Deciding to pursue a graduate education is not an easy task. There are a lot of unknowns when choosing a graduate program and finding the institution that will be the best fit for you. My needs in a graduate program consisted of caring faculty, a lively campus, and a town with plenty of things to do when not in class. The University of Arkansas happened to excel at all three!
My favorite part about being a grad student at the U of A is the community, both on and off campus. I’ve formed lifelong friendships with students in my program as well as others across campus. We’re able to stay active in organizations on campus as well as explore all of the wonderful things Northwest Arkansas has to offer. I love taking my dogs to the dog park in the evenings to de-stress. It’s always a fun opportunity to meet new people and spend time away from the books.
The best advice I can give to people trying to survive graduate school is to budget your time wisely. It is easy to just dive into classes, research, assistantships, etc. without taking a break to relax and focus on yourself. I use an online calendar system to schedule every important aspect of my week to keep me on track in classes and remind myself to de-stress. I usually schedule all of my studying/homework time during the week so that I have extra time to spend with family and friends on the weekend.
During the week, I spend a lot of time on campus because of my graduate assistantship. I’m usually most productive at my work desk, so I really enjoy staying late at work to study and work on homework there. Although I know a lot of other graduate students that prefer to read and study in coffee shops or the library, I find that I do better with no distractions. It is important to know yourself and try out a few different places to study so that you know where you can do your best work.
In addition to budgeting time in graduate school, budgeting your money is equally important! Surviving on a graduate assistant budget in Fayetteville is definitely possible, but it does require making smart decisions about where your money is going. There is an app called Hooked that I use to find great deals at restaurants around Fayetteville. They offer limited-time deals ranging from 50% off to getting free upgrades at both local and chain restaurants all around town. It’s a huge help on nights that my friends and I feel like going out without breaking the bank!
Graduate school is an exciting adventure. It’s really all about knowing yourself and finding a lifestyle that works for you. I have learned how to be more conscious of my time and understanding what works best for me. I really enjoy the community I have built on and off campus at U of A, and I feel like I have found my place as a graduate student here.
It’s so important to find a group of people to help support you! Pictured is a group of students and faculty from the higher education program, where I have found lifelong friends and colleagues.
Northwest Arkansas offers so many great places to explore. Here you can see my dog, Sophie, checking out the view of Lake Fayetteville.
