that you’re not smart, it’s really intended to help you And that made me think of another thing, Chris, too, that this\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:22:08]:
I’m terrible with these kind of phrases, but what’s the see the forest for the trees, trees for the forest, right? Like, think of, to Mohamed’s point, like, we scaffold and build the curriculum. And so in this kind of starting late or thinking about each of your classes as separate trees, you’re not seeing the whole forest of this this thing that we have designed as curriculum to build on each part of it. And so like, oh, good job, I’m done with marketing class. Well, like, that’s going to come back. And there’s elements where we want you to build upon each of those and bring in knowledge and projects and the feedback, to Amy’s point, feedback that you may have gotten in the first year into your second-year classes, into that thesis project. They’re going to build on each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:59]:
And so keeping that in mind, Amy, earlier you talked about mentorship, and if a student wants a faculty member to eventually serve as a mentor, what can they do to develop that relationship naturally over time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:23:23]:
Chris, I apologize, but I got distracted by the chat box, so can you repeat the question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:28]:
Sure thing. Now, earlier you talked about some faculty becoming mentors. If a student wants a faculty member to eventually serve as a mentor, what can they do to develop that relationship naturally over time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:23:43]:
I think just having conversations with the faculty regarding any of the work or content that’s being developed, you know, attending office hours, asking the faculty member to share their story. You know, I’m curious, how did you get where you’re at. What do you like most about your position? You know, what are some challenges that you’re experiencing? And just having conversations. Going back to something Mohamed said too, like talking to faculty like outside of the classroom. So if there’s club activities, those different types of things, or seeing them at a university event, all of those things really help foster that relationship. Over time. And I think that is somewhat key, that the more that we talk over time and I get to know you and watch you grow and progress, mentoring might change a little bit depending on what your needs are. But those are some strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:24:51]:
So if I may add, I’m going to talk about an experience that I had just today. Because I have office hours today for students who are registering for my courses. And one student came to the office hours and said, Professor, in my company we have this issue, you know, we have agent people using agents to develop some code. So how do we verify whether these agents are correct in the way they enter, you know, they put code in our systems, right? And I said, how do you think you’re going to solve this problem? And he proposed a solution, and I proposed another solution. Then we end up converging towards a hybrid solution that I thought would work better for in this case. So this conversation ended up us deciding on the spot that he has to do a master’s thesis or do an independent study where he can develop the solution. So bringing the problems to faculty on the table is one way for you to connect with them immediately if they have a common interest to solving these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:25:46]:
Shelby, anything you wanted to add with that one? No. Okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:25:52]:
I can, I can add one more thing because I can answer the question about the graduate assistantship, right? If the faculty has interest into this, solving this issue, they may have opportunities for you to connect through assistantships this way, right? Because now you’re not only you solving this issue in your own context, but also helping the faculty in their own research, right? And this is how you can connect with them through graduate assistantships, right? I personally get, what, 10, 20 requests a week now about people wanting to become my research assistants, right? And over the years, I accepted only a few, the ones that were actually pointing out to the issues that I thought that I was trying to solve myself. So, and this takes time, by the way. You cannot just pick those. You have to have that natural connection through, you know, that faculty because you work in this area, they work in this area. This is number one. Number two, they are both working on the same the same problem, and this is the best organic way for you to become an assistant for that faculty. So find the right faculty that share your same interest, and this is key for you to become a research assistant in their labs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:27:03]:
Yeah, and one of the things that I’ll add there is that just in general, the way that the University of Michigan Flint works in regards to graduate assistantships is We post them usually in the spring. We are actually just posting them now for the fall. So if you go to the Office of Graduate Programs website, you can go on to the Office of Graduate Programs website, click on paying for graduate school, and in there, there’s a link to information about graduate research assistantships. Those are the assistantships that we have available here. They are mostly part-time assistantships, meaning that most students are working about 6 or 7 hours a week, and you apply for them like any job. Now, you only want to apply for things that you’re qualified for. So I always put that out there. You don’t want to apply if, if there’s a physical therapy position with Dr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:00]:
