The views and opinions expressed in the Graduate and International Ambassador Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Arkansas.
Check out episode two of our Student Interview Series! In this video, Graduate Student Ambassador Katherine Dzurilla discusses the difference between undergraduate and graduate school, as well as how the University of Arkansas helped her expand into new experiences.
Video Transcript:
My name is Katherine Dzurilla and I am a fourth year Ph.D. student in the Space and Planetary Sciences Department.
What led you to attend the University of Arkansas?
I knew I wanted to focus on planetary science. When I was looking at all these programs, all of them seemed kind of the same. And my goal was to get a more broad education and to be completely honest, this was the only program I could find that had experimental science work, a very broad education in things you could learn, as well as the community. The community, not just in my department, but at the university is really supportive. And I know I’ll be getting a great education by attending and getting my degree from here.
How would you describe campus life at the U of A?
Very supportive. Everyone is so friendly. If you ever need help or you can’t find a building, you can always just turn to someone and say, “Hey, do you know where this is?” There’s a genuine feeling that your peers want you to succeed in this environment. And that’s backed up by the administration and other faculty members who are always willing to meet with you and talk to you about opportunities. And really, they want you to succeed in whatever you want to go into, even if it’s not their specific area of research. They’re always willing to point you in the right direction.
What makes our university unique?
The community at the university; it’s really diverse. Not just in terms of like the international population, but also in terms of things you can get involved in. In graduate school, it is very easy to get in your silo and just stay there – stay with your same cohort the entire four-plus years of graduate school. But at the university, they really encourage you to break out of that mold. You can always get involved with student government, you can get involved in multiple clubs on campus, and as graduate students you have a little bit more time to get involved in them and really contribute back to the community.
What has been one of your favorite memories or experiences at the U of A?
I remember going to Preview Day and seeing the campus, interacting with the students, and then coming to my department and actually getting to meet the faculty face-to-face for the first time. And from my first meeting with Mike, my department chair, I knew that this was going to be a place that I was going to be pushed to learn more, to be more, and to want to achieve more in my professional life than I would be at any other institution. They really wanted me to get out of my comfort zone. And that’s really important in graduate school. It’s all about admitting what you don’t know and doing things that you might be a little bit uncomfortable with, because that’s how you grow. That’s the whole point of graduate school, and I knew that this was going to be a place that would set me up for success.
What advice would you give to those looking into graduate school?
It’s not like undergrad where you can say, “Oh, they have the best program, so I’m going to go there.” It really comes down to what you want to study. And that’s the difference again, between undergrad and graduate school: you are focusing on something that’s very specific, something that’s very niche, and you are training to be the expert in it. So, if that’s what we have here at the university, absolutely. Like, don’t let fear keep you from taking that next step! I know that I’ve talked to a lot of students who say they’re scared to go to graduate school, it’s very intimidating. And it is, but no one there is wanting you to fail. Your adviser is invested in you, all your colleagues are invested in you. So, if you have even just the slightest interest in graduate school, check it out. You never know what you’re going to find.