Yorke and you’re a computer science student and it says it’s only for physical therapy students, Don’t apply for the physical therapy position because that’s just going to upset Dr. Yorke because she’s going to have to go through everybody. So that being said, take your time. Usually there’s about\u2014 usually we have about 50 to 60 assistantships per year. So it’s not a lot. But they are going\u2014 the faculty are going to be reviewing anybody that applies and looking for the best fit. So it’s, you know, they are going to be looking at everybody and they might interview you. It’s like a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:38]:
So you’re going to be interviewing or you’re going to be\u2014 they’re going to consider you, they’re going to reach out, they’re going to ask questions, and then they’ll try to identify who’s best. If you don’t get selected when you first come in, that doesn’t mean you can’t apply in the future. And you can always do that. And sometimes that comes down to what all 3 of our panelists have already said about getting to know your faculty. I tell students all the time that when you’re in class, there’s going to be times where your professor is going to say, I have an opportunity. I have a\u2014 I have something that I need some people to do. Who wants to do it? Put your hand up. Be that first one to get your hand up and volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:29:19]:
Yes, it’s going to take some time, but you’re going to build a relationship. That relationship could lead to a graduate assistantship or some other opportunity that you never knew was coming. So that being said, even if you don’t get something coming in the door, keep looking, keep applying, keep, you know, keep building those relationships because it’s going to help in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:29:41]:
Persistence pays off. Like, being persistent matters because sometimes the first opportunity, maybe there was already somebody set for that position, but another one comes up. And based on my interaction with you, I was impressed. And I thought you would be great also on this, and then I’m more likely to reach out to you. So don’t, don’t, don’t take it personally if you don’t get it. Be persistent in a very like professional way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:11]:
Now, one question earlier, I think all 3 of you were talking about that students need to advocate for themselves, and if they’re struggling, they should speak up. Because graduate school can be challenging, what should students do when they’re struggling academically or personally rather than waiting until things become overwhelming?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:30:37]:
Using those university resources. I think it’s easy as a graduate student to not think of yourself like embedded in, in what a college has, but remember, probably very similar to your undergraduate experience, there is a counseling and Accessibility Services Office, and that office provides free counseling to you as a student in both online and face-to-face ways. They are really good at their job, and they are really well suited to work with students of all ages. And so that is, again, one of those benefits that is yours because you are a University of Michigan student. And so remembering that those resources exist and finding them when you know, that moment of struggle comes. Same with the library and all that the University of Michigan offers, tutoring services. And, you know, my program is inside the Rackham Graduate College, which has Ann Arbor-based resources. And so pulling on those resources is really A useful thing and a sign of a successful student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:31:50]:
And I would prefer, like, the instant you have an inkling, like, maybe I should tell my faculty this, tell them this. And it might not\u2014 like, you might not need anything from me, but, you know, like, I want to let you know that my grandfather has been placed on hospice. And so if I get a phone call, like, I might have to miss class. Like, that is the instant you know that something is going on and it may impact your ability to attend, participate in class, or complete an assessment on time. Let the faculty know. And if you\u2014 if something happened unexpectedly, the sooner that you say something, the better it is. And so I think being open and share what you want to share. Don’t\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:32:37]:
if you\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:32:37]:
you don’t have to share Details, but if you say, I’m having a family emergency, I’m gonna be out this week, my plan is that I’m gonna connect with these 2 of my classmates. If I need to meet with you, I’ll email you separately. Like, that shows a very proactive student who’s already trying to solve the problem, because by telling me, you’re not asking me to solve the problem. You’re just simply communicating to let me know ahead of time that you’re something is happening in your life that really prevents you from being the kind of learner that you want to be, and sooner is better than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:33:21]:
Yeah, question in the chat about access to the libraries in Ann Arbor. Yes, and Dearborn too, right? You have\u2014 you can check out books using your Mcard with all of those things physically and also utilize those. Parking is sort of a challenge, but there’s also city street parking in a variety of places. So yeah, unfortunately, our parking passes don’t have reciprocal access. But I have gone to Ann Arbor campus to work, you know, use the Wi-Fi, and that’s great. Lots of resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:00]:
Mohamed, were you unmuting to say something or no?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:34:03]:
Yeah, I was about to say that, and this is me speaking of my own experience with students, right? Just to also, you know, augment what Amy was saying, letting us know what you go through can help us also not\u2014 I mean, usually students think that these problems are obstacles and faculty will just give extensions to kind of\u2014 but this is not how we perceive something. You know, we perceive them as opportunities for us to also even connect more, right? I’ve had students who came asking for extensions. I said, no, no, no, no, no. If you are going through this, this is how we should solve this issue, right? Because there are different ways that we can address problems that you are going through, right? Whether it’s in your learning curve, whether it’s a family urgency, whatever it is, there are multiple ways for us to walk through this. So let us know the situation as soon as possible so that we can walk through the proper way of solving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:57]:
How much should students be willing to step outside of their comfort zone and ask questions, participate, and seek opportunities? And kind of secondary to that is, what do you recommend for those that are scared of stepping out of their comfort zone to get into that place where they can become comfortable being I’m going to say in that\u2014 with that imposter feeling at first, because I know that we’re going to be talking about imposter syndrome right after this with everybody that’s on, and every student tends to fall into it at one point or another. So how do you deal with that as well?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:35:43]:
So since I’m on mute, I’m probably going to start. So, and the imposter syndrome, at least in the context of computer science, comes from AI. And large language models being now available. And the first thing that I kind of trigger with the students is, are you able to be\u2014 to say that you’re better than ChatGPT or whatever, right? Or Gemini, right? And this is how I kind of trigger that moment for them to think about how\u2014 and this is actually bringing a question that they all have in their minds. Would I be replaced? Am I replaceable? Would AI replace me in the future? Would this job exist or whatever? And I use that conversation to start advocating for how they should properly use AI and how they should also evaluate themselves and their learning curve within AI, right? Because if you are able to find yourself doing better than AI, then you definitely are valuable for industry, right? So those who misuse AI are out of the game. Those who don’t use AI are out of the game. for sure. So how would you properly use AI? This is how we can trigger that conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:36:49]:
And this is how I can tell students to start self-assessing them, you know, self\u2014 do that self-assessment with AI to see how they can be better than AI by using AI. So, and I use this also to combat the imposter syndrome at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:37:02]:
Any other thoughts, Shelby or Amy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:37:06]:
Well, yeah, I mean, I think that Yeah. Getting yourself to a place where you are willing to be and able to be vulnerable in an uncomfortable topic or feeling like you are an imposter in this world is a really good indication that you’re learning. That is where change happens. That is where growth happens. And So I mean, in\u2014 I don’t know that I was great at it in the beginning of graduate school. And I was definitely using my earlier advice of like, when you look good, you feel good. Like, act the part. Like, dress for the job you want and not the job you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:37:54]:
Do that. Get yourself there and get yourself prepared for that. And then you move into those spaces. And it never goes away, I think, is also advice, right? That\u2014 and so to cultivate how do you feel and how do you recognize that uncomfortable moment where change is happening or growth is happening makes you a learner for life and a really valuable person in our\u2014 in any of our fields because you’re thinking differently and you’re willing. And so I feel that, like, a lot. And when you feel that feeling, that means change is happening and growth is happening. So it’s an indicator rather than a barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:38:42]:
Yeah. And I would encourage instead of, like, using the language, like, fake it till you make it, like, try it till you triumph. Like, placing it that way. And if you I don’t know if you have read or heard about Carol Dweck and like her idea of like fixed mindset versus flexible mindset, like even just doing a quick Google search and learning a little bit more about that. And I think that sometimes when we’re learning something new, we come very fixed because we think that we’re being judged on what we know and what we don’t know. When in reality, like, you are here to grow. So you really want to embrace this more flexible mindset. Like, maybe it’s just not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:39:22]:
I don’t have it yet, but I’m going to keep working and practicing, and I’m going to keep getting better at that because repetitions matter. No matter what our profession is, the more opportunities we have to practice, the better we get at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:39:37]:
I’ll also add another catchphrase sort of like that. If you can flip your mind to a place of I get to do this instead of I have to do this, You also might, you know, get yourself into that place where change can really happen, growth can happen. We get to do this work every day, and it’s really, it’s pretty amazing, and that’s not lost on me, and with really amazing humans like you all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:40:05]:
Now I see in the, in the chat there’s some questions about where faculty put syllabi and things like that. Do you, the 3 of you, want to talk about how you do that in your courses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:40:16]:
Yeah, so Canvas is our learning management system. If you likely have access, but you probably don’t have shells open yet, you might have a community shell like we have in Arts Administration, a community shell that you’re automatically in. And I do announcements and things like that no matter what class you’re in. So you may have access to something like that. Otherwise, your syllabi are all going to come out on a class-by-class basis, and that usually happens just a couple days before the class begins. You could reach out to faculty, specific faculty, now if you want to get a schedule or get a sense of, you know, the overall scope. You have access to the curriculum of DBA program and MSC cybersecurity. Those programs are all online and the curriculum is there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:41:03]:
That’s going to tell you each of the class names and the course description that’s available on the university catalog. But individual expectations and syllabi is going to come out with faculty on a semester-by-semester basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:41:19]:
So I know like our students won’t be able to access it to the day class starts, but like Shelby had offered, if you are just thinking ahead and you want to just email the faculty member, just say, I’m curious, you know, would you be willing to share it with me, or when might it be available? Just simply put a request. If I had a student today ask me for it, I would say it’s not quite done yet, and I, as soon as I get it done, I will share it with you. So you can always ask. Just be prepared that you might not be able to get exactly what you want when you want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:41:52]:
Yeah, just to put this in more context, which I think this is shared between all of us, faculty typically, they would have to do some rounds of revisions to their courses right before the semester starts. This is how we do it. We always do this right before. We take the feedback that we get from the students. We take the new updates, whatever updates we have. We also get the feedback from the peers. If the course is being taught in multiple sections, we listen and we coordinate with other faculty. And all these activities, they happen right before semester starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:42:22]:
So therefore, syllabi may not be ready by that time. However, if you’re searching for general topics that will be taught in the class, that’s easy. That we can answer in a second. We can say, oh, this is what we’re going to be covering in the classroom. But if you ask about the mechanics and the distribution of grades or whatever, However, this will take time, and you will know this right before the semester starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:42:50]:
Other questions? I see we’re getting close to the end of our time, and I want to make sure that we answer all of your questions before I give them a\u2014 maybe a final question. Not seeing any others yet. Let me ask you this. If you could give every incoming graduate student one piece of advice about building relationships with faculty and succeeding in graduate school, what would it be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:43:21]:
Just one is really hard, Chris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:43:28]:
You can give 2 if you want to give 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:43:30]:
We’ve touched on a lot of those overarching elements today already about connection and willingness But I think that if I haven’t already said the word openness as it relates to willingness, my advice would be open to what might come. Yes, you’ve pursued this program that is a narrowing of your interests into something really specific. So you’re going to hone in on that. But how can you be open to what might come about, whether it’s a line of study or a research project or any of those things? They, you know, they happen and come about when you’re open to what the universe might give you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:44:22]:
I’ll start with something that my father used to tell me when I was younger. He was always telling me, Mohammed, if you’re doing something and it turns out to be easy, you’re probably doing the wrong thing. And that somehow turns out to be true. And that’s true all over my career. So if you are working and you are in your school and you’re struggling with something, you’re probably on the path of learning. So use that struggle as an opportunity for you to improve yourself rather than an obstacle that would prevent you from doing it. So yes, you will find issues. Yes, you will find challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:44:52]:
But you’re here for those\u2014 you’re here to go through them. And this is what makes you proud of your degree in the future. Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:45:00]:
Something that I commonly say to the students is have fun and learn a lot. And so like, just learning should be fun. Doesn’t mean that it’s not work, and you want to learn a lot. So I’ll keep it very simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:45:16]:
So we do have a question in the chat. Someone’s asking your thoughts on if someone is transitioning back to graduate-level education after a long time away from school and going from a traditional learning environment to an online learning environment, what would you recommend to them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:45:39]:
Yeah, I think that this is really common for a lot of graduate students, so you’re not alone first, and the resources on campus are really good for online learning. I think we do this really well at UM-Flint. The Office of Online and Digital Education is a great place to start for kind of your own orientation to our systems. Canvas, I already mentioned, is going to be the hub for all the information\u2014 the syllabi, your grades, announcements. Some faculty use it a lot, some use it very little, but it will be that place where you can count on to see it all in one place. And so that should be bookmarked and something you check every day. And then And just like your face-to-face learning, you had time set aside in your life to go to that class. And so if your program is an asynchronous class and it’s up to you to find those times, schedule those in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:46:38]:
Make the time that you are going to be doing the work of that asynchronous class. That means it doesn’t have a Zoom face-to-face or online meeting, but schedule it into your life. And this is the time that I I am going to be uncompromising about what else is going on because it’s as if I’m in class. So get yourself into that kind of situation, and maybe that’s going to a coffee shop or going to another place so that you ready yourself for that kind of learning and the concentration you need in those online asynchronous classes. And then with online synchronous classes, that’s like what we’re doing tonight, though tonight we’re in what’s called the webinar mode, and so we can’t see you. Most of your online synchronous classes are going to be in a more open format where they’re, you know, you can all be boxes on the screen and there’s a little bit more action and interaction happening. You know, a faculty member may share their screen and they’re showing a slide deck that will then become available for you to look through, and maybe it is kind of lecturing, but if there’s prompts and there’s questions and there’s chat activity, you’re engaged in those kind of things just like you would be if you were sitting in the class. And again, that same advice of readying your for learning in that online synchronous way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:48:00]:
So some days you have to be in the car to do that. But most days, if you can find yourself that calm space that is dedicated to your learning, if it’s in your house or wherever that might be, you know, gets you in the same kind of mindset that you were when you were walking into the classroom in a face-to-face way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:48:22]:
And again, don’t be afraid to ask for help. So when I first started teaching, that’s when I was\u2014 the first time I was like ever used a learning management system. And I, for so long, I would just try to figure things out myself before I would contact like the Office of Distance Education. So feel free. There’s a 24-hour chat thing in there that you can ask somebody that, or you can contact the Office of Distance Education during normal working hours. It’s pretty powerful. So like, don’t be afraid to ask again. Like, don’t, don’t get frustrated trying to use the technology when we really want you to learn the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:48:57]:
The technology should be relatively easy to negotiate, and if it’s not, ask for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:49:04]:
Mohammed, I see you’re unmuted. Did you want to say something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:49:07]:
Can you guys hear me? It’s awesome. Yeah, so I cannot agree more with what Shelby and Amy were saying. I will try to also answer one question from Sonny, I think, about coming back to school after a while. I’ll try to do this all together. I’ll see how that works. So those who come back to school after a career, you’re not a student. You are someone with a career coming back to school, and that career can dictate a lot of way\u2014 can contribute in so many ways to your new learning experience, right? Because we as faculty, we are also looking forward to listening to your experience, to learn back from what you have learned, what are the obstacles you faced in your career, right? And this can also enrich our conversations in the classroom. So don’t be afraid of bringing all the challenges, all the issues you experienced, and also bring your expectations to the table, right? Say that this is what I have learned over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:50:03]:
Do you think that this would also be beneficial to me if I bring this up, right? Right? So, and I will explain to you that, I’ll give you some examples. A lot of students, they bring their class projects from their work, from their careers. A lot of students, they use their thesis as a medium to solve issues in their careers. Some students, they use the assignments as mediums to develop solutions for their own problems. So all these opportunities, don’t be afraid of asking faculty, can I do this this way? And they will be more than happy to guide you whether this is feasible One more thing that is specifically for online asynchronous students. If you are coming back to school and you’re from industry, try to take classes synchronously more than asynchronously, right? Because, and I know this is based on my own experience, whether this applies to all the majors or not, I don’t know. But I know that asynchronous students tend to have a way that they miscalibrate the effort. in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:51:01]:
Maybe students who are asynchronous\u2014 sorry, synchronous or in-person, they go to the lecture on a regular basis, so they discover whether they are struggling or not early on. But those who are asynchronous, they treat the class as on-demand, so they discover later that they are struggling, and they are 3 weeks through the semester, and now they have an assignment, and the professor has talked about this a long time ago, and they feel you know, stressed about coming back and asking those questions late, right? So therefore, if you are an asynchronous student, start early. And as Shelby was saying, put time so that you can not just learn, but also you discover whether you are in the right pace or not. You have to pace yourself. We cannot pace you because you’re not in the classroom, right? So therefore, you have to pace yourself and you discover what is the appropriate pace for you and do this very early in the semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:51:54]:
Some of those asynchronous classes are only going to release information to you on a weekly basis. Some will release the whole thing, and then you really have to self-pace. But you’ll be able to see that in the syllabus. You’ll know what is expected on a week-by-week basis. Usually graduate\u2014 I mean, I don’t know. I guess I shouldn’t talk about all of them. But in online classes, things are structured over a one week, like week 1, week 2, week 3. And so you’re thinking about it not necessarily as you may have in undergrad of like a Monday, Wednesday, but it’s like weeks, week chunks of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:52:36]:
Any final words for any of you that you want to leave the students with this evening?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Amy Yorke [00:52:42]:
Tammy had just put in the chat box what was the biggest obstacle overall for her. And I would say for me, I was a master memorizer. And being a master memorizer got me through undergraduate, but it did not help me be able to apply the concepts I needed to apply. And so for me, I had to change the way that I was learning content. That was a huge obstacle for me for my transition from undergrad to graduate. So don’t memorize, really try to understand and apply, differentiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:53:15]:
Yeah, and I think for me it was like recalibrating and, and re-understanding my definition of balance, which is still like a part of life now. And as life has different chapters, I still struggle with that. In graduate school, sometimes that felt like these really intense periods that I was like totally overwhelmed and didn’t have time for anything else. Should it be this hard? And then other times was like, what? I think I’m supposed to be doing something right now. What am I supposed to be doing? And so And that came because I went directly from undergrad to graduate school. And so I was thinking that it was gonna be the same, and somehow it wasn’t. And that the expectation of the kind of work and the intensity of work in different periods, I needed to recalibrate and redefine for myself. And I would just say that that’s actually maybe my biggest obstacle in life, and that each chapter you change and figure out how that balance works for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Mohamed Mkaouer [00:54:18]:
When I, when I started my grad school, I always felt excited about going to university because I was meeting people who I always thought they’re smarter than me, and this makes me really better. So I was measuring my progress by how much I learned every day, and I realized that university is the best place ever to learn because people are genuinely nice, they’re smart, and they care about others. That’s why they’re in academia, not in industry, right? Because they’re also, they care, right? And that’s why I didn’t want to leave this environment after finishing school, right? Because people are genuinely caring, you know? So use that and think about it that way, and you’ll see how much you’ll enjoy your grad school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:54:57]:
Well, Dr. Yorke, Shelby, Dr. McCower, thank you so much for being here today, for sharing your experience, your wisdom with all of us. and helping our students to make that transition into graduate school and get a better perspective from you as faculty members as they prepare to connect with their faculty members. And I wish you all the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shelby Newport [00:55:21]:
Yeah, thank you so much for having us. Thank you all for choosing UM-Flint. We’re so lucky to have you in our, in our community of learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:55:28]:
The University of Michigan-Flint has a full array of master’s and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing Whether you’re looking for in-person or online learning options, the University of Michigan-Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu\/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a Victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate journey. Thank you. on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at flintgradoffice@umflint.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you setting out on the next step of your academic career? Whether you\u2019re a prospective student or already admitted, the journey into graduate school can feel both thrilling and daunting. In the recent episode of \u201cVictors in Grad School,\u201d host Dr. Christopher Lewis gathers a powerhouse panel of UM-Flint faculty\u2014Dr. Amy Yorke, Shelby Newport, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":509,"featured_media":3175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,45],"tags":[3200,816,1206,3196,2375,515,27,32,1186,1042,846,229,1250,3198,1237,999,3199,750,2484,3202],"class_list":["post-3162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graduate-school-general","category-podcast","tag-academic-balance","tag-academic-journey","tag-curiosity","tag-faculty-advice","tag-grad-school-tips","tag-graduate-assistantships","tag-graduate-school","tag-higher-education","tag-imposter-syndrome","tag-learning-strategies","tag-mentorship","tag-online-learning","tag-professional-growth","tag-risk-taking","tag-student-success","tag-student-support","tag-student-faculty-relationships","tag-time-management","tag-um-flint-2","tag-university-resources"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3162"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3178,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3162\/revisions\/3178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/graduateprograms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}